Sakhat South India Travels

Sakhat means wonderful/awesome in Gujarati and Hindi

Post yoga teacher training (YTT), I met up with my friend Brianna who I met while working at Deloitte. She is spending 6 weeks traveling in India and we coordinated to spend time in Kerala together. It was so great to travel with her and we definitely created some lifetime memories. One of her first world traveling trips, when she took a 5 month sabbatical almost 2 years ago, was an inspiration for my trip. Check out her blog here: whereintheworldisbabyjewel.blogspot.com

Brianna and I en route from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari - Day 1 of the trip

We met at India Coffee House in Trivandrum on Sunday morning, April 14th. The architecture of the building is quite interesting- built in a spiral formation- and the food was tasty and inexpensive, just like the other branch I went to while in Jaipur.

Enjoying breakfast at India Coffee House

Building view from the outside- almost directly opposite the Trivandrum  train station

Note the spiral architecture

Yoga, Meditation, and Transformation

I arrived in Trivandrum in the afternoon on Saturday March 16^th with a knotted stomach and cold feet. It was POURING rain outside and I was about to enter a month of yoga at an ashram. So many questions ran through my head as I commuted 2 hours from the airport to the ashram in the pouring rain: “Maybe I should have stayed one night in an ashram before agreeing to stay one month at one. Maybe I should have practiced hatha yoga before coming. Will they really make me check in my cell phones upon arrival?”

Upon arrival I was given a nice warm cup of tea from two friendly boys a bit younger than me- one from India and one from France maybe. I remember thinking of how sweet it was that their first question was would I like tea or not. I agreed and sat at a table to fill out my registration forms. So many people filled in that modest sized reception. Within 15 minutes I had my luggage in hand was being shown to the dorms where I had registered to stay. “Are there western toliets? Hope there aren’t many bugs… Oh no! What if the shower stalls are dirty?” I was pleasantly surprised- the area was clean and bustling already. The first floor seemed crowded and there were no outlets so I ventured up. I was the first one up on the second floor and enjoyed the quiet there. Set up shop- sheets on the thin mattress, mosquito net above bed, shower supplies and three different mosquito repellants on the shelves behind head. My home for the next month.

My cubby-mate, Malavika, and I.

The setting of the ashram was gorgeous. An excerpt from journal when I captured my mental image that afternoon:

Green all around. A Krishna Radha statue in front of me. To its left a jackfruit tree. To my left, the boutique. Whispers in at least five different languages flutter by as already-friends walk past. A huge statue of a deity on a lotus flower in the background. Wonder who the statue is of- hoping we learn that here. A wide range of people here- Indians and foreign, modest and not so modest. The smell of damp Earth fills the air, water still trickling off the luscious surroundings.

The beautiful flower of a Cannonball tree in the ashram.  

Krishna statue in front of the dormitory.

One of the statues I saw when I first entered the ashram. (Learned later it is the goddess Lakshmi)

The next month went by faster than any month before has. We studied Vedantic philosophy and its relationship with yoga. We learned a bit about anatomy and physiology, as well as the importance of diet. There was also a study of the Bhagavad Gita (a bucket list read of mine). The importance of karma yoga (selfless service) was taught through experience and each student was given a daily chore. Some students would serve food or clean the dorms, I was asked to help in reception- a warm welcome back to Microsoft Excel in a surprising setting.

There were two asana (posture) classes a day and after two weeks we were broken into smaller groups and asked to teach each other during the afternoon class. The change from Bikram yoga to Hatha yoga was tough for me. I missed the indoor heated climate and the sweat I experienced in Bikram. After a week, though, I was getting the hang of new postures and starting to conquer fears about sirsasana (headstand) and kakasana (crow pose).

The daily grind: personal journal, course book, meditation cushion, water bottle, and yoga mat.

A personal variation to sirsasana (headstand). I call it "inverted namaste".

Finally got the hang of kakasana (crow pose).

Yoga by the lake in Neyyar Dam

Yoga in the hall- a twice a day experience

I also tried to learn to meditate during the morning and evening satsangs (community gatherings) but it was been an uphill battle. For the past 4-5 years I’d wanted to learn to meditate (another bucket list item) and practice it regularly, but it’s so difficult for me. I will continue to try but no success to share thus far.

