Country Boy

I’m flying to the U.S. tonight, after spending my final few days abroad in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.  Khajuraho is best known for its intricate, erotic temple carvings from about 1,000 years ago.  The area contains some of the most famous temple art in the world.  After a few hours of exploring temples, we decided to spend most of our time enjoying the countryside, far from Delhi.  We hiked and biked through villages and country roads, received ayurvedic oil massages, and saw some local dancing.  It was a relatively low-key way to end my time in India, and I was ready for that.  

Pictures:  1) Outside one of Kandariya-Mahadev, the largest temple; 2) Erotic carvings on Kandariya-Mahadev; 3) With water buffalo; 4) Local dance performance.

Final Travels

This week I had a lovely visitor from the States , so we took the opportunity to see two iconic cities: Udaipur (with lakes surrounded by palaces surrounded by mountains)  and Agra (home of the Taj Mahal).   As we were riding in a rickshaw in Udaipur, we saw two cows angrily fighting with each other and locking horns in the middle of the road.  Rather than stop the rickshaw, the driver decided to drive around them as best he could.  This of course led to one cow slamming the other into the side of our rickshaw.  We were fine, and I found the whole thing pretty hysterical – and perhaps the moment that best encapsulates my time in India.

Udaipur is also known as the setting for the James Bond movie Octopussy, a movie that every other hotel screens every night.    It was fairly easy to walk around from the hotel, a small establishment run by a family of artists.  Around the corner was Jagdish Temple, a temple to Vishnu, covered with carvings of elephants, horses, and other Hindu imagery.  Further down the road was City Palace, certainly the largest palace I’ve seen in India.  There were endless activities and exhibits around the palace, and we picked two: the world’s largest collection of Osler crystal (the bed made of crystal may have been a bit much) and a boat ride to Jagmandir Island (containing a small hotel surrounded by stone elephants).  Beyond City Palace, we found the ropeway (cable car) up to Sunset Point, atop fortified walls overlooking the city.   We spent the rest of our time in Udaipur wandering around parks north of the city, which went well until a policeman shunted us off of the main road and wouldn’t allow us to return.  We ended up walking around an area where they appeared to be setting up a carnival.  I’m still not quite clear what happened, but somehow we made it back.   

The Taj Mahal was exceptionally impressive – even hearing everyone talk it up for the last two months didn’t diminish the grandeur.   Flowers in marble relief and in inlaid semi-precious gems cover the walls, as do verses of the Quran, and you need to slip a cover over your shoes (or take shoes off entirely) to even approach the building.  The inside, while amazing, was not very well lit, so we spent most of the time walking around the sides and to the mosque next door.  We also travelled to Agra Fort, a city-sized complex a few kilometers down the road, where the builder of the Taj Mahal was locked away after his son deposed him.  At the end of the day, we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a spectacular view of the Taj Mahal, as well as a spectacular number of flies. 

We bookended our travels by touring around Delhi.  The most notable sight was Humayun’s Tomb, a massive 16th-Century Mughal (Islamic) tomb that pre-dates the Taj Mahal.  The red-and-white sandstone building was pretty unforgettable, as were the rigidly-planned gardens that surrounded it.  We also spent some time in Hauz Khas Village, a popular restaurant/bar section of Delhi that sits next the ruins of an ancient madrassa.  Unfortunately after our second outing to Hauz Khas – meeting some friends at a south Indian restaurant – we both become incredibly ill with food poisoning.  (Or “Delhi Belly,” as it’s called here.)  I suppose now I’ve had the full India experience.

For the rest of my time in India I’ll be in Khajuraho, the site of some famous, intricately-carved Hindu temples.  This will likely be my last post, unless I get the chance to put up a few pictures before I head back Thursday.  Thanks for following!

Pictures:  1) Humayun's Tomb, Delhi; 2) City Palace, Udaipur (from Sunset Point); 3) Bagore-ki-Haveli, Udaipur, with the worlds largest turban; 4) Taj Mahal, Agra.

Another Day, Another Supreme Court

Last week, I attended proceedings at the Supreme Court of India, just a few months after my visit to the Supreme Court of the United States.  In the US, the Court heard two cases that day, argued for hours, and placed a high premium on formality.   The India experience was somewhat different.  The Indian courthouse has 15 courtrooms, each of which hears upwards of 50 cases a day.  There are LED boards all over the place, as in a DMV, to tell you what case is up for argument.  The judges dispose of each case in a matter of minutes – usually ruling for a delay or on some other technicality – while scores of advocates (lawyers) pack the courtroom, waiting for their turn.

