Why am I the way I am?

I was recently reading a blog where the author mentions her feeling of being an ambassador for the US, and that in many places the locals "are quite willing to make sweeping judgments about an entire country just based on a single encounter."

I have several such experiences since I make friends outside India via social networks or electronic media. It is true that many of them are fascinated with the exotic image of India (well, India has been such an attraction even from the days of Columbus), and they keep asking me about food, climate, yoga, practically anything. There is one particular friend with whom I was associated since a long time. She has some understanding of India, but is not willing to accept us as a developing nation. She instead choose to instill her internal belief that India still, is a land of snake-charmers.

Recently I was reading ad guru Santosh Desai's book "Mother Pious Lady." Many points that Santosh highlights brought about a sense of nostalgia, e.g. the scooters we used to have (I wish I still had my old Lambretta on which I learned driving; she was a gem!) or the television programs that influenced our thoughts and lifestyles as a people. But it is equally true that we are evolving as a nation, true to the international levels. There are drawbacks in our economy equally as it happens to any developing nation with a spawning population. Therefore in some sense it is not possible to say that we are "advanced," however given the effort and the rate of changes happening around us on a daily basis, I feel "yes, we have arrived."

Going back to friend and her fascinations, I remember some of her frequent questions/comments:

(a) Why do you have a Christian name?
Preliminarily because my forefathers are Christians, and has been so since several generations.

(b) Why don't you believe in a caste system of society, while it is practiced socially in India?
I am brought up in a neutral way of upbringing, and I never (even today) felt the differentiation between castes. Differentiation of people by castes was an ancient practice of governing the society, developed by a then social reformer. Such a practice does not add value to a democracy which believes in social equality. Finally, I'm not a politician to believe and practice this system and develop a vote-bank of my own.

(c) Most Indians follow the practice of arranged marriage. Indians never have love marriages.
Yes, it is true that arranged marriages are part of the societal norms here. We as a nation has close family ties. Even though the old lifestyle of joint families is less existent in our cities, we are close to our relatives at heart. Marriages, therefore are events of families getting together, and arranging an event for one of their relatives. But it is foolish to totally deny that love marriages does not exist in India. A lot of people do have love marriages (my parents included). And this practice is a growing norm here and is slowly being accepted to the society, though there are some negative incidents also.

(d) Indian women are not career oriented
It is to this comment that I disagree the most. It is true that our womenfolk are attached to their families. That doesn't mean that they are not career oriented. And truly speaking, work-life balance is a big quality that all big bosses around the world profess about. In that light, our womenfolk are the specialists of work-life balance.

My friend is visiting India a few months from now, to speak at a conference of scientists in Hyderabad. Chances are high that she will stay in Delhi for a couple of days. Let me see if I can open her eyes.

I have the above-mentioned questions thrown open to my readers. Have you been to India, or have friends here? With your knowledge and experience of India and its people, what are your opinions about the questions/statements mentioned above? Please mark your comments below. I would love to hear from you.

20 Questions for Every Spiritual Seeker

 

Here are some questions I recently encountered from one of my favorite websites. I am re-quoting it here with my answers.

 

 

1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

Both these are essential by-products of human greed. Unfortunately, it is not always the greedy that ends up poor or suffering.

 

2. What is the relationship between science and religion?

Two sides of the same coin. Though they co-exist in this world, they can't face each other.

 

3. Why are so many people depressed?

Lack of understanding the difference between what they want and what they need

 

4. What are we all so afraid of?

The unknown. The moment we know, fear disappears. Or at least, it starts diminishing.

 

5. When is war justifiable?

No war is justifiable. Those who seek justification of wars are either seeking options to cover up their follies, or are making a successful business out of it.

 

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?

Tolerance, peace, understanding, and a little personal space

 

7. How does one obtain true peace?

One only needs to know the difference between what one wants, what is needed; and the uneasy gap between the two.

 

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?

Realizing the meaning of what one is actually doing. It is not a stream of thoughts or plans; it is a spontaneous feeling of being full.

 

9. What is our greatest distraction?

The stream of thoughts that keeps running in our heads as we walk, talk and does simple everyday things

 

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?

