India Days 12-15: Dilli Dalli Delhi

It is said of Delhi: "Dilli dilwalon ka shehr", which means "Delhi is for the large-hearted". I would have to add "...and the open-minded." Delhi is the most mind-boggling place I have been to. The mix of cultures, religions, languages and classes is unique to India, and especially Delhi, where you can go from cosmopolitan and westernized to strict cultural adherence just by turning a corner. There is a startling blend of old and new-holy men chatting on cell phones while even secular women are warned not to go sleeveless. Cows ruminate in front of ancient temples, each unique and impeccably carved, while a big screen TV at the neighboring bar is blaring Sharukh Khan's latest Bollywood hit. Delhi-and all of India-has so much to offer. It's an eye-opening, heart-expanding, mind-bending country that will never loosen its grip on your thoughts. 

The last days in Delhi were spent perusing bookstores and shops, seeing friends and the last bits of the city that we could, and frantically packing and shipping boxes to the US. 

Accidental Art: Driving through my mom's neighborhood past an auto and bike rickshaw stand:

We came back one evening to see a swarm of birds above the park outside of my mom's apartment. Quite a sight to behold as the sun was setting:

I managed to catch a dragonfly in this shot:

There was also a steady stream of ants wandering to and fro on the wall I was propping myself up against:

Resourcefulness is always evident-mowing the grass in the park:

A strange bug that hung around the apartment. We caught Sage locked in a staring contest with it one evening:

A beautiful Banyan tree behind a burnt out wreck:

Decorated by the adjacent temple:

The temple cows in my mom's neighborhood. They were very cuddly:

The temple in Sukhdev Vihar and its inhabitants:

Pretty flowering vines in the neighborhood:

Back to Central Market-a beautiful Buddha painting in the Art Store:

Outside the art store, we saw a Charlie Chaplin impersonator stop to eat a simple lunch of Dal and Chapati:

He was more than happy to pose for us:

I just love this portrait. He was as friendly and expressive as a silent film star impersonator could be: 

Charlie in his full regalia: 

My faithful companion Sage, at my heels since I walked in the door on my first day in Delhi. His sweet, wise, calm eyes made my heart melt and I hated that we had to leave him. But he's a Delhi Dog and he's still roaming the neighborhood giving the puppy dog eyes in exchange for a tasty bowl of milk:

We went for a walk to see if we could see the peacocks that we constantly heard. They were just on the otherside of the wall in the trees, but hidden by the lush foliage. I caught this view of Sage and my mom from up on the ledge:

And with that, we bid Delhi "au revoir!" Or, more appropriately: "दिल्ली, जब तक हम फिर मिलते हैं."

India Day 11-Central Market and the Lotus Temple, Delhi

The adventure continued on Day 11 in India-for reference, this was  Thursday, September 6th. I had 3 weeks to the day left in India but my time in Delhi was quickly dwindling. My mom had several errands left to run before she moved in just four days, and one of them took us to Lajpat Nagar. Also known as Central Market, it was a madhouse of vendors ranging from upscale jewelry shops to people following you with cheap knick-knacks through the maze of stalls. Haggling is of course the norm, and my existing loathing for shopping was magnified tenfold. I found solace in a quiet, clean, air conditioned fabric store where I bought several meters of differently colored and patterned fabrics to bring back home to our resident seamstress!After we wandered through Central Market, we headed to the gorgeous Lotus Temple.

Our original errand was to bring some paintings to a shop in Central Market to see if we could sell them, as they'd be difficult to carry back. They wouldn't buy them, so we got them unframed and rolled up for neat shipping. The art store had some beautiful work:

One of the many curious things about India: littering is just what you do. I'll never understand it and I find it rather upsetting. It spoils an otherwise beautiful country. My mom told me a story about a European he met who, when he saw a man toss his used paper plate into the street, picked it up and yelled at him, "YOU CALL THIS INCREDIBLE INDIA?!" (Incredible India being the tagline for the tourism campaign.) I'm inclined to agree. 

Next to a rice vendor:

 

My mom against the backdrop of chaotic Central Market:

Looking for an anklet:

My mom and I made a pit stop at a KFC of all places (it was either that, McDonald's, or risk food poisoning from the street food.) This being India, there were several vegetarian options. It was tasty enough, but fast food's fast food.

After Central Market, we went to the aptly named Lotus Temple, the Baha'i faith's beautifully designed temple in Delhi. The Baha'is emphasize spiritual unity for all humans, and it's a peaceful and welcoming religion. I have been wanting to visit this temple since I first saw pictures of it years ago, so this was near the top of my list of attractions in Delhi. 

