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!