All religions serve their purposes if people stop modifying them according to their thoughts and fancies.

 

11. What happens to you after you die?

The true question is about what happens before the death.

 

12. Describe heaven and how to get there.

Heaven is in you. You only need to seek for it and find it your way. It is your path, your destiny.

 

 

13. What is the meaning of life?

Don't waste time inventing meanings for life. Life is too short for that. The key is not in finding a meaning, but in living it well.

 

14. Describe God.

The most indescribable feeling is Godliness. Anyone who reaches there is said to have reached up to God.

 

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?

Compassion. There is nothing beyond this great quality that is more humane.

 

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?

Their fear of reaching/receiving/becoming something else, or the hard lessons they might get to learn. It is always the unknown that controls us.

 

17. No verbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.

Done

 

18. What is your one wish for the world?

Accommodate everyone, and their thoughts. Not try to manipulate or control them. Everlasting peace will result, I'm sure.

 

19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?

Wisdom is the collective experience of the human race put into practice. We gain it by two ways: learning from our own experiences, and learning from other people's experiences.

 

20. Are we all one?

In true essence, yes; we are all one. Fully and finally at the end of the day, we are a big family.

 

What are your answers? Let me know your thoughts/feelings/ideas. Please comment.

The Sun Sets Again

Another birthday

Birthdays need not be the best time of the year. I also had one recently.

Garth Cartwright: Princes Amongst Men

During my childhood, my mother used to tell me stories and folklores from different countries. I remember the word "Gypsy" mentioned many times in such stories. Over these decades, I grew up with the notion of Gypsies as wanderer tribes, sorcerers and street magicians: poor people with good souls, eternal wanderers.

Only incidentally did I pick up the book, fascinated by its subtitle. Hardly did I think that my notions about Gypsies is about to change.: especially Gypsy musicians. "Princes Amongst Men" by Garth Cartwright is a journey into the heart and soul of Gypsy musicians of Eastern Europe. This book acquainted me with the fascinating world of Gypsies and the brass bands.

Tsingani. Egyptian. Cingano. Gypsy. Cikan. Sipsiwn. Cigani, Ziegeuner. Gitano. Cingene. Yiftos. The Roma (Gypsies) are known by so many different sounding names. The gypsies know themselves as Roma. Rom/Roma is Sanskrit for 'man' or 'husband'.

Lango Drom (The long journey)

Northern India, the arse end of what Europe's calling the first millennium, reels as warrior tribes from north-west Asia invade, fuelled by the new religion of Islam. Convert or die? Or flee. And so the migration began and a people (the Roma) were forcibly born out of war, flight, adversity.

The approximate time frame the Roma began their migration is ascertained to be some time between the sixth and eleventh centuries ACE (After Christian Era) when large numbers of people from north-west India marched across West Asia into North Africa and Europe. They carried tools, utensils, food, wood and yes, musical instruments. As these migrations occurred over several decades, possibly centuries, communities put down roots in different places -- Egypt and the Caucasus are both home to the long-resident Romani speaking communities.

For centuries it was believed these migrants had arrived in Europe from Egypt - thus the (E)Gypsies. An easy mistake: India was more than a fable -- think of Columbus' misguided attempts to reach India in 1492 -- while Egypt was associated with the occult and divination; when the Roma are first noted in Constantinople in 1068 it was written that they were 'notorious for soothsaying and sorcery'.

Gypsy Lands

And the Roma are all too familiar with evil forces: from Vlad Dracul to Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Balkan slave traders to Hitler's SS. they have constantly encountered Europeans intent on oppressing, exploiting, even exterminating them. Suffering. The music of the Roma, its eerie intensity and savage resonance, arises from this hurt, music offering from a form of soul-making, and possibly redemption. For centuries music has been the way Roma have carried forth their culture, myths and language.

Gypsy legend has it that Kaloome, the Gypsy having overslept, arriving too late when God was giving out everything on earth. God couldn't change the destiny of these people he's condemned to eternal wandering, so he gave them music and dance. Since time immemorial music has been Roma's gift to the world. Today it remains their CNN, a cultural statement second to none.

