Hello Good Peoples!
hope all is running smoothly in all your lives
So- its time for the latest stories from Mumbai, Goa, Hampi and now Bangalore!
Apologies if the last entry was full of random thought trains/ India bitching- truly i reckon ive gotta keep control of my monkey mind -keep a positive attitude to be able to enjoy the challenges of India.
Last few days have been lots of fun
Having arrived in Mumbai- Indias most famous city largely thanks to bollywood, this one city home to production of 40% of Indias GDP and known for its shocking extremes of wealth and poverty, i was prepared for some chore like travel in chaotic, hostile surroundings- but i knew i had to go and see it for myself at least. However i was pleasantly suprised by the cities charms. The buzz, energy, vitality was obvious in the streets, the people well-dressed and better nourished than in other parts of India, most took little notice of a lone tourist as they went about their activities with purpose, others were particularly friendly and seemingly without alterior motive.
I was busy each day with full program of activities, mostly on foot, such as Haji ali mosque- protuding out into the ocean and mahalaxmi, walkeswar temples, Mahatma Gandhis home in Mumbai- now an atmospheric museum, climbing hills for views, visiting a hanging gardens and chasing after info on Jainism with some local gurus.
Grand old colonial buildings, huge public parks in the city centre, beaches, mosques (packed for Eid festival) and a Jain temple, enthusiastic kids, riding the local train with the Mumbai commuters- these were the highlights. As quite a cosmopolitan city, it reminded me of Bangkok+some Indian style mayhem.
Youth and others dressed quite fashionably in western clothes (same now in Bangalore- a friend i made today proudly telling me that Banglaore is the worlds no.12 fashion capital....?), females even revealing a little flesh, men well-dressed in shirts and trousers. Saw two separate film crews doing their thing- one at a historic pond another at a beach volleyball scene (tried to get into the background so look out for me next time ur watching bolloywood!). no sign of any communal violence anywhere- the reason why we bypassed mumbai on a family trip back in 1994.
Marched through the cities streets, alleyways and bazaars, visited museums, chilled at the beach, always surrounded by this bustling energy of the city- not particularly hostile, just intent, active, purposeful. Jumping the fence, Dashing accross the railway tracks with dozens of locals in time to catch the next train back to Colaba was a little rush. The Prince of Wales museum was worth a visit, with an eclectic collection- without any serious focus. Comprehensive section on Indian coins dad would have liked. The Baazars were exciting to weave through- dodgying heavily laden porters who couldn't possibly see ahead of themselves!
From here a found a bus ticket to Goa despite being told they were all fully booked. 15 hours on a non-reclining seat later i decided to make tracks to Anjuna beach- apparently a prominent backpacker hangout- to meld in with the crowds for a while and enjoy some good company. However, things were not to work out as i had planned- the beach was full of British lager swilling package tourists burning in the sun, and rooms prices were hiked so high my mouth dropped at the thought of forrking out the cash- so i headed for the inland town capital of Goa- Panaji- hoping to found a more reasonably priced room there. Not much luck- so i considered going straight to Hampi after a day tour of Old Goa- which was lovely- those portuguese clearly know how to build churches cause there were some HUGE and ornate, beautful churches in Old Goa- said once to have rivalled Lisbon in grandeur. When i got back from Old Goa, suddenly the idea of 3 nights out of 4 spent on buses didnt really appeal to me, so i crashed in a dump in Panaji that cost $20 when it would normally cost $4.
ended up taking 2 days to tour the beaches in north of Goa and Panaji town, local bussing it around with Indian tourist hordes and the grim-faced locals literally being squashed by their economic lifeline-tourists. It was hard to notice the famous chill of the local people compared to most India when it seemed like most India was in Goa, but when i got a chance to chat quietly with a few shopkeepers their warmth and genuine hospitality had a chance to shine through. It seemed i was at the right place at the wrong time. The main tourist beaches of Candolim and Calanguete were ABSOLUTELY packed- more people on any beach than i had ever seen- extending for 10km, masses of people, i could hardly see the sand, i was shocked. Met some nice locals though, a lady playing host to her sister from Mumbai, and joined in with them for a ride on a Jet- Ski- it seemed apprpriate at the time even though i deplore them normally. Went for a dip- first swim in India- blissful- i even managed to barely notice the smell of Jet-ski fuel and ripping vibrations of their engines under the surface.
