INDIA: The beautiful contradiction

My mind is so full of the sights and tastes and smells and textures and sounds of INDIA! It is the most beautiful contradiction I’ve ever experienced. On the one hand, India is a lush and lavish land filled with natural resources, live stock, agriculture and technology. On the other hand, India is filled with poverty, misfortune, disaster and calamity. During the short time we were there, there was a bombing on a hospital and a 6 point plus earthquake that rocked the northern region of Sikkim; the worst ever since the 30’s. Sadly, the earthquake left over 80 people dead.

India is the largest democracy in the world with a race of people exceeded in population only by the Chinese. Our guide told us 1 in every 3 persons is Chinese and 1 in every 6 persons is Indian. Wow! With all those people the contradictions continue. India is bursting with art and culture. Many families preserve a craft and pass it down from generation to generation. For example, ancestors of the artisans that built the Taj Mahal out of world famous Agra marble still produce high quality (not to mention high priced) marble crafts even today. The secret of each detail is encapsulated in the minds of the decedents, never written only orated from father to son. One such secret is that of the “glue” that holds the semi-precious gemstones in the marble. This adhesive is heated only once and used to affix the stones in the painstakingly carved out designs. Once heated, it can never be re-heated and it never loosens or fails. It stays “forever”.  This is the same process that was used on the Taj Mahal.

Agra Marble

However, just next door to the marvelous marble store there is trash piled as high as you can see. A skeleton thin market owner, making below pennies as a wage, sweeps dust back and forth with his make shift broom. If you look again you realize a naked child with a distended belly clinging to his mother’s hip as she reaches out a dirty palm for a hand out. Oh, the contradictions!  

Beautiful Indian Children (posing for money)

There is an obsolete caste system that is still in place, but has more recently been “modified” with somewhat of an “affirmative action” type regulation that sluggishly works toward bridging the great divide between the rich and sorrowfully poor. There are very little “middle class” to speak of, just “the have and the have nots”.

Then there are five star hotels and magnificent malls and elegant restaurants and sumptuous fabrics. Each face you get the pleasure of looking into is a beautiful work of art. Among all the palaces and mosques with their architectural magnificence one site was quite funny in its multitude of contradictions. On one city block, in Agra, Delhi or Jaipur, one could witness a camel pulling a cart, a cow basking in the warm sunlight, a water buffalo walking from his water hole, a rickshaw (bicycle taxi) pulling a young couple, a mom and baby on the back of a motor cycle (without helmets), a snake charmer, a bazaar and a Mercedes-Benz. Wow…again!

Rickshaw

Local Camel

The Metropolitan Hotel, Delhi, India (our hotel)

Contemporary life struggles to emerge from the ancient culture.  The country is, after all, quite a young nation, with just 63 short years passed since attaining its independence from the British. We were, however, very delighted to experience all of India’s aspects. It made us grateful for America. It also made us pray that the ideals, values and opportunity this great country has to offer will always be available to its citizens.  God bless India and God bless America!

There is more to come…stay tuned!

3, 2, 1...

The big day is quickly approaching and we have checked our list and checked it twice. In just two short days we are about to embark on a journey to INDIA! Throughout the course of this blog we have only scratched the surface of all the wonderful things there are to know about India. Hopefully, when we return we will be able to relay first hand all the thrilling things we’ve learned.

I started this blog by stating that no trip is perfect and this journey could run smoothly (or not) but either way this excursion will be the adventure of a life time. Certainly, we will have tales to tell, as well as awesome advice to share. And the blog won’t end there.

I plan to learn how to “tie” a sari, cook even tastier Indian dishes and fall in love all over again (with my hubby that is). With any luck I will accomplish all three and then some. I will share it all right here in Count Down.

Better still, the biggest take away from all of this are the blessings that God has given us. He has given us a thirst and a drive to want to explore and learn and grow. And by his grace we are instilling that in another generation of travelers.

Count Down to India will pick up again when we get back. Can’t wait to share all the interesting things we’ve learned. Remember, travel smart and travel safely!

End Corruption Now!

