Traveling India

Monday, August 10, 2009

Amritsar, the Holy Sikh City

This one's for the kids. My blogs have been long, filled with facts and probably boring and hard to understand for the students I'll be working with this year. So, my little darlin's, this one's for you! Not much text, lots of pics. Hope you enjoy!

First, a little background; Amritsar is a one of the oldest cities in India. The Sikh (Seek) people, one of the Hindu sects, come to Amritsar to spend time at the Golden Temple. Here they can pray, eat, chant and bathe in the holy waters. It is the lifelong dream of all Sikhs to come to the Golden Temple at least once in their lifetimes.

Here is a picture of the Golden Temple in the daytime.

Many people come to the temple. Some of them can live here if they have no other place to live. This mother was feeding her newborn infant when I walked by and asked to take her picture.

These nice ladies are washing the dishes that people use for the meals they can eat here 24 hours a day. It is the belief of the Hindus that all people must be cared for whether they are family members or not. Notice the crazy electrical wiring.

These men are cleaning the large "Lake of Nectar" that surrounds the Golden Temple. Men and boys can dip their bodies in it to rid themselves of sin. Women are not allowed in the "Lake of Nectar."

Here are the men bathing in the "Lake of Nectar." No one thinks it unusual to see the men remove almost all their clothes and hop in the warm, cloudy water.

This many tiered overhang is above the doorway to the temple canteen. Thousands of people are fed a very good meal here every day. The canteen is open all day and all night for whoever might be hungry.

Most people eat sitting on woven mats on the floor in long aisles in the dining room (canteen). About fifty people sit on each of several woven floor mats facing each other in this huge room. Servers come along and ladle out beans and rice and hand out chapatis (a tortilla shaped bread). The rice was sweet, the beans were seasoned well and the chapatis were crisp and warm. These men and women had their own dining room along another corridor of the temple.

This old man sat next to me at lunch. He wanted to carry my dishes to the kitchen for washing after we ate, but I insisted on carrying his out of respect for his age.

There's nothing like a good cup of chai (tea) after a hearty meal. We're served from big aluminum containers like the coolers we use when camping.

Here is the plate rack. Before entering the canteen, each person is given a spoon from a pail, a plate from this rack and a small bowl. We drink chai from bowls also, but those are given when you leave the canteen and come back outside to drink your tea.

This nice man gave me a tour of the chapati kitchen. Sikh men wear turbans and must have their beards a certain length. If the beard is longer than allowed, they tie them up with a ladies' hair net! Many huge machines mix and flour and water, form the hockey puck shaped dough pieces, flatten the dough and then cook it two times so both sides are crisp and brown. There are no doors on the kitchen, so the flies are having a great time flying around, eating the scraps!

Shops like these are found close to the Golden Temple. People buy flowers, bags of rice and other offerings for Shiva, one of the most holy figures in the Hindu religion. There are many thousands of gods in this religion. Hindus choose one of the three or four most important gods to worship and then can pray to other lesser gods for more protection.

When visiting Amritsar, tourists will often travel the 25 km to Wagha, the border city between India and Pakistan to witness the nightly closing of the border. Soldiers guard the checkpoint very carefully. Visitors are only allowed to bring certain things to the border with them - cameras, passports and water (it's very hot). Here I am fooling around with the official but very friendly border police. Women are invited to dance to the Indian music blaring from the loudspeakers. Men are not allowed to dance during this nightly ceremony.

Thousands of people gather on both sides of the border. Indians and Pakistanis each cheer loudly for their country while soldiers dressed in fancy costumes march back and forth on their own side of the border. Eventually, the gates close and the flags come down from their poles at the crossing until the next morning. Each country has a gate for its own side of the border.

My camera does not take good pictures at night. However, I did want you to get an idea of the beauty of the Golden Temple when evening comes around. The lights and gold paint reflecting off the water make it a beautiful sight, indeed.

These men own the drum shop near the temple where I purchased a set of tablas for Evan. They are drums made of metal, wood and goatskin that are played in the temples during prayer ceremonies. The man in the background has a shop in Vancouver, Canada. He sends huge containers of drums to North America where Sikhs and other people can buy them. They cost about eight times as much in Canada as they do here in India.

I'll end here and say, "Ta ta!"

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Chandigarh, the City of Two States

Spending a couple of days in Chandigarh was enlightening, at best. Here I learned about the tight security of the Indian government (liken it to our security after 9/11), but the generosity of the people. I spent the night in a hotel located smack dab in the middle of a commercial district where electronic stores and a madcap bus stand were the main attractions.

