Ruins of Mahabalipuram

The ruins of Mahabalipuram, sometimes called the “Angor Wat” of India, is a cite more than 2,000 years old that was the former home of such upscale tenants as the Romans and the Greeks. In this area archeologists found coins marked with Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and Constantine the Great, so you timeline people out there can do the math. The guide let us hold some antique coins with the faces of those people on it, and I thought of my colleague and friend A., who would have also treasured (and better understood) the significance of the coins. I tried to channel A. during this whole visit, actually, so thanks to A for her ongoing historical inspiration! The Romans and Greeks came with their gold, silver, and copper to trade for the residents’ cardamom, pepper, and other things I couldn’t write down fast enough. If you ask me, the Romans and Greeks came out ahead of the residents of the area, but that’s just a cook’s perspective.
We had the honor to have as our guide one Dr. Suresh, who is a noted archeologist of this area. He explained that scholars have studied the purpose of this site for a very long time, and the most likely scenario is that these buildings were built as models, prototypes of future buildings, a place where the king would come and choose what he liked. Rather like a spec home only smaller, I’m guessing. It was the vision of one man, Pallaba, who ruled most of south India from the 3rd to 9th century. His nickname was “The Great Wrestler”….WWF fan, I suppose. There are over 100 impressive ruins in this area, and they divide into 4 types.
The first type is a monolith, which is anything made out of a single stone. What you are seeing to the right is an example. This particular statue is one of Lord Shiva as half man, half woman. That guy can do ANYTHING! Anyway, there are 12 differences between the 2 sides, so take a look and start counting. The second type was a small temple structure, and the third was this incredible bas relief you see here. There are several scenes from the Gita in this relief, including Krishna holding up a hill with one finger of his left hand, and a little “naughty cat” to boot. I thought niece B. and daughter A. would especially love the statue of the naughty cat, who is imitating Arjuna doing penance, who is sculpted a little above the cat and to the left as you look at the big scene. The fourth type is a cave temple, an entire temple carved out of a single piece of stone. Columns, relief, standing space, all carved out of one huge piece of stone… It was an intense day (cool by Chennai standards, they say, but nonetheless HOT), but very stimulating and exciting as well. We had a great typical South Indian lunch of thali, a group of small dishes with fantastic puffy bread and more chutney than you know what to do with. We ended the afternoon with a command performance of shadow puppetry of the area by a local master, and the story was again from the Ramayana, and featured one of my favs, Hamuman, keeping Lord Rama out of trouble, flying through the sky, growing and shrinking, and wrestling other monkeys. You gotta love that set of skills!
The Hindu deity today must be the goddess DURGA, who is Parvati’s ferocious incarnation. Her Darth Vader, if you will. It seems when people come to see her, she prefers them to pay homage by cutting their heads off. Keeps the conversation short, I would imagine. If you look carefully at this photo you’ll see the guest getting ready to do the deed. However, I felt at ease with this idea because she’s only ferocious when her children are in danger, rather like one Tiger Mom I know all too well!

Kochi: Land of the Coconut

Final notes on Kochi, as we have moved on the Chennai, India's 3rd largest city, this morning. The last couple of days we had some incredible experiences in this (relatively) peaceful coastal paradise. See this FLICKR batch of photos to follow the brief notes below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5nnatVlBBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjXvBy0ZNM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTQmmoxKszI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMxHaFBbXi0
FLICKR URL:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621592546562/
Actually, the first four are links to very short clips on Youtube I recently uploaded. Back to Kochi...
CHINESE FISHING NETS: We took a field trip to see the Chinese fishing nets, which are one of the most common photos one sees of this area. The Chinese came to Kerala in the 14th century for trade and left behind enormouse fishing nets that are still used today. They are used from a dock on a pulley system that consists of ropes and rocks. I have a short video of me getting a chance to heave-ho, and when I get a minute to post it, I'll include the link in my next posting.

KATHAKALI DANCING: Kathakali means "story-play" and with painted faces and vivid costumes, characters depict Indian epic stories accompanied with a percussionist and a singer. We witnessed their slow, silent 1.5 hour of make up preparation, where they slowly metamorphisized to larger-than-life characters. I have some great video footage of the climax of the short scene we saw (the REAL Kathakali lasts all evening from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. THE NEXT DAY!), and I'll post that as well as time allows. It was somewhat like Kabuki, somewhat like Balinese dancers, and actually its own uniquely moving experience.

