Haven't written a lot because I've really gotten into a nice routine and haven't had much to say. We are going sightseeing on Friday so stay tuned for more pics.
Thought I’d be pretty melancholy today with Jude and Peter gone but it was a really nice day. I had one of the best practices I’ve ever had. It felt like all of my joints were lubricated with oil, they all moved so nicely. I almost bound in Supta Kurmasana thanks to Jude’s coaching before I left. Got all the way through Ghaba Pindasana to put my chin on my hands and rolled all the way around. Back bends were amazing! I used Dena’s backbending method to roll up my vertebrae one at a time and was able to really get height. No compression in my low back at all. Sharath dropped me back and gave me coaching on my breathing during drop backs. No pain! Woo hoo!!!! Didn’t get up in headstand very much at all. I went all the way over yesterday and rolled over my hand. It’s still a bit painful so I was a bit timid today.
Breakfast at Alia’s with Ida, now my only housemate, followed by Sutra’s class (really getting interesting now) and then went to the stand up dosa bar for some dosas with Basia. She wanted me to go with her so she wasn’t the only westerner there (tall and blonde as well...she definitely stands out!) Lunch at Anu’s after doing some sutra reading and then met Christian and Eva (both Aussies but until recently Yoga Academy teacher trainees in Auckland). They arrived on Saturday and are settling in.
We spent the afternoon at the house chatting and them checking email, etc. A quick round of the neighborhood shops to check out different clothing options and then they accompanied me to register for my second month at the shala. Guruji was there in the office. I don't think it was one of his best days. I said hello and he looked at me as if he were trying to place me. It was still nice to see him though. Sharath moved me up to a 6AM start time. I’m happy about that. It will give me a bit more time in the morning.
Now that Peter and Jude are gone I want to get into a bit of a different routine where I spend more time reading and meditating. Really working on my inner journey. Nothing to distract me. Well, almost nothing. No one warned me that practicing at this level made your hormones go crazy!!!! Unfortunately no interesting, unattached men in sight. Oh well, that would just make me crazy anyway. I keep having to remind myself...this is a spiritual journey! :)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A fond Farewell, July 28, 2008
It's with great sadness that I said goodbye to Peter and Jude today. Having them here for the last month has been such a blessing. Not only have they "shown me the ropes" in Mysore but my friendship with both has deepened. I have rarely had friends as loving and giving as the two of them.
Thanks guys for the laughter, the stories, the sharing, the great conversations, the evening fruit salad ritual, pongol, halva and, of course, Jude's wonderful chai. Knowing you has enriched my heart and soul and I'll miss you greatly. Not only here but seeing you regularly in Auckland.
Friday, July 25, 2008
First Drop Backs, July 24, 2008
Haven’t written in awhile. One day melts into the next and everything revolves around the practice. It’s such a unique experience.
My practices have been coming along really nicely. I’m looking less like a dead fish flopping on the shore during Chakrasana (a way to exit a posture you do lying on your back by lifting your legs over your head and pushing up so that you don't roll over your neck (in theory). I’m actually doing headstand in the middle of the room...today for 10 breaths. So, I’ll be ready in tomorrow’s led class. It’s been flowing okay, not as focused as I’d like but not totally unfocused either. And the BIG news!
Last week Sharath asked me if I’d done my backbends as he saw me getting ready to leave. “Yes”, I said confidently and went into the changing room. “Oh oh I thought, I know where this is leading”. The next day Sarashati hovered over me as I was doing my backbends and I ignored her. She just squashed me into forward bend afterwards and let me go. And then Tuesday this week Sharath asked me again if I’d done backbends. “Yes”, I replied with a big smile and tried to get past him. No such luck. He asked, “Who helped you?” “No one”, said I truthfully, to which he replied, “Tomorrow you wait.” Hmmmm.
Sooo, after doing my practice (I’m surprised I wasn’t a nervous wreck!) and finishing with my backbends I stood up to wait. Sharath saw me standing and came over. The dreaded dropbacks! I really never thought I’d be able to do these. These are when the instructor holds you from the front and you go back into a full back bend from standing after doing three half backbends. The thought of going back never particularly bothered me. I used to do backflips into the water all the time when I swam. But I was afraid of what the backbend would do to my low back; especially how it would feel when they jerked me up. But, wonder of wonders it felt good. Sharath was not impressed with my slapping my hands to my thighs when I came up, but I was totally impressed that I did it!!!
The other big news is that I learned how to make Jude’s chai today (see recipe at the side). For those of you who have not tasted, it’s the best chai on the planet. Made better by all of the great, fresh and very potent spices here. She’s told me how to make it before but this time she talked me through it so it’s embedded in my brain. I actually made it again this morning for a big breakfast that Joseph made. Dosas and fruit salad with a savory subgee and coconut chutney. Delicious! I made soy chai for Rachel (a vegan) which also turned out well. Joseph invited Basia, another senior teacher who is Polish / Canadian but has lived in Japan for the last 10 years. She’s now moving to Poland and Norway but travels quite a bit teaching. He also invited a woman named Katherine who is an academic from Oxford. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to speak with her very much.
Yesterday we all went to the Southern Star for the reopening of the pool. It had been closed since I got here for refurbishment. It’s nice to have a pool so close. It’s just as nice as Wind Flower, although the setting is not nearly as tranquil. I had a veggie burger (which tasted like curry) with fries. I also had a manicure, pedicure, brow shape and head and shoulder massage for $32 NZ!
I started another chanting class today. This one concentrates on specific prayers that Guruji wants the yoga students to learn. I don’t know what they mean but I was buzzing afterward. I loved it.
My yoga sutras class is getting pretty intense. We’re getting into some really interesting topics, like the cosmology of the universe. It’s fascinating, a lot like quantum physics. I’m reading two translations at the moment. Iyengars which is completely dry and a beautiful little book that I got for 30 rps at a local ashram. This is the one that Laxmish actually reads from. There are a couple of ashrams around here that have books. I’ll have to check the other out.
Between the yoga sutras, the two chanting classes and the back bends I’ve been in a really interesting head space the last couple of days. I go between being completely happy and content, almost blissful (wow, look at that cool butterfly kind of blissful) to wanting to cry for no reason. I guess my inner journey is starting in ernest.
My practices have been coming along really nicely. I’m looking less like a dead fish flopping on the shore during Chakrasana (a way to exit a posture you do lying on your back by lifting your legs over your head and pushing up so that you don't roll over your neck (in theory). I’m actually doing headstand in the middle of the room...today for 10 breaths. So, I’ll be ready in tomorrow’s led class. It’s been flowing okay, not as focused as I’d like but not totally unfocused either. And the BIG news!
Last week Sharath asked me if I’d done my backbends as he saw me getting ready to leave. “Yes”, I said confidently and went into the changing room. “Oh oh I thought, I know where this is leading”. The next day Sarashati hovered over me as I was doing my backbends and I ignored her. She just squashed me into forward bend afterwards and let me go. And then Tuesday this week Sharath asked me again if I’d done backbends. “Yes”, I replied with a big smile and tried to get past him. No such luck. He asked, “Who helped you?” “No one”, said I truthfully, to which he replied, “Tomorrow you wait.” Hmmmm.
Sooo, after doing my practice (I’m surprised I wasn’t a nervous wreck!) and finishing with my backbends I stood up to wait. Sharath saw me standing and came over. The dreaded dropbacks! I really never thought I’d be able to do these. These are when the instructor holds you from the front and you go back into a full back bend from standing after doing three half backbends. The thought of going back never particularly bothered me. I used to do backflips into the water all the time when I swam. But I was afraid of what the backbend would do to my low back; especially how it would feel when they jerked me up. But, wonder of wonders it felt good. Sharath was not impressed with my slapping my hands to my thighs when I came up, but I was totally impressed that I did it!!!
The other big news is that I learned how to make Jude’s chai today (see recipe at the side). For those of you who have not tasted, it’s the best chai on the planet. Made better by all of the great, fresh and very potent spices here. She’s told me how to make it before but this time she talked me through it so it’s embedded in my brain. I actually made it again this morning for a big breakfast that Joseph made. Dosas and fruit salad with a savory subgee and coconut chutney. Delicious! I made soy chai for Rachel (a vegan) which also turned out well. Joseph invited Basia, another senior teacher who is Polish / Canadian but has lived in Japan for the last 10 years. She’s now moving to Poland and Norway but travels quite a bit teaching. He also invited a woman named Katherine who is an academic from Oxford. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to speak with her very much.
Yesterday we all went to the Southern Star for the reopening of the pool. It had been closed since I got here for refurbishment. It’s nice to have a pool so close. It’s just as nice as Wind Flower, although the setting is not nearly as tranquil. I had a veggie burger (which tasted like curry) with fries. I also had a manicure, pedicure, brow shape and head and shoulder massage for $32 NZ!
I started another chanting class today. This one concentrates on specific prayers that Guruji wants the yoga students to learn. I don’t know what they mean but I was buzzing afterward. I loved it.
My yoga sutras class is getting pretty intense. We’re getting into some really interesting topics, like the cosmology of the universe. It’s fascinating, a lot like quantum physics. I’m reading two translations at the moment. Iyengars which is completely dry and a beautiful little book that I got for 30 rps at a local ashram. This is the one that Laxmish actually reads from. There are a couple of ashrams around here that have books. I’ll have to check the other out.
Between the yoga sutras, the two chanting classes and the back bends I’ve been in a really interesting head space the last couple of days. I go between being completely happy and content, almost blissful (wow, look at that cool butterfly kind of blissful) to wanting to cry for no reason. I guess my inner journey is starting in ernest.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Wind Flower: my first Ayurvedic massage, July 20, 2008
Feeling great today. Best I’ve felt since I got to India actually. Really hot again.
Woke up at 4AM and had a terrible meditation. Just couldn’t focus my mind. Pretty good practice though. A bit stiff as I didn’t do a lot of pre practice warm up. Knees have been a bit tender recently as well. It was a nice flow and I found myself not worried about too much (will he stop me, won’t he). He didn’t. It would have been even better had I been a wee bit more open. Tomorrow should be good. Got up in headstand then got scared and came down. The main thing that’s stopping me now is fear. I think I’m strong enough to do it and I have a sense of balance. I just need to get over my fear. Hmmm, something to confront. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Ghaba Pindasana is getting easier and easier to get into I’m happy to say. Didn’t bind in Supta Kurmasana but held a washcloth so that was okay.
Can I just stop here and say how incredulous I am that I can even do this practice? Me, who was called “cupcake muscles” by my parents when I was younger, am doing Ashtanga yoga. And doing poses that I would never have believed I could do in a million years! I just absolutely love this practice. It’s taught me so much about myself and helped my stretch (literally and figuratively) beyond where I thought possible. It’s also taught me patience. It’s not something I consider myself terribly “good” at. I don’t have the beautiful practice that many people I know have and that’s humbling, but I can’t believe the progress that I continue to make.
I did get a wonderful compliment today though. A woman who arrived at the same time I did, Daniella from Serbia, always practices behind me. She likes the back of the room, I like the second row. She told me today how I have a nice practice. That was so wonderful to hear. You’re not actually supposed to make those judgements, but we all do. She’s only been practicing 4 months, but still, a bit of a boost.
After practice I just felt so, I don’t know, settled. Like I don’t have a care in the world. I can only remember feeling this way a few times in my life. It’s wonderul.
Yoga sutras at 10AM and then I met Jude and Peter at Wind Flower, a Balinese type spa and mini resort wayyyy on the other side of Mysore. Lovely, especially by Indian standards. Simple, clean and tranquil. We hung out by their pool for awhile (Joseph joined us), had a really nice lunch in an open air restaurant and then Peter and I had massages.
My first Ayurvedic massage. Two people work on you at once. You’re completely naked except for a pair of disposable “panties” which are nothing more than a long narrow piece of cheesecloth like material and a piece of elastic that goes around your waist. They started with me in a chair. Once washed my feet and the other massaged my head. Then I moved to a table. It was a plactic picnic table kind of deal with a stiff rubber mat shaped like a person glued to it. More cheesecloth to lay on. After the full body massage they take you to the shower (traditionally they actually bathe you, but I opted for self serve). The give you this gritty substance to wash your body in to absorb the coconut oil and a really thick shampoo. Then there was 10 minutes in a jacuzzi. A bit strange but good.
The whole day just added to my feeling settled, relaxed and happy. It’s a good feeling.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
July 19 2008
Totally lazy day. We have a new housemate. A woman named Ida (pronounced Eda) from Denmark. Young girl still in uni, studying economics. Very sweet. We took her to Alia’s for breakfast. The Scotts are leaving today so said goodbye. I just couldn’t get off of my chair to leave it was so comfortable out there in the gardens. Bruno is so sweet and I even saw Alia and little Nalu today. Had my usual french toast with honey and a side of a scrambled egg with lots of spiach. Peter and Amna came by as well and got more of a chance to speak with her.
Walked back to the ashram to buy another copy of Patangalis Yoga Sutras (the one Laxmish reads from) and picked up some fruit. Spent about an hour talking to Peter and Joseph and then it was lunch time!
Tried a new Indian restaurant called 6th Main. Good food but hot. Much hotter than Nalpack. Atmosphere nice though. Open air concept and they play a completely eclectic mix of big band and 70’s music. After that we wandered down to Barista for a Mango smoothie. That’s about the extent of energy I plan to expend today.
Walked back to the ashram to buy another copy of Patangalis Yoga Sutras (the one Laxmish reads from) and picked up some fruit. Spent about an hour talking to Peter and Joseph and then it was lunch time!
Tried a new Indian restaurant called 6th Main. Good food but hot. Much hotter than Nalpack. Atmosphere nice though. Open air concept and they play a completely eclectic mix of big band and 70’s music. After that we wandered down to Barista for a Mango smoothie. That’s about the extent of energy I plan to expend today.
Guruji's Birthday, July 18, 2008
Guruji’s birthday (see full set of pics and be sure to view it in slideshow). Up early. Jude greeted me with some Miso and a cup of chai. Wonderful! Early breakfast at Alia’s with the Scotts before going home to get ready for Guruji’s birthday party. We arrived a little after 11 to a large, very nice (by Indian standards) hall. This was Sharath got engaged and married apparently. It was a bit of a madhouse. Filled to capacity on the ground floor with theatre type seating and a stage at the front. Guruji and Saraswati were sitting at the side of the stage and there were a series of students performing various songs and dances. Most of the students in Indian garb and many many looking very uncomfortable wearing sarees for the first time. I opted for an outfit I had made at Badsha’s (not a saree).
Then Guruji went up on stage and the students formed a line to wish him a happy birthday. There was a minder trying to keep the line moving and trying to stop photos so that it wouldn’t take so long but people were milling at the stage with their cameras anyway. I got pictures of Peter and Jude with Guruji but they didn’t turn out very well. In fact most of my pics were blurry unfortunately. I got over confident with my camera and didn’t take doubles on the automatic settings.
When it was my turn I walked on stage, knelt and took the prana from the area of his feet. You couldn’t touch his feet because they were covered with flowers. This year for the first time they didn’t want you to touch his feet. Not sure why but it must have something to do with his health. I looked him in the eye and said Namaste, trying to convene my gratitude to him for what the practice has meant to me and what studying here, in this lineage means to me right now. I’m sure he got it on some level.
Dinner was amazing!!!! There were long, thin trestle tables with banana leaves and cups of water laid out. We mopped up the dew drops from the banana leaves and didn’t drink the water in the cups. Being Brahmin (of the priestly caste) they can only be served by Brahmin cooks and Brahmin servers. They were in the traditional garb of a lungi with a Brahmin “thread” over their shoulders. These Brahmin servers would come down the line with buckets of various foods (spiced rice, white rice, various subgee (vegetable) dishes both raw and cooked, rice pudding, some sort of coconut square, birthday cake and the real dessert of a huge pastry with icing sugar and some sort of custardy substance. This was all followed by more rice and curd (yogurt) which is supposed to cool you down after consuming all of the chilis in the subgees. I forgot to save the rice pudding to mix with the curd which is extremely sour so I didn’t have that. It was wonderful food but wayyy too much.
Rickshaw back home and a lazy night talking to Rachel. We had a really good chat (for about 6 hours...when do you ever have time to talk to someone in that depth???) She’s very disciplined. She’s got a beautiful practice, having practiced for 6 years and is getting a number of second series postures. She’s also a vegan and very strict. She cured herself from very bad rhumatoid arthritis a few years ago (she’s only in her mid 30’s as well). She’s made a commitment to come back here in January and hopes to come back several times over the next couple of years. She and her husband sound like a really interesting couple. She and I showed each other pics on our computers. She had a number of pics from the Burning Man festival which they go to every year. That’s on my list of things to do. So much to do in this big, wide world!!!!!
Then Guruji went up on stage and the students formed a line to wish him a happy birthday. There was a minder trying to keep the line moving and trying to stop photos so that it wouldn’t take so long but people were milling at the stage with their cameras anyway. I got pictures of Peter and Jude with Guruji but they didn’t turn out very well. In fact most of my pics were blurry unfortunately. I got over confident with my camera and didn’t take doubles on the automatic settings.
When it was my turn I walked on stage, knelt and took the prana from the area of his feet. You couldn’t touch his feet because they were covered with flowers. This year for the first time they didn’t want you to touch his feet. Not sure why but it must have something to do with his health. I looked him in the eye and said Namaste, trying to convene my gratitude to him for what the practice has meant to me and what studying here, in this lineage means to me right now. I’m sure he got it on some level.
Dinner was amazing!!!! There were long, thin trestle tables with banana leaves and cups of water laid out. We mopped up the dew drops from the banana leaves and didn’t drink the water in the cups. Being Brahmin (of the priestly caste) they can only be served by Brahmin cooks and Brahmin servers. They were in the traditional garb of a lungi with a Brahmin “thread” over their shoulders. These Brahmin servers would come down the line with buckets of various foods (spiced rice, white rice, various subgee (vegetable) dishes both raw and cooked, rice pudding, some sort of coconut square, birthday cake and the real dessert of a huge pastry with icing sugar and some sort of custardy substance. This was all followed by more rice and curd (yogurt) which is supposed to cool you down after consuming all of the chilis in the subgees. I forgot to save the rice pudding to mix with the curd which is extremely sour so I didn’t have that. It was wonderful food but wayyy too much.
Rickshaw back home and a lazy night talking to Rachel. We had a really good chat (for about 6 hours...when do you ever have time to talk to someone in that depth???) She’s very disciplined. She’s got a beautiful practice, having practiced for 6 years and is getting a number of second series postures. She’s also a vegan and very strict. She cured herself from very bad rhumatoid arthritis a few years ago (she’s only in her mid 30’s as well). She’s made a commitment to come back here in January and hopes to come back several times over the next couple of years. She and her husband sound like a really interesting couple. She and I showed each other pics on our computers. She had a number of pics from the Burning Man festival which they go to every year. That’s on my list of things to do. So much to do in this big, wide world!!!!!
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! July 17, 2008
Complete set of pics from day including both temples, the palace, the bird sanctuary and some random pics taken from the car of life in rural India. Be sure to view in slideshow.
Well, to be more accurate: Temples and Palaces and Crocodiles oh my! Not to mention the monkeys (see above me in pic to the left).
First of 3 days off. They are preparing for Guruji’s birthday. I woke up at my usual 5AM and got ready for a big excursion (I’d suggest the slideshow feature to view the pics). I met Kelly and Eva at 7AM at Anu’s and took off in what looked to be a 1970’s vintage mercedes. The good news was that it was nice and roomy. The bad news is that it had never had its shock absorbers replaced. “Fasten your seat belts girls, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”
Our first stop was Somnathpur Temple about 33 kilometers outside of Bangalore. It took an hour to drive that 33 kilometers. Driving through rural India is an experience. Really, similar to Mysore but on a smaller scale. Villages with dusty streets, few or now sidewalks / footpaths, lots of dust, lots of trash, shops selling all sorts of colourful wares and people everywhere. Lots of oxen drawn carts (the one I really wished I’d gotten a picture of is the oxen drawn cart carrying two motorcycles! Analog vs digital. :)
I saw a number of people working fields of all kinds. Some of them looked like wheat but could have been ragi or finger millet, a type of millet high in protein. Others were definitely lentils or dal and still others rice. We kept driving over patches of what looked like hay that had fallen off of a cart. Our driver made no attempt to avoid these patches even though there were obviously people tending to them. At first I thought that was rude, then I realised there were too many of them for them to have been accidental spillages. I asked the driver, who’s english was pretty good and he said that it was dal. They put the dal on the road and let the cars separate the lentils from the stalks! That’s using mechanisation in a non mechanised world!
Many of these fields had streams running beside them and 2 or 3 times I saw lots of brightly coloured sarees laying out to dry. The woman had obviously washed their clothes in the stream and were drying them on the tops of the plants. It was actually quite beautiful.
We got there an hour before the temple opened. I didn’t really want to get out of the car because as soon as we pulled up half the village approached us with their hands out and I knew I didn’t have enough 10 rupee notes with me to satisfy everyone (note to self...stock up on 10 rupee notes whenever you sight see....although it’s always a bit of a mission to have enough of these for day to day living).
Not to worry, our driver assured us. Another temple, much newer (well the one we were waiting to see was built in 1268 so that wouldn’t have been hard) just down the road. We were keen to walk as it looked like quite a nice walk but our driver insisted on doing what he was hired for...down a grass track with more pot holes that you could count (did I mention the lack of shocks on the car?) We were a bit afraid of a flat and God only know whether or not he had a spare, but he made it without any problems. The temple was small and very brightly painted with a couple of small rooms with deities that I was not familiar with. There was a state of a snake and a big golden pole. I should be able to relate what all of these are as there was a very nice older gentleman that insisted on giving us a tour (for a donation of course). He was teaching a young brahmin boy and would punctuate his tour by asking the boy to fetch him certain things, like a photo album of obviously some big dignitaries visiting the temple when it was opened (about 6 years ago from what I could ascertain), a couple of flyers describing God knows what, a few bananas and a bag of sweets. He spent an our with us and was very thorough so I should be able to tell you all about what I was seeing, but I can’t because I did not understand a single thing he said! I think Eva and Kelly got some of it but I got not a word. It was a lovely spot and a lovely temple so I enjoyed my time there nonetheless.
Onto the main temple then. Interestingly the admission was 5 rupees for Indian citizens and 100 rupees for all foreigners. That seems to be the going rate everywhere we went today.
This temple was absolutely stunning! Incredibly intricately carved with a main structure around the perimeter wish small pooja or prayer rooms running every few feet and a smaller inner structure that was absolutely gorgeous. Some of the carvings were quite interesting as they depicted couples having sex. Well, I guess India is the land of the Kama Sutra.
It was so peaceful there. Very few people. Just lovely.
After about an hour of wandering around we were off again. Our next stop was the summer palace of Tippu Sultan (after another hour long drive through rural India). Apparently Karnataka, the state we are in was ruled for centuries by the Wodeyer dynasty except for 30 years when it was usurped by Tippu Sultan and his father before him. This palace is known for the fact that every inch is covered with paintings. In it’s day it must have been quite magnificent, but now it’s decaying and I found it quit sad. There were other historical artifacts and paintings that were so poorly lit you could barely see them.
After another short drive we found ourselves in a fort. Apparently this was built on a river fork so they made it into an island by closing off the land side and building fortresses on the river banks. There were several items of interest in here but we just stopped at the dungeon where Tippu Sultan kept many British prisoners (some for up to 7 years). This didn’t look like any fun as they prisoners were chained standing with their arms outstretched between two pegs. During the rainy season the dungeon would fill with water covering some prisoners to the neck, according to our unofficial tour guide (we found out he was unofficial after he gave us the tour and asked us for a handout). You have to wonder though what happened to the shorter of the prisoners...
That treatment pissed off more than one British soldier which eventually let to Tippu Sultan's undoing...the site where his body was found was marked a fee hundred meters from the dungeon.
Our next stop was another larger temple. The Ranganathaswamy Temple is apparently quite famous and is much more active with lots of shops selling their wares along with people hawking everything from wooden flutes, bracelets and small deities. It’s hard to get rid of these guys they get right in your face. Not to mention the beggars. Needless to say I was out of 10 rupee notes and one of the other girls had to pay the bakshish (bribe) to get our shoes back after seeing the temple.
This temple was okay, but I didn’t like it nearly as much as the other. What was interesting was the monkeys...obviously well fed monkeys by their pictures.
Our last and my favourite stop of the day was the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary. This was lovely! You didn’t really see any birds unless you were on the river, so we paid 500 rupees for a private boat (to the chaigrin of the many Indians waiting for the public boat which was filled to capacity).
It was brilliant! We say plovers and courmarants and storks and all sorts of birds. Not to mention a number of fresh water crocodiles!!!!! That was cool. Got some great pics of birds.
More importantly for that 1/2 hour on the river I felt normal again. It’s amazing what being in nature does for me. It grounds me and brings me back to what’s real. It centers me and makes me feel good about myself and the world. I loved it!
Back home for a light meal of fruit salad. I was soooo tired and strung out at the same time! An adventure like that at home would be one thing, but here it’s just exhausting!!!!!
Our first stop was Somnathpur Temple about 33 kilometers outside of Bangalore. It took an hour to drive that 33 kilometers. Driving through rural India is an experience. Really, similar to Mysore but on a smaller scale. Villages with dusty streets, few or now sidewalks / footpaths, lots of dust, lots of trash, shops selling all sorts of colourful wares and people everywhere. Lots of oxen drawn carts (the one I really wished I’d gotten a picture of is the oxen drawn cart carrying two motorcycles! Analog vs digital. :)
I saw a number of people working fields of all kinds. Some of them looked like wheat but could have been ragi or finger millet, a type of millet high in protein. Others were definitely lentils or dal and still others rice. We kept driving over patches of what looked like hay that had fallen off of a cart. Our driver made no attempt to avoid these patches even though there were obviously people tending to them. At first I thought that was rude, then I realised there were too many of them for them to have been accidental spillages. I asked the driver, who’s english was pretty good and he said that it was dal. They put the dal on the road and let the cars separate the lentils from the stalks! That’s using mechanisation in a non mechanised world!
Many of these fields had streams running beside them and 2 or 3 times I saw lots of brightly coloured sarees laying out to dry. The woman had obviously washed their clothes in the stream and were drying them on the tops of the plants. It was actually quite beautiful.
We got there an hour before the temple opened. I didn’t really want to get out of the car because as soon as we pulled up half the village approached us with their hands out and I knew I didn’t have enough 10 rupee notes with me to satisfy everyone (note to self...stock up on 10 rupee notes whenever you sight see....although it’s always a bit of a mission to have enough of these for day to day living).
Not to worry, our driver assured us. Another temple, much newer (well the one we were waiting to see was built in 1268 so that wouldn’t have been hard) just down the road. We were keen to walk as it looked like quite a nice walk but our driver insisted on doing what he was hired for...down a grass track with more pot holes that you could count (did I mention the lack of shocks on the car?) We were a bit afraid of a flat and God only know whether or not he had a spare, but he made it without any problems. The temple was small and very brightly painted with a couple of small rooms with deities that I was not familiar with. There was a state of a snake and a big golden pole. I should be able to relate what all of these are as there was a very nice older gentleman that insisted on giving us a tour (for a donation of course). He was teaching a young brahmin boy and would punctuate his tour by asking the boy to fetch him certain things, like a photo album of obviously some big dignitaries visiting the temple when it was opened (about 6 years ago from what I could ascertain), a couple of flyers describing God knows what, a few bananas and a bag of sweets. He spent an our with us and was very thorough so I should be able to tell you all about what I was seeing, but I can’t because I did not understand a single thing he said! I think Eva and Kelly got some of it but I got not a word. It was a lovely spot and a lovely temple so I enjoyed my time there nonetheless.
Onto the main temple then. Interestingly the admission was 5 rupees for Indian citizens and 100 rupees for all foreigners. That seems to be the going rate everywhere we went today.
This temple was absolutely stunning! Incredibly intricately carved with a main structure around the perimeter wish small pooja or prayer rooms running every few feet and a smaller inner structure that was absolutely gorgeous. Some of the carvings were quite interesting as they depicted couples having sex. Well, I guess India is the land of the Kama Sutra.
It was so peaceful there. Very few people. Just lovely.
After about an hour of wandering around we were off again. Our next stop was the summer palace of Tippu Sultan (after another hour long drive through rural India). Apparently Karnataka, the state we are in was ruled for centuries by the Wodeyer dynasty except for 30 years when it was usurped by Tippu Sultan and his father before him. This palace is known for the fact that every inch is covered with paintings. In it’s day it must have been quite magnificent, but now it’s decaying and I found it quit sad. There were other historical artifacts and paintings that were so poorly lit you could barely see them.
After another short drive we found ourselves in a fort. Apparently this was built on a river fork so they made it into an island by closing off the land side and building fortresses on the river banks. There were several items of interest in here but we just stopped at the dungeon where Tippu Sultan kept many British prisoners (some for up to 7 years). This didn’t look like any fun as they prisoners were chained standing with their arms outstretched between two pegs. During the rainy season the dungeon would fill with water covering some prisoners to the neck, according to our unofficial tour guide (we found out he was unofficial after he gave us the tour and asked us for a handout). You have to wonder though what happened to the shorter of the prisoners...
That treatment pissed off more than one British soldier which eventually let to Tippu Sultan's undoing...the site where his body was found was marked a fee hundred meters from the dungeon.
Our next stop was another larger temple. The Ranganathaswamy Temple is apparently quite famous and is much more active with lots of shops selling their wares along with people hawking everything from wooden flutes, bracelets and small deities. It’s hard to get rid of these guys they get right in your face. Not to mention the beggars. Needless to say I was out of 10 rupee notes and one of the other girls had to pay the bakshish (bribe) to get our shoes back after seeing the temple.
This temple was okay, but I didn’t like it nearly as much as the other. What was interesting was the monkeys...obviously well fed monkeys by their pictures.
Our last and my favourite stop of the day was the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary. This was lovely! You didn’t really see any birds unless you were on the river, so we paid 500 rupees for a private boat (to the chaigrin of the many Indians waiting for the public boat which was filled to capacity).
It was brilliant! We say plovers and courmarants and storks and all sorts of birds. Not to mention a number of fresh water crocodiles!!!!! That was cool. Got some great pics of birds.
More importantly for that 1/2 hour on the river I felt normal again. It’s amazing what being in nature does for me. It grounds me and brings me back to what’s real. It centers me and makes me feel good about myself and the world. I loved it!
Back home for a light meal of fruit salad. I was soooo tired and strung out at the same time! An adventure like that at home would be one thing, but here it’s just exhausting!!!!!
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