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Top 5 myths about India

Mariellen — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 01:19:10 +0000

snake charmers in Jaipur, India

Myth #1: Traveling in India is dangerous

Before I went to India for the first time, I was warned to my teeth about how dirty and dangerous India is, especially by the doctor at the travel medical clinic. She really tried to put the fear of disease into me, and I went to India the first time loaded with precautionary supplies, pills and additional health insurance. Then I landed in Delhi at the very civilized home of my friend Ajay, who lives with his family in the Delhi equivalent of Forest Hill (one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in Toronto), and they laughed at all my stuff. When I did get sick I went to the local Max Medical Centre and after waiting about 10 or 15 minutes I got to see the British-trained head of internal medicine. The medical centre was spotlessly clean, modern and efficient, better than almost anything I’ve seen in Canada, and the visit cost 500 rupees or about $10.

At this point in my journey, about 10 days in, something began to dawn on me. I realized that many people in Canada, including me, were of the idea that India is a barbaric place. In fact, I found it to be very civilized. I no longer carry all those supplies and pills, I no longer buy extra health insurance. I practice caution, but I don’t assume the worst, I assume the best. And guess what?

This is what I have come to believe through my own experiences and those of many people I know: India will mirror back to you your own attitude, feelings, prejudices, barriers and limitations – and India will evoke your higher self, too. It can be very painful to see how impatient, judgmental, middle-class, naïve and unkind you can be! And very uplifting to discover your compassion, open-mindedness and spiritual awareness.

But I really do believe India knows best. India is like a guru who gives you the experiences you need to move you along your path. I often say that going to India is like that scene in Star Wars when Yoda sends Luke into the cave. Luke asks, “what will I find there?” and Yoda answers, “only what you bring in with you.” So if you are afraid, you will have scary experiences. And if you are open and trusting (within reason), you will find kind, helpful people who can really help smooth over the unavoidable challenges to travel in India.

Myth #2: India is a country

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

India is often called the subcontinent, and there’s a reason. It is more like a continent or the European Union than a country like Canada, which is fairly homogenous from one end to the other, multiculturalism, natives and Newfies notwithstanding.

In fact, not so long ago – before and even during the Raj, the British colonial period – India was a nation of princely states, not unlike the city states of Italy; and before that, powerful rulers – who often attained that power through conquest and invasion – reigned over vast tracts of the country. The result is that India is an extremely diverse nation. As you travel from one part of the country to another, you meet people with very different linguistic, cultural and even ethnic backgrounds. In the south, the people are descended from the Dravidian culture. In the north, which was subject to many more waves of invaders and conquerors, the people are of Aryan descent. Rajputs from Rajasthan are about as similar to the Christians of Goa as an English peer is to a Greek fisherman.

There are 14 official languages – each state has its own official language – and just about every religion the world has to offer. Four of the world’s great religions were born in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Today, the vast majority – about 82% – are Hindus, but with a population of 1.2 billion, that still means that the other religions are well represented. Islam, with 12% of the population, has 144 million followers.

So don’t expect the food, language or customs to remain static as you travel. In the north, wheat is commonly eaten as bread (naan, poori, roti, parantha, chapati, etc.); in the south it’s all about rice. In the north many people speak Hindi – but in the south, very few.

Fishermen in Kerala

Myth #3: Yoga is a system of exercises

Yoga was lost in translation. It did not survive the transatlantic voyage. What we have in the west is but a shadow of yoga’s full stature. You are forgiven for not knowing this; I also did not know until I went to India to study yoga.

Shiva, god of yoga, in Rishikesh, India

Yoga is one of the six schools (darshanas) of Hinduism, and one of the four that adhere to the advaita tradition. This is the belief in one truth, one consciousness, and all is god. Beneath the apparent duality of life – which is illusion, maia – all is one. The point of yoga is to still your mind so that you can become aware of this truth, and act accordingly.

If you did not get this idea from going to a yoga studio in a western country, you would not be alone.

In the classical system of yoga, known as Raja Yoga, there are eight limbs. One of them is asana, or the physical practise of postures. The point of the postures is to create and maintain bodily health so that you have the vigour to follow the other seven limbs, such as meditation.

In one of the most important books of yoga, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, asana is mentioned only three times, while meditation is mentioned many times. Meditation is one of the primary tools for achieving the awareness of truth – thus it is far more “important.”

My teacher in India, Swami Brahmdev, does not teach asana. He answers questions during satsang, chants during evening meditation and founded and runs a beautiful, peaceful, garden-like ashram for people who want to live in a spiritually focused environment. There is an asana teacher at the ashram, but the ashram does not revolve around asana practise. Not at all.