MONSOONS: At the open air market, the sky opened on us with a swift sheet of rain. Luckily we were in the tarp covered fish market, but the roof quickly filled, swayed, and dumped its contents squarely on our heads. We took refuge under a less than perfect roof at the entrace, where many men (professional porch sitters without the porch, it seemed to me) sat in their regional colored dhoti (think man skirt) and found us a most amusing way to pass the time until the rain lightened enough to walk in it. The drainage system, if there is one you could construct for such a downpour, is woefully inadequate, and nature's wet call is sure, swift, and sustained.

SPICES: The spices that enticed Vasco de Gama several hundred years ago called my name as we walked through the streets. I bought about 4 ounces of pepper for about a dollar, which, if any of you have bought pepper in the States lately, is just too cheap to take seriously. They should charge you to smell as you walk down the street, seriously.

KERALA LIFE STYLE: There are things to learn from this part of India on how to live the good life. Yoga, and ayurveda have their roots in this part of India, and their life expectancy is literally off the charts. In fact, their demographers had to create a new term to deal with the fact that so many of their old population was outside the norm of the rest of India. (They arrived at young-old (50-65) and Old-old (65-up).) Researchers attribute this increased life expectancy to 3 factors: 1. manual labor as a youth (does detassling count?), 2. pure vegetarian diet, and 3. good prompt medical care. I say they are to be commended and studied.
As we moved into the new Taj (this one in Chennai called the Taj Connemara, perhaps the most posh Taj yet) I thought of some things I'm quickly becoming accustomed to. Here's a few...

1. crazy traffic and the challenge of crossing the street without lights, pauses in traffic, or any regard at all for the pedestrian.
2. yogurt at every meal, along with the holy trinity of tropical fruits: the mango, the pineapple, and the coconut
3. posh accomodations, including being called by name by hotel staff (although it's a little reminscent of The Graduate), attendants carrying umbrellas over your head as you saunter from the hotel to the upscale private bus, garlands of flowers, fresh juice and a greeting posse when we arrive, and a minimum of 20 choices of yummy food to eat at each breakfast and lunch. It's been tough, but I find I'm adjusting!

For today's Hindu deity, we turn to Hanuman, also known as the monkey king. He has super powers of being able to expand to the size of a mountain or shrink himself to the size of a fly, which proved quite useful when he helped his BFF, Lord Rama during his great battle with Lord Ravana, as chronicled in the epic Ramayana. In addition to being strong and clever (he once had to carry an entire mountain to an ailing friend because he was unsure which herbs would heal him best), he is also a loyal and faithful friend. On top of that, he may be the cutest Hindu deity of all with the head of a monkey and a muscular human body!

