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.