Wow! I just discovered that there is a growing anti-corruption movement going on in India! My mind is blown!  I am aware that our system here in America is not quite the same, but I am truly impressed with Indian government for trying to improve. But speaking of America, do you think that maybe we could get an  an anti-greed decree here in America? Better yet, can we get an anti-Party dispute decree here in America? Or how about a “Don’t stand in the way of everything good President Obama tries to accomplish” movement. Seems like Washington has become like Judas who sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. On the other hand, you have INDIA, who has decided that corruption in government is not only wrong, but some are no longer willing to sit by and tolerate it any longer. You go India!

(CNN) -- India's anti-corruption movement may be basking in the warm afterglow of success after getting the undivided attention of the country -- and its parliamentarians -- on the question of an independent watchdog body to deal with dishonest politicians and government employees.

But many observers are saying it is just one victory, albeit a significant one, in the battle against pervasive corruption in India. The war, they point out, is still a long way from being won.

The Indian Parliament passed a resolution last week supporting many of the protestors' demands. In turn, Anna Hazare, the 74-year-old leader of the movement, called off his 13-day hunger strike after the resolution acknowledged his central demands, including the creation of the post of the ombudsman known as the Jan Lokpal.

The Jan Lokpal bill is not a done deal, but there's no going back on the idea, said Coomi Kapoor, a contributing editor with the national Indian Express newspaper and longtime political observer in New Delhi.

A so-called standing committee of parliamentarians will now weigh the proposals to bring the judiciary as well as high-ranking officials, including the prime minister, under the ambit of anti-corruption laws.

Kapoor said some of the proposals could yet be watered down, especially one that would create a large and unwieldy bureaucracy to enforce the proposed act. But she added that the anti-corruption movement had been a "game changer in Indian politics."

"It showed people's strength," Kapoor said, "and it also succeeded in painting politicians as a symptom of the problem.

This is a great start! I commend the Indian activists and I wish them luck!

To read the article in its entirety click here

By the way, I try not to interject too much political opinion. I leave the conjecture and debating to those who are much better at it than I am, but even a child can see that where there is corruption, no one wins…in the end. Peacefulness, fairness, pure intentions, service and looking after the interests of the most needy is what this country “says” it’s based on, but somehow, some way America has lost that objective. The “greatest country” in the world needs a reality…

Nahji

My India fun facts today derive from the back of a doll box…and from inside the box and from the doll herself. As a matter of fact this beautiful doll is so inspiring my daughter now owns it.

Jeda had been promised a doll (by her Mimi) for being so diligent with her studies. When she walked into the Toys-R-Us, doll section, her eyes perused all the makes and models. Awe inspiring Disney caught her attention quickly, but having been there and done that many times, she quickly moved on. Next stop, Liv Girls. They were colorful and pretty and had slightly exaggerated features. She was not amused. Others that made her pause… at least momentarily were the multitude of Barbies, in many skin shades, many outfit changes and endless themes. Alas, she passed them all by. But soon she declared “Mommy, she is wearing a sari!” I began to pay attention. “Mimi, she looks brown just like me!” The little girl was sold on a doll named Nahji whose homeland is India. My mom and I had never seen a doll of this sort.  Nahji, was a part of a collection of six dolls called Heart 4 Hearts Girls. This rather new product was created to promote diversity and self confidence in little girls ages 6 and up. The hook that sold me was the company’s simple slogan:

“What if you could change the world just by buying a doll? You can, with Hearts For Hearts Girls™ dolls! Each doll is a girl that wants to make a difference in her life, community, and culture. When you buy a Hearts For Hearts Girls doll, a portion of the purchase price is donated to children’s causes in those countries”.

Needless to say, we bought my daughter her first Hearts 4 Hearts doll and she will probably eventually collect all six. This doll may just be Jeda’s (and my) favorite new toy!

Here are a few charming qualities about Nahji, in her own words. (excerpts taken from personal journal  that comes along with Nahji)

Here is a listing of everything that comes with Nahji:

·         Braided purple choker with pearl-like pendant

·         Drop earrings of simulated pearl and emerald

·         Removable beaded pearl headband

·         Golden bangle bracelets

·         Hand tattoo inspired by the henna mendhi of India

·         Purple strap sandals

·         Doll-sized hair comb with hair elastic

·         Girl-sized H4HG power bracelet

·         Beautiful mini storybook about Nahji’s life

·         Jeweled nose piercing

Here is a shot of the actual box

Here is the site where you can further explore the Heart 4 Hearts girls.

http://www.hearts4heartsgirls.com/products/

I hope this simple doll sparks inspiration in every little girls who buys her to love herself and her differences!

