Wildly Creative Women

It's been a while since I posted. I've been back at home, integrating back into this crazy culture I live in. The contrast between India and the US is quite amazing. Now I am enjoying bringing together the amazing experiences of India and my fortunate life here in the States.

As promised, I will include pictures of my trip here for you. Not yet sure how to insert them in past posts, if that is even possible, but I am reading up on my blogging tools as we speak.

Here is a picture of a sweet boy from Varanasi. He sold me a puja candle and we lit it together before I placed it in the river.  He was quite lively and kept trying to convince me I needed multiple candles...at 10 rupees apiece. I settled on one.

I so enjoyed these children we met along the Ghats. When we were able to get past the selling or begging that they do for their jobs, we really quite enjoyed each other...at least I know I did.

Cruising the Backwaters of Kerala

Hello all!

I am here in Varkala...a great beach town in the very south of India. I arrived here last night after taking a boat cruise through the heart of Kerala's backwaters. The boat stops at the ashram so I hopped on there at about 4:00 pm. Our first stop was 2 minutes later when we stopped for Chai...the whole country seems to stop for Chai at 4:00 pm...good thing I love the stuff so much.

After tea, we headed out into the waters and took a slow cruise to Kollum. The cruise was breathtakingly beautiful. All along the way the banks of the rivers are lined with coconut trees, colorful homes, and children running along the banks waving and asking us for pens. The standard line out of each boy's mouth was, "Give me my one pen". Not sure where they picked up this line, but it was the same all along the way.

On the cruise I made fast friends with three people from Ireland...Pauline, Adrian and Sean . They were so much fun. Adrian decided to launch into traditional Irish songs along the way. Thank goodness his voice was pretty good. I knew how much my Dad would have enjoyed sitting there singing with him, and talking about all things Irish. I took a short video on the camera to snag a moment for Dad (we'll have a chuckle over it soon, Dad!).

Once into Kollum, I found a cab pretty easily. My friends helped me get squared away and off to Varkala. The trip was about 45 minutes, even though it was quite close in distance...the roads are quite full of potholes, so the going is slow. It took a while to find the hotel. THere are many twisty narrow roads in this town. When I made the hotel reservation, I asked for directions but I couldn't get a response from the man I was speaking with as his English wasn't nearly good enough. So, as we approached the town, I had no way to tell the taxi driver how to get there. The Indian way, at least for the taxi drivers I have encountered throughout the trip, is to wait until we are close to the destination and then begin to ask people how to get there. The only problem is, the response always seems to get us only a short way, where we again have to stop to ask someone new. This happened over and over, with us asking more than half a dozen people for guidance. All in all, we drove for at least 20 minutes trying to find the hotel...quite a laugh when you see how small this little village is. But we did arrive and I found my hotel. The sea view turned out to be this tiny slit in the view, through the restaurant directly in front of the hotel. And that was a joke because everything sits on this cliff, way above the beach. I had to laugh at myself...I know better than to have such expectations.

I found my way to the restaurant and had a delicious meal of chicken tikka from the tandoori oven. I have grown to love the food here. An errant decision to have a small pot of Chai at 10:30 (my thought was to stay awake long enough to make a few calls home) turned into at least two hours of staring at the ceiling fan as it whirred away trying to keep the mosquitos at bay and cool the room down to an acceptable 85 degrees. Oh well. I am here in Varkala and am enjoying the completely laid back feeling of this part of India.

Tomorrow I will share with you some of the more funny moments of the last two weeks...and some of the last moments with Amma.

How do you hug a stadium full of people?

Our first stop on the tour was in Calicut (Kozhikode is the other name for the city). It is north of the ashram, but still in the state of Kerala. The trip there took 9 hours by bus, with a stop for dinner. Calicut seems to be a fairly large city. We had to travel up into the hills. The land is beautiful with coconut trees everywhere. I keep wondering what it would be like to have one drop on your head...then I met a woman who was hit by one....she said it hurt...not much more than that! ;-)

Amma's program was in the stadium in Calicut. WHen we arrived at around 4:00 pm, the stadium was almost completely full. Amma came out at 6:15 and by then it was full. I would estimate there were as many as 60,000 people. After speeches, satsang, and bajahns, Amma began Darshan at 10:30. Sitting up on the stage with her was incredible. I took a turn timing the prasad passers (will explain later) where I sat directly behind Amma from 10:30 to 11:00. THe speed she hugged people at was absolutely amazing. Being a witness to so many devotional Indian people being touched by Amma was breathtaking. Seeing so many people come and wait up to 18 hours for their moment with Amma was humbling. People here are devotional in a way most of us in the West are unfamiliar with. Amma was able to hug 10s of thousands of people in 18 hours. It is an experience that can't be written with words. There are no words. Amma is love...that is all I can say. There are photos, though, of the event. Enjoy!