School Visit in Kochi

Today we visited Chinmaya Vidyalaya School in Kochi, Kerala. The state of Kerala is remarkable in several respects, but one often quoted statistic is a literacy rate of 91%, well above the national rate of 55%. The obvious question is: how do they do it? Several factors have made this coastal state what is it educationally, including an early missionary presence from the Portuguese, with missionaries who allowed both genders to attend school and provided the schools for them to attend. In addition, a strong state government based on Communist precepts which removed barriers of learning from certain classes of children, and a matriarchal culture which kept the needs of children at the center are given as factors for this success. Families in Kerala spend more on education than on food each year! They have a very impressive live birth rate, low mortality rate, and, at age 72, a life expectancy far beyond the national norm. All of these benefits are the result of a highly educated populace, and our field trip today to Chinmaya Vidyalaya School gave us some insight into how it’s done well. This school is a privately funded school, based on the teachings on a Swami. It was a remarkable morning. We were greeted by student with flower garlands and given a red mark on our foreheads to sharpen our “third eye” and focus our energy. We then attended a faculty meeting, which had both special celebration elements for our behalf, but several regular agenda items, impressive items. The session was opened with a song by some of the teachers in which asked each other to “….let me take to my body assurance of thy comradeship, my friend.” I said it was impressive! Next the local sunshine committee (every school’s got one!) read out some riddles about particular staff members and teachers shouted out answers. Door prizes were given, which made me want to shout out a name, but alas, I knew no one… Next their yoga teacher (yes, they keep a yoga teacher on staff to practice pranayama breathing with the students, chanting, and some simple asanas!) led us in some breathing exercises to relax and focus our minds. They then shared their school banner which stated their school’s mission: We can, will, and should forge ahead with a smile. Although I have great respect for my current principal’s purposeful, focused, productive meetings, I think she would agree we could pick up some sweet pointers from these gals. On top of which these teachers looked like movie stars in their Kerala special occasion saris of cream color with gold accents. BTW, there are pictures of this and many other pics of the school on my newest FLICKR post:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621377292687/
As impressive as the meeting was, seeing the classrooms and speaking with the children proved to be even more remarkable. There was a evident respect for the teachers by all students, and very up to date child-centered pedagogical strategies were evident in several areas, from their hands-on, inquiry based science activity I saw in a 4th grade classroom, to their character education. Their character education consists, in part, of chanting and yogic breathing at the lower levels, and then, in the high school, a several-year study of the Geetha, one of the great epic stories of the Hindus. The teachers were obviously passionate about their work, the students in all classrooms I visited were orderly, engaged, and curious, and it was inspirational to see such a well run school, even though I have the privilege of teaching in one myself. I visited a vocal music choral class, which sang a song of peace with staff instrumental accompaniment. I responded by teaching them a song of peace, Dona Nobis Pacem, and they were quick studies and very good singers. It was very interesting to see how quickly they learned by ear, how suggestible they were to my idiosyncratic directing, and, most remarkable, how quickly they added ornamentation to the original melody. I’m including a very short clip of their singing, so you can get a taste. It was moving to share music back and forth, and the faculty did an impromptu improvisation piece, which they also used as a learning tool when they asked students to provide clapping for the taal (cycle of beats in Indian classical music). I asked the P.E. teacher if I could see a cricket game during our time, and he got together a group very quickly. You can see I got my turn at bat, or whatever it’s called. BTW, our morning snacks included the milk of a tender coconut (apparently the young coconuts with still soft shells are the only ones from which you can drink the milk) delicious samosas, and some delicious chai. It certainly made our vending machines look embarrassing! I left with a great respect for this school’s work, gratitude for my colleagues with whom I attempt to do similar work, and gratitude to the Department of Education for providing such a rich people-to-people experience for all involved.
Today’s Hindu deity must be Sarasvati, the goddess of education and the arts. The photo of her you see was taken just inside the school. Sarasvati was the wife of Lord Brahma, but according to some legends (there are several accounts, of course!) they had a disastrous marriage, and Brahma kicked her out. Sarasvati decided she was ok with being was an independent woman, and consequently developed as a thinker and gifted creator. Musicians, artists, writers, and students are all part of her family and under her care. She is usually depicted with an instrument, the veena, and a book, and a white swan. I really dig this no-apologies, getting-on-with-my-life woman of the arts.

My Sari-Godmother

We arrived in Kochi (also written as Cochin, the former British spelling) a beautiful coastal town in the state of Kerala, which means land of the coconuts. The first evening I got my first view of what a monsoon looks and sounds like, both wind and rain, and it’s quite a show. Luckily, I was on the protected balcony of the very plush Taj Hotel.
However, the sights and sounds of the monsoon rains are nothing in comparison to the visual spectacle available at a local sari shop, Jayalakshmi. My friend P. called her sister-in-law in Kochi, who swept me up at the hotel and led me with quiet confidence and grace through the experience of perusing, choosing, and purchasing a sari in a town that is famous for their quality and beauty.
See the photo to the right for the view I had when I first entered: dozens of people waiting for their orders to be filled and sent to the delivery desk, 3 floors of the vibrant colored silk saris, with several draped over the balcony for special effect, and the friendly and familiar buzz of hundreds of women engaged in serious beauty commerce. We began on the 3rd floor, where the region’s particular cream and gold colored saris are, but we didn’t find anything in the dozens we were shown that intrigued us sufficiently to interrupt the hunt. Next we went to the second floor where there are floor to ceiling shelves filled with saris of incredible beauty. We sat on short legged chairs in front of a low long table of sorts. Above the table a bit was a floor that the saleswomen walked on, with the shelves full of saris behind them. My sari-godmother directed them in general in the local language, Malayalam, as to my color preferences and general wishes, and that was all the encouragement my team of attendants needed. They pulled out from the shelves saris of stunning patterns and color combinations, and opened them for my inspection. My job was to pretend I was royalty and reject or give a favorable glance to those I might consider. When I showed serious interest in a particular sari, 3 young women descended from their stage area with the material in question, all 6.5 yards of it, and proceeded to fold and wrap it around my body so I could get a better sense of how it would look on. At first I felt rather silly, but grew accustomed to the level of service very quickly. Once I decided on a sari (actually, to be truthful, on 2 of them) I was whisked down another floor to get the correctly colored petticoat to go beneath it. Finally we paid at the cashier, then proceeded to the delivery at the front door. It was so very friendly of this relative of a friend to spend 2 hours with me (2 hours which went by very quickly in such pleasurable circumstances) and being there with a local made it both easy and more enjoyable. I’m finding this impressive Indian hospitality in every city I’ve visited, and I look forward to more close encounters of the friendly kind very soon. Here is the link to some pictures of Kochi and the sari shop.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621376294673/

BUT, I cannot fail to introduce another Hindu deity today, for it is lovely Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, happiness, and BEAUTY. Lakshmi was so beautiful after she emerged from an ocean of milk (don't ask) that all the gods fell in love with her. In the end Lakshmi became Vishnu's consort, and she can be seen at his side often massaging his feet. Now that's love. When she's not busy rubbing Vishnu's feet, her 4 arms are busy with lotus flowers, gifts of prosperity ($$$) and the holy Ohm symbol. She should always be depicted wearing a sari, because the ones I've seen only add to the beauty of these gorgeous women.

