Examine what is said, not her who speaks

Last day

It is misty today. I am sitting in the train while I write this, with hawkers shouting at the top of their voice and people coming and going.
A sadhu baba sits at the platform across where I am and is smoking a "chillum" (smoke pipe). Lord knows what is in there. I'm fascinated by his attire. He is dressed up like Shiva, in leopard print dress. Who said vanity belongs only in this materialistic world!

There is a monkey who keeps on loitering around on the railway platform, sitting close to the edge, as if waiting for a train to come in.

A part of me wants to go back while another part of me desires to stay, sit again at the banks of the river, enjoy the peace and quiet, write in this diary, let go of my worries. Alas, time moves on and so must I.

I've filled a bottle of "Gangajal" (water from the river) for it is used in all the holy rituals by the Hindus. Gangajal is said to be the stairway to heaven.

I had gone down to the riverbank today morning where I took some water in the palm of my right hand, gazing towards the sun and prayed that I find peace of soul. I might be a sinful, worthless human for all I am but I am still of this nature's making. Thereby I leave my worries, pain and heartbreaks at this doorstep.

*sits with a faraway look on her face, then shakes herself to present*

As aforementioned, am in the train, which has been typically delayed. Oh darling, this is India! I shall reach Ahm tomorrow at five in the morning. Am looking forward to reaching Ahm where I shall meet friends and revise on the project which is to start in February in Mumbai.

I have the wedding of a dear friend to look forward to soon.
Shall let you know all about it.

Until then---as they say here " JAI GANGA MAYIYA, HARI OM!"

I've been bogged down lately by so much work at the office that I had no time to return to the blog and continue. Today, my boss left for Dubai and finally, I breathe a small sigh of relief. I am free until tomorrow morning to do as I please!

Seriously though, had it not been for a certain charming friend keeping me occupied with his dilemnas and making me smile, diverting my mind- I'd have really gone into a terrible state of stress and despair. But ...that, we shall talk of later. Let me finish what I'd started earlier. So we ended with me being stuck with no transport in Rishikesh, away from Haridwar and the Ashram where I was putting up. Am scared a bit but trying to be brave, telling myself, it will be okay.

TRAVEL DIARY: 18-01-08 at 8:45 PM (contd.)
BE CAREFUL!

Finally, I found a Rickshaw guy who tells me, he'd take me until the city centre of Rishikesh, where I could get another one to a place called "Raiwala" and from there on to the Bharat Mata Temple.
I consented. Something was better than nothing and surely one could get some means of transport in the city suburb! The city centre is around 7 kms away from Ram Jhula.
It was another 30 minutes before he accumulated all the passengers for the shuttle and I was on my way.

Once I reached the centre, I get down close to a huge fruit market. I buy some fruit there (I'd started getting hungry) and started looking for another Rickshaw to take me to my next stop. Caught one which was a muddle of children crying, women and men who stinked of "Bidis" (tobacco leaf rolled into a cigeratte) and country liquor.

With a small prayer to drive the fear away from my heart, I am sitting there in this Rickshaw when I feel a hand crawling up my thigh. Uggghhh!! I look at the man sitting beside me and ask him icily to remove his hand and behave. *shudders with the memory of it*

The shuttle Rickshaw driver (thank God!) was a good guy apparently as he stopped the auto there and asked me to change places. I did so. The guy in the Rickhsaw were talking loudly, cursing every two second and boasting to each other about well they treated women in bed.
They kept on glancing my way but I had my face averted, head up. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I trembled with fear inside.

Once the Rickshaw reached Raiwala, I got down. The Rickshaw driver- that good man, he kindly stopped another auto going my way from there and made sure I was secure.
This auto also contained a bunch of rowdy men, cursing their current leader of the state and I don't mean she was being cursed as just a politician.
I believe I do understand now why they say women are mistreated and disrespected in the State of Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal.

I finally reach Bharat Mata Temple and my Ashram. Washed my face and sat down on a bench for a while under the tree close to the temple to say "Thank you God." Anything could have happened but it didn't. Someone seems to be watching over me.

Now after dinner, I wonder if I was being unnecessarily panicky. However, the local women in the Ashram were shocked that I came in so late and did indeed tell me that I was lucky I have come home unharmed. Most women are not so lucky.
To think this place is considered to be holy and so close to the river Ganga who washes your sins away....the River Goddess would have something to say about these mishaps, don't you think so?