Cartwright also introduces us to several Gypsy singers in various countries he travels: Saban Bajramovic and Boban Markovic of Serbia, Esma Redzepova in Macedonia, are a remarkable few. I would also inscribe my gratitude to Cartwright who gave me the permission to quote some remarkable passages from this incredible book. I would also like to thank my dear friend Dorina from Romania, who sent me some incredible pieces of music to provide me a real feel of the eerie intensity of Roma music.

CIAO ASMARA: Justin Hill

My earlier entry was about a book that relived the experience of the Hippie Trail. The current one stands stark contrast to the kind of life that is portrayed. Here the author is trying to relive the experience of the freedom struggle of a nation, that honestly speaking, I did not know, existed.

Ciao Asmara is the story of Justin Hill's two years in the tiny African state of Eritrea, the people he met, and the astonishing country he discovered. He describes a nation rich in history: the ancient reign of the Queen of Sheba, the rule of both the Turks and the Italians; the golden age of the 1950's, when the capital Asmara was the most industrialised part of Africa. He depicts a modern Eritrea that is a country of the extremes: from the burnt ochre landscape littered with war, to Asmara's art deco delights; a population that has spent thirty years fighting Ethiopia in a struggle that the West has largely forgotten.

Glimpses of prehistory

The language spoken in Asmara is Tigrinya. Tigrinya is a Semitic language, The tribes of the Ethiopian highlands claim descent from the Ethiopic, grandson of Noah. Their greatest ruler was the legendary Queen Makeda. Queen Makeda lived in the 11th and 12th centuries, owned a fleet of 73 ships, and sponsored caravans of over 500 camels that traded as far afield as Palestine and India. But it is through the name of her capital that Queen Makeda is known to us: the Queen of Sabea or as she is now called, the Queen of Sheba.

The young Queen Makeda decided to visit King Solomon to learn kingship from him. She is known to have lived as a guest of King Solomon for six months. And the sweet verses of Solomon's Songs in the Bible talk of their love. The son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon founded the dynasty of Solomaic kings that ruled Axum until the 10th century AD. The Axumite peoples, once unified, separated into the ethnic group that now make up the Muslim and Christian peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea: the Amhara, Tigrinya and Tigre. That's the pre-historic background of the Eritrean kings.

While searching for more information on Eritrea, I came across Hillary's blog. Though there isn't any information about the author as such, there is some indication that she works with the United Nation’s efforts to promote education/other services in various African nations. Her blog has quite some insights on the life in Eritrea. There is significant information regarding the beverages of Eritrea, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, especially the Melotti beer that Justin has also mentioned in the book.

Modern History
Eritrea was colonised by the Egyptians first, then the Italians, followed by the British (after World War II) and finally by Ethiopia which took away almost everything that Eritrea has gained during the European colonial rule -- including the only railway lines that Eritrea had connecting two of its key cities. I feel pity on the Eritrean freedom fighters who fought the communist Ethiopian regime which has been looked upon as pro-people, while it actually was otherwise. And since Ethiopia was a communist nation, no communist country including the Russians and the North Koreans accepted Eritrea's pleas for help. Instead, the Eritrean freedom fighters were further suppressed with Russian and Korean support. Therefore the outer world didn't even know of the Eritrean freedom struggle.

The Book
After a long session of intermittent reading of the book, I actually fell in love with an African nation I didn't know existed. Therefore this book to me was more an eye opener than a text book of history.I tried to contact the author Justin by sending an e-mail from his website, but somehow it bounced back and I had to write this entry without having the permission from the author himself to excerpt his glimpses of the silent African nation from the book. A good read.

Rory MacLean and "Magic Bus"

History shows the torch when we lurk in the heat and dust of the dark yesterdays, helping us see the scathes on the faces, bullet-holes on the window panes and blood stains on the walls. Heritage is what we develop surviving the stains of history. Its like a looking at a lotus flower bloomed on the water surface. The glory and beauty is visible from a distance, but none actually sees the roots deep immersed in the mud beneath.