Myth #4: India is poor

Many people in India are materially impoverished compared to middle-class Canadians, but that does not make them poor. I have become very leery of labeling others as poor, disenfranchised and marginalized. I know this is a politically correct thing to do, but it sticks in my craw. Seriously, how dare we? How dare we be so judgmental? And doesn’t that just serve to make so-called “poor, disenfranchised and marginalized” people into victims, further exacerbating any problems they may have? I personally like to believe in my own abilities to survive and overcome, and I resent anyone who tells me I am a disenfranchised woman.

pilgrims watching the sunrise in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India

I have to say my mind was really turned around on this issue by my teacher in India, Swami Brahmdev who said, “Do not judge someone as poor. You do not know how rich a person is inside.” He then went on to tell us about the sweet contentment of the “poor” man who sells vegetables to the ashram and who leads a very simple, but satisfying, life.

In fact, generally speaking, I find the people of India to be on the whole much more content, much warmer and more generous than the materially richer people of the west. I now feel that western spiritual poverty is just as unhealthy and probably a lot more destructive to the planet than material poverty. If everyone on the planet lived that way a middle-class Canadian lived, the world’s resources would be used up by the next Commonwealth Games.

Myth #5: Hinduism is a religion

Krishna at Sivananda Ashram, Kerala, India

Hinduism is the world’s oldest extant religion and has a billion followers, which makes it the world’s third largest religion. But Hinduism is not strictly a religion, as we think of it in the west. It was not founded by one person, it does not have a core doctrine, there is no central authority, it does not require followers to accept any one idea, and no on can agree on when or even where it began.

The origins of Hinduism are lost in time, and are highly disputed. Scholars now believe Hinduism arose as long ago as 10,000 B.C. The earliest of the Hindu scriptures – The Rig Veda – could have been composed before 6,500 B.C. But the word Hinduism itself is not to be found in any of the scriptures. It was named after the people of Sindh, who settled between the rivers Indus and Sindh in what is now Pakistan. The Persians named people of Sindh “Hindus.”

Hinduism is a way of life – known as Dharma, the law that governs action. It is essentially a conglomeration of diverse religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas, beliefs and traditions. “It is characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness, and the desire for liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.” http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/p/hinduismbasics.htm

The principal deities of Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, sometimes referred to as the Hindu Trinity. Brahma is thought of as the creator, Vishnu as the sustainer of life, and Shiva is associated with dissolution and death. But many Hindus regard their gods and goddesses as manifestations of the Supreme God, Brahman — and there are as many as 30 million manifestations. After a visit to India, Mark Twain wrote: “India has two million gods, and worships them all. In religion all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.”

India’s gifts to the world

Sri Ramakrishna, a 19^th century mystic highly revered in India, captured the spirit of Hinduism by saying, “there can be as many spiritual paths as there are spiritual aspirants and similarly there can be as many gods as there are moods, feelings and emotions within the individual believer.”

me in Kerala

Mythologist Joseph Campbell (who I consider to be one of my most influential teachers), expressed the essential difference between the philosophy of Hinduism and the monotheistic religions when he wrote: “The first principle of Indian thought, therefore, is that the ultimate reality is beyond description. It is something that can be experienced only by bringing the mind to a stop; and once experienced, it cannot be described to anyone in terms of the forms of this world. The truth, the ultimate truth, that is to say, is transcendent. It goes past, transcends, all speech, all images, anything that can possibly be said. … it is not only transcendent, it is also immanent, within all things. Everything in the world, therefore, is to be regarded as its manifestation. There is an important difference here between the Indian and the Western ideas. … Hinduism believes in the omnipresence of the Supreme God in every individual. There is no ‘fall.’ Man is not cut off from the divine. He requires only to bring the spontaneous activity of his mind to a state of stillness and he will experience that divine principle within him.”

Finally, historian Arnold Toynbee wrote my favourite description of Hinduism, which sums up what makes it so attractive to me: “There may or may not be only one single absolute truth and only one single ultimate way of salvation. We do not know. But we do know that there are more approaches to truth than one, and more means of salvation than one. … This is a hard saying for adherents of … Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but it is a truism for Hindus. The spirit of mutual good-will, esteem, and veritable love … is the traditional spirit of the religions of the Indian family. This is one of India’s gifts to the world.”

sacred cow in Haridwar, India

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Collisions with karma

Mariellen — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 02:12:38 +0000

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.

Karma Cola, written by Gita Mehta, was originally published in 1980. The author wrote it in response to the waves of hippies who washed up on India’s shores in the 60s and 70s, to avoid the American draft and the Vietnam War, to follow in the Beatles footsteps in Rishikesh, to find an alternative to the consumer-driven lifestyle of the west and to experience spiritual enlightenment — or at least spiritual understanding (which was — and is — largely absent in western culture, if you ask me).

Karma Cola by Gita Mehta

It’s an entertaining book, full of colourful stories, and she certainly has her own pop-culture-influenced writing style (a bit dated now), but I found her thesis depressing and mean-spirited. The stories in the book describe encounters either she has had, or that she has heard about, between western spiritual seekers and Indian gurus. She seems to think that westerners who travel to India to pursue a spiritual path are gullible at best, and dangerously deluded — to the point of having a fragile grasp on reality — at worst. She shows no compassion for her subjects, no understanding of what might have compelled them to become seekers, and generally no sympathy for the human condition. The book is judgmental and holds to one viewpoint from one end to the other. According to Mehta, people are either idiots (westerners) or charlatans (Indians).