Holidays

When I embark upon the task of researching a topic on India, it quickly becomes daunting, as I almost immediately realize “it is easier said than done” to compile a comprehensive, not to mention informative yet still amusing account of the particulars about this vast subject. I am similar to my 4 year old, who often proclaims, “I want to know everything, about everything!” She really means it, I however reserve that proclamation for topics that truly intrigue me; those that claw at my curiosity and compel me look deeper. Alas, I am still unable to relay it all; all that I read and hear and glean since I have been researching India.  Oh, how I wish I could, but since I cannot, I will suffice to say that we will again delve into yet another interesting part of Indian culture. Indian Holidays.

Like Americans, Indians have all sorts of holidays, festivities and celebrations. Some are major holidays others are specific to certain regions. Still other holidays are specific to certain religions. Since I am American, when I first started researching, I looked to find some holidays that were comparable to our own.

Buddhist Indians celebrate “the New year” and it’s called Losar. It is celebrated for 15 days. On the first day they drink a beverage similar to beer called “changkol”. The second is the king’s Losar. This practice ironically sometimes falls on Chinese New Year. Losar dates back to pre-Buddhist times and therefore is also called by another name, “Bal Gyal Lo”. Gyal is “king” and Lo is “year”.  It is called the “kings year” because it was started by the first king and has been practiced ever since. There are twelve lunar months on the calendar and celebrators of Losar begin their festivities on the day before “new years eve” on the 29^th day of the last month.

The custom that day is to make special noodle called guthuk. It is made of nine different ingredients including dried cheese and various grains. Also, dough balls are given out with various ingredients hidden in them such as chilies, salt, wool, rice and coal. The ingredients one finds hidden in one's dough ball are supposed to be a lighthearted comment on one's character. If a person finds chilies in their dough, it means they are talkative. If white-colored ingredients like salt, wool or rice are inside the dough it is considered a good sign. If a person finds coal in the dough it has much the same meaning as finding coal in one's Christmas stocking; it means you have a "black heart". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Losar

Another very special Buddhist holiday is Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti. Some say it is the most sacred of days for a Buddhsit because it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death (entering Nirvana) of their most beloved teacher Siddhartha Guatama.  The next time Buddha Purnima will be celebrated will be on Saturday, May 5 2012.

What would a listing of prominent holidays be if we didn’t mention Independence Day? America is of course a very young nation in comparison to India. Yet India gained it’s independence from Britain a short 64 years ago on August 15^th 1947.

After more than two hundred years of British rule, India finally won back its freedom on 15th August, 1947. All the patriotic hearts rejoiced at seeing India becoming a sovereign nation and the triumph of hundreds and thousands of martyred souls. It was a birth of a new nation and a new beginning. The only fact that marred the happiness of the fruits by the blood of martyrs was the fact that the country was divided into India and Pakistan and the violent communal riots took away a number of lives. It was on the eve of 15th of August, 1947 that India tricolor flag was unfurled by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, on the ramparts the Red Fort, Delhi. Festivals.com

Continuing to scour history for more fascinating Indian celebrations, I ran across one that was not born in India, but is celebrated there by some. Boxing Day, occurs the day after Christmas (the first or second business day after Christmas in certain places) and it is a quirky little celebration concocted under the reign of Queen Victoria of Britain.  Boxing Day is not a religious holiday but it holds many meanings depending on the region that celebrates it. For some because it often falls on St. Stepen’s day it does hold spiritual meaning. For others it is a day to give to the needy and poor. Some countries have made it a statutory day off for all workers and for still others it is the best shopping day of the year, much like the day after thanksgiving for Americans.

Unfortunately, there will be no major holidays for us to partake in when we visit in september. There is always next time!

Following is a glimpse of a few more “holidays” celebrated in India:

Gandhi Jayanti Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday; Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Pongal Harvest Festival of South India; Saturday, 14 January 2012

India Republic Day Commemorates Constitution of India replacing the Government of India Act 1935.Thursday, 26 January 2012

Milad-Un-Nabi  Mawlid-an-Nabi; Birth of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
Saturday, 4 February 2012

Other sources for pictures and italics:

IndiaPublicHolidays-2012

TheHolidaySpot

Festivals

Bombay to Mumbai

Deviating momentarily, Count Down will return to Religions of India, rounding out an intriguing study of India’s most prominent faiths with Hinduism and Islam. For now, however, we are going take a peek at another interesting fact about India. How did the famous city of Bombay come to be known as Mumbai?

