i spent 3 days in rishikesh and really loved every second. between enjoying some chai in a river front restaurant, to investigating the wares for sale in the many shops that line the streets of lakshman jhula, to watching the crowds of indian holidaymakers move across the suspension bridge (very colorful!), to sitting and just trying to absorb it all...
i spent a lot of time in contemplation that gently dipped into deep meditation while seated along the banks of the ganges. i managed to mentally prepare myself for my home return, because i am back and there is no culture shock - i really feel like i've just stepped back into what i left 31/2 months ago. i did go see the famous ganga arati preformed at the Parmath Niketan ashram, with the Guru : Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. I arrived early, or so i thought, but all the good seats were already taken. i squeezed in next to this lovely older indian woman who saw me looking a little disapointed at the lack of seating, and pushed over saying, "why not?" the opening bhajans were lovely, all accompanied by young boys dressed in yellow. harmonium, tablas, and vocals - all properly amplified (i really enjoyed watching the boy in charge of the mixer, he was very self-important, constantly adjusting the sound on each by very tiny increments) - completed the setting of the mood. sunset over the ganges, the young priests also in yellow preforming homa (the fire sacrifice) at the river's edge, and then Swamiji walked in, his magnificent mane flowing behind him. but i was so unsettled by looking at his eyes! i was expecting this enlightened master (i had watched a tv special about him when i was ill in tiruvannamalai, and had all these expectations...) and while his presence was powerful, i think maybe it was because of the collective attention focused upon him. in any case, i was not impressed and slightly disturbed by the quality of his eyes.
on my last morning in rishikesh, i arose with the sun to go take my ganga bath. before then i had been afraid to do so, due to the power and energy of the river. also, i did not know where the best place would be for me to go - a western female, alone. i was wandering up the river bank towards where i had heard there were some beaches, but when i arrived i found signs proclaiming great danger and also i noticed that an indian man had followed me there, so no bathing at this spot. it was beautiful, however, and i took some photos and collected the sliver sand that covered the beach. as i was walking along it, i noticed this cute little hut up on the hill, and as i was imagining who lived inside and how neat it would be if i was sitting up next to the house, drinking chai with its inhabitant, out popped this old man with long white hair and a long white beard dressed all in yellow. he waved me on up to his house, and i went. babaji, as he told me his name was, showed me his lovely garden and offered me chai. i quickly learned that he has been a yoga teacher for 40 years, and he still does teach. he showed me some incredible moves - just looking at him you would never suspect that he was that flexible or that strong. "babaji take no money, only material". he showed me a book of photos taken by foreigners and gifted to him - people from all over the world have stumbled upon his little abode on the banks of the ganges and studied yoga asanas and philosophy with him in exchange only for food. it was very neat talking with him, and i couldn'y believe that on my last morning i had encountered such a character. but that is how it is in india - always characters to encounter. babaji advised me on where to take my ganga bath - across the river from his house, in fact - and i was on my way to bath in the holy waters.
the moment of total immersion was all that i had hoped for. the river had changed color over the course of the few days i had been there - first milky aquamarine, then dark brown (it rained) and then less dark brown and milky, and on my last morning the water was returning to the color i had seen on my first morning. it still was nowhere near clear - and being a big river i was sure that there were big fish, and id rather see them than just feel them nibbling on my toes - but clean and fresh. the water was cold, and quickly moving and i recited mantras as i dipped under... i stayed along the banks for at least 2 hours, just looking and sitting with an empty mind.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
mysore
i came to mysore intending to stay 3 maybe 4 days. it is now day number 19. as soon as susanna (a friend from the ayurveda course in kannur) and i pulled into town on the bus, i told her that i really liked the way this town felt. this is why i have stayed so long - practing yoga at various shalas (astanga), attending philosophy class, swimming at the pool, exploring the fascinating architecture in different parts of the city, wandering the devaraja market, conversing with fellow yogis and intellectuals over chai, getting blessed by the priests ontop of chamundi hill...
i came with suzanna because her friend, gibran, had an apartment that he had rented for the entire month. we were planning on all traveling together to go visit belur, halibib, and sravanabelagola. however, our departure was pushed back from saturday to sunday to monday to tuesday - and we managed to leave on wednesday morning. the three towns were great - in order i would reccomend visiting halibib, sravanabelagola, and then belur. the temples in belur and habibib are incredible - examples of hoysala architecture and extremely intricately detailed. at sravenabelagola there is a 17+metre high stature of a jain saint on top of a mountain composed of explosed rock - basalt i think. we climbed up the 614 steps hewn out of the mountain side in the afternoon - barefoot, as is required. the views from the path up as well as the top are beautiful - karnataka is a lovely lovely state with wide plains randomly punctuated by lobs of mountains and rocks. the statue itself is beautiful - there is something to be said of giant statues carved out of one piece of rock - and such grace and elegance in the lines. halibib, where we stayed overnight - is quite delightful. fresh and small, with only 2 guesthouses and 2 restaurants, and many elegant temples. in the morning, after our breakfast of puri, rice bath, vada and coffee/tea - we walked up the hill 2 km to see the rarely visited jain temples. we were the only ones there - a wedding procession had just visited before us to obtain blessings and their offerings were the only sign of life in the three temples. such stillness and grace inside the elegantly simple temples. out of all the temples i have visited, the jain temples are the most elegant and have the most calming and settling effect.