She makes one point that I agree with: it’s very hard for most western minds to understand eastern concepts — they are so fundamentally different. I have seen this phenomenon many times: western yoga students and travelers to India overlaying the western world view with yogic or Hindu ideas. It’s not easy to undergo the fundamental paradigm shift from the dualistic thinking of the west (founded on the notion that you only live once, and therefore must strive to achieve everything you can in this lifetime; and the right-or-wrong view of morality-based religion) to non-dualistic Hindu thinking (based on the notion of reincarnation, the vastness of time and the oneness of the universe).

And I am no exception. Here’s my understanding of karma.

Crowd at the Kumbh Mela, Har-ki-pauri, Haridwar, India

Karma east and west

Karma means action. It is not a reward-and-punishment system; neither is it a cause-and-effect phenomenon. According to the Bhagavad Gita, which is the bible of Hinduism, Krishna instructs Arjuna that he must take his action — his karma — based on his duty — his dharma. He is a prince in the house of Pandava and therefore he must wage war against his cousins, the Kauravas, who are trying to usurp the kingdom. He cannot know or control the fruit of his actions; that is not his responsibility.

Govinda Baba: Toronto-born sadhu at the Kumbh Mela

So Karma is, in a way, based on the actions we take, but not in the straightforward way we might think of it in the west. And your “karma” can be built up over lifetimes. So things happening to me now might be the result of past karma (past actions) taken in a previous lifetime.

I see the difference between east and west largely in the response to the idea of karma. Westerners think they can control karma, so it goads them into action: work out more, be nicer, get up earlier, pay bills on time, work harder, whatever. The ego mind of the westerner springs into action and tries to control the situation, to a desired outcome or effect.

I don’t see the same reaction in India. Indians tend to be more philosophical, more accepting, more resigned you could say. My teacher in India, Swami Brahmdev, would encourage us to increase our consciousness, in other words to learn from the situations we find ourselves in. Not to try and control or change the situations.

But I am still trying to learn this concept, so I am open to more insight — please comment!

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A long walk on a hot day in India

Mariellen — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:34:52 +0000

Aarti (evening ceremony) during Kumbh Mela Festival in Haridwar, India, 2010

The Kumbh Mela Festival in India

“No,” said the khaki-clad policeman. “You don’t have the right pass.” It took me a moment to grasp that I was not going to be able to join my colleagues on the media platform. The spectacle of hundreds of naga sadhus parading into the centre of Haridwar, India was the pinnacle of the Kumbh Mela, the largest spiritual gathering on earth, and I wanted to see it

That morning, I rose before dawn and walked 13 kilometres into Haridwar with a group from the ashram to take a dip in the Ganges River. It was the most auspicious moment to bathe during the festival, and millions of devotees were streaming into the city to take part.

After bathing, I separating from my ashram group to join my journalism colleagues on the platform. When I was turned away, I was stunned. The sun was climbing in the sky, I didn’t know the route back and the city was completely closed and packed with pilgrims.

Buoyed by the intense devotional energy, I somehow found the winding route back to the ashram. Arriving, I felt exhilarated and realized I would never be the same.

That morning, I discovered the truth and power of ritual. It’s not about the achievement. It’s about how a peak experience can change our idea of who we are and what we are capable of. Which is a lot to get out of a long walk on a hot day in north India.

This post has been entered into the Grantourismo and HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.

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Photo of the Week: Naga Sadhu

Mariellen — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:53:06 +0000

Photo of the Week

Naga Sadhu at the Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, India

Naga Sadhu (naked holy man) at Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, India

I took this photo in the Naga Sadhu’s camp during the Kumbh Mela in April 2010. I went into Haridwar for the day with two men who were also staying at Aurovalley Ashram — Lalit and Jean-Pierre. We spent an amazing day together, hanging out with the sadhus, swimming in the Ganges and having a lot of fun. I could never have had these experiences without the help of Lalit, who is a large, gregarious Punjabi man who speaks Hindi (and English and French). We spent a long time in this camp, where I bonded with this incredibly sweet young man (but I don’t remember his name!). I wrote about another Kumbh Mela day — the main bathing day — in Alone, and at home, at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering on earth.

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Video of India festival in India

Mariellen — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:10:10 +0000

Video of Kumbh Mela ceremony

This is a video of the aarti (ceremony to honour the Ganges River) that happens each day at dusk in Haridwar, India. I took this during the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering on earth. I was standing on a media platform in Har-ki-Pauri, the sacred centre of Haridwar. Notice how the Indian authorities set up the media platform with a electrical wires marring the view of the aarti! But still, I think I got a lovely shot of women int he crowd when I panned down across the river to the side I was on. Of course, a modest video like this in no way captures the heat, the smells, the enormous size of the crowd and the intense devotional energy that was palpable in the air. It was an amazing experience to be there. A privilege, really.