Rory MacLean creates magic with words in this wonderful travellogue, guiding the reader through a different world that existed 30 years ago. Some samples are provided below, and I'm thankful to have the permission from Rory MacLean himself to reproduce part of the text.

In the sixties and seventies, hundreds of thousands of young Westerners took off for India, blazing the "hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu. This intrepid pioneers left behind their parents' world of postponed pleasure, guilt of Empire and the spectre of war. Aboard the weirdest procession of unroadworthy vehicles ever to rattle across the face of the earth, they reached for a new kind of  life, and because the first movement of people who travelled to be colonised than to colonise.

"The trail across Asia is narrow and there's  only one road, one way to go," wrote Douglas Brown in the conclusion to his 1971 guidebook. "When it broadens out in India, and you see the hundreds of cities marked in a very small area of the map, you will have at last the chance to go wherever you want, and find a place to rest and get into a way of life that will satisfy you. The one path has become many."

Those paths spin out from this room like the threads of a vast spider's web. In a thousand departure lounges, a fresh generation of Intrepids stands on the brink of the world.  Like them, I am a foreigner, an open hearted sole traveller, spiralling out from where I was born, curious for the world and taking nothing for granted: not belonging, not possessing, at home in my skin and reinventing myself at every border. Moving on.

That's our legacy from the sixties. Not simply 'this now life...this here life.' Not just the new expense of being. But living both in the moment and in the mind, stirring to understand -- and to express-- how it feels to be alive. The momentum of the sea marks off the days. Autumn makes way for winter. A bird nests under the eaves. The party people move on to Yangshuo, Saigon and Cairns. I stay behind in this packaged paradise watching jet streams criss-cross the azure sky.

This book is not just a travel book sharing MacLean's experiences. This is an experience in itself, a fruition of maclean's effort to relive the "hippie" life seeking nirvana, interacting with some of the original Intrepids himself. The brief glimpses of history and political background of the countries on the way (and also their religious and social spectra) are all in themselves MacLean's vivid attempts of reliving this experience. Yet, the reader never feels the heat and thrill of an investigative journey. "Magic Bus" thrives on MacLean's efforts to bring forth the life in each city he passes through as clear as possible, while trying not to be too verbose in his narration.

Wrap around & Return

We had a memorable luncheon with a good friend, before our return journey.

Candle-Lit Dinner: A Memorable Evening

Bhils: The bow men of Rajasthan

The Bhils form an important group, which inhabits mainly the southern districts of Rajasthan and the surrounding regions of Udaipur and Chittaurgarh. The generic term, which describes their tribe apparently, derives its name from bil, meaning bow, which describes their original talent and strength.

History

History corroborates the legends, which tells about their superiority in archery. From the Mahabharata emerges Eklavya, a Bhil who surpassed the skill of Arjuna only to be repressed by the command of his guru. The Ramayana tells of Vail, the Bhil bandit who reformed with the blessings of the Saraswati, the goddess of learning, to become Valmiki, the renowned poet sage.

Even today, the accepted head of all the Rajput clan of Rajasthan, the Maharana of Udaipur is crowned by anointing his forehead with blood drawn from the palm of a Bhil chieftain, affirming the alliance and loyalty of his tribe.

The Bhils gained in strength by intermingling with rebellious, outcast Rajputs who sought shelter with them. Rajput rulers came to value the guerilla tactics of the Bhils, particularly since they were at ease in the hilly terrain. Various fierce invasions could not be repelled without their active support. Leading a camouflaged existence, the Bhils were unable to update their material techniques and this became the main cause of their relegation to the past where they stood as brave symbol rather than a real threat to an enemy.

For us these tribal people were a perceived threat as well as laughing stock. Though everyone was more than a little afraid in his/her mind while crossing the Bhil locality, jokes, overt discussions and mutual leg-pullings over Bhils entertained us and allowed us to exercise our creativity. It's only due to these excessive discussions and laughter, that we unknowingly traversed the badly terrained Udaipur-Mount Abu highway.

