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.