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Alone, and at home, at the Kumbh Mela

Mariellen — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:37:51 +0000

Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar during Maha Kumbh Mela

A sea of humanity, an ocean of bliss

April 14, 2010 was the highly auspicious final Royal Bathing Day at the Maha Kumbh Mela – the biggest and perhaps most important spiritual festival in the Hindu world, and the largest gathering of humanity on earth. As I was staying at my spiritual home, Aurovalley Ashram, just about 10 kilometres upstream from Haridwar, I found myself caught up in the excitement. And on the morning of the big day itself, I found myself alone, smack in the centre of the Kumbh Mela, at the extremely sacred Har-ki-Pauri ghat in Haridwar, surrounded by millions, probably tens of millions, of pilgrims, devotees, tourists, naga sadhus, babas, sunnyasis, pandits, swamis, VIPs and god knows who else. All the roads into and out of Haridwar in every direction were closed for miles around, the sun was climbing and the temperature was starting to soar to above 40 C. It was one of the peak experiences of my life: In that moment, I had to face my fears.

A drop in the ocean…

The morning of the Royal Bath, I had walked the 10 kms into Haridwar with Swami Brahmdev (Swamiji), my teacher and a group from the ashram. We left at 5 am and walked along the Ganga River at dawn, then through a stretch of ashrams, a sadhus enclave, a village and a lovely area of natural beauty before passing several huge temples and the flat, barren areas on the outskirts of Haridwar that were filled with camps. Huge billboards plastered with garishly coloured pictures of swamis and babas lined the way, with seas of khaki tents for their followers billowing behind.

Swamiji leading us through the forest

We started with just about 12 people, alone on a small forest path, but as the sun came up and we got closer to Haridwar, we were joined by an increasing number of people until we were surrounded by thousands, and then, perhaps, millions. If you have never seen or experienced anything like this, imagine the film Gandhi. An enormous mass of people were streaming into Haridwar to take a dip on the sacred ghats (steps down to the river) at this extremely auspicious moment.

According to Hindu belief, at the time of creation, the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) churned the ocean until the kumbh (pot) of amrita, the nectar of immortality, appeared. A fierce battle for the kumbh ensued, between the devas and asuras. During the 12 days (12 years in human life) struggle over the kumbh, four drops fell on earth, in four different places, and every 12 years there is a mela (festival) at one of these places to commemorate the devas’ victory in wresting the kumbh from the asuras. It is a victory of light over dark; truth over ignorance; positivity over negativity. One of the four drops fell where the sacred city of Haridwar is located in north India

Evening aarti to honour Ganga during Maha Kumbh Mela

This year the Maha Kumbh Mela took place in Haridwar over a period of about four months – with the final culmination of the mela taking place when the sun entered Aries and Jupiter entered Aquarius on the new moon, April 14, 2010. (Someone told me this happens once in 5,000 years.) This was the moment of the Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) – the most auspicious time to bathe in the Ganga (Ganges River). I read that 10-12 million people bathed in Haridwar on April 14.

At play in the river

The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity on earth. Millions of people gather from all over India, some walking for many days and weeks, to have a bath in the Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri, a very small, narrow stretch of ghats that run alongside the river as it wends its way through Haridwar. It is astonishing in so many ways and for so many reasons. In this cynical day and age, to find so many people of such powerful faith is astonishing. To have many millions of people living together in tents and camps, and taking turns bathing along a small stretch of river, largely without incident is astonishing. To achieve the kind of order and organization that such an event takes in INDIA, of all places, is astonishing! And just to be there, to be part of it, to see the people – the naga sadhus (naked holy men), swamis, babas, sunnyasis, pilgrims – is astonishing.

At a ceremony to inaugurate a naga sadhu

I had asked Swamiji about the Kumbh, and why people go, what is the purpose and the best attitude to take. He said that an event like the Kumbh helps put people in direct contact with the Divine. No mediators are needed. I know now what he meant.

A pilgrim brushing his teeth

After about two-and-a-half hours of walking we passed the enormous statue of Shiva that greets visitors to Haridwar arriving from the Rishikesh side, and soon after we reached the start of the ghats that line the river into Haridwar. I was never so happy to see Shiva in all my life! The first ghat was closed to the public – only VIPs allowed. I had a media pass, and another ashramite had an all-access pass, and between the two of use, we got the whole group into the VIP enclosure (after the usual round of argument and negotiation with the guards, of course). This was a lovely place to be, well-located, spacious and calm – the perfect place to bathe, and I am so grateful to Swamiji for leading us directly there.

