Tuesday, February 12, 2013

My Journey to the Maha Kumbha Mela


                               
                  


The Kumbh Mela, deemed “the largest gathering of humanity on the planet” is a ceremony that happens every 3 years, in four locations across Northern India.  The gathering is one where people from all walks of the Hindu faith come to get cleansed of negative karmas and take a bath in what could only be called “Holy Water”.  Why is the water considered sacred?


"The account goes that demigods had lost their strength by the curse of Durväsä Muni, and to regain it, they approached Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. They directed all the demigods to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu and after praying to Lord Vishnu, he instructed them to churn the ocean of milk Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) to receive amrita (the nectar of immortality). This required them to make a temporary agreement with their arch enemies, the demons or Asuras, to work together with a promise of sharing the wealth equally thereafter. However, when the Kumbha (urn) containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the gods and demons fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed that during the battle, Lord Vishnu (incarnated as Mohini-Mürti) flew away with the Kumbha of elixir spilling drops of amrita at four places: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik"

So bathing in one of these locations, every 3 years is thought to be a cleanse that advances ones spirituality in the Hindu faith. The MAHA Kumbh Mela happens every 12 years, and is the biggest, and said to be the most important due to the merging of  3 sacred rivers: the Yamuna, Saraswati and Ganges River at an auspicious time in the cosmic astrology.
          

I was pretty thrilled when I learned that my trip was aligning with the Maha Kumbh, in fact it was a cause of great debate between my aunties/uncles/friends when I was in Calcutta. I learned that most of the older generation of Indians had either gone or always wished they had, and lots of the younger generation were a little less interested in the experience and sheer size of the crowds. Nevertheless I sided with tradition and curiosity, and opted it was a ripe time for me to go. Moreover, there was a buzz in India about this like Woodstock met BurningMan, with the difference being that this was a 55 day event, 30 million people at it’s peak, and no Rock n Roll.


My best friend Casey and I had travelled to India together with the intention of doing something extraordinary – so what better an opportunity. In Varanasi, busses and trains were packed with pilgrims attending, some hanging out of the doors of crammed trains to attend the occasion. We got on the bus and after 3 hours of pastuers, lush rice fields and small villages, suddenly we saw the massive tent city from the bridge in Allahabad….tents as far as the eye could see…. with rivers passing through. The grounds reserved for the event stretched 6000 acres, and needless to say, without tent reservations (yep, we were winging this!) we were a little nervous after sundown came. Overhearing that the Hare Krishnas were offering space in their tent village, we warmed up to the idea.

Taken from the journal of my travel companion Casey:


it was not the same hare krishna's as back home, or those depicted on film. they were just kinda normal people over here, as crazy as the next tent. their security was really tight with army men at the entrance and when i went out to brush my teeth i almost didn't make it back in. i was escorted (by the army) to the registration tent and when they asked me where my pass was i couldn't answer them. so they asked me whose authority i was there under and i said, "um, krishna's?". they didn't find that funny but i some how managed to sweet talk them into letting me stay the night and the fact i had a still wet toothbrush in my hand helped.


We shared a huge tent with 100 other men and women curled into their blankets. Sleeping bags and actual tents are rare in India, as camping is not a national pastime like it is in Canada. I shivered and put on three shirts to compensate for only having a thin blanket. Winter in the mid-north part of India is cold at night…about 4 degrees, but breezy 20’s during the day. I couldn’t wait to sleep…and wake up.