The travel is difficult and the conditions challenging, but all is nothing compared to what Amma gives from her heart. She never got up once during the entire time. She only drank. She ate no food. She kept going and going and going.

Today we are in Kodungalur where Amma begins another event tonight that will last until Wednesday night or THursday morning when she finishes Darshan. This is a very different event and I will share the details with you over subsequent posts, just as I will with the event in Calicut. My time on the internet is so limited, but I will continue to share with you when I return. There is so much to share with you.

I am off to the evening opening of this next event and will share with you as soon as I can.

In the meantime, Be Well!

Ashram community life

I have been at Amma's ashram now for almost one full week. The ashram is like a little world unto itself. There are various places to get food, one big auditorium, a large temple and a small temple, multi-story buildings with residential flats, a swimming pool, multiple bakeries, a tailor, three stores, an internet room and lots of other ancillary things you can do while here. It has been fascinating to watch how it all works and revolves around Amma...when she is here vs. away, when she is giving Darshan, etc.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most here are the Bhajans...an evening hour or two of singing devotional songs, led by Amma. She has a wonderful voice and fills the auditorium with so much spirit. I leave these evenings feelings as if I am walking on air. The other evening we were treated to a Kathakali performance as well. What an amazing dance form!

Late this afternoon a group of us leave to travel on her tour to two different cities here in South India. She will be giving Darshan to an estimated 100,000 people in Calicut, a city north of here. I have been told it may take her upwards of 24 hours to do so. It is amazing to see her do this...to give Darshan to so many people without having to take breaks. The energy she gives out is truly amazing. She has to be connected straight to the source to have that kind of lasting power.

I am not yet totally clear why I decided to go on the tour. The idea of spending more time with Amma is, of course, very exciting. Just to be in her vicinity is healing. It's more than that though. I am very intrigued with the idea of over 100,000 Indians waiting all day in the sun to have a few seconds of hug from Amma. Their devotion to her is incredible. I want to witness this devotion, this kind of faith in Amma's power to heal and to open the heart. I want to soak up the experience, yet stay open to everything that is happening.

I will be returning here to the Ashram on the 11th of January and after a day of catching up on sleep and doing some wash, I plan to travel on to Varkala for some beach time before heading home. The tour is quite grueling for us yogis who are joining her. The sleeping conditions are harsh and the hours long. I feel like I am leaving for a kind of boot camp...at least it is only for 5 days!

A quick quote

Hello everyone!
I have a quick quote for today from Amma.
"A real master makes you eralize that everybody, even your enemy, is helping you to attain perfection.'
It seems as though, when in the company of a true master, everything in your path is truly there for self-realization. I am noticing how this has increased for me as I spend time here in the Ashram.
The other thing to share is how many beautiful sunsets I am enjoying here on the Arabian Sea. It is breathtaking view alongside the ashram.
Hope all are well.
Blessings,
Julie

Hugs from Amritapuri

Happy New Year! It is now 2007 here in India and just about to turn at home in California. Here at Amma's ashram, we had an evening of darshan and celebration. Darshan is the opportunity to receive a hug from Amma. I had darshan both Saturday and Sunday. The experience is beyond anything I can describe in words and is something I keep very close to my heart. I can only say that Amma's hugs opened my heart with an explosive force that is truly divine.

Last night there was a special puja (ritual) for New Years. It was a Kali Puja and was beautiful and intense. Everything here feeds all the senses at once. Candles, incense, flowers, music, singing, chanting, clapping, prayer, kneeling...it all has a place in this incredible ritual to Kali, the Hindu Goddess. I appreciated this puja as much as anything I have done here in India, because it was a rare opportunity to see something old and completely different than anything I have yet experienced in my life. The energy present was powerful and uplifting. Although many associate Kali with the dark, she is truly the goddes of time and cutting through confusion to get straight to the truth. I know having participated in this puja will bring many blessings to 2007 for me and my work in the world.

I must sign off now but will return when I have more internet time. I will share with you some of what Amma spoke of in her New Year's address last night.

Hugs from Amritapuri, from me to you.

Musing from Trivandrum

A quick hello before heading to Amritapuri, Amma's ahsram.