on our return to mysore, i was deeply conflicted with what to do with my remaining time in india. one month was just too short, and i really really liked how mysore felt - how life moved, the people i was meeting, the opportunities here for study and growth. so, i have stayed. i found a room in a delightful house (sutra house) in lakshmipuram - south of the center of mysore. there is a wonderful garden where i take my fruit salad and tea every morning (brought to me by the delightful ratna or jaya - the two maids who keep this house running smoothly). the decorations in the house are well chosen and very nice - lots of old prints and neat statues and great fabrics. stan, the frenchman who 'owns' the house, is a most delightful tour guide and conversationalist. i practice astanga at sthalam 8 - a 7 minute walk away with ajay, a young yoga teacher. i never was a fan of astanga, but i am starting to like it - especially because it is to straightforward (easier for private practice). the philosophy class i attend with Narashima is amazing as well - a room full of westerners sitting at his feet, while he elegantly explains away our doubts regarding anything indian - philosophical, cultural, spiritual.
perhaps the most important thing i have learned here in mysore (other than regaining my focus, which was highly distored in kannur) is that i really don't have to waste time and energy wandering all over india looking for something which i can't even name. staying put, at least for me right now, has been providing the most depth in my practice and exploration of the interior dimension of consciousness.
thursday, i leave for rishikesh. i could not leave india with out a bath in the holy mother. i decided that just a taste of the north would be appropriate, because if i liked it too much i would really have a difficult time leaving. also, it is extremely hot in rishikesh right now - much worse than mysore (which has been having spectacular sunsets due to the clouds that blow in every evening - freshening everything up). i suppose that i can handle 45C for a few days...
i came with suzanna because her friend, gibran, had an apartment that he had rented for the entire month. we were planning on all traveling together to go visit belur, halibib, and sravanabelagola. however, our departure was pushed back from saturday to sunday to monday to tuesday - and we managed to leave on wednesday morning. the three towns were great - in order i would reccomend visiting halibib, sravanabelagola, and then belur. the temples in belur and habibib are incredible - examples of hoysala architecture and extremely intricately detailed. at sravenabelagola there is a 17+metre high stature of a jain saint on top of a mountain composed of explosed rock - basalt i think. we climbed up the 614 steps hewn out of the mountain side in the afternoon - barefoot, as is required. the views from the path up as well as the top are beautiful - karnataka is a lovely lovely state with wide plains randomly punctuated by lobs of mountains and rocks. the statue itself is beautiful - there is something to be said of giant statues carved out of one piece of rock - and such grace and elegance in the lines. halibib, where we stayed overnight - is quite delightful. fresh and small, with only 2 guesthouses and 2 restaurants, and many elegant temples. in the morning, after our breakfast of puri, rice bath, vada and coffee/tea - we walked up the hill 2 km to see the rarely visited jain temples. we were the only ones there - a wedding procession had just visited before us to obtain blessings and their offerings were the only sign of life in the three temples. such stillness and grace inside the elegantly simple temples. out of all the temples i have visited, the jain temples are the most elegant and have the most calming and settling effect.
on our return to mysore, i was deeply conflicted with what to do with my remaining time in india. one month was just too short, and i really really liked how mysore felt - how life moved, the people i was meeting, the opportunities here for study and growth. so, i have stayed. i found a room in a delightful house (sutra house) in lakshmipuram - south of the center of mysore. there is a wonderful garden where i take my fruit salad and tea every morning (brought to me by the delightful ratna or jaya - the two maids who keep this house running smoothly). the decorations in the house are well chosen and very nice - lots of old prints and neat statues and great fabrics. stan, the frenchman who 'owns' the house, is a most delightful tour guide and conversationalist. i practice astanga at sthalam 8 - a 7 minute walk away with ajay, a young yoga teacher. i never was a fan of astanga, but i am starting to like it - especially because it is to straightforward (easier for private practice). the philosophy class i attend with Narashima is amazing as well - a room full of westerners sitting at his feet, while he elegantly explains away our doubts regarding anything indian - philosophical, cultural, spiritual.
perhaps the most important thing i have learned here in mysore (other than regaining my focus, which was highly distored in kannur) is that i really don't have to waste time and energy wandering all over india looking for something which i can't even name. staying put, at least for me right now, has been providing the most depth in my practice and exploration of the interior dimension of consciousness.
thursday, i leave for rishikesh. i could not leave india with out a bath in the holy mother. i decided that just a taste of the north would be appropriate, because if i liked it too much i would really have a difficult time leaving. also, it is extremely hot in rishikesh right now - much worse than mysore (which has been having spectacular sunsets due to the clouds that blow in every evening - freshening everything up). i suppose that i can handle 45C for a few days...