First view-behind the palm trees:

 

 Devotees and tourists (and cute babies) on the path to the temple:

 

 A precocious little girl who was grinning up at me as her mother took a picture of me and my mom:

Me and my mom in front of the Lotus Temple (not the Sydney Opera House!) We again got bombarded by the Indian Paparazzi who wanted pictures with us but managed to get some quiet time on the grounds.

 

Unfortunately pictures weren't allowed inside the temple, which was reserved for silent meditation only. There's a beautiful opening in the center of the ceiling (thanks wikipedia) and I could practically all of my good vibes being sucked out of my head and through the ceiling out into the world. 

In front of the entrance to the temple:

 

The temple in all its glory:

Two girls in front of the reflecting pools:

Sunset over the temple with ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Temple) in the background:

We were there around sunset, and the grounds were so peaceful:

Lit Lotus:

This dog got up and followed us as we walked past. Skinny but spry!

The Lotus Temple was one of my favorite sites/sights in Delhi. Sunset was the perfect time to experience it, and we went home contentedly at the end of the day.

India days 8-10: Delhi Daze

We bid Rishikesh adieu well before sunup. Two porters were waiting outside our room ready to cart our bags. My mom, still too weak from her unfortunate illness to walk the mile across the bridge to where our taxi awaited, also sat in the cart, on pillows borrowed from the Ashram. I walked alongside and was joined for part of the journey by a holy man. He asked my name but otherwise we walked in a blissful peace and quiet so rare in India. With an "om shri" he turned off into a temple along the road. The ride to Haridwar where we'd catch our train back to Delhi was bumpy but uneventful. Another porter brought us to the correct spot on the correct platform, then wandered off until our train arrived, when he popped up onto the platform from the tracks to put our bags on the train for us. 

We were supposed to be heading towards Jaisalmer on September 8th. Jaisalmer, in the western state of Rajasthan, is on the edge of a desert. I had been looking forward to an overnight camel safari, sleeping under the stars in the desert-elevated on cots, the safari operator told me, as scorpions and other creepy crawlies tend to find their way into floor-level beds at this time of year. 

We scrapped the Jaisalmer trip because it would be too much for my mom. After the 5 hour train ride to Delhi, we would have had a 6 hour layover/transfer to another train station and an 18 hour overnight train ride each way, and my mom might not have felt well enough to do much, let alone a camel safari. So we opted to spend the next few days seeing some more sights in Delhi, relaxing at home, and running errands before my mom ended her 15-month stint in India and moved back to the US. Our first evening back in Delhi entailed chinese food-which comes in baggies with drawstrings here!-and watching Three's Company in bed. 

A look from a biker in a pop-up market:

Sleeping rickshaw drivers:

Sidewalk barber:

When we got back from Rishikesh we went to pick up my new glasses. Altogether the frames, lenses and exam cost about $30! 

My, how my hair's grown!

While my mom was trying to figure out how to use my camera, she accidentally snapped this shot of me looking wistful and Sage looking like a dejected puppy. Love it:

Wise old Sage: 

Nathu's Sweets has delicious snacks and meals, which I heartily availed myself of. Samosas and Mutter Kachori for 12 rupees each? YES please! 

 We went to Chittaranjan Park, which is where my mom lived when she first moved to Delhi, to get a refund for our train tickets to Jaisalmer. We dropped in on my mom's friends at the Tailor shop.These old-style pedal-powered sewing machines are on practically every corner, and you can get stuff tailored for you on the spot. 

Inside of another Tailor's shop next door. This guy had handmade sari tops: 

I found one that suited me quite nicely (multicolored iridescent sequins of course). He tailored it to fit me perfectly in about ten minutes. By some stroke of serendipity, I found a pair of leggings in the exact same color a few days later and way across town. I know what I'm wearing to the next party I attend!

A laid-back couple of days, but it was fun to experience regular old life in Delhi rather than touristy things. Next up, Central Market and the Lotus Temple! 

Adventures in India Days 5-7: Ravishing Rishikesh

 

Rishikesh, in the foothills of the himalayas, is a magical town on the banks of the holy River Ganges. It is known as the world capital of yoga, and it's where the Beatles spent weeks with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to lean transcendental meditation. They wrote the entire White Album and then some while here, meditating in caves at the now-defunct Academy of Meditation. The spirit still lives on, though, as both banks are lined with ashrams, yoga schools and temples, and the streets are filled with holy men, cows, and devotees from all over India and the world. 