The big news at the court that day was the dismissal of corruption charges against a state governor.   In their dismissal, the judges insisted that any charges should have come from the state police, which the governor runs, rather than the national police.  Many people at the court were not impressed with the decision.  

Only journalists and advocates can view court proceedings, so a journalist friend got me a pass.  You can spot the journalists because their blackberries are always on their ears.  (All the advocates wore long black robes – not so practical for India – and white bow-ties, and could usually be found smoking in the hallways underneath the “No Smoking” signs.)  At one point in the day, journalist friend had to make a live broadcast, so we walked out to a row of cameras on the front lawn.  He stood silently in the blistering mid-day heat with an earpiece for about 15 minutes, until suddenly, he piped up, “That’s right, and the most interesting thing about this decision is…”  Later he took me to the press lounge, where three of us ate lunch for less than $4 while the journalists gossiped about court politics.  Then they started asking me about the rules of baseball.  Around the time we got to the designated hitter rule, one of them said, “You’re not the right person to ask about this, are you?”

I know this is silly, but perhaps my favorite part of my visit to the court was how they spelled my name on my ID badge: “Jirdab Sanyek Verman.” 

Pictures: 1) The Supreme Court of India; 2) Waiting area for women-only metro car; 3) View from my balcony of horse-drawn fruit carts;  4) My neighborhood in monsoon.  (I haven’t yet caught the neighborhood monkeys on camera.  Next time.)

Why Hello Pakistan

Last weekend, I returned to Punjab – this time to Amritsar, the spiritual center of Sikhism.  Amritsar contains Sikhism’s holiest site: the 18th-century Golden Temple, one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen.  The temple sits in the middle of a lake, surrounded on all four sides by a wider complex with scholars (engrossed in study) on display behind large windows, holy paintings (including one of a Sikh who cut off his own head), and marching, sword-wielding Sikhs.  There were also a number of Sikh men stripping to their underwear and swimming in the lake.  In order to enter the complex, we had to wash our feet and cover our heads with bandannas.  My mind kept drawing parallels to Judaism's holiest site, the Western Wall in Jerusalem: both have requisite head-covering, both have a proliferation of beards.  But really it’s not at all the same.  Wielding swords, for instance, would probably be a non-starter at the Wall.

We also visited a Hindu pilgrimage site – the Mata Mandir Temple – which is said to grant fertility to Hindu women.  That might explain why many Hindu couples arrived with coconuts (a Hindu fertility symbol), as well as the numerous suggestively-posed statues in the complex.  This was the most decked-out temple I’ve ever seen.  Colored mirrors and jewels covered every inch, and you had to crawl through tunnels and pass through shallow water-ways in order to traverse the grounds.  At the end, a guru in flowing robes placed a garland of orange flowers around my neck.  I’m not sure that that signifies, but I’ll take it.

The highlight of the trip was the India-Pakistan border closing ceremony.  The only border crossing between the countries is about 35 kilometers from Amritsar, and they hold an elaborate event every night at sunset as they lower their flags and close the gate.  (The NY Times covered the event last week: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/peacocks-at-sunset/)  I took a taxi from Amritsar, followed by one of the most insanely crowded walks of my life, to end up about 15 meters from the Pakistani border.  The event was an over-the-top patriotic showcase on both sides.  The British guy next to me (we were in the separate foreigners’ section) compared it to a UK soccer match.  In front of us, people lined up to run back and forth with flags of India; women danced in the street as music blared; and border security forces, with fanned hats, performed choreographed high kicks that were quite impressive.  (Their kicks reminded me of the kicks of the evzones – presidential guards – in Greece.  I could watch those guys every day.)  The lowering of the flags was fairly quick, followed by a curt handshake and salute with Pakistani forces.  There was something moving about these countries acknowledging each other in this small way, even if certain members of both forces kept their hands on their guns the whole time.  

