Singh is King!

From India Nov/08

Woohaaah! Things sure are alright at this end!

From India Nov/08

Spent my first night and day at the Golden temple complex and, i gotta say, i'm mightily impressed by how well the Sikhs run this show. Everyone's allowed in as long as you take your shoes off and cover your head (and a hankie'll do, no sweat :) and in addition: they offer free accommodation, free food, water and chai round the clock. Donations are appreciated, of course.

From India Nov/08

So today i was finally able to spend a proper, full afternoon going over the notes for the theater play i'm writing for Arnaudje. Sweet bliss, being able to just sit, read and work as the pilgrims pass in front of me. I think i might hang around and spend another couple of days here, enjoy my good Sikh hosts pampering me and get some proper writing done.

From India Nov/08

From India Nov/08

And talking 'bout catching up on some long overdue writing.. I'll continue my adventures from whence i last stopped: back in Harni Mahadev. Strange thing how to an outsider a couple of busloads of Indians on a pilgrimage to a religious festival can at first sight appear to be no different from people just hanging around and lounging the day through, maybe helping out in the kitchen or with that evening's show.. Then again, i only once visited the place's temple; was already heading for bed when Bruno proposed to have a look. And to be fair, i wasn't much up for the droning mantras and accompanying DIY jingle-jangle, shake your dish and bangle music making... Let's just say that tired ol' moi can be a bit of a grumpy ol' soul. ;=)

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OK. That was two days ago. I'm still living it up at the Golden Temple. Had an old Sikh explain me and Brieu (a young French guy from Nancy doing a internship at a Tibetan high school) in somewhat mysterious wording and with a good helping of rhetorical flourishes what Sikhism is all about. Yesterday (Sunday, y'know) the temple got far too busy to get some work done. Yesterday afternoon me and some Australian girl (forgot her name) had a look at the kitchen facilities and were shown round some of the restorative works at an old part of the temple which used to house, amongst other things, a prison and which has a four story deep cellar. Afterward together with three Australian guys and three British girls (who were 18/19 and some months out of high school) helped out picking peas out the pods and washing the stainless steel thali dishes. Oh, and walking back from the dining hall to our dorm we were mobbed by a group of youngsters who all wanted to talk, shake hands or take a picture with us, and just then i spotted the young, married couple i'd met earlier that day, this time with their some years old kid. They said that they had been waiting around for an hour to meet me again. Outta the blue! Without having agreed to meet back up or anything, just like that! Amazing stuff. Can hardly describe how that made me feel, let's just say it was an incredibly touching.

And today, i've to admit to being a bit hungover. Went out for a beer in grand company: the three Ozzies (Jacob, Tim and Cameron) and an American (Tyler) and a New Zealander (Mathew) who had both arrived from Pakistan, the stories they had to tell, wow! Pakistan sounds like a blast! (No pun intended :). Jacob being the lovely feller that he is he had to go and order another 5 beers (of between 5,25% and 8,25% ;=) which we didn't succeed in downing all. Safe to say we all had our fair share. And that in a holy city, some minutes from the temple complex, in the middle of a quite deserted street. For shame! :)

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From India Nov/08

But back to Harni Mahadev: one day (could've been a Saturday or a Sunday or any other day, i don't remember) there were a number of wedding ceremonies taking place. Walking past the colourful screens that lined the complex we (Bruno, Karolien, Linde et moi) were invited in, paraded in front of some of the couples, their families and company (often asking me to pose for a picture with them), and ushered along, through huge crowds of pretty frigging ecstatic young boys, who all wanted to shake our hands, pushing and grabbing at us, like one a big human whirlpool.

From India Nov/08

We then were quickly appointed to be the guests of honour, Bruno and me donned with an appropriate turbanesque hat, and taken to the kitchen where safely tucked away and out of the clutches of the crowds we were served a sweet festive meal. The head of the organizing committee explained us that this year 86 couples of the Sonar caste (Sonar people are none to wealthy silver/gold smiths and jewelery makers) got married that same day. For about 100-150 years Rajasthan's Sonar people have their marriages on that particular date as a general cost saving measure. The date traditionally stays the same the location varies. Lucky us, right?

From India Nov/08

Next stop: Pushkar, it's mela and camel festival. Lovely bus ride across the hills separating Ajmer and the desert valley of Pushkar, plenty of grey monkeys and cacti. We stayed at right up close to Pushkar's holy lake in a wonderful backpackers guesthouse/hippy haunt. The first night, since all rooms were taken we slept in the most charming of tents, which i sadly forgot to take a picture of. Oh, well. First impressions: quite a number of our fellow lodgers already had quite a bit too much ganja and looked more than just a bit bewildered.

From India Nov/08

No doubt the constant drone of the various temples, blasting their chanting and/or freaked out distorted electronic organ music at full volume, in combination with the at times slightly hectic hustle and bustle, the continuous swirl of crowds passing and pushing through the somewhat narrow shopping streets that make up most of Pushkar's center, had a hand in them looking so fazed. Ah, Pushkar! Has to be (sorta) unique for housing an organization whose sole function is: sending back young Israelis fresh outta the army who've taken a bit too many drugs and have kinda lost their marbles.

Enough for today. Just this: I'm currently grooving to The Hickey Underworld 'Future Words', absolutely supejb single, that! (Check it out fer yerselfves @ www.myspace.com/thehickeyunderworldmusic).

Oh, and if some one can explain me how to include pictures (from Picasa) in my posts that'd be lovely! (I somehow can't seem to. Hmmm...)

Loadsa 'all inclusive Sikh' luv,
-hx.

Ps: And keep me posted 'bout how yer all doin', ya lazy bastards! You know i (might not) mean you :) Ooops! ..Must be the drunken Australian still wandering round somewhere inside of me ;=) Ta-ra!