All in all, it was a packed month. We had a day off each week that a few of us would escape the ashram and head to Kovalam to lay on the beach and enjoy food we didn’t get at the ashram (chocolate, eggs, coffee- not in the that order). The month ended on Saturday night when I received my certificate and graduated the Sivananda course. I’m still in disbelief that the month is over and I have a certificate in my hand. Excited for more yoga study to come and keeping up my practice! Moving on to travels now…

Reveling in Rural Beauty: Rajasthan

After wrapping up family time in February, I visited Rajasthan with friends I met during the “Seva Chapter” of my journey in India. We started in Udaipur and thoroughly enjoyed the Lake City. Udaipur was flooded with foreign tourists - ‘flooded’ is a bit strong, but it was my first time seeing Europeans in a while. Anyways, the city is filled with winding, cobblestone roads and everyone has an amazing rooftop view. Seemed like each restaurant was competing with the one next door to see who could be taller… We enjoyed watching traditional dances in a nearby Haveli and creating our own miniature paintings one lazy afternoon. Began to see all how important bright colors were to the desert-filled state while admiring the beautiful costumes of dancers.

From Udaipur we headed to Bali to do a leopard safari, but we stopped at Ranakpur en route to see a beautiful Jain temple. It was built in the mid 1400’s and is known for having 1440 marble pillars- all of which are within viewing distance of the idols. We arrived in the quiet town of Bali and quickly set out for our leopard safari. It was mildly successful, but a whole lot of fun either way. Saw some beautiful desert scenes (including a goat herder bring his goats to the desert) and were exhilarated throughout the bumpy, speedy jeep ride.

Jodhpur was the next stop. It’s mistakenly known as the “Blue City” because of the color of many homes, but in actuality it is the “Sun City”. The fort here (Mehrangarh) is definitely worth seeing - lots of amazing architecture and some ruins from attacks Jodhpur received in the past. While we were visiting, there was a wedding being set-up; can you say “outrageous”? Imagine explaining to your friends that you are getting married in a fort built in the 15th century. It was beautifully decorated, but I couldn’t imagine spending that much on a single event (or 3-4 days worth of events..). Other than the fort though, Jodhpur was somewhat of a letdown. There was an amazing omelet shop and onion kachoris that we loved, but it seemed less friendly than other cities. But, from Jodhpur we went to Jaiselmer. 

Jaiselmer was definitely the highlight of the trip! Although late February isn’t the ideal weather, we bared the heat and lived it up in the Sand City. The city is known for camel safaris. The one we took was less touristy (no night dance performances or tables to eat on) and we loved it. We rode the camels for about an hour and a half and then settled ourselves into the campsite in the sand dunes. Most of our time there was spent hiking around the sand dunes and staring at the vast, untouched desert. The sunset was nice, but the moon…the MOON… was insane. We didn’t see it when we went to bed, but staring at the stars was more than enough beauty. We saw the moon hours later when we were woken up by a bright shining light. I’ve never seen the moon so bright before. It was truly magical.

After Jaiselmer we made our way to Jaipur via a 12 hour train in sleeper class: queue the curious stares of locals. Somehow a group of four girls traveling together overnight in the sleeper class was something to question. In either case, the men in the same section as us ended up being very friendly and fatherly. They offered us food their wives had made for them and even woke up in the morning to make sure we had woken up for our stop. Jaipur itself was alright. We had amazing lassi, but again the heat crept up on us and we were unable to fully lose ourselves in the city. I will say though, that the city planning in Jaipur is exceptional. The city actually makes sense. There are shop numbers and even some roads on a grid. The Jantar Mantar (a space dedicated to astronomical research and findings) was also really impressive. 

All in all, I feel comfortable saying I don’t really enjoy big cities in India. I’d remove Mumbai from that, since that is generally more about seeing family and friends, but other big cities just don’t do it for me. I think the commotion taints the experience. I have a much higher appreciation for rural India.