Overnight bus to Hampi- were i was in for another pleasing surprise- What a charming place!
granite boulders strewn throughout the landscape, amongst them, stark ruins of palaces, forts, bazaars, bathing places, hallways, and of course many temples. There is a proud history to the place- location of the capital of a mighty empire which was the bastion of Hindu resistence to Muslim incursion into india throughout the middle-ages. Talking to the people though, i felt none of the BJP style Hinduvta nationalism one might expect in a place with such history. mostly locals were friendly and smiling, offering directions and wanting to share a cup of tea, eager to know my home country and practice whatever other English they knew, in a non-hurried, kind sort of way. Ended up spending 3 days in Hampi instead of 2, saw pretty much all the temples witihin a 10km radious, and could have spent much longer.
The whole scene of the many hillocks made up of these huge granite boulders, sitting above the plains of lush crops and waving palms, winding rivers and dramatic stone monuments nestled all throughout was extremely capitivating, it had a feel of being a place for the ages, reminding us of the beauty of natures contrasts, mankinds attempts at greatness- perhaps in an imitation that though enduring, can only fade in the scale of time while nature continues.
the first day as some local festival attracting many Indian pilgrims but a friendly crowd, i visited a major temple- Virapakshar and the ground of the huge courtyard was greasy with ceremonial Ghee, discarded oil lamps, incence sticks all around, lines of packed pilgrims waiting to make their offering at the shrine, a colorufully decorated elephant another attraction for visitors. The beauty and detail of the carving was immeaditely clear to me after entering and i felt a wave of awe at the scale and beauty of the monument, not even considering the massive and towering carved entrance gates.
In terms of the architecture and iconograpy Vishnu took a more prominent role here than in other holy hindu sites i have visited such as varanasi, maheswar, om kareshwar, where Shiva and his lingas seem more prominent. This is partly because of the connection of the area with the Ramayana epic- said to be several location where Rama and his companions rested as mentioned in the epic and Rama is an incarnation of lord Vishnu. To be fair the monuments werent only religious- the rulers seemed to have many secular concerns too- like the sanitary, economic welfare of their subjects - and so built huge bazaars for trade, irrigation systems and public baths to promote agriculture and public welfare and also focussed on walls and fortification, barracks, to protect the city. Many large ruins lay scattered about the countryside without much to indicate them- exploring these empty and silent, ancient places such as a army garrision, small shrines and hilltop watchtowers, getting to these places up some rough tracks by bicycle had to be the highlight of Hampi for me.
The prominent features of the main temple were often the pillars- ornately carved with horses and sometimes musical notes were produced upon tapping these columns, freizes on pillars and walls of monuments of elephants, archers, lotus, soldiers, lions, dancers, angels, queens, meditating figures. A minor influence of tantric elements barely noticable in the occasional sensous pose or barechested figure. Otherwise passageways, heavily decorated pillared halls were major themes, many echoes of Angkor temples in Cambodia coming into my mind, though Angkor surpasses these monunments by its sheer scale.
Renewed planning for new years led me to decide to head south and further east to Bangalore (where i am now), en route to Mysore for a couple of days over NY, before Ooty- a tribal hill station in Tamil Nadu, then 10 days to relax in Kerala before spending the final few days in India around Chennai and Mamallapuram
so next entry could be from Kerala- happy new years to all, have fun as we celebrate another round of the sun- dont party too hard- my resolution will be to remember my resolution the day after! : )