*gets up and stretches. comes back to the book* Am tired and yet awake. Think I need a cup of tea. Adios!

Be careful!

Today has been a hair-raising experience. I am back in the Ashram now, in my room, my appetite sated with a light dinner of "Kitchari and Kadhi" (gujarati stuff roughly translated to hotchpotch and curry). Let me begin from this morning.

I woke up this morning craving for some good bread - pumpernickel would be great! I love my Gujarati food but somehow I've become used to non-spicy food and I don't like my mouth stinging at every meal.

I knew that the only way I could buy it was go to Rishikesh where I could get it from the bakeries meant for foreigners. Indians, as you must be well aware have their own sort of bread i.e. our chapatis, parathas, kulchas and various other sorts.
I decided I would leave in the afternoon as it is a mere 22 kms from where I have put up. Calculate an hour's travelling. That would mean, I could be back by early evening, even if I went for a walk out there.
So...I went to the river bank across the Ashram (BTW the river banks are called "GHAAT" in Hindi) as usual and sat there until mid-day. Today, I read "Durga Shaptashati" which is a powerful book, stating the power of Goddess Durga and her forms of Kali, Chandi, Shakti,etc. Very interesting stories. I'll put them down here one day if you're interested. *raps herself on the head* "you're moving away from the topic"
*gather my thoughts* Anyway, so at mid-day, I took the "shuttle" auto rickshaw, sharing it with 10 odd people. No bargaining-fixed prices. It is the cheapest means to travel. If you're ever in India, you must try it. It's fun in its own way! *grins* I paid Rs.20 (roughly 50 cents-hardly a fortune!)

Reaching Rishikesh, I got down at Ram Jhula. You need to understand that Haridwar and Rishikesh; both of these towns are connected east to west by a number of bridges.
"Ram Jhula", simply explained is a bridge, connecting the East of Rishikesh to the West. It is on the Northen side of the town while it's brother "Lakshman Jhula" is in the South. I stayed here for a day, living in an Ashram before I started making notes in my diary. Thus, I was familiar with the roads.
Off I went along the path, enjoying the view. I was enraptured with the view. The entire walk takes around an hour and half from Ram Jhula to Laksham Jhula when you walk briskly, passing the shops along the way. I walked slowly to and back,bought my bread and enjoyed a cup of coffee and a chocolate doughnut, breathing in the misty fresh air. I was quite happy.
By the time I reached back to Ram Jhula, I realised my folly. My smile faded as I realised it was getting on to be 18.00 hours and the sun had set! I could've kicked myself for being so stupid, staying out late even when I'd been well aware of how dangerous it is in these parts.
Oh well, time to go back and pray no ill befalls me. Are you puzzled by what I felt? Why do I say it is dangerous? If so, remember this the state where women are raped at will and thrown away, where many Indian and foreign female tourists travelling alone, are known to have been ill-treated. Besides, the local woman had mentioned that none of the women there, with a pinch of common sense would venture out alone after dark.
OH perfect! Now what??!!

* Watch out for the conclusion in the next post* Feel a bit tired.

Sorry for not continuing it earlier. Been sick since the last two days.Am running a fever and feel shitty but otherwise okay. There's a lot happening and all is important at this juncture (both at work and personal fronts; Meno- might need your suggestions soon. )It is frustrating to be unwell at this point of time but nothing can be done except wait for the meds to kick in so I am working from the 'home-office".
To continue with the trip to the mountains:

I read the book again today but my mind seems to be wandering. I seem to be in a "don't think" phase of mind, unable to hold on to a single thought.
All I want to do today is to sit and gaze at the beauty I'm surrounded with; the music notes emerging from the flowing river, the cry of the birds soaring above me, the wind wooing the trees, every single rain-drop on the ground glittering like a diamond under the gentle rays of the sun who's been playing hide and seek with the clouds since this morning. Warmth surrounds me in this chilly weather while I watch the river water glistening in the sun, turning silver.
The mountains beckon, ask me to reach out to them. Alas! it has snowed up there and the roads are blocked. They will open once the snow melts suffciently. But by then, I shall be gone. The eagles scream, swooshing down in the river quickly and moving up again with their food in their mouth. I see all this, with my mind-content.
A smile begins at the corner of my mouth and I wish I could sit here for a lifetime, in this moment. I wish I was an artist who could write a poem or sketch for my friends to see what I see. As such, I must be content with the words I find to explain how I feel at the moment.
After all, one must make the best of one's assets, isn't it?
Time for another refreshing dip in the river before I head back to the meditation centre.