After taking my dip in the Ganga

I entered the chilly water at about 7:30 am, fully clothed, propelled along by excitement, energy and the full knowledge of how incredibly lucky and privileged I was to have had such an experience. It was more than once-in-a-lifetime; it was once in several lifetimes! I did puja, reciting the mantra Jai Ganga Mataji, held onto the rail (the current is very swift) and dipped three times in the water. Afterwards I stood up, hands in prayer, and just took some time to feel the blessings and the energy, and savour the momentousness. I felt pure joy and exhilaration. I was riding a wave of bliss that was running through the entire Kumbh Mela and uniting the millions. I felt my feet on the ghat, the water up to my waist, and a current running through me, through the water.

Swamiji taking his dip

All around me, the other people bathing were also expressing happiness and joy. Families bathing together, friends, my fellow ashramites. And across from us, a sea of people heading towards the river, or in it, or walking away from it – everyone united in the desire to honour Ganga Mataji, the mother river of India, and receive the highest blessings from her as the stars aligned above our heads.

Afterwards, I had the presence of mind to get out my camera and I documented Swamiji’s bath with both photos and video. He waited to bathe until we were almost finished, watching over us. I felt completely protected. When everyone was ready to go back to the ashram, I was torn – should I go with them or take my chances and try to make it to the media platform in the centre of Har-ki-pauri. I was afraid to go alone, but I didn’t want to miss the chance; and I had made a decision to at least live one day in full faith of the Divine. The group went left, towards the ashram, and I went right, into the heart of the mela.

Woman on the road to Haridwar

I reached the media platform by walking with the river of pilgrims into Har-ki-pauri, but the guards wouldn’t let me up. The platform was completely full – a very small space for the world’s journalists – and no amount of cajoling could move them. I saw my friends from the ashram on the platform (one Colombian group was there making a documentary about the Ganga, and two men from Pondicherry were there taking photographs). They were the people I hoped to attach myself to, and return to the ashram with (in their vehicle). But when the guards wouldn’t let me up, I knew I was on my own. With nowhere to go, and no way to get back to the ashram except by walking, I had to think fast as the sun was climbing and the heat was building. This was a peak moment for me, a moment of facing just about every fear I have ever had. I had to find my way back to the ashram through an unknown route, alone amidst crowds of millions coming the other way as the sun climbed in the sky.

Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar, on April 14

And I decided to go. To take my chances and walk back, and let the Divine guide me. I went with confidence, positivity and purpose. I remembered that even when Gandhi was an old man, he was still a very good and very fast walker. I thought about how I had on top-quality walking sandals, and, in my backpack, a bottle of water, a bag of peanuts , two oranges, a hat and sunscreen. I was fit and healthy. So many of the people around me were old, frail, bent, poor, shoeless. So I went. I walked all the way back to the ashram, somehow finding the route, and I was back in time for satsang, at about noon. The bottoms of my feet were covered in blisters, but aside from that, I was completely well, exhilarated from my experience and my achievement. I felt I would never be the same – and realized that this is the entire point.

Swamiji talks about how we are here to learn, grow and change. Each experience gives us a drop of knowledge, and the more we use our knowledge – LIVE our knowledge – the more we grow our consciousness. The more conscious we are, the more we realize our truth, who we really are: part of the Divine. In ignorance we think in terms of duality; in truth, we are One. On the Kumbh Mela day, I definitely grew in terms of my faith in my own strength and my faith in the Divine. I feel I have already benefited from the blessings of bathing in the Ganga at that auspicious time; and I hope I am contributing to the increased consciousness of all.

Flowing with the current

The sweetest naga sadhu I met at he Kumbh mela

To be honest, I came to Aurovalley Ashram without the thought of the Kumbh Mela in my head. I knew it was taking place, but I did not plan to go. I needed the peace and solitude of Aurovalley to recover from fatigue, stress and chronic digestive problems – and, generally, to recover my equilibrium and reconnect to myself and my spiritual path. The past year has been a tough one – among other things, I was really focused on launching my travel writing career and my blog, and I have never worked so hard in all my life – and it really left me feeling depleted. I did not think I would find the strength to face the Kumbh Mela’s crowds, chaos and massive amount of energy. Also, I have been in Haridwar several times before and I have always found the energy there quite disturbing. It’s a Shiva city, and Shiva is the destroyer – the destroyer of the unneeded – and while that energy is cleansing, it is turbulent too.

Lalit: The heart of the Kumbh Mela

However, after about two weeks at the ashram I was feeling like a new person – calm, happy, healthy, energized – and then Lalit appeared. Lalit is a 6’ 3” Punjabi man from Pondicherry who has the exuberance of an entire class of school boys, the strength of an elephant, the positivity of a guru and the charm of a Bollywood star. He and his friend Jean-Pierre, a tall, suave, enthusiastic French man, arrived to go to the Kumbh Mela and take photos, and they did it with an infectious spirit that swept me up. Before you know it, I was with these two characters, in the camp of the naga sadhus (naked holy men), meeting men covered in ashes and mala beads and very little else.