A Traveller's Dilemmas

Hello Friends and Family
Thought id add a post here with some more personal notes and reflections on the travels instead of the routine chronological monologue.
Many thoughts, reflections and theories accur to me in moments when i have a chance to ponder what is the meaning of all that i am being exposed to - q's like- what is the point of all this travel?- it is for seeing things, taking snaps and haiving the satisfaction to be able to say 'i went there and i did this!'? Or is it the more personal journey that matters? is the destination or how one gets there of importance? Falling again back upon buddhist thought- in this case backed by 'convential wisdom'- i have to say it is the journey which is of real significance- although i need to keep reminding myself of this lest i get continually caught up in the swirl of sightseeing and organising the trip. A valuable travelling partner i met along the way- Mukti (a.k.a Rudolf) was very helpful in reminding me of this in the context of my fervour to keep to a tight travel itinerary. Our discussions about what makes 'a good or worthwhile man' and the poem 'Percival' from the composer Wagner were also absorbing.
Overall, the major sense of unease that experienced during my trip has come from a lack of understanding of locals. I have come to see it is to establishing genuine inter-personal connections with people in the places you visit as a fundamental part of any travel experience - and really how can anyone claim to know a place without having met and got to know some of its people? Language plays a big part in this. As well as just stopping, listening and watching, responding, smiling at the right times- exhibiting goodwill. My Hindi is very limited so this hasnt helped me much. Otherwise my attempts at goodwill sharing have, with notable exceptions often come against a brick wall of Indian people's disinterest. Mostly they seem more occuped by their attempts to gather income or maintain their fragile ego. It is almost all males that i have a chance to interact with and younger males seem to almost ineveitably behave with outward agression, portraying an accusing frown when i look questioningly in their direction. Manners (that i can sense) and hospitality towards outsiders are not a strong feature of the general population- 'externalities' are left unconsidered in public spitting, urination, defecation, pushing in lines and it seems that the strong rule over the weak in almost every sense. As my friend mukti quoted 'you really have to force them to do anything'. Another traveller i met said 'nah, you can't be friends with them' when speaking from his experience of rip-offs and false friendliness with Indian people.
When this gets me down, and i feel myself starting to wear the frown that alot of folks are showing me i use tactics like reminding myself- just observe, don't react, don't judge, just be where i am, open eyed- and it seems to work. Another sure fire way when walking along is to start humming to myself the old tune- 'don't worry, be happy' and work myself up to contended song- what kind of idiot could react badly to that tune!
Perhaps in time (with the spread of education and better standards of living) the situation will improve, but my opinion of Hinduism in so much as its commonly practised in Indian society has taken a battering, from a previously idealised image that had survived 3 previous trips to India. Though generalisations are bound to have their limits, I can theorise that Hinduism (poorly understood by most) and the caste system (though officially abolished) doesnt provide a strong enough moral basis for responsible citizens and reinforces human irresponsibility by attributing all outcomes to the will of various gods. In practice Karma seems forgotten, personal flaws are seemingly excused if one shows deference and makes token offerings to various deities, proceeds forked in by greedy temple acolytes. A lack of pride or understanding of the indigenous cultural fruits and achievements of India seems also prevalent.
In trying to answer the question of which religion realises the best practice of social behaviour My friend Mukti who had travelled right across the middle east and central asia en route to India- had a much higher opinion of the behaviour of people in those muslim countries than people in India and spent alot of time trying to tell Indians (mostly hostile to Pakistan) that Pakistanis are good people! He also agreed that buddhists have perhaps the best practice of all religionists. I started to be able to relate a little to those (e.g. Islamists) who dismiss Hinduism as 'idol worship' rather than a genuine delving into the circumstances of human existence- but it depends if you read the vedas or watch the hordes. To be fair, modern moralistic teachers like swami RamaKrishna & Vivekanda seem to have some following.
Perhaps a solution for India could be a broad uprising of the lower caste people to demand equal status and opportunity and take responsibility, affirmative action, for their own plight- why not convert to buddhism en masse? (it has already started in some places) as i'm pretty sure after discussing this with many that most higher castes won't give up their prejudice unless forced.
A question hat has kept reccurring to me when visiting many sacred and anceint temple sites is- why was it that in anceint India, after the great rising of Buddhism, led by kings like Ashoka, cleaning Hinduism of its idolatry and inequality, after 750 years or so, Hinduism again came to hold sway and 'reabosrb' Buddhism into its fold? Hinduisms adaptability is notorious- it's flexibility allowed it to reincorporate Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu, while perhaps holding his teachings sacred for a time, while today Buddhas message seems largely forgotten. buddhism placed more personal responsibility on people, it was less mesmirising compared to the flashily impressive, visually stimulating hindu temples (see notes on temples at Ellora caves) and it is a hard message to sell to people that what they think is good for them (i.e. their desires and attachments) is actually the cause of their suffering. Whereas hinduism embraces and worships human life, human emotions and human limitations, Buddhism asks us to rise above and beyond our petty limits using the power of our minds.
I also want to make a note about the male-female balance of Indian society. While it may seem a male dominated society when one considers the trends of dowry, female infanticide, 'sutee' tradition and womens illiteracy, i see a deeper trend of 'femininity' within the culture. Men don't come accross as particularly 'masculine' - they are mostly small and scrawny (though in Mumbai better nourished) and do not appear disciplined or morally upstanding. In the home i would imagine that women are obliged to exercise control beyond their outward appearance of subservience, and here in the home at a young age the motherly ego-buttering of boys begins, increasing male dependence upon female attachment. At least i can say that the masculinity/feminity of a culture is not so simple as it is sometimes portrayed, and i would say both forces need to be cultivated and in balance to promote social progress. Perhaps im also a little frustrated here at the lack of access to female company- for research purposes of course!

