The Taj and Dance

Our weary band of travelers arrived at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi about 4:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Upon entrance to the hotel we were greeted with a garland of jasmine, an individual bouquet of flowers, and cool drinks of many colors. The opulence and hospitality of this five star hotel (see photo) offers a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and modern luxury that is simply breath taking, although I'm inclined occasionnally to giggle when I look in the mirror and see that youngest Regan girl from 913 6th Ave in such surroundings. Our beds are adorned nightly with a fresh orchid and an inspirational card (tonight's: "Sleep is the best meditation." HH the Dalai Lama). Are you getting the picture? Seriously out of my league, right? Nonetheless, they let me in and I'm staying until they make me leave. This might or might not be a good time to mention that the Department of Education, funding source for this Fulbright-Hays Seminar, paid over $15,000 per person to send us on this adventure. THANKS so much, tax payers. You can rest assured I'll get your money's worth out of this experience.

After a great night's sleep, I headed to Khan Market with the mission of getting cool Indian clothing, cool in both senses of the word. The clothing shop was a visual feast, with a color palette that rivals Guatemala's in its vibrancy and sophistication. Then, lunch at the hotel's restuarant. Oh my.....where to begin? A picture will have to speak for me, because you all know I can get a little carried away with food descriptions. Suffice it to say, I couldn't decide if the spinach gnocchi or the murgh tikka was more delicious. No worry, though, I had both, AND the 3 desserts the fellow at the dessert bar insisted (really, kinda) that I take to "balance my experience." That's a term I'm appropriating immediately for future use.

In the afternoon we visited the Fulbright Commission and USIEF Office. USIEF (United States India Educational Foundation) is our host here, and has as its mission to promote mutual understanding between Indian and US nationals through educational exchanges such as ours. Our keynote address was delivered by Ms. Shovana Narayan, Kathak Dancer extraordinaire. The lecture began with the lighting of the lamp ceremony, in which she recited a Sanskit poem that asked that with the lighting of the lamp we be led from untruth to truth, from mortality to immortality, and that we receive the light of knowledge and extinguish the light of ignorance. Ms.Narayan is a living legend as a guru of Kathakdance, and her movements as she spoke were all mini performances. I'm attaching a very short video to this blog of her reciting an Urdu poem at the end of her speech, and you'll see what I mean by mesmerizing. She gave us a very brief history of dance in India, and explained the reason for the importance of dance and music in Indian culture: music and dance are meditative aspects of yoga (meaning: to bind), and as such they bind the mental, spiritual, and physical aspects. Consquently, fine arts are the highest forms of yoga and their performance is seen not merely as entertainment but rather an enlightening experience. I'm feeling a cosmic nod to all my musician friends right about now, so consider yourselves involved in a sacred endeavor.

Today's Hind deity story must be mighty Lord Shiva, who has as one of his many incarnations Nataraja, the Lord of the dance. (see clip art at top of blog) Check out the photo to the right to discover his story. The rich icononography of these deities rivals that of the Catholic tradition, and that's saying something. Shiva, a member of the BIG 3, remember, is a devout meditator and yogi, and is the god of destruction, transformation, and regeneration. Consequently, snakes and deer are often associated with Shiva, as they are able to shed their skin or grow new antlers. He is also seen with a trident, which corresponds to creation, protection, and destruction of the universe. Last, but certainly not least, he sports a drum for kicking up his heels when he's done with all that hard work of destroying and rebuilding. Some think when Lord Shiva finishes his dancing, the world will end, so dance on, Lord Shiva!