“All these bullshit ideas you must give up”
Hindu philosophy course
A favourite saying of my Hindu philsophy teacher. Another rhetorical question said with a balance of power and humour “you think you understand these things? you know nothing!” The opportunity to attend these classes has been one of the highlights of my trip to India.
Life in the ashram
Although set at the foothills of a range of mountains (the Himalayas are still a little way out of view), the ashram itself is firmly set in concrete. My room is spartan with bed and shelving only, but its spacious and light. Out my back window I seem to be facing a road built specifically for livestock traffic (although this could describe most roads in India). Every morning I am woken to the tinkling of bells, trotting of hooves, and whacking of sticks as flurries of donkeys, horses and cows trundle past, chased at the heel by their lithe owners. Out my front door I dart around a handful of charcoal-faced monkeys the size of male asian gymnasts, expertly examining piles of fruit and vegetable waste.
The days are slow paced. On my first few days in Rishikesh I remember irritatedly darting around group after group of people lolling about at art gallery pace, blocking my way. Now I too have adopted the pace and am one of the crowd.
Surprisingly, given my anglo complexion, I have been asked on a number of occassions whether I am an Indian (Punjabi) woman. Despite all the advice to dress traditionally to avoid unwanted male attention (read: predation), its actually had the opposite effect for me, and apparently now I “walk just like an Indian woman” too. Hmmmm….
Day starts with yoga 8-10 am, a quick espresso at the italian cafe down the road, then hindu philosophy 11-1, then slow-paced lunch at my favourite indian place (where because i’m a regular i get made to order superb stuff), then wasting hours on the internet researching my future in other countries, then lolling around reading or writing on the banks of the Ganga, then yoga 5-7, then dinner at same place! and a bit of night market wandering, then early to bed for the next day. . .
Sunset ceremony blessing Mother Ganga (the Ganges)
A huge white statue of Shiva in lotus posture effortlessly balances on the shifting currents of the Ganga. Behind him the mountains darken, the pink hues of the setting sun expand, and the stars slowly awaken. Hundreds of ordinary people gather on the steps of the river to chant, give blessing, and offer small bamboo leaf bowls of candle-lit flowers to the Great Mother. Like many others, I feel compelled to dip my feet and head in her clear waters (which reputedly has the power to alleviate bad karma).
Saying good-bye to India
Tomorrow I catch the night train to Varanasi to spend a few days, breaking up my journey back to Kolkata. I fly out on the 11th April, back to Bangkok. As challenging as its been, I feel sad to leave and know I will return soon.
Tags: India
Jyai