The next morning, taking the guide book's advice about visiting some of the government buildings, I headed to the tourism office to get a special permit to visit the Capital Complex, three ordinary buildings in this sprawling city where the government of the states of Punjab and Harayana are administered. The tourism office was closed at 9:30, with only a tea drinker at the main desk. I was told to wait for five minutes and the official who'd give the permits would be right along. So like India, 20 minutes later, no one was around and the tea drinker disappeared into the belly of this enormous bus station.

Eventually, after a phone call from yet another tea drinker (there's lots of people in India who sit around "subbing in" for the workers. They direct and misdirect inquirers who might need assistance), the official showed up. A rather rotund man with a swarthy mustache, he admonished me for being impatient and reminded me that, as a guest in his country, I "should be appreciative for being here" and in not so many words, "shut my trap!" Of course, after that I did, for I really wanted the permit.

Taking an auto (rickshaw) to the complex proved short and breezy. However, after being dropped off at the point of no return, I walked in the blazing sun for at least one km past several officers with stern faces who directed me to the first building.

Five checkpoints later, each one requiring that I show my passport and get my bag ad body checked, I finally was escorted to the top of the legislative building. Waiting in one of the offices for clearance, I noted the over-stuffed worn files bound with fabric straps piled haphazardly on tables, stacked vertically in large filing cabinets, etc. The computers looked like the ones we used in the 80's and everything was covered with a layer of dust and old age. It was a sad place, indeed.

I was allowed to take pictures from the top floor of the legislative building looking out at the hazy skyline (the legislature is the tallest building in the city at 11 stories tall). I was not impressed with the view, but my guide, a bright young soldier, spoke English very well and answered all my questions knowledgably. Needless to say, when we returned to the ground floor for an exit security check, I recommended him for a promotion!

It was on my way to the next building in the Capital Complex that the fun began. I met the officers below on the way to the Secretariat Building (where the Assembly meets). Their stern faces gave way to smiles and lots of laughs as we exchanged information about jobs, salaries, cost of living, etc. They were typical of the "real" India for me!

After a phonecall, it was discovered that visitors were not allowed in or near the Secretariat Building on that day due to the Assembly being in session, so I wandered (another km) to the High Court. Traffic there is bumper to bumper. There are 30 million untried cases in India and the lawyers and judges are always busy. Parking is a problem, especially because there are few parking lots. So...if there's no place for your whole car to fit, just fit part of it... on the sidewalk!

This photo shows a couple of Sikh lawyers speaking to a client. Not sure if you can notice the paper tie the attorney on the right is wearing. All lawyers are required to wear these around their necks whether they are men or women. For every 20 lawyers I passed, about five were women.

In my walk through the High Court building, I met a notary. In these courts, oaths is taken outside of the courtroom and the officials who administer them are lined up in the hallway at small desks. The notary gave me a private, but short tour of the ground floor of the building, including the library (all the books are written in English) where studious young men and women were poring through law journals. He brought me to meet the President of the BAR Association in Chandigarh. We had a "spot of tea," but it was soon time to go, according to the notary who suggested, "Please drink up, madam, as you can see the president is a very busy man!" I quickly slurped and we left the poor man to his signing of a million papers.

Although the notary had to get back to work (it seems like Indians can make their own work schedules), he brought me to the courtroom of the Chief Justice. I was ushered into the Public Audience section and listened to a gentle but firm Sikh judge ask questions and make sensible decisions. Again, I was surprised to learn that only English is spoken in the courts.

The most attractive part of the complex is this monument, called the Open Hand Monument. It is solar powered and makes one full rotation every 24 hours. It is a symbol of justice and equality. Standing in an open field, surrounding pathways are used by walkers and bicycle riders.

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Here are a couple of photos from the High Court Museum, opened in 2007. The displays include some life-sized replicas of the actual courtroom and assembly conference rooms (how do you like the life sized models?). In each courtroom, there are tapestries hanging behind the judge. These, like the rest of the city, were designed by Le Courbusier, a French architect who's vision for Chandigarh was to design a city where streets ran in a grid design. No other city in India, at the time, was designed in this way. It made sense and made Chandigarh a city of distinction.

My last noteworthy stop of the day was a Rock Garden, a complete contrast to Le Corbusier's dream of a symmetrically designed city. Nek Chand had another dream about reusing waste materials in ways that might please the eye. He spent years building (the city supported his work with funding and a crew of 20) this delightful but rather endless garden of rock and other stone-like material. He created some magnificent sculptures and dream-like scapes for the mind's eye. I thought of our very creative Odyssey of the Mind teams while wandering through this labyrinth.