The next day was the dip, the big one, the “Sangam”. Thousands upon thousands, walked steadily from all parts of the tent city towards the water…with blankets and shawls draped.  My friend and I followed suite, with our bags, cameras, coin donations and a pocket full of cardamom pods.  We passed meditation groups, chanting camps, and various Hindu religious tents on our way to the water. The light at 6am was dim, and sunrise was a half hour away. As we approached the banks where the 3 rivers met, it was as though the populace of Toronto had all amassed on one bank at one time – sunrise – to congregate and celebrate. Saris and heads scarfs dotted the eye, with colors becoming all the more luminous as the sun rose. People undraped and headed towards the water, some with hands in prayer position, some with floating candles and others with cups to capture and pour out the sacred waters …symbolic of their cleansing and releasing. And when the sun had finally rose, I realized it was my turn. Entering the cold water, I felt an  overwhelming sense of vibration…maybe it was just the cold, but that much human energy in one place at one time, does something to soul.  Facing the eastern sun I plunged once, twice, three times ! What joy to share that experience with so many pilgrims and friends in this human struggle – a chance to do something that billions had done in the past… a chance to connect with mythology, history and common hope for a better future.

                           

                                   
Sadhu’s form an integral part of the Kumbh retreat. These men live outside society, lots in the Himalyan regions, practicing meditation and self-realization through ancient practices. Two such groupings are Vaishnav (followers of Vishnu the preserver) and Shaiva (followers of Shiva the destroyer). Morever Naga Sadhu’s who are said to by the preservers of faith, are usually naked and are usually seen with beautiful dreadlocks, and coatings of ash on their body. They are given a special day to bathe (ie no one else can bathe at the same time), and are warriors who have knives and swords, whereby even the police/army can’t intervene with their ritual – and dare not stand in there way. After their bathe, many gather to receive blessings from these Holy Men. After the bathing in Allahad, many of these people make their way to Varanasi to pray at the ancient Shiva temple.




Two nights of seeing some of the extraordinary acts of devotion and the largest pilgrimage in the world, was enough for us to feel satiated. Thankfully we left early as early on the 9th, as the 10th of February was one of the 3 royal bathing days (shahi snan), and 5 times the number of people we expected. We hopped on a train back to Varanasi and checked into our hotel, a little slice of paradise overlooking the Ganges River.






Friday, February 1, 2013

The Culture of Henna (Mehndi)


Indian weddings are at heart of the culture here in India. Throwing a memorable wedding or “shaadi” for your grown kids is part of the duty as an adult. It’s done with careful planning, attention to detail, and with a lot of respect towards customs, astrology and traditions...not to mention, lots of love! My favourite part of the ceremonies are the henna or “mehndi” ceremonies. It’s a time when the colors of the henna plant, are bound into a paste and translated into wonderful pieces of art, usually worn on both sides of the female hand and sometimes feet. 


I'm told that Henna first entered into India, from the Middle East, with the coming of the Mogul empire around the 16th century. It is now a staple event for women shortly before a wedding. Also a number of street vendors can be found setting up shop in the big cities, around fall and spring, getting people ready for their celebrations.

Henna comes from the henna tree, and the word is dervied from the Arabic word /ħinna . The plant is considered a small tree or shrub, and grows to 2.6m high. To prepare, henna is made into a leaf paste, and mixed with a mixture of OKRA and FENNUGREEK seeds. One ingredient that distinguishes good henna from bad henna, is whether hair dye has been added or not. Hair dye, I learned, is the cheap way to strengthen the colour. However with good spices, natural is the best way, and will do the trick.

When henna is applied it is done so with respect to traditional designs and those personal to the artist. "Paislies" are one such example, which look like a stylized half of a ying/yang symbol, are a favourite pattern that is highly used.  On a bride, the initials of her husband will be inscribed secretly somewhere on the hand, for her hubby to find. The rites of henna application have a special day for application: usually two days before a wedding. That gives the henna time to dry (2hrs) and strengthen it's colour (24hrs). The process of darkening and deepening the color, is through oxidation, hence the acidity of LIME JUICE is applied shortly after the dried henna is scraped off.

Lastly cooking oil is applied to moisturize the hand and act as a sort of varnish for the color. The traditional, and now most expensive method, is to apply clove oil. But these days olive oil and other cooking oils seem popular.

...Henna is one of my favorite subjects to photograph in India :)




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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Explorations into the Food of India

One thing that always stands out about some of the busy cities of India is the smell of garlic everywhere. I woke up this morning and went for my first city walk, and there it was again....and again... and again... for a solid kilometre. Sounds like an over-exaggeration, but really, it's not.