In terms of local interaction, perhaps because of the differences mentioned earlier, many travellers in India (and elsewhere) have a tendency to congregate together, seek solace in each others company, sharing complaints about the rip-offs or shoddy transportation system etc. etc. Though this is tempting, to me it kind of defeats the purpose of travelling to another country if one is to privately bag the place and reminisce about home instead of making renewed attempts to discover the place you're in. Keeping in mind that the reception you get from people is often a reaction to the energy that you yourself convey is probably also important, and you've really got to put yourself outside your comfort zone, take some risks to be rewarded with the kind of memorable interactions with locals that really 'make' a trip- learned this in Se Asia where language was a big factor. Next time i'm gonna learn some decent Hindi first- this could make all the difference in India and i'll take at least a few months so i won't be in such a rush. Now im in the south of India Hindi is a less-important language but i'ill still keep learning, and i will try to s l o w d o w n and not be under pressure to hurriedly see what there is to see and get to the next place for the next few weeks (though there's still many places to visit- Hampi, Gokarna, Kerala, Chennai, Mamallapuram)
so the next entry (hopefully in a few days) will introduce the thriving metropolis, economic capital of India- Mumbai, the beaches of Goa at Xmas and ancient Vijaynagar kingdom capital of Hampi. see you then!! merry Xmas and happy new years if i don't write u before then!

Varanasi-Aurangabad

So, here i am in Aurangagad, in Maharastra state, just east of Mumbai, India. Since i last wrote i have visited many amazing and wonderful places on a step by step 2000km journey South-westwards across India- from Varanasi to Khajuraho, Sanchi & surrounds, Mandu, Masheswar, Om Kareshwar and today the awe-inspiring Ajanta caves. So much to absorb and appreciate in a short time, and a challenge to convey the locations and experiences using words.

To begin with- Khajuraho was a teeming tourist town, with an array of Hindu and Jain temples dating from the 10th and 11th centuries AD. These temples are famed for the depth of detail- artistic skill- creating a sense of human emotion, fluidity and above all, sensuality in the figures depicted. Most often featured on the temple are carvings of women- queens, consorts, apsaras (celestial nymphs), milk maidens and village wives. Khajuraho has even been described as a monument created primarily to honour the female form and its beauty. The relaxed curves, smiles and poses certainly convey a charming sense of joy in life and love between couples.