We spent the night last night at Muthoot Plaza in Trivandrum. It is a very nice place, with wonderful staff and a fantastic buffet restaurant. We were so hungry when we arrive yesterday afternoon, we headed straight to the buffet and dove right in.

The food here in the south is much spicier. It is really delicious. Plus, they had wonderful desserts...even ice cream!!! With the hot weather here, the ice cream was refreshing. We ate so much we didn't have to have dinner. It was so nice to have a place where we could get really comfy and take a bath, etc. I do love luxury, I have to admit. Traveling takes its toll on you, especially the driving we were doing the past few days. To settle in for one night was heaven. We wanted another night, but there are no rooms available, anywhere we tried. This is high tourist season, especailly over the holidays. So, today we leave for Amritapurit and Amma's ahsram. We will see how it stacks up to the 5 star hotel we just left!

I had to do some quick errand running here, like get my new pair of sandals repaired...don't ask...and I found the people so helpful and kind. Everyone seems to want to help me when I am needing a question answered or need to find something. I love the Indian people and their curiosity about me and where I am from. When I tell them America, they smile and say, "America...it's a nice country...I like" or something akin to that. ONe little girl at the Taj Mahal, seemd to get this far away look when I answered her qustion about where I was from. I then asked her where she was from, and she was delighted to tell me in detail where in India she lives and how to get there.

There are a ton of Internet Cafes here in India, so we can always find a way to log on. As for one in the next few days, I am not sure, so I will post as soon as I have access.

I hope you are enjoying the blog. If you want to know about something in particular, please leave me a comment and I will respond with whatever I know or have learned...or I might even ask someone so we all learn something new.

Happy Happy New Year to you and yours. May 2007 be filled with peace.

On the Road Again!

Wow. I have traveled many miles since I last wrote. We left Khajuraho on Tuesday early in the morning, bound for Kanpur. Kanpur is a large city known for manufacturing of Chemicals and Leather goods. Wondering why it was on our itinerary? It was the home of a great Sufi saint (the one that my fellow traveler Megan follows) and is now the location of his Samadi (tomb). So we travelled to Kanpur, arriving by mid-afternoon. Megan visited his Samadi, and then we went together to have dinner with his remaining descendents. The family was so warm and loving and invited us into their home to visit and to have dinner with them. What a treat! To be here as a tourist feels like I am on the outside always looking in. As we sat with these warm and gracious people, I suddenly felt as if I had landed in another place, the real India. The food was incredible, with some very special sweets for dessert. I made quick friends with Rishika, an 11 year-old brilliant and talented girl. She charmed us with her traditional Indian dance.

The next day, Wednesday, we took off from Kanpur for Delhi, with a stop in Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Our driver, Chotoo (not sure how to spell his nickname, so many apologies to you if you ever happen across this blog) was incredible. His ability to navigate the streets and highways of central India is pretty amazing. On the roads here, everything from pedestrians, bicycles, trucks, cars, motorcycles, goats, cows, tractors, wagons pulled by oxen (I know I am forgetting many other things) all find some way to share the space. Beleive it or not, in the midst of all this seeming chaos, there is a flow that works. In Chotoo's hands, I felt comfortable enough to sleep, read and even meditate a bit.

Mid-afternoon we came into Agra, about 130 kms south of Delhi. Agra is industrial as well, but is known for one thing...the Taj Mahal. I have always had a fondness for architecture, and the Taj Mahal has been on my list of places to see. Besides, the story of its creation is one of such deep love and devotion.  Now that I have been there, I can truly say it is worth everything it took to get there. We finally made it through the gate (after 1 1/2 hours in line) at about 4:30. The sun was getting low in the sky. The beautiful marble takes on the light of the sky. At dusk yesterday, the marble took on a pink color that was breathtaking. There was a wonderful breeze in the air, and as I walked around the building, I felt strangely serene.

We made it to Delhi by 10:00 at night. We had only had breakfast, as most of the day was spent on the road without known tourist-safe places for eating. The first thing Idid once we got to our hotel, was find the restaurant and order a lime-soda and naan. They have become my staple, when I sit down after going a long time without eating. Somehow the lime soda (fresh lime juice and seltzer water) settles my stomach and the naan gives me a quick boost of carbs. Then we ordered dinner in our room and finally ate at around 11:00.

Up this morning early, Chotoo took us on our last leg of the tour with him to Delhi airport, where we flew to Trivandrum, way down in the southwest corner of India. The flight took us through Chennai (Madras) and took about 4 1/2 hours. It was such a change to arrive here in this tropical town, where the temperature is in the 80s and very humid. Close to Trivandrum, we flew over these amazing mountains that reminded me of Kauai, Hawaii.

