Day 92 - World Religion Overview

One of the first lines in my India guidebook states "India is perhaps one of the most visibly religious countries in the world". According to our observations today, this is certainly so. But let's begin at the beginning.

This morning, we were woken by what I thought was thunder. It turmed out not to be thunder at all, but boisterous baby monkeys leaping from the tree outside our window, onto the roof, and back again. For such tiny monkeys, they sure made a lot of noise!

After our shower, we met our driver downstairs for a whirlwind tour of Delhi. Our first stop was to be the Red Fort. Red Fort was offinally the palace of the Mogul Emperor, later turned into barracks and the center of the British Military in the 19th century. Much of the fort is in fairly sad shape - the Brits destroyed a lot of the delicate inlay work, but what remains is still pretty spectacular. A staff is now employed to maintain the fort. India doesn't really have an eqivalent to OSHA - I don't envy this guy's job one bit!

The main Jain Temple is right across te street from the Red Fort. I had read about it in my guidebook, and requested that we would be able to stop there too. Jain is an offshoot of Hinduism that believes all life is sacred. No leather of animal products of any kind are allowed in the temple. Additionally, next door to the temple, there is a bird hospital which accepts all kinds of birds, from pigeons up to peacocks. Some birds are in isolation cages, some have little bandages on their wings, and other live in large communal cages where they get plenty of good food and protection. There is even a chick rescued from a meat farm who has run of the place.

From there, we headed into New Delhi for a visit to Ghandi's tomb. It is a set in a large park - a welcome sea of quiet amidst all the hustle and bustle of teh city. Of course it is a major pilgrimmage site for Indians and Tourists alike, and so is often crowded. We were lucky to arrive just between two much larger groups. It is surrounded by an arcade inscribed with Ghandi's teachings in languages from around the world. The whole thing is a powerful statement for peace and a very fitting monument.

Next was the Lotus Temple, of the Ba'hai faith - very much an agnostic faith that incorporates elements of all religions. Don't really have a full grasp of it though, but it embraces all people of faith and has been recognized by the UN. It has a center in the US as well as in Israel. The architecture of the temple is a sight to behold.

Our next stop was to be equally important on the standard Delhi tourist itinerary - India Gate, Rajpath, and the government (parliment, the president's complex) buildings. India gate was erected to honour the Indians who fought in WWI. It was modeled after The Arche De Triumph in Paris, and stands at one end of Rajpath. Rajpath is a wide straight road with grassy park on either side. The park is home to all manner of vendors, courting couples, and even a monkey tamer and snake charmer. At the opposite end of Rajpath, stands the governmment complex of President's house, PArliment, and two other official building. All are very impressive in red sandstone combining elements of both Georgian and Indian architecture.

Near the India gate was another special request - The Indian Gallery of Modern Art. Many monuments charge a higher tariff for foreigners than they do for Indians. The art gasllery was such a case - 10 rupee for Indians, 150 rupeee for foreigners. Cz and I must have looked pathetic though, because the girl behibnd the desk asked "students?" and then let us in for the Indian national rate. The gallery is a smallish museum dedicated Indian art since 1930. Much of the work was very interesting, some strikingly european, some employing symbolism entirely Indian.

After leaving teh museum, we passed Jantar Mantar, a 15th or 16th century giant sundial, but as it was raining, we decided not to stop.

Back on the trail of temples, we stopped by the Sikh temple. A friend who had been to India said that it had a very positive energy and that we should go there. Along with the Jain Bird Hospital it was my favourite stop in Delhi. A courtly gentleman instructed us in proper etiquette and covered our heads. The temple was filled with the music of live tabla players and chanting. We were among the only Westerners there, and everyone was eager to explain everything that was going on. Once outside, we were briefly befriended by a young mother and her beautiful khol-eyed baby. Then a grandmotherly type ushered me into the women's bathing area. Freed from the view of men, the women were giggling and gossiping as they stripped down to go in the water. I was soundly teased in broken English and Hindi as to why I wasn' t going in the water too. Once outside again, we were re-adopted by the young mother, who took us under her wing and tried to explain the history of the gurus in very broken English. Then she took us into the kitchen behind the the temple where everyone sat on mats, and holy men (the bigger the beard, the holier the man according to our guide) brought around chai, water and a meal of flatbread and spiced potatoes. We were the only non-Indians there. No one spoke more than a few words of English. Our friend showed us how to behave through example and hand-gestures. After the meal, she took us through the cooking area where women sat in circles cutting up onions, peeling potatoes, and singing wehile they made flatbread over a wood-feuled stove. Everything, from the copper kettles, to the bins of potatoes, to the bread cooking surface was huge enough to feed whatever number of peopel might show up. We felt entirely welcomed and somehow invited into the inner sanctum. After out meal, our new friend took us clockwise around the reflecting pool - for goodkarma, and back to the temple, where we were fed a sweet lentil ball of good fortune. From there, we stopped where men were pouring holy water from kettles. We followed our friend's lead, rinsing our fingers, taking a sip, and tossing the unused water over our right shoulders. It was amazing how thouroughly we had been adopted and cared for. The whole area was full of peace and gentleness, from the architecture, to the sounds of music, to the genuine friendliness of the people.

Our final stop was the Hindu temple. It was actually a complex with a large central building, and several smaller buildings around it dedicated to specific gods and goddesses. Again, the air was filled with music, and everyone was very welcoming to us foriegners. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed, so none were taken. One of the striking things on the temples though were the swaztikas that emblazon the towers and carvings. This symbol has been around for centuries that represent purity and "God with Man." It has many different meanings, including Aryan. Amazing how a symbol can be corrupted when only the narrowest of definitions is used.

Delhi is a sprawling city of noise and chaos. Traffic laws are handled as suggestions, and maniac tuk-tuks zoom around like angry hornets. There are humans and cows and cars everywhere. That said there are islands of extreme calm, and some of the warmest and most generous peole we have met anywhere in our travels. It is a strange and beautiful place, or perhaps strangely beautiful in its contradictions. And that's just one city!