It seems from this place that there need be no contradiction between religion and sexuality- that those among us who a affinity for both the spiritual and sensual aspects need not be dismayed by a difficult choice! Many of the postures depicted left little to the imagination, and as usch these carvings represent a uniquely liberated form if religious art, free to express the beauty of the female form, unafraid of the temptation of desire- the suggestion is that we should perhaps embrace our sexual nature and experience it to its fell enjoyment- as such these temples have been connected to the tantric school of thought which reaches for ultimate liberation through orgasmic saturation.

at the temples some touts would simply come up to you and say repeatedly 'erotic, erotic' trying to lead you away to some kama sutra style pose depicted in the stones. The lack of rain for 3 months- drying up the agricultural lands and preventing cultivation adds to the problem of hassles for visitors by pushing more locals into working with tourists to earn some income. The most enjoyable time i had in Khajuraho was escaping the tourists traps by riding out of town, along small sandy paths lined with catcus to the base of a 150m high hill. I scrambled up the steep and thorny hillside for a view over the surrounding fields, trees, mountains, watching planes take off from the airport, viewing the temples towering in the distance, fires burning, sun setting amongst clouds- here was peace, quiet, calm.

Here in Khajuraho i met an Austrian guy who had driven his VW van all the way from Europe, we were headed in the same direction and agreed to meet on the next leg- in Sanchi. Also hang out with some other young Aussie and German travellers, sharing stories etc.

After a long, cluttering and thrashing overnight sleeper bus to Bhopal (famous as site of the Union Carbide disaster that killed 16000 people in 1984) a caught a local bus to Sanchi and soon headed up the hill to explore the monuments. Sanchi is not overly spectacular to the eye- the size of the monuments is large but not huge and decoration of the buildings was usually quite simple- but the gateways leading to the main stupa were a major exception highly decorated on all sides- archway, pillars- with animals, nature scenes, figures, battles and flowery motifs- coming from events in the buddhas life, his past lives (Jataka stories), and other historic moments. Notably again monuments provided a historical chronology of developments in Buddhist art & architecture- with the oldest buildings depicted buddha as a stupa or bodhi tree while later on buddha (and boddhistva) statues and carvings were added. Foundation remains of many monasteries, subsidiary stupas were scattered around the hill- showing that this place was once a flourishing religious centre between 2000- 1500 years ago.

A highlight in Sanchi was taking the afternoon to ride 30km through the local countryside- greeted warmly and shown the right way by many friendly villagers- waving and practising their limited english, one fellow was keen to share his water (from a bore) with me and i accepted another rode with me almost the whole trip to make sure i found the right way. Rode to the Udaigiri hindu caves carved into rock, an ancient pillar from 150BC dedicated to Vishnu, erected by a greek emissiary who converted to Hinduism and the busy town on Vidisha to 2nd century brahmanic temple remains.

In Sanchi met a nice and quite spiritual old local fellow- Parihar- who told me openly of his struggles with local authorities, life philosophies and local fables- we had some memorablle discussions while he took me to some special local spots where old statues and ancient rock paintings were scattered about. Met up with Austrian- known by his Indian name- Mukti (meaning one in search of Moksha- or enlightenment) as planned.

We took a long drive to Mandu stopping occasionally to meet the locals, photograph the countryside- its nice having your own wheels. In Mandu on our first afternoon, a chance meeting with Jain Sadhus at the jain temple led to a memorable interaction with these inspiring characters. After showing us all around the temple, eagerly explaining all the features and facts about their religion- we offered some money- but they refused to accept- they do not touch money! In fact these guys, who spoke almost flawless english gained during their carefree youth in a wealthy private school, had been walking across India for the past 5 years. They eat only once a day- depending upon the generosity of locals they pass and never use cars, buses motorbike- only by foot- and no shoes. They practise Ahimsa non-violence and thus sweep the ground in front of themselves to avoid crushing bugs underfoot. Meditating, chanting softly and reading sacred texts are their major daily activities apart from walking 25-30km each day- they were so friendly- and told me their sole focus in life is the mission to achieve moksha- ultimate liberation from the cycle of deaths and rebirths. Wow! these guys are determined AND disciplined. Their strength and clarity of spirit was obvious through their eyes and manner. They gave us mementos and seemed touched by our gesture in spending much time with them.