Saturday, April 5, 2008
kannur
i have been residing in kannur : "ur" = place of; "kan" = baby krishna --> or more commonly, the place of krishna. this 'modern' indian city is quite nice - suprisingly green, relatively clean, and rather well off. for the past several weeks i have been completely absorbed in my course and training in ayurvedic massage and panchakarma therapy. when i am not busy with theory class, practicals, studying, or practicing - i am off exploring the surrounding areas and shopping in the crazy network of streets that comprise the market.
i am sharing a house with an amazing hungarian couple: Robert and Csheela, and also Hiro, a japanese boy who has been looking after the house for Mika (who owns the house, and is presently in japan). Hiro's friend, Ciril, has befriended us, and basically helps with everything. he has taken us to adikadilai beach - which is pristine and private (read: western swimwear allowed!), and also trekking to a waterfall in a river on the boarder of karnataka, where we saw signs of elephants and spent the afternoon just sitting in the cool water, splashing and laughing and singing and sharing about our countries. he also took us to mutthapan- a unique religious ritual found only near kannur - which entailed an elaborately painted man dancing around in trance and acting out a scene from the upanishads - who then channeled a diety. at this point in the ritual all the attendees came up for darshan and to speak to the god about their problems. it was really very beautiful and quite moving - the energy was potent and tangible. this weekend i plan to attend a larger ritual (the one i mentioned was very small, maybe 40 attendees) which apparently marks the end of the theyyam season. theyyam is a similar ritual - involving trance dancing, prayer, acting out of mythological stories, elaborate head dresses, fire walking/rolling, and these last ALL NIGHT LONG. the best part is usually around 5 am, where the ritual peaks in intensity. both of these rituals are accompanied by drumming the entire time.
my course is comprised of one french woman, a man from portugal, 3 saudi's, the hungarian couple, and a young doctor (BMS) from goa. together we have explored the theory and history of ayurveda, and i think that i actually understand the tridosha concept! really! however, a month is really a VERY short amount of time to spend learning all this, and i can completely see why india requires 5 years of study to recieve a BMS (their degree of ayurvedic doctor). ive only barely scratched the surface of a ginormous pluton of information - rich in texture and stunningly deep.
one interesting thing i learned in class when we were discussing the history of ayurveda, is how the buddha died. due to the buddhsit belief in non-harming, the use of surgery in ayurvedic medecine declined. the surgical techniques that they had developed were top notch - they preformed brain/crainal surgery as well as cosmetic surgery (changing the shape of the nose and ears) thousands of years ago. however, the buddha developed an infection in his anus, where a new channel is created by infection going from a hole or wound in the colon through the muscle tissue in the butt. you end up with two holes then, where waste material moves through. obviously, the infection-caused channel is quite painful (and i think can be fatal), and one way of healing it is by taking a medicated string and passing it up through the channel and then down through the rectum and out the anus. you continue this process until the string will no longer go up through the channel, which indicates that it is healing and has closed off. this is what the buddha was prescribed, however he did not follow the doctor's orders and perished.
regarding PHOTOS: i have selected the best representations, and have posted them all on facebook, where the format is much easer to deal with and view, so please, if you wish to view them navagate to(three different albums):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109821&l=85520&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98918&l=d01aa&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104798&l=4eb15&id=527995523
i am sharing a house with an amazing hungarian couple: Robert and Csheela, and also Hiro, a japanese boy who has been looking after the house for Mika (who owns the house, and is presently in japan). Hiro's friend, Ciril, has befriended us, and basically helps with everything. he has taken us to adikadilai beach - which is pristine and private (read: western swimwear allowed!), and also trekking to a waterfall in a river on the boarder of karnataka, where we saw signs of elephants and spent the afternoon just sitting in the cool water, splashing and laughing and singing and sharing about our countries. he also took us to mutthapan- a unique religious ritual found only near kannur - which entailed an elaborately painted man dancing around in trance and acting out a scene from the upanishads - who then channeled a diety. at this point in the ritual all the attendees came up for darshan and to speak to the god about their problems. it was really very beautiful and quite moving - the energy was potent and tangible. this weekend i plan to attend a larger ritual (the one i mentioned was very small, maybe 40 attendees) which apparently marks the end of the theyyam season. theyyam is a similar ritual - involving trance dancing, prayer, acting out of mythological stories, elaborate head dresses, fire walking/rolling, and these last ALL NIGHT LONG. the best part is usually around 5 am, where the ritual peaks in intensity. both of these rituals are accompanied by drumming the entire time.