A very handsome naga sadhu from Rajasthan

Lalit and Jean-Pierre just dove in, talking to the naga sadhus, taking their pictures. We spent about four hours in their camp, spending a lot of time in particular with two independent sadhus and one group. I felt especially calm and comfortable with the group, who had their guru, their baba, with them. One of the men spoke some English and we talked a little. When we were leaving, he told me he was my brother and gave me a topaz. I gave him a bracelet I was wearing. Another young man was very friendly towards me and enjoyed getting his picture taken. Although it was very hot, I had an enjoyable time. The camp we were in was actually in town, in a maze of alleys. Temporary tents and enclosures had been erected for them, which included electricity and water taps. Most of the tents had some fans running, and some even had TVs and DVD players.

Naga sadhu demonstrating his yoga prowess

The two independent sadhus we spent time with both showed us how they can wrap their penises around a pole and then move or exert pressure on the pole in some way. One had a man stand on the pole as he held it horizontally behind him! I really didn’t know what to think. It seems like a waste of time and effort to me. How does it benefit anyone? But I politely watched and tried to take some pictures, which didn’t really turn out that well. I mean, I just wasn’t prepared. I don’t remember any photography instructor covering this particular situation.

Some of the naga sadhus spend a lot of time doing this

I really don’t know how holy these men are: they seem to spend a lot of time on their “look” – their hair, make-up, jewelry. They spend a lot more time than me, I am sure! I don’t mean to judge them; honestly, I just don’t get it. One of my Indian friends said that many become sadhus due to a lack of options and opportunities. I guess it is like everything else: there are genuine and sincere naga sadhus and those who are just passing time. Another of the sadhus we spent time with was very taken with me – no doubt the blonde hair and fair skin – and spoke to my friend in Hindi, at length, about how excited he felt looking at me, and how he wanted me to come back and spend time with him. He even tried to get my phone number!

By about 3 p.m. we were very hot and tired and Lalit lead us to a beautiful, private bathing ghat in a huge home on the river that was occupied by people from the Aurobindo organization. We went down some stairs and came out into a gorgeous garden and a small, private ghat where only the three of us bathed. It was cool and heavenly. I felt very lucky.

This man has held up his arm for many years

Afterwards, we tried to make our way toward Har-ki-pauri for the aarti, the evening puja to honour the Ganga. I was tired and found the crowds of people too intense, so I stopped at the Haveli Hari Ganga, a beautiful hotel on the river. I have stayed there before, so I asked if I could wait there while Lalit and Jean-Pierre went to the aarti. I sat on a lovely upstairs balcony and sipped tea, and even had a reflexology treatment in the top-floor spa while my friends were battling for a spot to take pictures. They were exhausted and frazzled when they returned, while I was cool, calm and refreshed.

I was sorry I missed the aarti, but it turns out I really did make the right choice. Two days later I went to the Media Centre and was pleasantly surprised to discover I qualified for a media pass. With that in hand, I went to the media platform in Har-ki-Pauri, directly across from the aarti, and had the best view possible. This was just two days before the BIG DAY and there was only a handful of media on the platform. In fact, most of them were staying at Aurovalley Ashram!

Naga sadhu smoking

Aside from myself, Lalit and Jean-Pierre were there, and a group of seven wonderful young Colombian people making a documentary about the Ganga. So I was able to get a comfortable ride back to the ashram, and was very grateful for the smoothness of my day.

Even getting the media pass took only an hour, and I didn’t even have my passport with me. Apparently it’s not possible to get a media pass without a passport. It’s also not possible to take a train from Delhi to Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela without a ticket, but I did that too … (I was number 48 on the waiting list and thought I had seat 48! An amazingly kind train superintendent actually gave me his seat, just two minutes before the train left.) So, I really do feel the Divine’s grace, guidance and protection.

In the end, I went to the Kumbh Mela three times from Aurovalley Ashram, in the days before the Royal Bath, with rest days in between at this peaceful haven. It took a lot of energy, and I felt a lot of energy when I was there – in fact, I could feel my spine tingling as electrical currents surged up and down. I am very glad I went; it was a great experience. But I still prefer the peaceful, nature-imbued Aurovalley Ashram and the beautiful natural setting of Rishikesh. I am better at feeling the Divine’s presence in nature than in man-made structures and events. But of course the Divine is everywhere and in everything …

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Magh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, 2010

Mariellen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:36:41 +0000

The largest gathering of humanity on earth

Millions of people gather each year in North India to take a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Ganges, Yamuna and /or the mythological Saraswati rivers. Hindu devotees, pilgrims, saints and sadhus from all over India and the world turn up in huge numbers each winter. They believe that a holy dip in the sacred rivers during the Kumbh Mela washes away sins and can help them break the cycle of life and death and attain Moksha.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in Allahabad — the sangam, or place, where the three rivers meet. This is the “big one.” The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity on earth. This year, a “smaller” version. called the Magh Kumbh Mela will be held in the sacred city of Haridwar, which is a four-hour train ride north of Delhi. (There is also an Ardh, or half, Kumbh Mela that takes place several times during the cycle.)