I have said it before, and I will surely say it again, but I do not want to run the risk of making this a history lesson. So to avoid that all together, here is just a brief rundown of some very interesting facts about this wealthy Indian city, which is the 6^th most populated city in the world.

-          Mumbai is not only the 6^th most populated city in the world, but it is the largest city in India with over 20.5 million people. It is the capital of the Indian state Maharashtra.

-          In 2009, Mumbai became an Alpha World City, simply meaning that the city is a “specialized city”, integral to the global economic system.

-          Unfortunately, with growth and change come terror and unrest. This technological hub and commerce super power has been the back drop for many terrorist attacks, bombings and protests. The most recent act of violence was July 2011.

-          The “Seven Islands” make up the land mass of Mumbai. They are: Bombay Island, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli, and OldWoman’s all of which were fishing colonies before the rule of several empires commenced.

Now, for the tale behind the name…actually it is not as intriguing as I thought it would be, but here it is anyway. In actuality, Bombay, (which is a misnomer, you’ll see why in a moment) is a name given by the Portuguese. But Bombay was not the cities only name, in fact, depending on the region or the family in power the city that sits on a “bay” was called many things, from Kakamuchee to Galajunkja. Manbai and Bombaim were commonly used in the 16^th century. Even more names existed throughout the centuries. Debates about the name of the city played out between historians and scholars like Jose Pedro Machado who rejected the idea that the Portuguese name Bombay (Bom Bahia) meant “good little bay”. He feels the toponym had nothing to do with a bay at all and that the word was mistranslated. Also, the literal translation of “Bombay” from Portuguese would be bom=good (masculine) and ba(h)ia=bay(feminine). Those of us who have studied romance language know that masculine and feminine must agree, raising the notion that “Bombay” should have been “Boa Bahia”, (“boa” being feminine).

Either way, Bombay was the widely excepted name as Roman Catholicism was a widely excepted religion during European rule. Mumbai, which was always among the historical references as title for the city, emerged as the official name for the city in the late 20^th century. It seems this fact is less controversial, as some believe (as they have tried to modify history) that “Bombay” was merely a British mispronunciation. This seems unlikely though, as “Bambai” is still a pronunciation of the Hindus and Persians today. More likely, it is an attempt to write out an “unwanted legacy of British colonial rule”.

So the mystery is solved. Bombay is now Mumbai…officially. But as with most changes, those of the old school still refer to the ancient city as Bombay. What remains true is that whatever you decide to call it, this up and coming nucleus for commerce, entertainment, trade and technology will hold its place on the map for years to come.

Note: The main source for this piece was good old Wikipedia (Wikipedia.org/Mumbai). In this article there were actually over 15 other variations for the name of the city now known as Mumbai.

Indian religions continued…Jainism

Jainism originated in India, but only makes up about 0.41 percent (roughly 4.5 million) of the entire religious population. It is still note worthy due to its noble precepts and honorable ethics.

Jainism by definition is “A non-theistic religion founded in India in the 6th century BC by the Jina Vardhamana Mahavira as a reaction against the teachings of orthodox Brahmanism, and still practiced there. The Jain religion teaches salvation by perfection through successive lives, and non-injury to living creatures, and is noted for its ascetics”. Webster’s Dictionary

This interesting religion came into existence around the same time as Buddhism. There is apparently a discrepancy as to who truly instituted the religion because various sources cited different names, although the most reoccurring mention was that of Tirthankar Rishabdev as founder. 

In a push to denounce extreme, forced religion, Jainism emerged denouncing the caste system employed in India even today. It also denounced absolute worship of any one supreme deity, but its followers, devout and true, conducted their worship free of violence and upheaval unlike the brutal and hostile establishment of so many religions.

At its core, Jainism is similar to the other Indian religions in the quest to bring followers to a form of purity and sanctification that put worldly suffering to an end. The path to this kind of peace is through self denial and withdrawal from secular behavior.

Due to the large number of libraries and high literacy rate among its followers Jainism stays a powerful religious force though small in number.

Jainism Symbol Courtesy of Wikipedia