The main tourism features of Mandu are its location atop a 600m high plateau, the area walled and filled with 14-16th century remains of a grand capital of a Mughal dynasty- the finest Afghani architectural remnants in India. Massive mosques, tombs, palaces, water playgrounds and marketplaces scattered profusely across a large area inside and outside the city walls. Pointed arches and heavily domed roofs were prominent features, with many lakes as their backdrop. The red stone and marble buldings were graceful, yet strong and imposing in design- large pillars, walkways high roofs, geometric designs- the architects and builders were obviously brilliant mathematicians- the buildings often perfectly symmetrical, complex floor plans and elaborate water systems to control the flow, cool areas down in summer. Some buildings showed remains of flowery white marble motifs, brightly glazed painted tiles that must have covered most of the buildings during their heyday. It must have been a glorious city. Even the royal familys midwife's sister had a large tomb built in her honour. On the 2nd day took a walk along the fortress walls for a magnificent view over the hills and valleys below- many old mosques visible covered in greenery. At the Delhi gate main entrance i tried to imagine princes and processions arriving on elephant back colorfully dressed and shining with gems, flute music playing in background.
Wandering in the almost deserted royal enclave was highly enjoyable- many large, multi-levelled old buildings to explore.
Jahaz Mahal- the ship palace where the ruler apparently kept his harem of up to 15000 ladies- was a highlight- its triple towered 120m length lined on both sides by large lakes. In another place a Shiva temple had been replaced with a water retreat for Mughal royalty. overlooking a valley, with prominent inscriptions about the auspicousness of the natural surroundings in Persian, the place now once again converted into the site of a Shiva shrine.

Drove to nearby Maheswar after driving right in to explore an old caravanserai and having a close encounter with a few trucks and buses on the narrow roads. This city is 000s of years old and its fame is enshrined permaneanrely in indian history by its featuring in the classic hindu epics- the ramayana and mahabharata. it was another quiet and calmly charming place, few tourists. Climbed to the hilltop palace, wandered the stone-lined riverside lined with temples and ghats, fortress walls towering up beside the Namarda river. Took a boat to watch sunset from a temple seemingly floating midstream of the river- serene, with waters all around, sun firing its last burst of orange and red into the sky, against the clouds. Stayed the night here at a very friendly and relaxed GH, the kids were charming, playing badminton with them was fun and they didnt even ask for money! This would be a nice place to stay alot longer.