An Elephant Rock Star

Today I visited Ganesha’s Temple in Pune, a jewel of a temple. As we approached the temple, we encountered several police guards warning any silly foreigners to put away their cameras; remember Ganesha is THE deity (rather like a patron saint?) of the city of Pune. Also, there were several vendors selling the materials necessary for a puja. (see photo). Puja is simply a devotion to a god, sometimes through a simple act of prayer, but more often a process which involves flowers, rice, sugar and other fun stuff. The aim in puja is to take DARSHAN, eye-to-eye contact with the god, and thus receive a blessing. I decided to give it a whirl, so I bought my puja materials and cued up. First we removed our shoes, then washed our feet, then waited in a short line to stand in front of the statue. We rang a large bell as entered the main temple, and next some religious fellow took my jasmine garland off my plate, and placed it around one of the mini statues in front of a stunning huge gold Ganesha statue. He also took my coconut, and a small package of sweets (remember Ganesha loves his sweets?), and I moved on down the line. There was another place where we placed the rose trimmed with grass, and then I was left only with a sweet one eats after performing a puja. The temple itself was more opulent than anything I’ve seen, save for some over the top temples in Thailand. The walls were all silver, the ceiling gold, and a huge crystal chandelier adorned the center. The statue of Ganesha itself was gold, and covered with precious stones. The outside was a plaster relief that featured elephants galore, and appeared as if it were carved wood, it was so intricate. Every fall the city of Pune hosts an 11 day Ganesha festival, and I’m guessing this place serves as the epicenter of the celebration.

Let’s return to Ganesha’s parents for today’s Hindu deity. Parvati and Shiva are also known as Uma and Maheshvara. Together they are the inseparable one, known as Uma Maheshvara (note woman’s name is always first). According to Hindu belief, gods are unable to reach their full potential without their consorts/wives, and they (gods and goddesses) are treated as equals. According to myth, Shiva and Parvati went on a honeymoon that lasted for several years, which irritated the gods. However, whenever they tried to break them up, Shiva would melt them with his third eye! I wondered what they were used for, now I know. The constant companion and vehicle of Lord Shiva and his family is the snow white bull known as Nandi, on whom only those who have conquered their desires through yoga are fit to ride. I’ve been contemplating buying a scooter, but a white bull really makes a statement, doesn’t it?