Beautiful Bangalore

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state (fast fact: India has 27 states), which is located in the south west of India. Bangalore is known for being an IT hub, as well as for its cosmopolitan lifestyle and horrific traffic. I experienced all three.

I was in Bangalore for a maternal sister (Indian culture treats cousins as siblings) reunion (2nd Feb-9th Feb). My mom has an older sister and a younger sister. I have been living with my mom’s younger sister and her family since October. So then, one of my sisters from New Jersey (and her adorable 11 month old son), the sister I live with, and I, traveled to Bangalore to spend time with our other sister who lives there with her husband and son. Her husband works in IT- it was familiar to be in a household with early morning and late night calls with offshore colleagues. There was a lot of family bonding while we stayed there, as well as some exploration of Mysore (insert link here) and Bangalore.

Bangalore Palace was built in 1887 by Chamaraja Wodeyar and used by the Wodeyars while they were Maharajas (kings) of the state. Most notable was the Tudor (medieval) architecture and photographs from the time of British rule. I had never seen photographs from that time and seeing a woman in a flapper-like dress casually sitting with an Indian man dressed in a suit was a new sight for me. The palace is now used for social events and concerts (examples: Metallica, No Doubt, Ludacris, Elton John, Backstreet Boys).

We also visited Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (an art gallery), Tipu Sultan’s Palace, the remains of Kempegowda’s fort, and Lalbagh Gardens. My favorite of all these was the art gallery. Not for the art normally on display, but for the exhibitions showing when we went.

Outside the gallery was a huge crafts market and inside there were three rooms hosted by local artists. My favorite was from a man named A. K. Govindan. He had this amazing piece of a tree trunk flowing out into beautiful green leaves and in the peaceful feel of the painting was centered a figure meditating. There was so much harmony between the elements of the painting. I loved it. Honestly lost myself for a few minutes just admiring the work. He is a friendly fellow who is not very well known, but is truly blessed with creative talent.

Other noteworthy items:

• If you’re looking for typical south indian food (idli, dosa), remember it is a breakfast entrée. You won’t find it at lunch so dine accordingly.
• Be weary of silk and sandalwood shopping; best bet is to go to Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium as it’s government certified and prices are good (less expensive than Mysore)
• Use OLA cabs if you are staying further away from the city and need reliable transportation. Amazing concept Bangalore has mastered: cabs on call. Call for a cab and get text updates as to where they are, prices are reasonable and cars are respectable.
• Traffic is bad. Don’t doubt the reputation Bangalore has.

Majestic Mysore

Mysore is about a 3 hour drive (200 km) southwest of Bangalore. We left Bangalore early in the morning for a daytrip to Mysore. During the trip we were able to see Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hill, and a silk factory.

A brief background on Mysore: The name comes from a place called Mahisasura where a demon (Mahisuara) was slain by a goddess (Chamundi). Mysore was founded by the Wodeyar dynasty in 1399, but remained in the power of the Vijayanagar empire until mid 1500s.

Mysore Palace was where the Wodeyar maharajas lived. In 1897, during the eldest daughter’s wedding, there was a devastating fire and the entire palace needed to be rebuilt. English architect Edward Irvin rebuilt the palace by 1912. The most interested things we learned was that the last day of Navratri, Dussehra, is a huge event in Mysore. [The 9 day long festival of Navratri represents the triumph of good (Hindu deity Ram) over evil (Hindu deity Ravan).] The king would sit on a howdah made from 300 lbs of gold during the festival to thank all the good fortune in his life. 

Chamundi Hill was also a beautiful view and the Sri Chamundeswari Temple was interesting to see. Most noteable, though, are the monkeys. A hilarious memory: being attacked by monkeys and throwing our cold drink at them while tripping on a light pole behind us and falling to the ground. Plenty of people around to view and laugh at our experience.