I am planning to be there, as my ashram is only a few kilometres from Haridwar. Not sure when yet, but I may try and be there for one of these auspicious bathing dates.

Bathing Dates for Haridwar Magh Kumbh Mela 2010

14 January 2010 – Makar Sankranti Snan – First Snan (bath)
15 January 2010 – Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) – Second Snan
20 January 2010 – Basant Panchmi Snan – Third snan
30 January 2010 – Magh Purnima Snan – Fourth Snan
12 February 2010 – Maha Shivratri – Pratham Shahi Snan – First Royal Bath
15 March 2010 – Somvati Amavasya – Dvitya Shahi Snan – Second Royal Bath
24 March 2010 – Ram Navmi – Fifth Snan
30 March 2010 – Chaitra Purnima Snan
14 April 2010 – Baisakhi – Pramukh Shahi Sanan – Main Royal Bath
28 April 2010 – Shakh Purnima – Snan

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My India list

Mariellen — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:44:43 +0000

My India list: top places, events and festivals I want to see

I believe in magic. How else can you explain that the more I travel in India, the longer the list of places I want to go gets?! I was inspired to write this list by Mighty Girl’s Mighty Life List, so here goes. Here’s my list at the time of this writing (and I am sure I am missing several things …):

Top 10

see sunrise over the Himalayas from Tiger Hill, near Darjeeling
watch the start of the monsoon in Trivandrum
attend the Pushkar Camel Festival
climb Mount Arunachala
see a tiger! — perhaps in Kanha National Park, the place that inspired Kipling to write Jungle Book
watch Indian classical dance at sunset in front of the temples during the Khajuraho Dance Festival
stay in tea gardens in Darjeeling, Assam and the Nilgiri Hills
have tea at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai
stay at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata and watch the Kali Puja
go on Char Dham pilgrimage to source of the Ganga (Ganges River)

And the list continues …

be in Jaisalmer for the Desert Festival
visit Gandh’s ashrams: Sabarmati and Sevagram
take part in Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai
see the Brahmaputra River in Assam
visit the Ellora and Ajanta Caves
hike in Ladakh
be in Mathura for Janmashtami
take a boat cruise through the Sunderbans
join the Chariot Festival in Puri
hike in Sikkim
stay at Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur
see the Republic Day Parade in Delhi
~~spend some time writing in Bundi, where Kipling wrote~~
undertake 10-day Vipassana retreat near Jaipur
brief stop in the world’s wettest place, Cherapungi
see Dal Lake, Srinagar
stay at a spice garden in Kerala
visit the spice market in Old Delhi
finally go to Akshardham in Delhi
see the sun set and the moon rise at Kanyakumari (happens only two days per year)
attend Jaipur Literature Festival

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10 Tips for women traveling in India

Mariellen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:38:02 +0000

[NOTE: Originally published on Journeywoman, July 2009.]

Moi, in salwar kameez, at Kanyakumari - the very southern tip of India

1. Wear “salwar kameez”

Aside from good walking shoes and sandals, a one-piece bathing suit and cotton bras and underwear – or, if you prefer, the synthetic kind that wicks away sweat – don’t bring any clothes to India. If you land in Delhi, head straight to one of the Fabindia outlets and stock up on inexpensive cotton “suits.” The three-piece suit (in Hindi, salwar kameez) consists of a long or short tunic over fitted or wide-legged pants, topped with a long scarf, called a dupatta. These outfits suit the climate, the need for modesty and will help you fit in, mitigating your status as a moving target for gawkers, touts and beggars.

2. Carry a long scarf

Even if you don’t opt for wearing the costume preferred by many women in India, the “suit” or salwar kameez, always travel with a long scarf made of light-weight fabric. It will come in handy for situations where modesty will be more convenient and allow you to go into mosques, gurdwaras and more traditionally minded Hindu temples.

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur

3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

Jas Vilas Hotel in posh Bani Park, Jaipur is a favourite accommodation option, a real gem, but it is on the expensive side and often full. The owner’s niece, Sanyogita – who is a Rajput royal – recently opened a comfortable and gracious guesthouse in her lovely home. The Rawla, also in Bani Park, offers modern amenities, good food, and, best of all, Sanyogita’s company and advice. Sanyogita is a charming hostess who knows Jaipur like the back of her hand.

4. Bring tissue and hand sanitizer

In India, I never go out for the day without a mini pack or two of tissues, a small bottle of hand disinfectant, a cell phone and an iPod shuffle. I use the cell phone to call a friend and report the number of the taxi, as I get in, and so that the driver can hear me. (If no one answers, I pretend!) In markets and bazaars, I sometimes turn up the iPod so that I can’t hear the aggressive vendors, and they eventually leave me alone.

5. TripAdvisor

Check TripAdvisor.com for recommendations and tips from fellow travelers.