 The roads in most of the areas of Calcutta are lined with hawkers, who are vendors who have set up huts and stalls adjacent to legitimate shops. Shops pay rent, hawkers don't. Many of these vendors are street food makers, usually specializing in 1 or 2 dishes that people flock to them for. Garlic, Onions and 6 or so spices tend to dominate the ingredient make-up of many of these dishes...like dosas, curries, uttapams (indian breakfast pancakes). So what's the end result? A city that comes alive by the smell of food in the air, and mouths hungry to consume it. Business, education and a hard days work usually begins with a good meal -- and if home-cooking doesn't satisfy then the streets meet all the cravings.




After a stroll on the streets, my dad and I ate with my uncle who own 14 Dosa/Pizza chains in Calcutta under the name "Garden Cafe". No seats, just chest level tables and delicious food. Incidentally, he was the first to introduce pizza to Calcutta -- even cooler is that my Dad showed him the recipe and how to make them 25 years ago. So I learned today that my pops may have been partly responsible for the uprise in pizza culture in this huge city...Cool!



My uncle informed me that 40% of India eats organic naturally, due to being in rural region where pesticides are expensive and GMO seeds aren't readily available. But one of the problems is the encroachment of big companies like Monsanto coming to India under different names, and employing the same tactics they do to destroy farmers lives in North America (i.e. by assuming some of the expense at first, creating debts cycles and exercising laws that prevent seed-saving). Thankfully there is a movement to help stop this, lead by the one and only Dr. Vanadan Shiva. I highly recommend you check her activism out....she's the real deal.



I hope to make understanding the food system in India part of this journey...as feeding 1 Billion people daily seems to have a lot of success around here... despite the myths. India is abundant, fertile and food is plenty. And... so is the garlic.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Bye bye Canada, hello India!




I smelt that warm and familiar air as soon as the airplane hit the tarmac.  Though experiencing two cycles of day and night while flying here, my anticipation for India prevented any sound sleep on the airplane.  Wiping my eyes and letting out a few yawns, I was definitely washed over with tiredness when we touched down. But with that first hazy look out the window, and that first whiff of India, I felt alive and vital. Moreover, I felt grounded and safe.
            Calcutta airport can be a bit overwhelming at first, with hoards of taxi drivers and beggars running to greet you at first sight, honks that seem as frequent birds singing in the spring, and a traffic situation that no amount of planning or policing can control.  Despite this, the charm of India also quickly sets in.: The warm sun, the colors of the clothing, the vintage taxis, the unique architecture and the trees which canopy the people on the streets. My grampa’s sister (or my dad’s ‘Chachi’) hired a driver to pick us up. He wore a white suit, a spiffy driver’s hat, and had a moustache that would make my Movember-ite friends go green with envy. We got in the car and my eyes were filled with the colors and smell of hOMe.
            Calcutta (or Kolkata) was derived from  the combination of three villages: Kalikata, Sutarnuti and Govidopur. Before the British arrived in India, these were three independent villages. When the British arrived in 1690 they combined these into one city: Calcutta. Located in West Bengal, Calcutta was the capital of India during British rule. Being a port, it served as the most prominent Eastern port for import and export of everything from spices, to teas, to jewels. Long before Bombay was developed as a port, and before New Delhi was deemed the capital, Calcutta was the hub was for the British. Fragments of British can still be found here: Christian schools with English uniforms, architecture reminiscent of Victorian times, and some of the greatest violin (and other instrument makers) are still a strong cornerstone of Calcutta society. Now Kolkata (due to India asserting it’s Independence through minor phonological changes in city names), it’s a city that fills me with intrigue and wonder.  
            I’m here namely for my cousins wedding, which is to take place in a week. I hear the weddings are epic! After which I will be doing some rugged backpacking and train travels with my best friend. I look forward to sharing this journey with you…
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