Mount Abu: Surroundings

Mount Abu: A Hilly Resort of Rajasthan

The Aravalli hills stretching from Delhi to Gujarat reach their highest point here in a mountain, atop which is a picturesque plateau. This is Abu in Sirohi district, a lush green summer resort and the only hill station in Rajasthan. Mount Abu has a somewhat steep incline, with ravines cut into its sides, filled with trees, bushes and beautiful birds. It is a detached hill, and on the plateau on the summit are granite rocks of fantastic shapes, the space between them covered with greenery. The Hill of Wisdom, The Saint's Pinnacle, The Rajput Olympus, the Mon Capitalia of Pliny. Yes all these are titles for just one place – Mount Abu.

Quick bytes
Altitude : 1,220 meters (4,003 feet)
Distance from Udaipur : 185km (115 miles)
Population : 17,000
Area : 25 sq. Km
Best time to visit : March-June and September-November.

Nehru Park, Fateh Sagar Lake

Nehru Park, Fateh Sagar Lake

As the name suggests this Park has indeed been named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The Park was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of Nehru on 14th November 1967. It is an oval shaped island and lies humbly on the Fateh Sagar Lake. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of Rana Pratap. This island garden is a real delight to the eyes, sitting softly on the calm waters of the Lake and amidst the enchanting hills surrounding it. The Park covers a huge area of about 41 acres with its flower gardens and a lily pond.

Haldighati Museum & Surroundings

Ekling mandir: Forbidden photos!

Chetak Memorial: Haldighati

Chetak Memorial: Haldighati

Haldighati, is a small village in the Aravalli Hills about 44 km north of Udaipur and about 1,839 m. above sea level. Beyond this is Haldighati Pass, a narrow defile almost a kilometre in length, running South to the Northeast and finally ending in a broad plain. An interesting geographical feature of the pass is its soft yellow soil, which when crumbled resembles the turmeric powder (haldi), which gives the place its name. It was here that the famous Battle of Haldighati was fought on June 18, 1576 between Maharana PRATAP SINGH of Mewar and the Imperial army of Emperor Akbar of Delhi.

Battle of Haldighati (June 18, 1576), a four-hour confrontation between the Imperial forces of Mughal Emperor AKBAR and Maharana PRATAP SINGH I (1572-1597) of Mewar.

Chetak, the faithful stallion of the Maharana Pratap Singh saved his master's life, despite being brutally injured in the battle. In three legs, it carried it's beloved master to a safer location before it laid down itself and succumbed to injuries.

1Temple=108 temples

Ek Ling Mandir

Lord Shiva is known to have a hundred names. One hunderd and eight in all. 108 is also the number of Upanishads written. Eklingji has been the deity of the royal Mewar family since the time of Bappa Rawal, founder of the Mewar dynasty. Ek means 'one' while ling means 'lingum or the life giving phallic symbol of Lord Shiva'. The patron deity of the Mewar clan is considered the actual ruler of the region while the kings are merely the Dewan (or the Prime Minister) of this God of Mewar, the same way Swami Padmanabha (Lord Maha Vishnu) is for the Travancore royalty in Kerala.

The temple was first built in the year 728AD, however, subsequent changes and renovation work was done later as well. The temple that stands today is not the original structure but the one built on the site of ancient temple. Infact, as later as in the 15th and 16th century, Maharana Raimal too rebuilt and renovated this temple.

The temple complex is located at the banks of Indersagar Lake. Within the walls of the Eklingji Temple, there are 108 shrines built of marble and sandstone. The main shrine has a double storeyed covered platform, a hall with a number of pillars and a flat pyramidal roof with circular knobs. In this main shrine is a four faced black marble statue of Lord Eklingji with Brahma facing west, Vishnu facing north, Shiva facing south and Surya facing east.

Outside the temple are the statues of Nandi, Shiva's bull and Bappa Rawal. Bappa Rawal is shown facing Nandi with his hands clasped. There is another statue of Nandi in silver in the hall of the temple.

Though the temple is mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva, yet other deities are worshipped here as well. Few of the prominent among these are Parvati, Ganesha, Ganga, Kartikeya, Yamuna and Saraswati. Smaller temples dedicated to Amba Mata and Kalka Mata can also be found in the temple complex.