India experiences

[Guest guest]

I lived in India for the fall semester of 1995 as a part of a college

program. I was hardly sick at all-- I just stuck fanatically to the health

guidlines available in travel guides in terms of what I ate and drank. I was

living in a desert city (Jodhpur) so we had to drink a lot of water to keep

hydrated and stave off throat problems (common in our area). I lost a lot of

weight-- not because of illness but just because I ate so purely (paneer,

veggies, rice, chapati, water, certain fruits, hardly any sweets at all). My

strategy was just to keep my digestive system in top-notch shape, and fast or

skip a meal if I felt queasy. When I came back to the states I had fun

gorging on fun foods and gaining it all back and then some!

My studies in the country were wonderful. I had always dreamed about going

to India, and enjoyed it immensely after I got used to bartering for

everything. It's best to spend a long time in one place, because travelling

is by far the hardest thing to do (unless you can afford to hire a car and

driver, which I did from time to time and enjoyed it). Also, the longer you

stay in one place, the more adapted you become and learn about the feel of

life. I was lucky to actually be living in the country, and then ventured

out from there to see things. The rich and ancient culture just permeates

the country. I spent most of my time visiting Jain temples (I was studying

Jainism as my central project), so I was just endlessly amazed by the beauty

of the visual expression of religiosity. In fact, a lot of my choicest

photos are sitting in front of me, and I can hardly keep from flipping

through them! I"ve done my best since returning to make my home look as much

like an Indian temple as possible!

I think it's also best not to be a part of big group when traveling, as this

tends to rigidify your plans. I did a lot of my travels by myself, although

looking back on it it would have been safer to have a traveling companion.

I would love to go back some time. === Jai Mother India=-=- Nick

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> I'd love to hear stories of what others have

> experienced

> before and during their India trips. Oh, but if you

>

> became deathly ill, please don't tell me about it -

> I don't

> need more to feed my fears right now!

> Blessings,

> Achintya

>

 

I visited India a couple years before meeting Amma.

Nonetheless, I had a very nurturing experience of the

Divine Mother's presence. Not at a temple or ashram,

but aboard the sleeping cars of Indian Railways as She

gently rocked me to sleep -- to paraprhase one of

Amma's English bhajans, I could "feel her protecting

me keeping me safe" -- while halfway around the world

my biological mother was worried sick that I would

come home in a casket, a victim of disease, terrorism

or traffic.

 

Oh yes, I flew Air India and survived But next

time I will fly British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Air

Canada...anything but A.I.

 

No I didn't become deathly ill, other than a mild case

of the trots. But I think it was more likely because

of heat, jet lag or culture shock, rather than

something I ate.

 

My India visit was as much a railfan's dream as a

spiritual pilgrimage. It's India for real aboard the

trains. I have some pictures and links at

http://webhome.idirect.com/~aum108/bharat.html

 

 

Keval

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Keval:

 

Thanks for sharing your adventures in India on your web page. Very good job.

 

It was most interesting to me since I spent seven months in many of the same

places you visited back in 1992. A year later I returned for a short 6 week

trip that lasted 7 more months.

 

Most of the time, I was in Rishikesh and Baroda.

 

You write:

>>Here are two of Rishikesh's ashrams and the Lakshmanjhula Bridge spanning

the Ganges.

 

I know these. The story I heard was that the swamis that run them take in a

lot of money. They are the glossiest ones in town. The swamis live a very

good life style and use the money to build more temples to get more money.

They do not feed the poor, help educate the children or provide other sanayas

with the three day visiting rights.

 

>This magnificent temple in Kayavarohan, Gujarat was built by the spiritual

grandfather of Kripalu Yoga and the Kripalu Center Swami Kripalvanand

(1913-1981)

 

Know it well. I was fortunate to spend some time meditating in Babaji's

underground "cave". That's where he spend a great deal of time being in

silence for 10 years. A very beautiful temple. Remeber the "bell" clanging

machine they turned on during Arti? I have a tape of it here somewhere.

 

 

> My India visit was as much a railfan's dream as a

> spiritual pilgrimage.

 

Mine was more Spiritual but being a life long railfan, seeing some of the

railroads in India was a treat and a souce of humor. I use to ride the local

train from Delhi to Rishikesh pulled by a steam 0-8-0 switcher. They had a

turntable at Rishikesh but the loco always ran backwards on the return trip.

Guess the turntable didn't work. <grin>.

 

Also road in the cab of the electric to Agra. Trip the engineer 20 rupees and

he was over joyed. I would glady giving him more but I was short on small

bills.

 

The railroad museum in Delhi is a place that must be seen. Some of the

rolling stock is just incredible.

 

Peter

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

>

>

> I use to ride the local

> train from Delhi to Rishikesh pulled by a steam

> 0-8-0 switcher. They had a

> turntable at Rishikesh but the loco always ran

> backwards on the return trip.

> Guess the turntable didn't work. <grin>.

>

> There's a great, lighthearted travel memoir

(by Bunny Knott) called, "Backwards into

Delhi." The title refers to just this

experience. Knott and her husband travelled

the whole of India by rail. A great read!

 

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

> You write:

> >>Here are two of Rishikesh's ashrams and the

> Lakshmanjhula Bridge spanning

> the Ganges.

>

> I know these. The story I heard was that the swamis

> that run them take in a

> lot of money. They are the glossiest ones in town.

> The swamis live a very

> good life style and use the money to build more

> temples to get more money.

> They do not feed the poor, help educate the children

> or provide other sanayas

> with the three day visiting rights.

 

Those ashrams around the Laksmanjhula were ugly

affairs.. and not just the architecture. I much

preferred Parmarnath Niketan and the other ashrams

around Ramjhula. I also hit the Sivananda Ashram.

Not surprisingly, they're very friendly to Canadians.

I didn't stay at one ashram during my time in

Rishikesh. I went from one ashram to the next, taking

in a lecture here, a yoga class there, etc.. and

trying to dodge the hordes of Europeans and Aussies.

Some people even thought I was an Aussie because they

saw me reading the Lonely Planet India guidebook. But

my accent gave me away

 

 

>

> >This magnificent temple in Kayavarohan, Gujarat was

> built by the spiritual

> grandfather of Kripalu Yoga and the Kripalu Center

> Swami Kripalvanand

> (1913-1981)

>

> Know it well. I was fortunate to spend some time

> meditating in Babaji's

> underground "cave". That's where he spend a great

> deal of time being in

> silence for 10 years. A very beautiful temple.

> Remeber the "bell" clanging

> machine they turned on during Arti? I have a tape of

> it here somewhere.

 

Yup, I remember that Rube Goldberg contraption. I

have a tape of the Shiva Arati (but not the bells!) I

snuck a couple of pictures of the inside of the

temple, even though photography inside temples is

verboten.

>

>

> > My India visit was as much a railfan's dream as a

> > spiritual pilgrimage.

>

> Mine was more Spiritual but being a life long

> railfan, seeing some of the

> railroads in India was a treat and a souce of

> humor. I use to ride the local

> train from Delhi to Rishikesh pulled by a steam

> 0-8-0 switcher. They had a

> turntable at Rishikesh but the loco always ran

> backwards on the return trip.

> Guess the turntable didn't work. <grin>.

 

Unfortunately I didn't ride on any steam locomotives

during my time in India. There were still a few

running in 1995. I did get on a narrow-gauge local

train between Kayavarohan and Dabhoi, but it was

diesel (ZDM, if you know your Indian locomotive

codes). I took some other local trains between

Mathura/Vrindavan (chanting Krishna bhajans en

route!!), Varanasi/Sarnath, and Haridwar/Rishkesh.

 

>

> Also road in the cab of the electric to Agra. Trip

> the engineer 20 rupees and

> he was over joyed. I would glady giving him more but

> I was short on small

> bills.

 

I didn't get a chance to "footplate" in the loco cab,

and didn't think about slipping the engineer a bribe,

though I did get a look inside the Kayavarohan

station, with it's hand-operated switches straight out

of the 19th century.

>

> The railroad museum in Delhi is a place that must be

> seen. Some of the

> rolling stock is just incredible.

>

 

I visited the National Rail Museum. Definitely a

must-see for any rail fan. And now there is a real

subway/metro rail in Delhi, so Calcutta is no longer

India's only subway line. The Delhi Metro opened last

week, on Christmas day, which is also Prime Minister

Atul Bihari Vajpayee's birthday.

 

For anyone contemplating India, take at least one

train trip!! If your flight lands in Delhi, but your

final destination is in the south, take the Grand

Trunk or Tamil Nadu express to Chennai. It's India

for real aboard the trains, and you don't have to be

packed to the gunnels in 2nd class unless you're a

masochist!

 

Keval

 

 

 

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