10.12.2006...Akshardham

The place (dham) where the Gods live (akshar).

Last evening we visited this magnificent temple.

Akshardham is made of pink sand stone and has many marvelous stone carvings decorating the interior and exterior of the temple.


Let me clarify when I say stone carving. I don't mean simple geometric shapes or small lawn ornaments. I mean seriously glorious carvings that are so intricate you can't believe that they are each carved from a single piece of stone.

In fact this temple has no metal of any form as part of its structure. It is purely stone, as is the traditional method for building temples in India.

I've seen many cathedrals around the world, and I am more amazed by the architecture and artwork found here.

As I see it building a place of worship is a communal commitment to there being a greater power than the sum of all the efforts of the community. However, humans still attempt to mimic the greatness of this power through such efforts and the results are these stunning monolith testaments to the earthly limits of human faith.

Personally, I believe the individual communion of one person with the greater power is a far truer testament to our humanity than any of these structures.


In the end I was only able to capture this modest photo from my actual visit.

In 2002 there was a terrorist attack here that made security very tight. No cameras.

I won't get into it to much here, but terrorism needs to go. Perhaps one day we will wake up to find that this has happened: people no longer feel oppressed, those guilty of oppressing have miraculously stopped, and there is a balance of resource in the world so all people can feel that they will be heard.

Why is it in human nature to be so greedy that some would deny others basic human rights whether through covert means of denial of food and medicine or through overt means of blowing people up? Both end in premature death and are equally egregious forms of terror.

With that thought I bid you adieu. Look for another posting later today.

Peace,

A Pink American

10.11.2006...Karwa Chauth

By the time we left for the Karwa Chauth pooja, I was nearly delirious from the heat and the hunger.

The thing about fasting is that once you are over the initial hours of it you feel very surreal. You aren't hungry, exactly, anymore. Rather you feel light and mindful. I also happen to get very quiet, and for anyone who knows me this can be a disconcerting symptom.

I however felt very at peace for the most part, throughout the day.

Once we arrived at the pooja location we joined a large circle of ladies who were each beautifully dressed, with some more so than the others. This is an opportunity for ladies to pull out there bridal clothes as they often have no other chance to wear them after marriage. Perhaps I will remember to do so for a future Karwa Chauth.

One young woman was clearly there for the first time as she was be-decked in the most amazing lenga and was beautifully made up.


The heat however appeared to weigh heavily on her in a manner equal to her dressings. She, like all of us, had a vacant expression in her eyes that comes from a day of fasting.

The Brahmin woman arrived shortly after we had settled, bringing with her bags of incense and figures of gods whose blessings are requested on this day. She lead us in the singing of a traditional hymn and told the story of Karwa Chauth during each break in the passing of the thalis (plates).

All of the ladies seemed to be sharing such a personal, yet communal moment of honoring their marriage vows and praying for the long life and success of their husbands.
It was quite intimate watching the way some of the ladies touched their thalis to their cups of water then to their heads and sometimes to their lips. Can a prayer be stronger by a more intense devotion on the part of the applicant?

At the end of the fourth passing of the thalis (plates) a small thud-crack sound rang out. A piece of clay pottery had fallen from one of the upper balconies surrounding the driveway we sat on.

Not a moment passed before a large (baseball sized) piece came hurtling over the edge of the same balcony. Thank god no one was hurt, but the sound it made as it crashed into the ground confirmed that if it had hit anyone medical attention would have likely been necessary.

After the final thali passing we said our goodbyes and made our way home.

The landscape on the way back seemed so much more green than the last I remembered it being. Granted the rains were just a short while back so that explains much of it. However, it was most lovely in the brightness of the early part of the setting sun.

We waited until 8:45 that night for the moonrise. This was the time to break our fast. By this time I was far more tired than hungry, so took a simple meal and slept.

Some may say this a is a silly traditional observance because "why should the wife suffer so?"

But you must ask yourself: when thinking of your spouse or partner, what wouldn't you do to ensure a long and healthy life? Does one really need to wait until extreme moments of choice to show their devotion through sacrifice? It seems much more sensible in this way to choose to demonstrate this devotion through a routine and ritual sacrifice that is regular in its occurrence rather than an idiosyncratic one.

Besides, it is far more for the ladies' benefit to spend the day relaxing while thinking about her husband than some of the usual alternatives...(Smile and wink).


Karwa Chauth highlights.

Peace,
A Pink American

10.10.2006...Home at last, in Gandhinagar

Yesterday late afternoon we finally returned to Gandhinagar and Surnish's parent's house.

It definitely felt like coming home.

Over the last couple of days wave been relaxing and making our way about Ahmedabad for dining, shopping, and the movies.

That's right I sat through an entire Hindi film sans the subtitles. It was a very enjoyable experience as it was a comedy and much of it was readily discernable despite the language barrier.

Yesterday morning prior to leaving Ahmedabad, mummy and I went curtain shopping.

One thing you must know about many Indian shops is that there is an overabundance of sales assistance. It is so foreign being waited upone and attended to hand and foot when shopping for something as simple as curtains or a yoga mat, which was the case a couple of evening before.

In fact that amount of service here could easily make the average Westerner feel like a dignitary.

Today, we (and by this I mean Mummy and I) are observing Karwa Chauth.

In addition to the fast I'm keeping, I will get Henna on my hands, dress in a sari, and go to a pooja (ceremony) where thalis (ceremonial plate) are passed amongst the women as the story of Karwa Chauth is told.

In the meanwhile, please enjoy this selection of photos from the trip so far. It's a little tricky trying to squeeze them all in the blog so I thought that I'd let you see them in album format.

These are from Taipei and Singapore.

These are from the first days here in India.

Hope you're enjoying the show!

Peace,

A Pink American