my course is comprised of one french woman, a man from portugal, 3 saudi's, the hungarian couple, and a young doctor (BMS) from goa. together we have explored the theory and history of ayurveda, and i think that i actually understand the tridosha concept! really! however, a month is really a VERY short amount of time to spend learning all this, and i can completely see why india requires 5 years of study to recieve a BMS (their degree of ayurvedic doctor). ive only barely scratched the surface of a ginormous pluton of information - rich in texture and stunningly deep.
one interesting thing i learned in class when we were discussing the history of ayurveda, is how the buddha died. due to the buddhsit belief in non-harming, the use of surgery in ayurvedic medecine declined. the surgical techniques that they had developed were top notch - they preformed brain/crainal surgery as well as cosmetic surgery (changing the shape of the nose and ears) thousands of years ago. however, the buddha developed an infection in his anus, where a new channel is created by infection going from a hole or wound in the colon through the muscle tissue in the butt. you end up with two holes then, where waste material moves through. obviously, the infection-caused channel is quite painful (and i think can be fatal), and one way of healing it is by taking a medicated string and passing it up through the channel and then down through the rectum and out the anus. you continue this process until the string will no longer go up through the channel, which indicates that it is healing and has closed off. this is what the buddha was prescribed, however he did not follow the doctor's orders and perished.
regarding PHOTOS: i have selected the best representations, and have posted them all on facebook, where the format is much easer to deal with and view, so please, if you wish to view them navagate to(three different albums):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109821&l=85520&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98918&l=d01aa&id=527995523
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104798&l=4eb15&id=527995523
tiruvannalamai
this lovely town in tamil nadu, about 3.5 hrs west of pondicherry, is home to the ramana maharshi ashram, as well as mt. arunachala - the abode of shiva. i left auroville on tuesday morning, after sharing another energy home experience in pondy with nalasa and mike. we had the famous 9 in 1 herbal drink which really is amazing and must be tried. in it these 9 herbs are blended with coconut milk: durva grass (cynodon dactylon), thduvalai (solanum trilobatum), gotu kola (solanum nirgum), indian goose berry or amallki (phyllanthus emblica), veld grape (vitis quadrangularis), bhangra (wedelia calendulaceae), matsyakshi (alternathera sessiles), and ballon vine (cardiospermum halica cabum).
the bus ride to tiru was nice and for part of the way this indian man sat next to me and jabbered away in tamil and broken english, trying to communicate with me. i was able to learn, through hand signals and inference, that he got married one year ago to a woman who was sitting in the front of the bus, and they just had a baby boy (she was holding him) of whom he was very proud. he was only 2 years older than me, and had studied biology in college, but now he works using his hands (im not sure doing what). i thought that it was really funny and great that even though we obviously couldn't communicate with any degree of depth, he still continued to talk to me and ask me questions about all sorts of things (most of which i didn't understand) and for a lot of the conversation, i just guessed what he was asking about and talked away in english. when he got off the bus with his wife, he grinned broadly and held up his baby boy for me to see as the bus pulled away.
i arrived in tiru and went straight to the ashram, where i had a booking to stay. as soon as i entered the gates of the ashram the busy chaos of tiru melted away and there was just so much peace in the air. i was so happy with my room - comfortable mattress, screened windows, a desk, a fan, and even a western toilet down the hall! it was quiet and lovely and clean! i relished being able to lounge around naked in my room, which i couldn't do in auroville because i was staying in a dorm. i went to the samadhi shrine as soon as i was settled, and sat. i ended up just sitting and sitting and sitting - the energy of the place coupled with the enormous collective intent of all the devotees was powerful and almost palpable. i sank into my self and floated there blissfully for hours that first night. i didn't even wander around the ashram to see the other buildings and was even a little late to dinner. i was so impressed with dinner as well: at least a couple hundered banana leaves were laid out on the floor, very orderly with a cup of water. everyone files in and takes their seat behind a banana leaf, then the kitchen staff comes around with buckets. each one carries a different item and one after another you get a scoop of rice then various curries and sambar and fruit and spicy paste and more rice and milk. breakfast was served the same way, except instead of a banana leaf you ate off of a plate made from smaller leaves pinned together wtih twigs (so exquisitely done!!!!!) and you had idly (little rice pancakes) instead of rice. the food was heavenly and the love and attention placed into it you could taste. some of the men, as they came around with the buckets of food, were chanting mantras, which even further intesified the energy of the dining hall. and of course, there were pictures of ramana maharshi on almost every available wall surface.
