A quick word from 'Semi-Enlightened' monkey capital Rishikesh

Right, another quick one today..

From India Dec/08

Finally left Amritsar and the Golden Temple behind and i am now in Rishikesh, 'yoga capital of the world'. :) Not that i've already jumped in and have started stretching-breathing-humming-buzzing like i should, sadly none of that stuff. :( But i had a great day wandering round the place, next to the river bank. Met some more Ozzies and sorta locals: two Sadhuesque guys; one from Agra, the other from Assam. Ah, and a very nice, bit older Italian guy from Milan, who spoke no French, English (or Hindi for that matter) whatsoever and who was here with a friend of his who's completely into Krisha and has been coming here on and off for some 30 years.

From India Dec/08

Yesterday and the day before i spent in Haridwar, one of the top seven holy cities of India, and home to the next Kumbh Mela in 2010, a religious festival that goes on for some months and draws a couple of millions of pilgrims. (There's also the Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad, and that one drew 100 million celebrants in 2001. Nearly makes the annual haj to Mekka look like a smallish pilgrimage, doesn't it? :)

From India Dec/08

Haridwar is also home to a hilltop Mansa Devi (a wish-fulfilling goddess) temple which you can via a cable car. The way to the cable car is lined with prasad/souvenir (food/flower offerings used in religious ceremonies) stalls and souvenir/prasad stalls. Once off the cable car, the way to and from the temple is lined with all sorts of food stalls, two cafeterias and more prasad and souvenir stalls. Great fun, walking up to a Hindu temple and feeling like entering a theme park.

From India Dec/08

From India Dec/08

OK, gotta close off. Tomorrow i'm taking the bus back to Haridwar and a night train to Bikaner, Rajasthan. There'll be meeting up with my three favourite Ozzies and a couple of friends of theirs, even more Ozzies! Woooha!!!

Loadsa 'semi-enlightened' luv,

-hx.