Om Kareshwar is a bustling pilgrimage town, an island covered with temples, auspicously shaped like the AUM symbol and housing one of only 12 of the most sacred lingams (phallic symobls) in India- jyorthilingam- that are naturally occuring and not carved into the distinctive shape. Devotees line up for hours to view this symbol for only a few moments- and i joined the thronging swarms. Many of the so-called religious officials patrolling the main temple were keen to make a quick buck- one offered me a short cut to the front of the line for 200 rupees other insistently gestured for you to give them money as offering- when i reminded one of these greedy temple acolatyes following me around that 'religion is not money' he quickly retreated, looking guilty.
I walked all around the 8km circumference of the island, up to the hilltop where a 7th centrury temple (Gauri Somnath Mandir) stood- i climbed inside for a short meditation in the highest attic, beside the linga. Walked along a quiet stone path, past stone gateways, walls, statues and ruins until i reached a beautful temple, lined with large elephant staues and held aloft by equisitively carved pillars- this temple- Siddnath- overlooked the massive new Narmada Dam just upstream- which, in its unnatural, bare, dully functional form looked remarkably out of place amongst the graceful monuments and ancient stone carvings. (read Arundhati Roy 'Power Politics' for more on this dams controversial construction). Descended to the bathing places in the front of the island for a refreshing dip in the only moderately polluted waters, listening to the sounds of drumbeats overhead, the chantings of a waterside Shiva bathing ceremony, i calmly meditated while the cool breeze refreshingly brushed against my bare wet skin, tingling.
Said goodbye to Mukti that evening and took a gamble to try and reach Ajanta caves the next day- and stay on schedule to catch my train to Mumbai. Bussed to Khandwa from where i got a train ticket for local class to Jalgaon- me and a few local chaps squashed together merrily on wooden benches- even managed a few winks of sleep with head on some fellows shoulder! In Jalgaon i took a few hours sleep in the station waiting room before catching the first local bus to Ajanta at 6am. shuttle buses werent running when i arrived- so i saw the 4km walk with full backpack to the caves as some nice morning exercise- joined by a bunch of schoolkids and their professor we jogged along in unison.
Ajanta caves are simply spectacular. Massive stone edificies hollowed out of solid stone cliffs, many filled with elaborate statues and intricate paintings- they are one of the most magnificent masterpieces of Buddhist art ever created. Subtle lighting inside the caves added to the sobering mood of awe at the sight of such wonders. Some caves acted as monasteries- accomodation for monks- and the highly decorated pillared and statued prayer halls were lined with austere monastic cells were monks slept. Other caves were simply places of worship, with massive buddhas, stupas and other statues and colourful 1500 year old paintings still visible on the walls. The faces of some figures- slightly closed eyes, gently smiling lips- spoke of deep serenity, wisdom. Visited all the caves and walked up to the viewpoint for a view over the horshoe shaped gorge where the 30 odd caves are perched. Massive stone buddhas- most often in teaching- dhyana mudra- pose were powerful and imposing. Even the pillars inside the huge halls were intricately carved, as well as the walls, doorways, rooftops lined with majestic statues and/or finely detailed paintings.
A 3 hour bus later and i settled into Aurangabad- wandered a popular local park at dusk, where families and young amourous couples enjoyed their domains at opposite ends of the park.
Today i visited Ellora caves- another world heritage listed cave complex nearby aurangabad- this time from a mixture of faiths- Hindu, Buddhist and Jain and emphasis here is on statutory decoration rather than paintings. The highlight is Kailasa temple- the worlds largest monolitihc stone structure (created from a single piece of stone) dedicated to Shiva, and full of magnificent carving and statues of Shiva in his many different forms, his voluptuos partner Parvati, animals and mythical creatures, flowery lintels. The main temple building was fronted with a entrace hallwway and 2 massive pillars, the sides of the structure lined with multi-storey halls, viewing platforms, each filled with many more carving, statues and other decorations. The bases lined with large elephant and lion statues- sometimes wrestling each other- reminded me of the symbolic struggle between Buddhism (represented by the elephant) and Hinduism (represented by the lion) in ancient India i had seen depicted in stone in temples of Orissa. Competition between the religions was apparently part of the motivation for building more spectacular monuments- it seems a shame if this is a major reason why buddhism lost out to Hinduism in India by the 10th century- it couldnt match the hindus ability to recreate life in stone.
Some traces of the colourful red and yellow paint that would had covered the temple still show. This temple was full of life and action, the atmosphere created by the energetic depications contrasted with the more calm and austere, though beautifully decorated, atmosphere in the Buddhist caves at Ellora.
The Buddhist, Jain caves were also grand and beautiful, some triple storied, huge square halls lined with teaching buddha statues, some simple and some elaborate, and some chaitya rectangular caves for worship as at Ajanta. huge stone Buddhas in standing and sitting, yogic postures, and also attractive female figures accompanying buddha or sometimes depicted separately. The Jain carvings of their tirthankars to me closely resembled buddhas, though the few Jain temples were highly decorated with lotus flowers, trees, animals and also female figures- it seems a touch of tantricism was influencing Elloran carvers back then too!
Ive been taking squillions of photos and would like to share some- i have uploaded a few to a site at flickr- callum_mcqueen to check them out
tonight am training it to bustling, cosmopolitan (and somestimes squalid) Mumbai- Indias economic capital, then down to beaches at Goa for Xmas/new year (hope i can get a train ticket!) see you next time! Have a merry xmas friends!

So- where am i? Im in Varanasi. But more to the point- where were we up to in the blogging records/saga?