unfortunately, in tiru i came down with some sort of stomach/digestive issue (which has finally resolved itself, thank god, after a little more than a week). this affected my mood after the first day, as i didn't feel good and the idea of moving about was not too high a priority for me. however, this made sitting in meditation quite easy, so i sat and sat and sat. but after a whole day of this, i was quite frankly a littled bored. on my way to distract myself with internet, i ran into this man i had met at dinner the night before. we got to talking on the street, and we ended up going up to the caves on mt. arunachala. it was something i definetly wanted to do, however there were signs everywhere advising lady devotees to not make the trek alone. this whole women as second class citizens and property thing is REALLY starting to get on my nerves and makes me question gender roles and cultural explanations for such unequal treatment. the positive outcome of this is that i really do appreciate my country and all the most amazing and incredible opportunities with which i am blessed.
the trek up to the caves, of which there are 2, took about 30 to 45 min. halfway up, we (the israeli man and my self) stopped and chatted about the persuit of self realization. he had some really good insights, and helped me realize just how ignorant and innocent my ideas really are. we finally arrived at the first cave, which is perched up on the mountain, overlooking the city. you can see the entire shiva temple complex below, as well as an incredible views of the rest of the area - out to surrounding mountains and lakes and plains. sitting inside the caves is so sweet - there is no effort required for meditation, it is the only thing you can manage to do while you're seated inside.
the last night in tiru i stayed at the hotel ganesh international, which is very close to the main temple complex. compared with the ashram, downtown tiru is a circus - but really it is just a typical indian temple town. i saw no westerners in downtown tiru, which suprised me because there were so many of them at the ashram and the little streets surrounding it. i went for darshan at the main temple, wandered around, watched the elephant bless countless devotees with his trunk in exchange for a rupee coin, and wondered about influence that ramana maharshi, this one estatic being, had on the town, the country, and the world.
the bus ride to tiru was nice and for part of the way this indian man sat next to me and jabbered away in tamil and broken english, trying to communicate with me. i was able to learn, through hand signals and inference, that he got married one year ago to a woman who was sitting in the front of the bus, and they just had a baby boy (she was holding him) of whom he was very proud. he was only 2 years older than me, and had studied biology in college, but now he works using his hands (im not sure doing what). i thought that it was really funny and great that even though we obviously couldn't communicate with any degree of depth, he still continued to talk to me and ask me questions about all sorts of things (most of which i didn't understand) and for a lot of the conversation, i just guessed what he was asking about and talked away in english. when he got off the bus with his wife, he grinned broadly and held up his baby boy for me to see as the bus pulled away.
i arrived in tiru and went straight to the ashram, where i had a booking to stay. as soon as i entered the gates of the ashram the busy chaos of tiru melted away and there was just so much peace in the air. i was so happy with my room - comfortable mattress, screened windows, a desk, a fan, and even a western toilet down the hall! it was quiet and lovely and clean! i relished being able to lounge around naked in my room, which i couldn't do in auroville because i was staying in a dorm. i went to the samadhi shrine as soon as i was settled, and sat. i ended up just sitting and sitting and sitting - the energy of the place coupled with the enormous collective intent of all the devotees was powerful and almost palpable. i sank into my self and floated there blissfully for hours that first night. i didn't even wander around the ashram to see the other buildings and was even a little late to dinner. i was so impressed with dinner as well: at least a couple hundered banana leaves were laid out on the floor, very orderly with a cup of water. everyone files in and takes their seat behind a banana leaf, then the kitchen staff comes around with buckets. each one carries a different item and one after another you get a scoop of rice then various curries and sambar and fruit and spicy paste and more rice and milk. breakfast was served the same way, except instead of a banana leaf you ate off of a plate made from smaller leaves pinned together wtih twigs (so exquisitely done!!!!!) and you had idly (little rice pancakes) instead of rice. the food was heavenly and the love and attention placed into it you could taste. some of the men, as they came around with the buckets of food, were chanting mantras, which even further intesified the energy of the dining hall. and of course, there were pictures of ramana maharshi on almost every available wall surface.
unfortunately, in tiru i came down with some sort of stomach/digestive issue (which has finally resolved itself, thank god, after a little more than a week). this affected my mood after the first day, as i didn't feel good and the idea of moving about was not too high a priority for me. however, this made sitting in meditation quite easy, so i sat and sat and sat. but after a whole day of this, i was quite frankly a littled bored. on my way to distract myself with internet, i ran into this man i had met at dinner the night before. we got to talking on the street, and we ended up going up to the caves on mt. arunachala. it was something i definetly wanted to do, however there were signs everywhere advising lady devotees to not make the trek alone. this whole women as second class citizens and property thing is REALLY starting to get on my nerves and makes me question gender roles and cultural explanations for such unequal treatment. the positive outcome of this is that i really do appreciate my country and all the most amazing and incredible opportunities with which i am blessed.
the trek up to the caves, of which there are 2, took about 30 to 45 min. halfway up, we (the israeli man and my self) stopped and chatted about the persuit of self realization. he had some really good insights, and helped me realize just how ignorant and innocent my ideas really are. we finally arrived at the first cave, which is perched up on the mountain, overlooking the city. you can see the entire shiva temple complex below, as well as an incredible views of the rest of the area - out to surrounding mountains and lakes and plains. sitting inside the caves is so sweet - there is no effort required for meditation, it is the only thing you can manage to do while you're seated inside.
the last night in tiru i stayed at the hotel ganesh international, which is very close to the main temple complex. compared with the ashram, downtown tiru is a circus - but really it is just a typical indian temple town. i saw no westerners in downtown tiru, which suprised me because there were so many of them at the ashram and the little streets surrounding it. i went for darshan at the main temple, wandered around, watched the elephant bless countless devotees with his trunk in exchange for a rupee coin, and wondered about influence that ramana maharshi, this one estatic being, had on the town, the country, and the world.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
monsoon!?!
i have retreated to the dry and entertaining space of an internet cafe while the rain comes pouring down. we're scheduled to get another week of rain, which means an alternation between a drizzle, a complete drenching, and hot humidity with the sun barely peaking through the clouds. we did have a few days of sun, which i took advantage of! i brushed some ponies at the pony farm, went for nice long bike rides through the lush jungle, lied on the sand in the sun and splashed in the waves, and went to pitchandikulam- a bioreserve center where they are focusing on propogating the medicinal herbs that are native to this bioregion as well as educating the locals of the natural knowledge which they are losing due to their interest in and the convience/ease of conventional medicine. parvati, the woman who instructs the weekly class, taught us about this herb, savatri (in sanskrit) - also known as asparagus somethingicus (i didn't write it down) in latin. it is a tuber which is very nutritious and helps boost the immune system and imparts energy. the locals chew on the tubers like chewing gum, extracting all the juices they can out of the plant. parvati also said that it was possible to only chew on these tubers while undergoing a long expedition- no need for water! a group of about 8 spent an hour peeling the dried flesh from the stiff inner root of the tubers, so we could make tea. originally the plan was to crush the dried roots in the huge mortar and pestle onsite, but all the rain and heavy humidity affected the tubers for the worse, and they were sticky and not cooperating with the plan of being ground into powder. we all sat around while the water boiled, and spoke of the forest and the ongoing projects happening (lots of women empowerment) and when the tea was ready and an ample supply of jaggery was added (natural sugar), we sipped our tea and picked parvati's brain. she ended up telling us her life story which was really incredible: from arguing with her parents to be allowed to finish her schooling to finding 10 rupees a week for bus fare, to deflecting the villagers mean comments regarding her rebellious nature (just think, a girl finishing high school and daring of thinking of continuing!), and taking care of her whole family...she really just blew me away. she learned a lot about the local herbs from her parents, and acted as a healer while all this was going on as well. now she works to educate women about their native medicine supply and and provides a space for them to come together to support one another in the often harsh marital climate (arranged marriages are the norm, excessive dowries are as well, and often the parents of the groom are not entirely honest about the caliber of their son regarding drinking habits - alcoholism is a big problem here, especially since it is legal to purchase alcohol in pondy (the only place in all of tamil nadu)). so if youre in need of a good and worthwhile place to donate some money to - i would highly reccomend pitchandikulam forest in auroville.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
posting photos
i have been sitting here at arka, an internet station in auroville, for about 2 hours, and have only managed to get one photo posted! this is starting to drive me crazy. the internet connection seems fast enough, so it must be the computer itself? maybe too much traffic? ive got about 70 photos that i want to put up, and when it takes 5 minutes to upload just one, im not so sure that this is a viable task...
it has been raining a lot here - monsoon style - for the past 3 days. it is supposed to continue for a few more, however we do get breaks of sunshine. last night i went up after a few card games to look at the stars and watched the thunderheads move past mitra (the guest house i am staying in) on either side, lit up by lightning. directly overhead, the sky was clear and i could gaze at the primordial light penetrating empty space. the mosquitoes certainly like the weather that we've been having, and it is impossible to wash anything because it will not dry! also, the lovely red earth has turned to lovely red mud, which turns everything it comes into contact with the same lovely shade. my toes look like they've been hennaed!
it has been raining a lot here - monsoon style - for the past 3 days. it is supposed to continue for a few more, however we do get breaks of sunshine. last night i went up after a few card games to look at the stars and watched the thunderheads move past mitra (the guest house i am staying in) on either side, lit up by lightning. directly overhead, the sky was clear and i could gaze at the primordial light penetrating empty space. the mosquitoes certainly like the weather that we've been having, and it is impossible to wash anything because it will not dry! also, the lovely red earth has turned to lovely red mud, which turns everything it comes into contact with the same lovely shade. my toes look like they've been hennaed!
Monday, March 10, 2008
lord of the dance
i went to chidambaram on saturday, by motorcycle. it was a two hour ride (80 km), and when we finally arrived my butt rejoiced! there is this amazing shiva temple complex in chidambaram, and since it was just recently shivaratri, i thought that it would be appropriate to visit. i convinced my friend, walter, who has a yellow bullet, to take me down there. coincidentally, a traditional indian dance festival was happening there that same evening - in honor of the lord of the dance - shiva. after a long lunch of thali in air-conditioned comfort, we wandered into the temple complex.
we entered by the west gate, a side enterance, through one of the four towering gopurams. these gopurams are vividly painted in many colors, and quite impressive (i suggest you google it to get an idea - i didn't take any pictures). after deflecting the donation pleas of a young brahmin, we walked over ancient stones inscribed with mysterious writing towards the main temple. that was actually a little difficult to figure out, because there are several temples inside this complex. we did finally make it, and the late afternoon sun slanted in through the musty air past beautifully carved pillars. there were many brahmins milling about, doing various things, and after wandering through a vishnu temple, we came to see the main shiva temple - which depicts shiva as nataraja, the lord of the dance. it was a little confusing at first, because the statue was so covered with offerings of flower garlands and silk cloth, but we paid the brahmin our 30 rupees to have darshan and it was really quite spectacular to go inside the sanctum, closer to the statue and the busy brahmins, preforming arati after arati for devotees (of which there were many). as soon as i stepped inside the wispered sounds of om namah shiva enraptured my ears, while the flickering ghee lights and smoke from the insence delighted my eyes and nose. the sign outside the gate says that only those free of camera, shoes, shirts (for men) and pure of being may enter. after darshan, i stood outside the main shrine, and continued to watch the activites and contemplate the representation of divinity that nataraja is - and fell into a very still state, which suprised me because there was a whole lot of activity going on all around me. when i came back to reality, i wandered over to another temple, this one to lakshmi, and had darshan. then walter and i found some seats in the quickly filling audience for the evening of dancing.
they certainly saved the best for last, and luckily, after all the young girls preformed, all their mothers and sisters left their central seats, so we moved in for incredible views. it is very important to be able to see the dancer's facial expressions, as they move their eyes alot, as well as keep their mouth in particular shapes. the dancing was SO BEAUTIFUL! i sat enraptured by these women's grace and elegance for 4 hours. the precision with which the accomplished dancers moved was nothing short of astonishing - their fingers were bent into complicated mudras which constantly changed, and they had very fancy footwork which rang the bells they had wrapped around their ankles. it was actually helpful to have watched the not so good dancers, because then i had so much more respect for the accomplished dancers. the musical accompainment was all live, and there were some excellent tablas players as well as singers. all the songs that were danced to were bajans to lord shiva, and there was a lot of moves in the dance that mimiced the nataraja pose, as well as a lot of references to ganga (one of shiva's wives, also the story is that shiva breaks the fall of the heavenly ganges onto the earth by letting her fall first onto his matted locks).
friday night i went to a kali festival in a neighboring village to auroville. it was a new moon, so this festival was a significant event. there were many many people there, and the men were divided from the women and children on opposite sides of this makeshift enclosure which surrounded two large figures made of sand and decorated with flowers and saris and colored sand - as well as the 'entertainer' - a man singing with a microphone and also making jokes(?) and his accompainment - three drummers. after the sun set, and the drumming and singing got a bit more intense, out of the corner of my eye i saw this woman get up and start swaying around dramatically and even a little violently - i thought that she was trying to fight someone at first, but i soon realized that she was possessed by the spirit of kali. once that happened, things started to get crazy. the whole crowed got up (everyone was seated) and surged the fence. the police came around and beat (not actually) back the crowd with long sticks, and made them all sit down again. then, loud fireworks went off behind me, and this huge cart came banging down the road from the kali temple (50 meters away) and everybody got up again and surged the fence. i think at this point they killed a chicken they had tied up (i couldn't see anything - too many people) and these hairy people started running around the enclosure - i think they came on the cart with the statue - and more people with long grasses on their heads. then, people stated throwing things into the enclosure - rupees, peppers, puffed rice, flowers, and i even saw some coconuts go in there. a little bit more shouting then the fence broke and eveybody ran into where the sand figures wer and were waving the smoke from the lights in the sand over their eyes and head, and looking for things in the sand. people were also collecting the sand that the figures were constructed out of and even filling bags with it! the understanding i gained from a drunk villager was that the two figures were an evil couple that fought alot and caused a lot of problems in india - then kali came and killed them and the world is a better place because of it. afterwards, i explored the carnival atmosphere of the temple grounds - people were selling all sorts of things- bangles, plastic toys, sweets, jewelry, and prasad items. there was also a band, for which interesting is the best descriptor. traditional tamil meets bajans meets synth pop. i listened to probably 5 songs, then left. the young female singer, whose voice was lovely, was really not into being there at all. she looked so glum and bored out of her skull.
ive been enjoying auroville very much, but i do miss a little the fishing village where i was staying in pondy. however, the people im meeting are great, and i am especially looking forward to getting my hands dirty doing some volunteer work (of which type exactly, i haven't yet decided).
we entered by the west gate, a side enterance, through one of the four towering gopurams. these gopurams are vividly painted in many colors, and quite impressive (i suggest you google it to get an idea - i didn't take any pictures). after deflecting the donation pleas of a young brahmin, we walked over ancient stones inscribed with mysterious writing towards the main temple. that was actually a little difficult to figure out, because there are several temples inside this complex. we did finally make it, and the late afternoon sun slanted in through the musty air past beautifully carved pillars. there were many brahmins milling about, doing various things, and after wandering through a vishnu temple, we came to see the main shiva temple - which depicts shiva as nataraja, the lord of the dance. it was a little confusing at first, because the statue was so covered with offerings of flower garlands and silk cloth, but we paid the brahmin our 30 rupees to have darshan and it was really quite spectacular to go inside the sanctum, closer to the statue and the busy brahmins, preforming arati after arati for devotees (of which there were many). as soon as i stepped inside the wispered sounds of om namah shiva enraptured my ears, while the flickering ghee lights and smoke from the insence delighted my eyes and nose. the sign outside the gate says that only those free of camera, shoes, shirts (for men) and pure of being may enter. after darshan, i stood outside the main shrine, and continued to watch the activites and contemplate the representation of divinity that nataraja is - and fell into a very still state, which suprised me because there was a whole lot of activity going on all around me. when i came back to reality, i wandered over to another temple, this one to lakshmi, and had darshan. then walter and i found some seats in the quickly filling audience for the evening of dancing.
they certainly saved the best for last, and luckily, after all the young girls preformed, all their mothers and sisters left their central seats, so we moved in for incredible views. it is very important to be able to see the dancer's facial expressions, as they move their eyes alot, as well as keep their mouth in particular shapes. the dancing was SO BEAUTIFUL! i sat enraptured by these women's grace and elegance for 4 hours. the precision with which the accomplished dancers moved was nothing short of astonishing - their fingers were bent into complicated mudras which constantly changed, and they had very fancy footwork which rang the bells they had wrapped around their ankles. it was actually helpful to have watched the not so good dancers, because then i had so much more respect for the accomplished dancers. the musical accompainment was all live, and there were some excellent tablas players as well as singers. all the songs that were danced to were bajans to lord shiva, and there was a lot of moves in the dance that mimiced the nataraja pose, as well as a lot of references to ganga (one of shiva's wives, also the story is that shiva breaks the fall of the heavenly ganges onto the earth by letting her fall first onto his matted locks).
friday night i went to a kali festival in a neighboring village to auroville. it was a new moon, so this festival was a significant event. there were many many people there, and the men were divided from the women and children on opposite sides of this makeshift enclosure which surrounded two large figures made of sand and decorated with flowers and saris and colored sand - as well as the 'entertainer' - a man singing with a microphone and also making jokes(?) and his accompainment - three drummers. after the sun set, and the drumming and singing got a bit more intense, out of the corner of my eye i saw this woman get up and start swaying around dramatically and even a little violently - i thought that she was trying to fight someone at first, but i soon realized that she was possessed by the spirit of kali. once that happened, things started to get crazy. the whole crowed got up (everyone was seated) and surged the fence. the police came around and beat (not actually) back the crowd with long sticks, and made them all sit down again. then, loud fireworks went off behind me, and this huge cart came banging down the road from the kali temple (50 meters away) and everybody got up again and surged the fence. i think at this point they killed a chicken they had tied up (i couldn't see anything - too many people) and these hairy people started running around the enclosure - i think they came on the cart with the statue - and more people with long grasses on their heads. then, people stated throwing things into the enclosure - rupees, peppers, puffed rice, flowers, and i even saw some coconuts go in there. a little bit more shouting then the fence broke and eveybody ran into where the sand figures wer and were waving the smoke from the lights in the sand over their eyes and head, and looking for things in the sand. people were also collecting the sand that the figures were constructed out of and even filling bags with it! the understanding i gained from a drunk villager was that the two figures were an evil couple that fought alot and caused a lot of problems in india - then kali came and killed them and the world is a better place because of it. afterwards, i explored the carnival atmosphere of the temple grounds - people were selling all sorts of things- bangles, plastic toys, sweets, jewelry, and prasad items. there was also a band, for which interesting is the best descriptor. traditional tamil meets bajans meets synth pop. i listened to probably 5 songs, then left. the young female singer, whose voice was lovely, was really not into being there at all. she looked so glum and bored out of her skull.
ive been enjoying auroville very much, but i do miss a little the fishing village where i was staying in pondy. however, the people im meeting are great, and i am especially looking forward to getting my hands dirty doing some volunteer work (of which type exactly, i haven't yet decided).
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