The Government Silk Factory was an amazing experience! Definitely a go-to if you go to Mysore. The factory is not very traveled, but the entire silk making process (omitting the cocoon to thread step) is done there and viewable to the public. To top it off, it was entirely free. The silk making process as I remember it being explained:

1. Winding thread to a bigger roll
2. Doubling two pieces of thread
3. Twisting the two pieces of thread together
4. Rewinding thread 
5. Warping: 85 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes
6. Threading onto 900 meter roll
7. Weaving 14,800 strings (width) into a 6.3 meter long sari. This step takes 4 hours.
8. Bleaching fabric- gold thread isn’t affected
9. Dying fabric
10. Ironing fabric
11. Final analysis to ensure quality is up to standard. 

Things I Miss...

During the NRI (non-resident Indian) season there are lots of families from abroad that come to India and visit family and friends, as well as travel. It’s evident from all the stores (specifically jewelry and clothing) posting large “NRI SALES!!” signs. In any case, I digress.

The point of my post is to shed light on the things I miss, apart from people. I am blessed to have people traveling from the states and asking me what I want from there because I may miss it here. Luckily though, I've adjusted well to the products available here: beauty, hygiene, clothes, etc. In reality the things I miss have more to do with lifestyle.

I miss independence the most. The single woman traveling creates a lot of angst for family members and moving around is cushioned by messages ensuring my safety and comfort. I knew in my heart it comes from love, but I struggled with this when I went to Delhi. I understood the worry since the terrible Delhi rape incident had happened only a few days prior, but in all honesty, I missed the freedom to roam about and discover things for myself. I am slowly understanding the different way of life for a girl versus boy in India, but it still seems foreign and I find it hard to not question.

I miss clarity. The ever-present “Indian standard time” (a term used to describe the regular tardiness of Indians) is on steroids here. This has been crazy hard for me to deal with professionally, as well as personally. I have always been fond of planning and having a schedule (sometimes even in the form of Excel spreadsheets) and the ability to create a schedule in India and stick to it is dreadful. Even for classroom settings it is hard- festivals and celebrations constantly trample through plans and dance around them until they’re fully disheveled.

I miss luxuries. I’ve gotten quite used to bucket baths, but I miss standing showers and dry spaces to change into clothes. Indian bathrooms are all one level- for the most part. The shower head is generally not working (hard water creates calcium blockages) so you shower from two buckets, a bucket of water and a small bucket to pour on yourself. In either case, I enjoy the reduction of water consumption, but I still get soap in my eyes when I wash my hair.

So those are some of the things I miss. I’ve acclimated to life in India fairly well, but there are definitely things I’m looking forward to when I come back to the states.

PS - I also miss Mexican food, Thai food, In-n-out, a sturdy internet connection and driving my car with the windows down.

Summing Up Seva

I closed the Seva chapter of my trip a week ago. It was similar to when I quit work- lots of emotions and feeling a little threadbare after having left everyone. My relationship with India has formed through the lens of service, and my time was spent with Indians who live without the luxury of things I took for granted. I am excited to see family but to some degree I feel like it’s a persona changing experience. The luxuries we claim, as NRIs, are so harshly different from the lives of the people I have interacted with for the past 5 months. I’m not ashamed of the experiences I've been privileged to have in my 25 years of life, rather, I’m struggling with how to let my heart feel comfortable having see the other side of things. Some may say ignorance would have been bliss.

On a positive note (I do still dub myself a realistic optimist), I have loved the experiences of the last five months. I have met so many amazing children and inspiring people. My time has really planted a seed in my heart to return in some capacity and be part of India again.

A few of my most special experiences were eating pani puri roadside with some of the kids and talking to one of the girls about resolving a quarrel with her friends. The friendships built through the Dosti Project have been so incredibly amazing to see and hearing the children scream “Ami-didi” when they saw me are memories that will remain close to my heart. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have spent these five months here. It sounds so cliché but I am pretty sure I gained more from this experience than I was able to give.

All and all one of my biggest lessons learned has been the importance of clarity of heart. My heart and mind were focused on service when I left the states in August. Unfortunately, my first go wasn't as smooth as I would've hoped. The fallout left me in a week-long haze of confusion, but then I found a new organization and miraculously was able to focus back on my original intent. Opportunities presented themselves organically and I was able to persevere through daily obstacles because I had clarity of heart.