"being present" with you in Trichy

I have been thinking a lot since I finished my job and gave myself the time and space to do so, but I have thought particularly about "being present"" in the Buddhist sense which is that; nothing is permanent (ref "anicca" in the vipassana blogs) so living in the past or the future leads to avoidable misery.  The most misery-free way of living is to remain aware and in the present.  I have known of this philosophy for years but I have now begun to really understand it.  It also happens to be the way in which I naturally and most comfortably operate, but I have always felt it was in some was wrong because it has been hard for the people around me to deal with ...because its not "the way" of future-wrought west.  This said, and in terms of knowing myself, I now understand how this all works for me and that its not wrong, its just different.  I will not beat myself up about it anymore and will just accept this philosophy as my way of being.

All of that said, I have decided to take notes as the day goes by today so that you too could be present with me in Trichy, the heart of Tamil Nadu which has another very long name that I can't get my mind around let alone try to spell!

7.40 - I am on the bus going through a red onion wholesale market, a man is sitting cross legged on top of sacks of onions laughing as he conducts his business with the ladies and Gents of this happy little town (well population 866K!!).  There are trucks laden with garlic bulbs and it smells rather appetising.  As the onions fade the motor repair quarter abruptly begins and men are shortening their sarongs as the day warms up.  There are some huge gardens behind the typically Indian shop houses here.

8.00 - I am walking through the waking town centre streets to the Rock Fort temple which is a temple perched upon an almighty boulder which stands alone on these plains.  There are hundreds of stone steps ahead so I am pleased that I am full of Idly (delicious, fluffy, steamed fermented rice cakes served with 2 sauces) which was only half of the breakfast I could have eaten.

8.10 - I handed in my shoes to a shop keeper and began the climb then at a shrine of Ganesha I just spontaneously gave a Hindu blessing gesture.  I do like Ganesha, he represents opportunity and frankly if they believe that he represents something so wonderful then that is well worth paying my respects to!

9.25 - When I was almost at the top, I met Adish Jain, an interesting textile salesman cum respected artist cum travel writer who cleverly manages to combine touring India's magnificent sights with his business meetings!  Adish is from Mumbai/Bombay and has offered his wife and son as escorts for me in all things shopping when I visit the city at the end of my trip ...so very kind and I look forward to reading his articles online and in the Times of India.  Before shooting back to his first meeting, we walked down for a quick peek at the the flamboyant, hinduesque "Our Lady of Lourdes" catholic church which was a cool and silent abyss.  I am now back on bus route number 1 on a bus which has an excellent sound system (featuring bass frequencies and moderate volume) heading over the dreamy looking Cauvery River to what is rumoured to be India's biggest Hindu temple.

9.40 - I am now in the temple, I walked from the bus with Maylie who was sat next to me in her bright yellow sari making the most of the chance to practise her English.  I do love the way that women travelling alone only sit with women on Indian buses, its so reassuring and creates a sense of immediate solidarity.  I took me a while to work this out but I am so a front-of-the-bus-girlie these days.  Our western equality does to some extent diminish our femininity but there lies a whole other blog!!  Anyway here in the present there are motorbikes and homes in the outer rings of this temple and i a, stood in a gently bustling shopping street buffeted by pilgrims and the overwhelming smell of fresh coffee!?  I think I will indulge ...oh "only powder, no drinks" said the shop keeper who was chuffed to bits when I said how wonderful his shop smelt!

9.50 - Off the beaten track, this temple has true tranquillity and absolutely zero hassle!  I am going to buy a wooden bracelet with a Hindu god on each segment ...once I have established that 25p is indeed the going rate.  People are quietly busy all around me, preparing their offerings and bossing their families around.  The pavements are decorated in the same way here as they are outside homes all over Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and even the squat loos here are fresh clean and pleasant.  I have also noticed how dark skinned people are here compared to further north, its a stark contrast ...hmm there's that Indian cliche again!

10.10 - Ohhhh I really like it here, a group pf Sadhu's (Holy Men) have just started chanting somewhere and I have sat down amongst the stone pillars to soak it all up without any approaches ...mind you its still early and there is plenty of time for camera wielding teenage boys to arrive!

10.20 - Wow I am up on the temple viewpoint, regretting leaving my camera in the hotel room and trying to get some decent shots on my phone.  There are still 11 more huge temple towers stretched out ahead of me.  The arches behind me are almost freakishly embellished with fairytale gods and goddesses of Hindu and animist descent.  It is believed that some of the now Hindu gods were once tribal deities and a recruitment process took place along the lines of,  "hey that half human god of yours is actually just an incarnation of one of our gods so you'll be fine with Hinduism".  That takes me right back to a quote from Adish earlier. "In India the water, language and Gods change every 20 miles!!"

10.25 -I was just feeling all content and fortunate to be here when a German tour group arrived reflecting sun from their pallor ...thats probably what I looked like when I arrived in Delhi!!  I have found a quiet spot just above the chanting I heard earlier where I can bask and revel in the fact that I have no agenda until check-out at 3pm.  I might well just hang here until 1pm when it closes.

11.15 - Hmmm, meditating in my windowless but clean hotel room has become more attractive! Foreign tourist groups (god knows where they stayed or came from) suddenly started to cram in alongside some serious swathes of pilgrims, the temperature began to soar and well I am glad I saw the sights early!  In fact that should teach me not to go planning the future and to remain present ...nothing is permanent ...anicca anicca anicca!

The shaven headed two toothed lady next to me on the bus is prodding me with her work-worn fingers, she looks 90 but could well only be a well seasoned 45.  She speaks Tamil and seems insistent that I must too but I only know the meditation instructions and the the fact that they say "ningle" in between most phrases and I have no idea what "ningle" actually means!  She is wearing yellow too, I think that is the colour to wear at the temple as it was worm by all the winners in today's sari stakes.

11.25 - the bus conductor who randomly is the same one I had on the way to the temple just gave me his number on the back of the ticket ...hilarious!!!!!

11.35 - the bus conductor asked me if I wanted to have lunch with him, I gently told him I had to meditate ...but nevertheless, even more hilarious!!!!!

1.00- Unlike the wheaty North, a South Indian Veg Thali consists of three veg dishes, 5 sauces in little pots, pickle, rice and a fried poppadom all served on a huge piece of banana leaf with endless refills of any of the above.  It comes with drinking water for about 58p and thankfully without a bus conductor!

14.48 - OK I have written up these notes which I hope allow you to feel present with me as you read and now I have some checking out to do, some skyping to arrange and a train to the Cape to catch ...room with a 3 oceans balcony view here I come!!!!

ps 16.45 - just came back passed the onion market about 35% of the bulk has sold and I just had my pc blessed by the girl in the internet shop!