My mom had heard about Parmath Niketen Ashram, known for its welcoming attitude to people of all races, creeds, and genders wishing to have a peaceful and meditative journey, and wanted to stay there. They had told us on the phone that they were booked, but if we came there they might be able to fit us in. When we arrived, about 9 hours after leaving the house in Delhi, we were told they had a room for us. The room was simple but comfortable, and my mom and I both laid down to nap. Unfortunately she never ended up leaving the bed, as she had taken ill on the way there. So I was left to wander the ashram under my own devices, now feeling lonely again. They advised against single foreign girls going outside of the ashram alone, even during the day, so now I felt unsafe, uncomfortable, and lonely. Luckily, a nice man named Rajesh who worked at the Ashram was very kind and accommodating with helping my mom with medicine and food, and took me under his wing while we were there. 

Every evening, the Ashram held a huge and gorgeous Aarti ceremony, which was an hour and a half of offerings of chanting and lights to Maa Ganga. The first night, I walked around and observed the beautiful colors of the clothes of the devotees and listened to the chanting. I kept getting jostled and in my tired and unhappy mind,  I felt like I was getting pushed aside by rude jerks because I was a tourist, but I've come to realize that, like on the road, that's just how people here operate. If you don't  make your own way you'll never get anywhere!

The next day, I went outside the gates of the ashram by myself and discovered that I felt perfectly safe in Rishikesh. It's a small town with one cobblestoned pedestrian/motorbike road lined with shops. Sure I got some looks and requests for pictures (damn paparazzi!) but I didn't feel unsafe. I hardly ever do, because all of my travels have taught me to be street-smart, cautious and aware. I woke up at 430am to go to the morning satsang (chanting and lectures) from 5-6am. It was nice, but I wish I'd had a piece of paper with transliterations so I could sing along. Yoga was from 6-730am supposedly, but I waited with another lady for about 45 minutes outside of the yoga hall and no one showed up. Perhaps there was no yoga on the weekends, but in the end I didn't get to do any yoga in the World Capital of Yoga, except for a brief sun salutation. 

Since yoga was a bust, I decided to wander out of the ashram. I had remembered seeing an internet cafe on the way in, and as it was absurdly early in India, everyone in the US would still be awake! Sure enough, I chatted with friends and posted pictures for an hour or so, and made a skype date for the next day with all of my friends. In a much better mood, I headed back to the Ashram for breakfast. Dal, rice and chapati again. It turned out this was the menu for every meal while I was there except the next morning, when it was porridge. By my last dinner I was so sick of dal and chapati I almost opted to not eat at all. 

My time in Rishikesh was rewarding.  Every day here I learn a bit more about Indian culture and about myself. I was glad to have many peaceful moments to myself in this beautiful ashram and on the banks of the ganges.

 The first night, the blue moon. I went up onto the roof of the building we were staying in to capture the moon over the mountains and the grounds of the ashram:

 

As I was leaving the room one day, I came across this little ball of mischief eating a banana out of the garbage:

Same view from the rooftop, during the day. I was intrigued by the building up on the mountain. It  looked like a mystical monastery:

On the Ganges side of the Ashram sits a giant statue of Hanuman ripping his chest open. At night during the Aarti it opens to reveal Rama and Sita literally in his heart

At night during the Aarti it opens to reveal Rama and Sita literally in his heart. I captured it, albeit blurrily, just as it was closing:

 

The gates to the Ganges opposite Parmath Niketen:

Inside the gates of the ashram:

There were dozens of monkeys hanging around and swinging from the banyan trees. This cheeky monkey found a banana. Apparently monkeys really do like bananas!:

Swinging from the banyan tree:

Shiva on the Ganges:

Feet in the Ganges at the Aarti:

Before the Aarti, tradition vs. the modern world:

The teacher of the boys at the Ashram:

The boys from the Ashram chanting during the Aarti:

 A boy holding water from the Ganges in his hand. It looked like a mudra, a hand gestures used in yoga, hinduism and buddhism to further connect the body with the spirit:

 A look from one of the boys:

The harmonium player:

 Lighting the Aarti lamps:

 

Me holding the Aarti lamp with Rajesh:

 Prayer:

 After the chaos following the lighting of the lamps, I walked across the raging Ganges to get a view of the Aarti from the river:

 Raging river, chaotic devotion:

Shiva on the river. I got kicked off the platform shortly thereafter: 

 A cow relaxing on the bank of the Ganges, with the Laxman Jhula bridge in the background:

Temple on the water:

People on the streets of Rishikesh:

A bindi'd cow and a boy in the streets of Rishikesh:

The cow lifted up a leg to pose:

Cow face!:

 

Shiva, a  nice shopkeeper near the Ashram:

 

Mountain Monastery in the Mist:

 

Grey and green in the Ashram:

Shiva statue outside of the dining hall:

The view from the Laxman Jhula Bridge at 4:45am:

Pre-dawn stillness:

 

We left Rishikesh early in the morning on Monday, September 3rd to catch our train back to Delhi. The early morning air smelled of deisel, manure, and jasmine, a blend of smells unique to, and indicative of, India.