I'll end here with a sweet photo that sort of sums up the feeling of this fair land. Due to the heat, population and lack of space, everyone finds the place where they belong. Anyone need a haircut?

Friday, August 7, 2009

Oh, the Places I've Been

Again, I am in an internet cafe where connections to my pictures are not easily navigable. I will try to send some photos, but cannot promise that this will actually happen. The internet cafe owner, another very savvy tech person, has helped me. It will now be up to me to see if I can follow directions and allow you to see the places I've been.

Above is the "Geyser," otherwise known as the water heater, found in most bathrooms. You flip on the switch and wait for 20 minutes to get minimally hot water. This morning's shower was cool at best but not cold, a welcome relief. I find myself judging the quality of my accomodations by the quantity and temperature of the hot water for washing!

The stained glass windows shown above are found in the one of the churches in Shimla. In the Christ Church, the windows are well known for the six panels denoting Love, Patience, Faith, Hope, Charity, etc. Other than the windows, that particular church is nondescript except for the cheerful yellow paint that livens up the otherwise plain concrete exterior walls. The Cathedral is reminiscent of British architecture, imposing and grandiose.

Here is a photo of the Christ Church in the evening. Services are held in both English and Hindi. There is a surprisingly large number of Christians among the Indian population in many cities and towns.

As the city of Shimla is built on several hillsides, vehicles are only able to travel on a few of the roads. Additionally, The Mall, shown above, is vehicle-free. These strong men, like so many others, are delivering propane tanks to someone's home or restaurant to be used as cooking fuel. Porters are found everywhere, hoping to earn a few rupees by transporting visitors' bags, merchants' goods, constructions supplies, etc. I suspect that these men are members of one of the lower castes here in segregated India. It's not an easy life for the porters, but they are VERY fit compared to some of the higher castes who's opulence is evident, especially around the waistline!

This is one of the many Hindu temples in Shimla where the ringing of bells calls the gods to the temple before a devotee enters. One must remove shoes before entering as well. Because of the monsoons, the temple walkways are often wet, muddy and slippery.

At Shimla's State Museum, examples of ancient art are exhibited in the small galleries. Rather primitive sculptures were originally carved from rock (3rd - 11th centuries) until artists began using wood. This material and their attention to detail allowed them to more elaborately carve their idols.

Miniature paintings are another special feature of the museum in Shimla. The artists must have used brushes with only one or two hairs on them to make some of the very fine lines found on these religious renditions of scripture.

The wall paintings were among my favorite pieces. They appear to be painted on plaster, lifted from the walls of Hindu temples around the country and transported here. They are quite primitive but have been well preserved for at least ten centuries. The paintings are set in the walls of the museum so they look almost as if they were created right here!

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Indians are famous for their metalwork. Most cities sell jewelry and silver and gold is abundant in many places. Here are some silver slippers made hundreds of years ago. They would be my favorite pair of shoes if they belonged to me!

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Kids go to school on Saturday for a half of the day. These high schoolers are out for "sport" time (P.E.) playing volleyball and hopscotch. Uniforms are required and look different for each set of grades (primary, middle and high school). During this hot and humid time of year, the heat must make the wearing of sweaters and long-sleeved shirts most unbearable. I'm sure they couldn't wait to get home and put on cooler clothing for the rest of the weekend.

The Viceregal Palace, also known as the Institute of Advanced Study, was at one time a British facility used by its government when India was a colony belonging to Great Britain. It was at this very table that India gained its independence from Britain, and the map for an independent India was drawn. At that signing, India was divided into two parts, India and Pakistan. Therein, the trouble between India and Pakistan began.

Today, renamed the Institute of Advanced Study, this majestic building is used by the highest scholars in the country for study. University professors, authors, and other learned men and women come here to read and study about their country's unusual history and the struggles that have long plagued the sub-continent.

Because it is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla "enjoys" a very rigid military presence. Government soldiers are everywhere. However, they do not enforce many laws, and this lax government security seems to be true of India in general. Although, when I tried to take a photo of a military emblem at the bottom of a government building driveway, both the soldiers on guard at the compound as well as those driving by, furiously waved me away with shouts of, "No photo, no photo!" Needless to say, I scooted away pretty quickly and found other less compromising scenes to shoot with my camera.

I left Shimla (my reason for being in this shopping-mad town in the first place) on the "Toy Train," a diesel-locomotive drawn small train that navigates the hills and valleys from Shimla to Chandigarh (located in the plains of the states of Punjab and Harayana). The train was a delightful respite from bus travel and the views were outstanding. The train moves slowly enough for passengers to "hang out" of the windows and doors as it winds it way from mountains to plains.

