Photo courtesy of Dave Bouskill, PictureThePlanet.com
One of the top 10 Google searches in India in 2010 was “how to meditate.” While the debate in the west, especially in the USA, was raging over “who owns yoga,” Indians were using high-tech solutions — computers and advanced, online search algorithms — to reconnect with their spiritual heritage. I think this is one of the top stories of 2010. We humans are all about connection — hence Facebook’s popularity — and connecting with yourself at the deepest, or highest, level is the epitome.
Connecting with myself, in retrospect, was probably the main reason I went to India in the first place, back in 2005. Before I made that first six-month trip, India seemed like such a far-away place, such a mythical land, that I did not really believe you could actually get on a plane and fly there in a matter of mere hours. But now it feels like India and Canada — the east and the west — are coming closer together in so many ways. I’m not sure how I feel about this. (more…)
The meaning of DiwaliDiwali in India is like Christmas in Canada. It’s the biggest festival of the year, celebrated all over India, with lights, firecrackers, flowers, parties and pujas. Diwali (or Deepavali) celebrates the return of Lord Rama and Sita from exile, and the triumph of light over dark. This year, 2010, it takes place on November 5, on the new moon night, so the sky is absolutely dark — the better to see the firecrackers that people set off in an absolute frenzy. If you are Canadian, you can celebrate Diwali by entering a contest to win a trip to India.
The upcoming year, 2011, is the the Year of India in Canada, and the good folks at IndiaTourism are sponsoring a WIN A TRIP TO INDIA! contest, along with Absolute Tours and my friends at Indus Travels — who are my partners for my BreatheDreamGo trips to India. By the way, the tours are closing in mid-November 2010, so if you want to go to India with me this winter, act now by filling out a booking form. (more…)
On the ghats in Varanasi, India
Capturing the concept of karma
Karm cola, karma chameleon, karma co-op, karma account, increase your good karma, it’s your karma baby … Karma has become an all-purpose word in the west that is used fairly indiscriminately without much understanding of what it really means. This is probably a pretty common phenomenon when words migrate from another language / culture. I can tell you that, as a serious student of yoga, Hinduism and Indian culture, I have been trying to wrap my mind around the word karma for years, and I have barely gleaned its meaning.
I’ve been thinking about karma for a couple of reasons lately. One, I just finished reading the book Karma Cola. (more…)
I am way behind in writing reviews about the books I am reading – which is usually travel literature. Ever since I got rid of my TV, I’ve been reading like a fiend — and I am expanding my lists to include books about transformational travel. For my previous lists, please read Another 10 books on India or 10 (more) books I love about India or Top 10 books on India thus far.
(NOTE: Do not look for Shantaram, The White Tiger or Eat, Pray, Love. You will not find them; I don’t think they rate. But you will see a comparison to Shantaram, number 9 below.) (more…)
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
The biggest question of our time is not do you believe in god; or is global warming real; it’s where do stand on Eat, Pray, Love? The book about Elizabeth Gilbert’s quest to find “everything” in Italy, India and Bali is a publishing phenomenon: it was an international bestseller with more than seven million copies sold worldwide; and in 2008, Time Magazine named Gilbert one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Today, July 18, is Elizabeth Gilbert’s birthday. She is 41. And I want to salute her.
children listening to stories at Book Fair
The World Book Fair in Delhi is a highly anticipated event that sprawls across the huge Pragati Maidan fair grounds in central Delhi. There are publishers from all over the world, books in dozens of languages, reading events and books, thousands and thousands of books. It is a book lover’s paradise. My only problem was that it’s so huge, I could only do one section — the hall devoted to books in English (of course). (more…)
Note: This post was written by guest author Shelley Seale. When Shelley was in India, she volunteered with The Miracle Foundation, a nonprofit based out of Austin, Texas. The Miracle Foundation recruits donors and sponsors for children living in orphanages in India. Shelley first went to India in 2005 on a 10-day volunteer trip, and it changed her life to such an extent that she returned for several subsequent volunteer trips with The Miracle Foundation. She also wrote a book about the millions of children who live in such orphanages or on the streets in India. The book is called The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India and was published in June 2009.
I never expected to be in India. And without a doubt, I never thought once I had been I would return, again and again.
It wasn’t the exotic beauty that drew me back. It wasn’t the warmth of the people, their gentle and inquisitive nature, their open hospitality. It wasn’t the storied, ancient history of the country or its rich and varied culture. It was not the colors or the spices or the sounds or the spirituality of the place. India is all of these things, to be sure, and I have grown to love them all. But they were not what seeped into my being and pulled me close, becoming a part of me that I missed with a strange emptiness when I left.
It was the children.
I am continuing to read lots of books on India or by Indian or South Asian writers. It helps that I only get a limited number of channels on my TV — a TV that is so old I can’t even attach a DVD player to it. So, most nights I am “forced” to read. Lucky me.
But before I start, I want to mention two books that you will not find on any of my lists, so stop looking: Shantaram and The White Tiger. I just don’t think they deserve to be recommended.
I am reading a fun little book called Indian English, published by Lonely Planet. The book attempts to explain the difference between English, Indian English and Hinglish (which is a mash-up of Hindi and English). Although my Hindi teacher, Guruji, was unimpressed by the book, it is clearing up more than a few points of confusion for me.
As well as explaining the development of English in India, how it is used today, and how it is combined with Hindi (and strongly influenced by Hindi), the book acts as an introduction to Indian culture. It briefly covers many areas of Indian life such as Bollywood, cricket, food, fashion and family and society, and of course provides lots of examples of commonly used terms in Indian English, Hindi and Hinglish.
Note about the cover: My copy has the fun term Total timepass! on the front, rather than My goodness. And it’s true, it is a total timepass, man!
Ghats of Varanasi
Indians tend to be very sensitive about how their country and culture are portrayed in the media. They seem to be especially critical of writers who practice, often unknowingly, ethnocentricity and cultural imperialism.* And they are not shy about voicing their criticisms.
I don’t blame them. But I am sympathetic to writers, too, who try to capture in words their experiences and observations about this tremendous country.
Here’s a primer on how to write sensitively about India (or any other “foreign” culture) and what to watch out for; plus three real-life examples of writers who missed the mark.
On the morning of April 14 approximately 10 million people streamed into the sacred town of Haridwar in north India to bathe in the Ganga on the most auspicious day during the 2010 Kumbh Mela. I was one of them. Find out how I found myself alone, and at home, at the world’s largest spiritual gathering.
In Varanasi, where the veil between life and death seems very thin, a boat ride on the river can become a journey to the other side. Come along with me on a boat ride on the Ganges River in India’s oldest, holiest city and pierce the veil.
The Ganges / Ganga River is the Mother of India. The River speaks in many voices as she travels from the high Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. At the source, her song is joyous, full of the the jubilance of youth, the rush of fresh mountain streams, the sincere chanting of pilgrims and the excitement of the onward journey.
