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Published: February 13th 2012
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Saturday was a very low-key day at KEM. The emergency room was calm, the medical ward was only sparsely occuped, and the highly unusual cases were nowhere to be seen. Sunday is a holiday for medical students, so I took advantage by doing non-medical stuff!
On Saturday after rounds, a Seth GS Medical College student named Rahul, whom I had met a few days prior, invited me, Khaled, and Nasir to his home in Virar, a suburb that is found on at the very last stop of the Mumbai Western rail line. It was a good 1.5 hours from the hospital. This is actually a very common practice in Indian culture as a whole. Whether north, south, east, or west Indian (or any other differentiation you feel like making), the rules of hospitality remain congruent throughout the country. In this case, Rahul invited us to spend time with him and his mother in Virar, have dinner at his home, stay the night, and see the famous Jivdani temple early the following morning. The three of us were, of course, totally game. We were able to discuss a number of subjects at length during our little getaway, including America-India foreign policy,
medical school training the Indian way, and the status of the caste system in India, just to name a few "minor" subjects. All in all, it was great fun. Rahul was a stupendously good host, and his mother topped it off with a wonderful meal.
Jivdani is found on a hill overlooking the city of Virar, and it is most definitely the main attraction of the city. In recent years, it has become very well known among general Mumbaians (if that's the correct word), and on this Sunday morning, we barely beat the massive amount of traffic. It is 1375 steps high, so one can imagine that it was one hell of a good workout just getting to the top. The religious fervor the few was definitely on display, with several people literally crawling up the steps on all fours. I cannot imagine the agony of doing that. I am told that this is done by those who are seeking something of high value or esteem from the Lord, and therefore, this will be their sacrifice. Now that's commitment.
The view from the top was very beautiful, but all hell seemed to break loose when I popped out
my camera for a few snaps. Apparently this temple has been under threat by radicals, and so half the temple grounds are now blocked off from the public, including the upper levels with the most picturesque view of the city. And, of course, digi-cams are a no-no. (Sigh). How sad it is when the madness of a few affects the simple liberties of the rest. We Americans can definitely relate to that sentiment.
And last night, I had a dream come true. One of my favorite groups, Remember Shakti, happened to be having a performance in Navi Mumbai. Ticketless, I ventured out into the newest areas of the city, found well east of the central region. Thankfully, the people of Mumbai are so incredibly friendly that I was able to hop from train to train with a great deal of help and little inhibition. After reaching Navi Mumbai, I met a guy named Nikhil who, like me, was trying to get to Central Park Amphitheater, where the concert was being held. We became instant friends, and when we reached the venue, he actually aided me in obtaining a ticket on the cheap! We enjoyed the enlightening performance together, one
in which John McLaughlin, U Srinivas, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, and Vikku Vinayakaram were simply at their best. Rhythmically, this group uses structure that I simply don't even comprehend. They are able to meld jazz and Indian classical music so fluidly that it is no wonder that they are considered the greatest fusion group on the planet. Do yourself a favor and watch this video of what they can do.
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