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi

6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

I was very glad that I stayed at the Hotel Ganges View, Assi Ghat, in Varanasi. Aside from being a comfortable and safe place to stay, it also features a communal dining experience in the gracious dining room. At dinner, I met other women traveling alone, and a couple of us went on to Delhi together, sharing some of the expenses.

7. Yoga capital: Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a wonderful destination for a woman traveling alone in India who is interested in health, wellness, yoga or spirituality. The “yoga capital of the world” is a relatively serene town that meanders along the jewel-green Ganges River as it cascades through a beautiful valley among the Himalayan foothills. There are many safe accommodation options in ashrams (such as my fave, the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram) and guesthouses and lots of opportunity to take yoga classes, study and meet other women traveling alone.

8. IndiaMike.com

IndiaMike.com a great online resource, packed with destination information, travel articles and forums on many topics relating to traveling or living in India. You can pose very specific questions and chances are good that a friendly and knowledgeable fellow-traveler will respond.

9. Makemytrip.com

Makemytrip.com is an Indian travel site that offers information and can help you plan your itinerary and book plane, train and bus tickets as well as hotel and homestay accommodation.

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

One of my favourite Indian experiences was staying for two weeks at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort in south Kerala (about 8 kms south of busy Kovalam Beach). The Shinshiva is a small resort that features thatched-roof cottages, an open-air Ayurvedic dining room, a perfect cliff-top setting overlooking the Arabian sea and magical sunsets AND authentic Ayurvedic treatments such as one-hour-long hot oil massages performed by two young women working in rhythmic harmony. Also a good place to meet other women travelers, it is a favourite destination for Europeans.

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Do’s and Don’ts in India

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:04:49 +0000

Moi, with friends, at the Taj Mahal

Do:

- Go to the Taj Mahal. Yes, it’s worth it. It may be one of the few times in your life when all the hype and hyperbole actually fails to capture the spectacular beauty of the real thing.

- Take the train. Traveling by train in India is an adventure. Indian Railway is the world’s biggest employer (1.2 million employees) and everyone takes the train, from ministers to farmers. It takes a bit of time to master the class system (2AC is a good choice); the new online ticket system really helps. You will meet lots of friendly people, no matter which class you travel.

- Learn a few words of Hindi. Most educated people speak English, but working class people and villagers rarely speak more than a few words. “Namaste” is a common greeting; “theek hai” is okay; “accha” is, is that right?; “jaao” is go away’ “chai” is tea; “paani” is water.

- Wear kurtahs (long shirts) if you are a man; and salwar kameez (also called a “suit,” it’s a long tunic over pants, and topped with a long scarf) if you are a woman.

- Take a yoga class or stay at a yoga ashram.

- Try a homestay guest house. The family is the backbone of the social system in India and you will learn a lot about the culture — and have a great time — by living with a family.

Don’t:

- Hand out money to beggars in crowded places. You will be swarmed. In fact, authorities advise that you don’t give money to anyone asking for a handout. If you want to give, by all means do so — India has many, many worthwhile charitable organizations. Your money will go to a better cause of you give it to a charitable organization. Many beggars work for gangsters, so the money you give to them, just ends up in the gangster’s pocket.

- Wear your shoes in a temple, mosque, gurdwara — any house of worship or sacred place.

- Dress in scanty or provocative clothing.

- Use your left hand for eating, if you are eating with your hands (this is especially true in South India). Also, use only your right hand for any religious or sacred gesture; and don’t point with your feet, or touch things with your feet.

- Eat street food unless you absolutely know it is hygienic. Same goes for salads.

- Take any risks with drinking water. Always ensure the water is completely safe. Buy sealed bottles only.

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BreatheDreamGo » Hinduism

Top 5 myths about India

Myth #2: India is a country

Myth #3: Yoga is a system of exercises

Myth #4: India is poor

Myth #5: Hinduism is a religion

India’s gifts to the world

Collisions with karma

On the ghats in Varanasi, India Capturing the concept of karma

Karma east and west

A long walk on a hot day in India

The Kumbh Mela Festival in India

Photo of the Week: Naga Sadhu

Photo of the Week

Naga Sadhu at the Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, India

Video of India festival in India

Video of Kumbh Mela ceremony

Alone, and at home, at the Kumbh Mela

A sea of humanity, an ocean of bliss

A drop in the ocean…

Flowing with the current

If you enjoyed this post, you can….

Magh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, 2010

The largest gathering of humanity on earth

My India list

My India list: top places, events and festivals I want to see

Top 10

And the list continues …

10 Tips for women traveling in India

1. Wear “salwar kameez”

2. Carry a long scarf

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur 3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

4. Bring tissue and hand sanitizer

5. TripAdvisor

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi 6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

7. Yoga capital: Rishikesh

8. IndiaMike.com

9. Makemytrip.com

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala 10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

Do’s and Don’ts in India

Do:

Don’t:

On the ghats in Varanasi, India

Capturing the concept of karma

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur

3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi

6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala