The People of India

Niraj, Goody and Alohk

As I prepare to leave India to return to the U.S., I have been pondering what and who has made my time here so special. This blog has mostly been centered around my travels, but truly it is the people of India who have grabbed my heart.

One of the benefits of living in India is that you can receive alternative health services brought right to your home for very reasonable costs. Niraj has provided me with twice weekly acupressure treatments for three years. When I arrived in India I had one shoulder that was pretty locked up. Back in the U.S. my doctor mentioned possible surgery. In a few short months, Niraj helped to heal my shoulder, loosen it up with hot oil and herb treatments, physical therapy and exercise. I have no idea what his actual medical training has been. It does not seem to matter.

Goody wearing her wedding jewels

One day I invited Niraj and his family to my home for tea. Taking and developing photos for NIraj and Goody was a favorite event for them. They had never had a printed photo of themselves before I had some printed. This visit Goody went into the bathroom and came out all dressed in her finest wedding jewels. Stunning.

Their marriage was an arranged marriage. The first time that Niraj saw Goody was at their wedding. Wow, did he win the jackpot! The topic of arranged marriages will be for another blog post!

Woman with prayer wheel in Dharamsala

Dharamsala quickly became one of my favorite places in India. Besides the fact that it is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is the people who flock to live there that draw me back. This is the home of thousands of Tibetan refugees. It is also the home of the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, both in exile from Tibet.

 Now I have an understanding of what it means to commit to a life of freedom and spirituality like never before.

Tsering, my "sponsored" daughter at TCV

The Tibetan Children's Village is one of several schools established by the Dalai Lama to provide a home and eduction for Tibetan refugee children. Tsering fled Tibet only six years ago. Her parents are herders still in Tibet, but pushed her to escape through the mountains, first into Nepal then to Dharamsala, in search of a better life. I do not know the details of her escape, but from all my readings I know it was not an easy journey and took a tremendous amount of courage. She will remain at TCV as long as she chooses to complete her high school diploma. The possibility of her ever seeing her parents again is slim. Her hope is to continue on to college. My heart is broken that I will not see her for a long time.

Rickshaw driver

It is the everyday person in India that warms my heart. This man works day and night in grueling heat just to put food on his table for his family. Maybe he makes $5/day, if he is lucky.

Woman in Pushkar

I will never forget my first days in India marveling at the women dressed in sparkling saris digging ditches, carrying bricks on their heads at  construction sites, and selling roses during rush hour. In Pushkar the women are especially adorned with huge nose earrings and bangles galore. But this woman's  eyes especially captured me.

Trinket sellers

One of the  most annoying parts of India is the constant harassment by hawkers of everything from cheap jewelry to peacock feathers. But once I learned how to negotiate or firmly say, "No", it became a  type of quest. My friends agree that I am quite good at finding great bargains by interacting and smiling with the hawkers first. The trick is never to look at the merchandise or the seller unless you are truly interested in bargaining. And never say, "I'll come back later," as that is a standard joke for hawkers. Street sellers are some of the best sales people I have ever met!

Gond Artist

And then there are the artists. This man was from a small village in central India. He and his family are painters of Gond Art, which uses dot pens to make exquisite traditional paintings of Indian animals and village life. He and his wife traveled two days by train to teach our students this art technique. India is a land of artists to be celebrated.

Lady friends from Vivikenand Camp

Right across the street from my school is a community (slum to many) that houses hundreds of people. There is no plumbing, little electricity, and families of eight live in two rooms. My time with some of the women has been one of the highlights of my life. We did not know each others' language, but we understood the language of smiles, hugs and laughter.

This blog post could go on forever. It is the people of India who have filled my heart and soul. Namaste.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Happiness Guest House

As my teaching career comes to an end in India, I decided to make one last trip over a three day weekend to Kathmandu. So glad I did!

Kathmandu is a huge dusty city. I was surprised by the size and the air pollution. After all, Nepal is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. But breathing in dust from buzzing motorbikes on unpaved city streets was challenging. Many people wear dust masks.

However...

Man carrying prayer flags to be hung at Bodnath Stupa

The temples, the people, the art, the spirituality...a must-see.

I stayed at a lovely small hotel, Hotel Mum's Home, in the heart of  Thamel. The management hired drivers for me for all three days to visit the historical sights. Inexpensive and well worth it.

The narrow streets of Thanmel

Ancient city of Patan

My first afternoon I headed out to Patan (city of fine arts). Such amazing stone carvings and intricately wooden carved doors, windows and arches. There are over 1,200 Buddhist monuments scattered around this city.

Intriguing door of a wood carver

 Drawn in by this door, I found a small collection of wood carvings by a most delightful man. He spoke little English but could write the names of his pieces and prices, quite reasonable.

I was not planning on buying anything, as it was my first day in Kathmandu. But this painted carving of Buddha's mother caught my eye. Glad I purchased it since I never saw another one quite like it.

Not exactly sure who this is, but loved it.

I found Patan interesting, but it was quite crowded and I was yearning to get out of the city.

Village home

My driver took me a short distance out of the city to an ancient temple village. His English was minimal and I never did understand the name of the village. I was the only non-villager for most of my visit.

The alleys surrounding the temple (which was under renovation) were full of wood carvers. Amazing pieces! Hadn't brought much cash with me...probably a good thing.

Wooden hand-carved door

This woman was sitting outside her home next to this incredible hand-carved door. I really wanted a picture of her so asked her to stand in front of the door. She quickly struck this pose! I found the Nepalese people gentle and kind.

Grinding herbs

Carvings on rafters of temple

I truly loved my time in this village. Spent a couple of hours just sitting and watching the simple life of the people. No one pestered me to buy something or to offer up some scam. Refreshing. The kids were playing in and amongst the ducks and goats.


The next day I met up with two of my colleagues, Kathryn and Holli, from AES. We had a full day! Out first stop was Bodnath Stupa.

We hung (paid to have hung) a strand of prayer flags

Bodnath Stupa is huge and like a giant center stone in the middle of a mandala. It is one of the most important pilgrimage places for Buddhists. You can simply stroll around the stupa, sit in a cafe and ponder its store of energy, or shop in the many Nepalese craft stores.

Choosing our prayer flags.

For a fee we were able to put loved ones' names on each flag. The monk was selling  ground incense to burn at the base of the stupa. As a tourist, you never know what is authentic and what is not. But we did watch several local people burning the incense. And prayer flags signed and hung from the stupa? Why Not!!

Kathryn and Holli at a roof top cafe waiting for our prayer flags to be hung.

As we were waiting, two men were throwing  goldish-colored liquid on the stupa to make arches of color. I later learned that this is done to make a design of the lotus flower, only on special auspicious days. Lucky us.

Monk painting medicine on a stray dog

We could have easily stayed at Bodnath for most of the day, just watching the activities. But we had three other destinations to visit that day.

Sadhu at Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred Hindu temples in the world. Unfortunately, Westerners are not allowed in the temple. However, there is much to see anyway. Traditional cremations occur along the river gats. I had been to Varanasi, India and had seen cremations along the river from a boat. But this was in plain view. Ineffable.

We sat on some steps across a narrow canal just to ponder. A young man sat next to us and explained in detail the ceremonies and the process. Of course I thought he wanted money, but his explanations were the most detailed I had heard so I kept asking questions.  He never asked for money. Nice.

This man was possibly releasing ashes of a loved one in the river. It is typical for the eldest son to take part in the actual cremation and to wear white and shave his head. It is not typical for women to take part, but we did see one or two women near one of the burning bodies.

Dried lotus leaves filled with fresh flowers are also placed into the river as part of the ritual.

Yes, I am fascinated by sadhus!

This group of sadhus were sitting outside of the temple complex. They were happy to have pictures taken, even encouraged it, but money is expected.

Sadhus are religious ascetics or holy men in the Hindu religion. Most sadhus are also yogis, and they dedicate their lives in achieving Moksa (liberation) through a life of austerity, meditation, yoga, and chanting. They depend on donations from people.  Although sadhus are predominately male, there are also a handful of women sadhvis. Sadhus typically live in caves, forests and temples all over Nepal and India. Many are naked, or near naked, and wear their hair in dreadlocks. They partake in the use of cannibis (charrus), which Shiva was to believed to have used.

Sadhu covered in ashes

Many sadhus speak English. Some even look like Westerners. Would love to know more about their lives and histories. There must be a good book out there about sadhus.

Bhaktapur Durbur Square

Our next stop was Bhaktapur City. Entrance fees for Westerners to some of these sites can be quite steep. We almost did not go inside because of the fee ($25) but then acknowledged that if our money helps to preserve these historical cities it is worth every penny. This living museum is amazing. Sadly, we were pretty hot and tired by the time we reached Bhaktapur and did not spend as much time as needed.

Siddi Laxmi Stone Temple

Designer shopping...

 Off to our next stop...Swayambhunath Temple

Stupa at Swayambhunath

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious site on a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley. The temple is also known as the Monkey Temple because of the thousands of holy monkeys present. Locals flock here especially in the evening for the sunset views. There is also a Tibetan monastery, museum and library.

Monkey getting a sip at the wishing pond

Our very long day was coming to an end. If I were to do it again, I would only try to do three of these sites. But when time is limted you have to go for it!

With only one short day left in Kathmandu, we opted to drive out to Kopan Monastery. I was so looking forward to greenery and solitude. Unfortunately, the monastery was closed on Sundays. Next time!

View from the road

View of the farms from the hilltop

We found a trail leading around the monastery and through a village. Lovely.

Kathmandu is a must on the intrepid traveler's list. But, the whole time I was there I was dying to get into the mountains. I will be back...