Here in Trivandrum, it feels like we are in the Bahamas.  We are in the state of Kerala, a part of India known for its beaches and way of life. The fisrt thing I noticed is the lack of cows, goats, monkeys, and all the other animals that we have shared the roads with. I'm not sure why there are no cows (or at least we haven't encountered them) but I will inquire. Many of the men here where these really cool skirts that reach down to the ground. Then, sometimes they do this quick little number and voila! they are tied up above their knees. It is a quick manuever and I haven't yet figured out how they work it, but give me time...I will. The architechture is very different here, and I am anxious to find out more about this part of India.

Tomorrow we head of to Amritapuri where Amma has her ashram. At this point we are planning to spend about a week there, if all goes as planned...but then, nothing has really gone as planned yet, so who knows. I am not sure how much access I will have to the internet, but will try to keep you all up to date.

I will take this moment to wish you all a happy, happy new year, just in case I don't post until after the first. May this year of 2007 bring peace to every soul on this planet.

Indian Countryside

Travelling from Varanasi to Khajuraho by car takes about 8-9 hours. This afforded us plenty of time to see the Indian countryside and the town of Allahabad. As we drove past Allahabad, we saw the site of the next half Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela is a gathering of people every 12 years (with half Kumbhs every other 6 years) somewhere along the Ganges river. There are upwards of 20 million people.

Once out of Allahabad, we entered the Indian countryside. This part of the country is truly beautiful. I have been especially taken by the beauty of the Indian women. Walking along the roads in their Sarees, their brilliant colors stand out starkly against the browns and greens of the countryside. They walk so gracefully carrying quite large bundles on their heads. The small village houses remind me of stucco houses in Mexico, blending into the earth around them.

We arrived in Khajuraho early in the evening, where the weather was much cooler. Today, Christmas day, I spent touring the old Hindu temples here. Over 1,000 years old, they are amazing sandstone structures with incredibly intricate carvings. They are erotic temples, with many images of the gods and goddesses, as well as some kama sutra grahpics. The weather was perfect...warm with a beautiful breeze. The Bougainvillea are in bloom as well, providing some brilliant color to the scene.

We took a short drive to an old village close by. There we stopped and spoke with some of the children and a few of the women. THe children are anxious to practice their English with people. The women didn't know as much English, but seemed to enjoy our interest in them. Megan and I both are taken by their beauty. It seems as though they are completey connected to the Earth...strong and warm and intensely vibrant.

This morning many Indians wished me a Merry Christmas. It was nice to hear the greeting as this is one of my favorite holidays. Tonight we are having dinner with some other westerners...Ian from London and Anna from Portugal. It should be fun to celebrate here.

Tomorrow we leave for Kanpur, a town that is mostly industrial and on our way to Agra.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Exploring the City of Light, Varanasi

This city is really amazing. It is 6,000 years old and the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Life here is centered on the Ganges river. The Ghats, steps that lead down to the river, run along the west side of the river. This was intentional so that they would face the sunrise for ritual bathing.

THis morning we took a ride on the river by boat, and watched the sunrise from the water. DUring this time, Hindus come down to the river to bathe and to do their abolutions in honor of their gods. It was truly a beautiful site to see the sunrise on this old, old city and see and hear people singing, praying and chanting to their gods.

So far, I have now seen firsthand, cows, water buffalo, pigs, goats kids, dogs and their puppies, cats, mogeese (is that the plural form???), monkeys, rats, geckos, parrots, kingfisher birds all loose and running free...except for the parrots. The cows have free run of everything. We were shopping in a small store in the main marketplace and a cow decided she wanted to come in the store. The shop owner took us by hand and had us step to the side as he tried to make a way for the cow to come in, without disrupting the customers. It was amazing to see this huge cow in a small garment store, just wandering in at her leisure. Crowds formed outside on the street watching with amusement. We were right next to the cow and the shop keeper was telling us to be very careful...at least it wasn't a bull in a china shop!

The traffic here is something totally different than in the west. Cars, bicycle rickshaws, motor rickshaws, motorcycles,  cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians, cows, and dogs, all jockey for position...actually, the cows don't jockey at all...they just meander. At first I was freaked out by the seeming lack of any kind of sense of traffic control, but it didn't take long to see that traffic here is like a dance...everyone seems to feel the rhythm and move accordingly.

One more day in Varanasi, and then we move on to Khajuraho, where very old temples await us.

Happy Solstice to all!