I took this video of the end of the event (blink and you'll miss the handshake at the beginning):  

Pictures: 1) Outside Mata Mandir Temple, 2) In front of the Pakistan border, 3) The Golden Temple

How I Learn About India

This past week was one of the busiest of the summer, filled with my first taste of Himalayan food, an Independence Day party at the US Embassy, an 80-cent haircut, and most importantly, Spider-Man!  The new Spider-Man movie, not yet out in the US, is playing in India, so I took full advantage.  We went to a movie theater in a staggeringly upscale mall.  It was quite a transition to go from a rickshaw surrounded by begging street-children to an air-conditioned mall with a coffee-bean and a gourmet food bazaar.

I didn’t travel anywhere this week, so this seems like a good opportunity to write some notes about the office culture here.  I'm going to miss the 1030 and 330 tea breaks in the office, as well as the proliferation of lizards.  (I can’t really write about the work itself.)   Most of what I learn about India I learn from my coworkers: 

·        My host organization works to protect Dalits (also known as “untouchables”) from caste discrimination.  Many of my coworkers are Dalits and have first-hand experience with discrimination.  One told me that university officials refused to let him register for classes.  Another told me that 500 to 600 angry upper-caste villagers surrounded his mother – the only literate woman in her village – when she tried to take water from the village well.  My coworker was 7 years old at the time.  I can see how that might leave an impression on someone.

·         One of my coworkers lives with his parents (very common here) as well as his wife and three-year-old daughter.  I asked him his daughter’s name, and he responded, “She doesn’t have one yet.  I think we should give her one before she starts school.”  Later, he invited me to his home.  As we hurtled in a shared rickshaw along a crowded and dusty Indian street, he leaned over and said, "Don't worry, my place is much nicer than this area."  Then we pulled up in front of his place to find a water buffalo grazing outside.  Sometimes I really love India.  His mother and wife served plates and plates of delicious food (primarily fish and pumpkin dishes) while his daughter, terrified, ran away from me.  I couldn't get them to stop serving food until I realized the pattern: if you don't want more of something, don't finish it.

·         Another coworker brought in his daughter, who is about seven years old.  I told her that she spoke English very well, and she replied, “You’re different than me.  I’m Bengali.”  Then she literally stuck a piece of chocolate in my mouth, so I guess different isn't a problem.

·         Several coworkers asked when I’m getting married – not if, but when, as if everyone has this date on their calendar.  One coworker is engaged, and I asked if it was arraigned or a “love marriage.”  He told me that his marriage is arranged, and he has yet to speak to his fiancée.  I’m curious how that will go.  

·         My coworkers had varying reactions to learning that I’m Jewish.  By far the most common reaction: “Oh, you mean like the movie?  The Ten Commandments?”  I’m also learning some Indian English lingo. “In a family way” = pregnant.  “Fully set” = drunk.       

Pictures: 1) At my desk, with a coworker. 2) US Ambassador to India at the US Embassy.  3)  Independence Day fireworks at the US Embassy.

I Would be a Terrible Celebrity

As I traveled through Jaipur last weekend, a driver told me, “In India, everything is possible.”  It’s true --   as with the rest of India, Jaipur is a fascinating but intense place.  Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan, a mountainous desert state in western India.  Other than the pickpocketing – which turned out okay – it was a pretty good weekend:

•       After spending all day in a sleeper train – which was both awkward (I was unable to sit up for five hours) and very nap-conducive – I headed straight to the Pink City.  The maharaja ordered the old city of Jaipur painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, and since then residents are required to maintain the color.  First stop was Hawa Mahal, a five-story beehive-shaped building where royal ladies used to go to view the streets.  It looks larger on the inside than the outside, and it has some amazing views of the city.  Next was Jantar Mantar, an ancient observatory filled with oddly-shaped structures used to measure the stars and sky.   For a while I sat on the lawn in between the structures; it was one of the most unique places I’ve ever seen.
  ·         I linked up with the only other volunteer on my program in India, as I only recently learned of her existence.  We took a rickshaw up to Nahargarh Fort, up on a hill with a spectacular view of the city.  We were some of the only people there, though there were plenty of peacocks, some of whom were engaged in mating dances for their lady-friends.   Afterward we went out for Rajasthani food, which was delicious but hard to identify and very spicy.  I was so grateful when someone brought me curd (yogurt) to counter the spice, I literally blessed him.
  ·         My favorite stop was Amber Fort, another massive fortification outside of the city.  The building was incredibly impressive, with walls covered in mosaics and endless patterns of mirrors, as well as subterranean tunnels running to a neighboring fort.  Were it not for the massive heat, I could have stayed there all day.  Instead I picked an indoor venue: a historical art museum in Albert Hall, in the new city of Jaipur.  The collection was very impressive, but mostly I was happy to be inside.
  ·         Residents would approach me every ten feet and want to be my friend.  Often they weren’t selling something (so far as I could tell), but the intensity of the attention was certainly new.  It felt like the notice a minor celebrity would receive, only now for all foreigners.   The approach was always the same, almost verbatim: “Can I ask you just one question?  Why don’t foreigners like talking to Indians?”  Usually they asked me to tea, but I was also invited to ride on a motorcycle, to play in an elephant village (tempting), and to stay in someone’s home with their family.  It was sweet (I think), but they couldn’t understand why I declined.  (Him: “I get it; you don’t trust me because I’m Indian.”  Me:  “No, I don’t trust you because I don’t know you.  I wouldn’t get on your motorcycle in the States either.”  That didn’t make him any happier.)  Also, everyone wanted to take a picture with me.  My favorite:  “Can I take a picture of you?  Great.  Here, hold my baby.”
  ·         The trip back was mostly uneventful, until someone pickpocketed me on the metro.  After rearranging something in my bag, I almost immediately noticed that my wallet was missing.  Since we were still between metro stops, I knew my wallet was within five feet of me.  I started making a lot of noise, hoping someone saw something.  Fortunately a woman pointed out who lifted the wallet.  I started to frisk him as he stood there impassively.  The woman then pointed out that he dropped the wallet on the ground.  I grabbed it – with everything still inside – but I was pretty on edge afterwards.  He had lifted it out of the side pocket of my jeans – how is that possible?  
  ·         Pictures: 1) Hawa Mahal, 2) Jantar Mantar, 3) Nahargarh Fort, 4) Amber Fort

Punjabi Jordan

For my first field mission with work, I traveled with two colleagues to a small town around Jalandhar, Punjab.  Punjab is the only majority Sikh area in the world.  There was a higher number of turbans than in Delhi -- though not ubiquitous -- as well as impressively high rate of bejeweled daggers per capita.  (Carrying a dagger, called a kirpan, is a requirement of Sikhism.  I heard a recent story about bandits trying to rob a train in Punjab full of Sikh women, unaware that the women all had kirpans strapped to their ankles.  It did not end well for the bandits.)  We stopped at the market in  nearby Ludhiana, where we hired a couple bicycle rickshaws to show us around.  I'm going to go back to Punjab in a few weeks to see the Golden Temple, the holiest site in Sikhism.  

My coworker bragged that our train to Punjab was the fastest in India, which is why I was somewhat surprised when it showed up looking like something from a Buster Keaton movie.  Nonetheless it was a fast ride, and most impressively, they served more food than I've ever seen on a vehicle in my life.  At least four trays of food and three rounds of (non-alcoholic) drinks for a four-hour train.  I think that service is specific to that one train, but still, well done India.

In Punjab we met with an organization that assists bonded laborers -- people who have been forced into slave-like conditions after incurring a debt to their employer.  I spoke with several of the escaped laborers through a translator, and they told me stories about being beaten for attempting to take a sick day and other disturbing incidents.  Bonded labor issues only loosely connect to my actual work assignments (on caste discrimination), but it felt worthwhile to have some first-hand interactions while I'm here.

I explored more of Delhi this week as well – in particular Akshardham Temple, one of the most massive, ornate buildings I’ve ever seen.  (Unfortunately they don't permit cameras.)  Every inch of the building is a stone carving of an elephant or a Hindu deity.  The area surrounding the temple can best be described as a Hindu amusement park.  First there was a boat ride through 10,000 years of Indian history.  (Though as my friend, a Muslim, pointed out, it was a somewhat selective recounting of Indian history).  The boat ride gave India credit for inventing every field from atomic science to plastic surgery, which reminded me of similar claims from my time in Greece.  Next there was a series of animatronics scenes depicting the life of the temple’s spiritual founder, a 19th century swami, in what was probably my first experience receiving spiritual wisdom from a robot.   

Here are some pictures of Punjab (the street with the bricks is outside the bonded laborer organization):