The conductors have a "fail-safe" method of avoiding accidents along the way. The metal ring shown below is tossed from the trains at different points along the way to signal that the train has already passed that station (there is only one track for trains traveling either way). Some station stops were quite long while we waited for the oncoming train to pass by. The pails hanging from a rack behind the station agent are filled with sand. The sand is used in the event of fire along the tracks or on the trains.

As I said, the view from the train is magnificent. The hard part is catching the photo before the train slips behind some tall bushes and trees. As we descended from the hills, the number of cultivated fields increased. Fruit, like apples, mangoes, pears, bananas, etc. and vegetables, like white radishes, spinach, carrots, etc. are found in the fields. Rice is also an important cash crop.

The train winds its way through the trees, passing small homes and cattle trails along the way. One gets used to the twists and turns and looks forward to the over 100 tunnels that the train passes through on its way to Kulka. When in the tunnels, it's not unusual to hear the shouts of young and old passengers who are having some fun while passing the time on this five to six hour journey.

Time to say so long for now. It'll be interesting to see how this post turns out. I've been decreasing the size of the photos (due to a 2/Rs fee per MG), so this is my new tech lesson for today. Have a good day. Next post, my adventures in Chandigarh!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Tibetan Students Fight Pollution

The article below was published last week in The Tibet Post, an online newspaper for Tibetans, Chinese, etc. I'm so excited to see the results of my interview with the editor and the efforts of the students who composed the letter. Hope you enjoy the reading. Other pressing headlines from Tibet and about Tibetans are noted below this article.

Susan

Volunteer Tibet students use English skills to fight local pollution

Wednesday, 29 July 2009 15:55 Ms Amy Elmgren and Yangjam, The Tibet Post International

Dharamshala: After years of life in exile, a group of young Tibetan refugees are learning about their power to change their environment here in India-literally. On July 29th, 20 students from Volunteer Tibet's English conversation class authored a petition to the local Tibetan government highlighting the deplorable pollution McLeod Ganj faces and offering a number of solutions to the problem.

The letter details the inadequate waste management and rampant pollution that plagues Mcleod, detracting from this Himalayan hill station's unique charm and threatening the health of its residents. The students explain that tourists, shopkeepers and restaurant owners, and local residents who litter in the streets of Mcleod all contribute to the accumulation of rubbish, which is then spread around by stray animals, and ultimately ends up polluting the town's water supply and making people sick. The result, the students write, is that, "Our beautiful town and the surrounding mountains have become untidy, unhealthy, and ugly."

In a call for action on the behalf of the local Tibetan government authorities and the Mcleod Ganj community, the students offer three potential solutions to improve Mcleod Ganj's waste management and clear the streets of rubbish. Their first item is to provide more dustbins near the bus stations, temple, and town center, "so that tourists and local residents can put their rubbish in them instead of on the road." Next, they suggest that local authorities implement a fine for littering, and use the money collected from this fine to teach about waste management in local schools and monasteries. Lastly, they propose a boycott of local shops and restaurants whose owners consistently empty their garbage onto the streets.

Susan London, an American volunteer who teaches the conversation class that produced this petition, was at first hesitant to raise the subject of environmental issues with her Tibetan students. She states, "I was skeptical about bringing it up to my students...I thought maybe it was not a concern for them." But to her surprise, on the first night she discussed the topic with her class of 25 students, "every one of them-100 percent-said that the situation with garbage and litter in the roads is a big concern to them." She explains that the students are disturbed about the litter in Mcleod Ganj because, "it affects the environment, this beautiful place that reminds them of their home in Tibet, but does not look like their home because of the garbage."

After discussing their own views on the issue and possible solutions to the waste problem, the class invited a speaker named Ms Tenzin Choedon from the environmental department of the Tibetan Settlement Office. They discussed with her their ideas about how to resolve the pollution in Mcleod, and Choedon suggested that they express these concerns and proposals in a formal letter.

"So, as a group, we decided to compose a letter expressing our feelings that would be sent to her office, but would be forwarded to the Indian Municipality," continues London. She emphasizes that his letter's publication presented a two-fold opportunity for the Tibetan English students: academically, it was an opportunity for them to learn the proper form for a business letter, "where they are explaining their purpose, stating facts, explaining the consequences, and they are also offering solutions, and then thanking the people that they are writing to for considering this an important issue." But at the same time, the purpose of this letter went deeper than acquiring practical English skills. "On another level, an emotional level," London states, "I wanted the Tibetan students to understand that even though they are living out of their country...collectively, as a group, they have a voice and can express their opinions, and hopefully make changes in the community to things they see as problems."

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 July 2009 16:22 )

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