I can't believe that we have less than one month left in India before we head to Europe for slightly less than two months, and then back to Canada. Where did all that time go? I have so many blog ideas left, but it is actually getting harder to write them, as I think I am becoming normalized here, and events/observations don't necessarily seem news-worthy or out of the ordinary anymore. The other factor is the weather -it is hitting 40C tomorrow, and I find myself spending more time poolside at the gym, and less time on the laptop at home beside the groaning AC that barely drops the temp below 30C. Of course, I have also had to devote some time for final shopping, particularly since I discovered that we are entitled to each bring 2 suitcases back because we purchased our tickets before the airlines decreased their luggage allowance. Yeah!!! Now I need to purchase another suitcase as well.
I thought I would devote one blog to our time in the Ashram, since it seems to be a much desired activity, but is often not possible for those who can only come for short stays of a couple of weeks.
I was a little concerned about going to stay in an Ashram, as all the travel books indicated that they are fairly austere, requiring you to follow their schedule of rising at 5:30, morning prayers followed by yoga Asanas all before breakfast/brunch of vegetarian fare. Often there is a requirement to do some "volunteer" activities - think "duties" that were required when staying at the Intenational Youth Hotels in the good old days. More meditations and such before evening Aarti's, followed by the second vegetarian meal of the day and lights out at 10pm. The hardships include: no coffee/tea, alcoholic beverages or meat of any kind.
After a fairly pleasant train ride of about 4 hours on the Shatabdi Express - minus the unpleasant departure time of 6:30am, the scams that some thieves try to pull on you at Delhi train station, and the almost invisible pre-paid taxi booth that almost resulted in us accepting a dodgy rickshaw ride from Haridwar to Rishikesh- we finally arrived at Parmarth Niketan Ashram and were shown to a very pleasant room with private bathroom and two comfortable beds. We arrived just at the end of lunch, but were ushered in in time to enjoy the most delicious vegetarian fare. Best of all, we learned that the only absolute requirement was to participate in the evening Aarti by the Gangas, that there were 3 meals a day and that we were free to come and go as we pleased, although we needed to respect the hours and quiet times of course. I knew it was going to be a very enjoyable experience!
Everything and everyone seemed very relaxed and accepting. There was no hard and fast schedule at the Ashram, so we took advanatage of our free afternoon to explore the town. It was very different than Varanasi or Jaipur, very laid back and felt very easy/safe to get about and walk around. I soon spotted a tiny staircase amongst the strip of stores that lead to an upstairs balcony restaurant which was to beocome my second home when not in the Ashram. It had a wonderful view of the Mother Ganga with a backdrop of the Himalayas, where one could sit and watch the water ferries weaving their way from one side of the river to the other, dropping off passengers and picking up more. Or watch the locals wash their laundry -or themselves- in the surprisingly blue waters. Many also come to worship at the Gangas, sometimes sprinkling themselves with water but often immersing themselves completely. Of course the cows were almost as numerous as the people and wandered at will up and down the streets and steps lining the Gangas.
While we were there, there was an Ayurvedic doctor visiting the Ashram who gave a multi-day workshop about healthy lifestyles and the like. While I agreed with many of her bottom line messages about healthy living, I felt a bit of an imposter sitting through her lectures when I didn't agree with some of her teachings, so I left my girlfriend to enjoy the workshop and struck out on my own, usually to my tiny balcony restaurant. I sat for long hours, mesmerized by the tranquility and peacefulness of the scene. They had wonderful lassi's and I discovered the most refreshing drink there involving fresh mint, lemon, sugar, and ice, all whirled up in a blender. It looked like a bright green slushie but was absolutely delicious. It was also here that I partook in my elicit cups of coffee after breakfast every day :)). Shhh! Don't tell!
Perhaps the most impressive scenes were those of the evening Aarti's by the Gangas, the celebration of the sun... so full of joy and peace. There were hundreds of people every day that came to participate, sitting on the steps, clapping and singing along to the music, and watching the huge orange ball of fire - the sun- sink behind the horizon. Once the sun had set, lamps were lit and passed from hand to hand, and the holder moved the lamp in a circular fashion in time with the music, before passing it on to someone else.
On our train trip back, we sat opposite a couple of thirty something males who had come to Haridwar for a day conference on taxes. They were bright and articulate and we had a very interesting chat, making our 4 hour trip fly by! We learned all about their work, families, living conditions, and even how they came to meet their spouse. One fellow, who was actually in his early 40s, was not married, and although he had been "introduced" to a dozen or more women, either one or the other, or their families, found the match not acceptable. He was now in a position where his choices were becoming extremely limited, and although he didn't come right out and admit it, his colleague (and cousin) said it was a touchy subject for him.
While I had reservations about going to Rishikesh, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it now. I found it to be a spiritual haven and retreat that is hard to experience anywhere else. Just watch where you walk, as there are a lot of cows around!
That's all for now.
Sue
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