Blessed ignorance as a foreigner

It happened but only a few minutes ago. Thought I'll write it down since I find it amusing.

I'm sitting on the banks of river Ganga, reading "To the unknown God" by Petru Dimitriu. I was doing the same when I see two teenage boys staring at me. They whisper to each other, some distance away from the steps where I was sitting. After almost an hour during which a family came in and took a holy dip in the river and left, one of the guys comes up to me, seeing that there is no one about anymore.

He greets me politely and then asks if I could help me with something. I am wary. I decide to be cautious but not unfriendly. Besides, he seemed harmless. At a nod from me, he sits down a step below me and saying, as I look a stranger in these parts and perhaps am a foreigner, I may be able to advice him. Bewildered I look at him.
He explains by saying that he is in love with his childhood friend but is scared of letting her know. He is a high school student. She lives far away as her family shifted some months back. He seems shy so I suggest he could write to her.
Suddenly a man comes up. This teenager looks at him, balks, mutters a "thank you" to me and leaves hastily. The man apparently is the owner of the building being constructed on this bank of the river.
He asks me if the boy was troubling me. Not wanting to cause any trouble for the boy and not sure what to say, I dither. He says" Beware Madam, these guys look harmless but are dangerous."
I thank him for his concern and tell him that I didn't think the boy was dangerous but I shall be careful.
He boasts about his importance in the area and declares that I look like a woman coming from respectable family (THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POINTING IT OUT! I wanted to burst out in outrage). He emphatically declares that I shouldn't be going out on my own.
Now..I've learnt a trick. The only way these guys stop interfering is when you tell them you are a foreigner. I tell him about me being one and I could see a difference in his tone and manner. Somehow, if I'm an Indian- they feel it is their responsibility to reprimand me for going out alone but if I'm a foreigner, they are relieved of this responsibility. "Foreign women are bold and brave..they can work things out for themselves." -is what they think. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it myself. I wanted to tell him about his forgetting all those brave ladies who fought wars in India. But I keep quiet.
He says," Madam, you sit here and read. No problem. I will keep watch over you. You're safe. If any problem, come to me. I solve it." I smile and thank him. He leaves.
I feel bemused at the behaviour and wonder about the kind of people one meets during the journey of life. Shaking my head,I get back to my book.

Indian friendliness and hospitality

What a great day it has been. I have had the most wonderful morning today to be followed by an equally interesting afternoon. I wanted to jot down something of what happened today. Let me begin from the beginning.
Just after a bath in the ice-cold river Ganges at five in the morning,which refreshed me after the first shuddering dip, I decided I shall leave the merry couple behind who had been attentive towards me since the train journey. They had their shopping to finish and were ready to go back to Surat (another city in Gujarat)
Hunting around for an auto rickshaw and bargaining a rate has been a pain the last few days but I think, I'm becoming quite skilled at it. Today however, I found none who were ready to go to the Ashram where I was putting up.
Was deep in thoughts on what to do, when I was called by an autorickshaw guy. (These are "shuttle rickshaw" drivers who would cram as many as ten people in one big rickshaw and charge the minimum rate.) He asked me if I'd like to go uphill to "CHANDI TEMPLE". I had not planned on going there....had no camera with me. There was another couple with their daughter inside it. They smiled at me and said " come on, the goddess call you. Must come."
I smiled..oh these nice, ignorant, blind believers!But then I saw a great adventure coming up. Besides, I couldn't resist the smile the little girl gave while inviting me. Once I sat down- they invited me to this trip...insistent that they pay for it. They paid for my cup of coffee and said that since I was a guest in that area, they were glad to be friendly and hospitable.
In this State called Uttaranchal, which is berated for rape, sexual harrassment and injustice towards women, it was an eye opener to find people looking for a woman travelling alone.

Its been a long time since I had a chance to drop in here and pen down my thoughts. Things have been on the move and each step quicker than the former.

I'm in Mumbai at the moment, intent of developing and training a team which can take care of the back office work when I go back.
But first, I must talk about my trip to the Himalayas. If you might remember, I left in the first week of January and returned after two weeks. The most amazing time I had, and in the beginning of the year too!
I kept a diary of my thoughts that I'd like to share with my blog friends. There are so many things to tell you!! Let's begin.