Take 8 downward dogs and call me in the morning

Pune is the epicenter of yoga studies for India, with the famous Iyengar making his home here, and several other ashrams as well. Yesterday we visited the Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute in Lonavala, about 1.5 hours outside of Pune. This institute, formed in 1924, is a healthcare centre specializing in yoga, naturopathy, ayurveda, and diet. There are 3 departments: the hospital, which prescribes various yoga practices to deal with functional disorders, the scientific department, and the literary research (philosophy) department. The campus is placed in a gorgeous setting of tropical flora galore. Patients come for a minimum stay of a week, many for more, and are prescribed naturopathy (baths, cleansings, and massage) optional ayurveda treatments, mantra chanting and gentle walks as well as daily yoga practice aligned with their particular ailment. Throughout my visit, I kept thinking this would be one sweet hospital to check into for an extended stay, for any ailment I could dream up that would gain me access!
When we in the West talk about yoga, our understanding is usually limited to the physical exercise. However, yoga, which means TO UNITE, is much more, according to the country we borrowed it from. HATHA YOGA, the most popular form in the West, is based on the physical postures called ASANAS, which aim to stretch, relax and tone the muscular system of the body and the internal organs. In addition, there is the practice of pranayama, which involves manipulation of breathing, and KRIYAS, which are purifying processes which eliminate toxins from the body (think NETTI pots for cleaning nasal cavities, which you can now find at any Whole Foods store!) and finally, meditation practice, which increases awareness of one’s mental functioning. There is also regulation of the diet (hmmm, better rethink my check-in if I have to check my beloved chocolate at the door), as well as control of daily habits such as sleep and work. The final part of a yogic practice includes changes in attitude, behavior and lifestyle: growing feelings of sharing, warmth, friendship, love and respect for the world, which is an antidote for feelings of hopelessness and loneliness. As I read their literature and saw the results of their work I was filled with great respect for such a logical, noninvasive, pleasant mind-body connected approach to addressing ailments. They laughingly told us a yogi is not allowed to be sick, because they should be following all their prescribed actions, but if they do, they have this hospital to address most common ailments. They do not eschew Western medicine, but feel their path is the first to be tried. Can I get an AMEN to that, sisters and brothers? Let me hear an AMEN….. We had a great, peaceful introductory HATHA yoga session at the Institute. I thought of my wonderful yoga instructor, K, and my yoga partner, S, and wished they could have experienced the instructor’s peaceful, meditative voice, accompanied only by the steady sound of the rain which we heard through the many open windows around the studio. I’ve had some private yoga sessions as well, and I’ve seen a contrast with the yoga I practice, Vinyasa Yoga, because here I’ve experienced slow movement, sustained asanas (postures), and intermittent breathing and relaxing time. Also the yoga instructors explain what benefit each pose has for the body as we work through asanas.
Today is our first day “off”, and I have a private yoga session scheduled at the hotel (This IS the hotel Bradjolina stayed at, after all!) then a walk on the 40 acre botanic grounds of the OSHO institute (New Age Guru who popularized primal screaming!), and finally an ayurveda therapy massage in the late afternoon. Read it and weep; we’ve been keeping a crazy yet wonderful schedule, and I deserve this! I may schedule a pedicure as well, if time allows…..
BTW, anyone interested in learning more about this institute can find lots of info and pictures online, and I will be posting more pictures soon. Also, before leaving the states I saw a movie about yoga titled ENLIGHTEN UP!, which was a very interesting documentary chronicling one young American’s efforts in various disciplines.
Today’s deity story will be deferred to the next blog titled PUJA for Ganesha, so look there for a connection to Hindu deities and yoga.

Gandhiji

We arrived in Pune this morning (see map referenced in earlier blog to follow our trail) and spent the afternoon at the place when Mohatma Gandhi was imprisoned along with his wife for about 2 years during India’s QUIT INDIA struggle with the British. I’m going to post a new set of pictures with the following link so you can get the mental picture of this lush, calm palace. A Muslim man by the last name of Agakhan lent his palace to the British so that Gandhi and his wife and secretary would not be forced to enter a real prison, although he had been there before. If you’ve seen Richard Attenborough’s movie GANDHI, then you’ll know the place I’m talking about. BTW, if you have NOT seen this movie, give yourself a real treat and rent it. It’s not to be missed, and is historically quite accurate, according to those who know.
Here is the FLICKR link so you can see what I’m trying to describe.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621133788416/
Upon our arrival at the Palace, we were greeted by women and given a red rose, a picture of Gandhi, and a button commemorating the 2nd of October as International Day of Non-Violence. [Mark that on your calendars and plan a peace day.] There was quite a peaceful atmosphere on the grounds, and we all anticipated that we were about to witness something very special. We were given a tour of Agakhan Palace by a woman who knew Gandhi, and she was quite animated and passionate. She spoke a lot about his wife, Kasturba, known as Ba, as the driving force behind the man. Ba and Bapu (Gandhi) were married 62 years, and after she died, he described himself as a lost man. It was very touching for all us to hear the story and see the pictures of the great dedication and love they had for one another through all their hardship, and made me particularly mindful of the fact that I’m fortunate to have someone with that dedication to me in my life. Thanks, S! Our American history has been altered by the incredible power of this one individual through Martin Luther King, Jr’s study of his nonviolent practices, and now we have a president who is wise enough to continue to draw from Gandhi’s wisdom, so I felt a profound sense of gratitude to this great soul.
As leader of the group, I was asked to give a few words of thanks to the trustees, and it was an honor to represent my colleague of teachers at the memorial of the man who said, “Children are the answer to the problems of the future.”

Hindu Deity: In honor of Gandhi, today we hear the story of Lord Rama, Vishnu’s 7th incarnation. (The photo included is from the Agakhan Palace.) Rama is the great hero of the epic story of the Ramayana, one of the most beloved stories of India. You should read it yourself, but Rama is banished from his rightful kingdom by a wicked stepmother and sent into exile, and during that time his wife is abducted by bad Lord Ravana. Rama sets out on a quest to find his wife, and the adventures begin. Rama is seen as a symbol of loyalty and bravery, and is celebrated in several festivals each year. Rama’s legacy as the ideal man, husband, and king is justly deserved.