OK- So i left the big city of Kathmandu on 3/12 and retreated into nature at (Royal) Chitwan national park- located in the central lowlands of Nepal, bordering on India. Staying in a quiet village, Sauraha, my lodge right beside the rapti river on the banks of which crocodiles (gharials and muggers) often bask nearby. Just what i needed to escape from the cities for a natural high.

My time was spent canoeing, walking and bicycling riding through jungle, forests and grasslands, elephant riding, touring local towns & villages, admiring domestic elephants and wildlife, birdwatching in wetlands and conversing with locals and other travllers.

The most remarkable thing about the place was the frequency of wildlife sightings- as if the population of animals was very high, there was little or no problem with poaching and animals felt quite confident to be around humans. On my first full day i visited an elephant breeding centre where a wild rhino had just wandered in to hang out, metres away from buildings and people etc.- it baulked at charging me when i walked to close (5m)- to the panic of my guide- but i think it was just an act and the rhino really liked the company of humans!

I was also able to see 2 x mother and baby rhinos from elephant back, many monkeys and spotted deer while on foot, wild boar, sambar deer and mouse deer from my bicycle in the forest- as well as so many beautiful and graceful birds- such as circling eagles and prancing peacocks, large and small.
People in Chitwan- locals were friendly not pushy in shops for tours etc. Many local villagers belong to a tribe called Tharu which has developed immunity to malaria and a lifestyle unique and in relative harmony with the park. Visited the Tharu cultural museum-interesting with many festivals, and watched a Tharu cultural performance of music and dancing- an energetic display with animal costumes and even a twirling cross-dresser (did quite a convincing job!)! The Tharus practices are very matriachal- with festivals just for women and men living with the family of their wives- perhaps this explains their cheerful and naturally harmonious lifestyles.............

6th of december said goodbye to Sauraha and all the wild animals to catch a bus to Lumbini. 2nd leg of the jounrey was made riding on the roof of the bus for the best view as we approached the sacred buddhist site of Sakyamuni buddhas birth and the ancient temples, pilgrimages places that have evolved around this site. After arrival in town, i toured the main sights. They are not visually spectacular but are powerfully atmospheric and obviously ancient- a preserved stupa in the centre marking the exact site of the buddhas birth, other excavated periphery building remains, a 2nd century BC Ashokan (Great buddhist King of India) stone pillar, sacred pond and bodhi tree, the area heavily decorated with multi-colour prayer flags and pilgrims in reverential meditation.

Had the pleasure to stay in the Korean monastery in Lumbini for 2 nights- which has been turned into a travellers hub for monks, pilgrims and visitors. All accom and meals free on donation basis- those koreans have alot of loving kindness! Also allowed me to escape the exortion racquet in the village outside the monastery zone- made up of muslim- i wondered if they were the descedants of the islamic invaders who had desecrated such holy sites back in the 10th century (although by then Hinduism had regained its ascendancy in India) - for being 'idolatrous'. Our muslim jeep driver was by all means a fine character however- negotiating some horribly potholed roads to take us to the isolated monuments the next day.

took a tour to rarely visited monuments outside Lumbini the 2nd morning- shared a jeep with few other travellers to visit the remains of the city where the Buddha grew up, a palace from where he escaped from in rejecting the worldly life, old stupa and ashokan pillar remains and a famous lake where the king of the Sakya clan (buddhas descendants) sacrificed himself to save the rest of his people from massacre at the hands of a brutal, ruthless invading king. In this story however, the Sakya clan was forced to scatter- this is why today no one knows where are the living descendants of Buddha. Palace gates, and the obvious earthen rampart around the buddhas family castle and other excavations were all that remained . Took some imiagination to appreicate the limited sites. Tried to imagine the scene of the place during the buddhas lifetime. Would have been alot of lush forest back then (as in the stories), wild animals all around, clearer sky allowing a view of the high snow covered peaks to the north, fewer people, but similarly cultivated fields, peaceful surroundings, a more harmonious naturally lifestyle prevalent- such surroundings could inspire idealism in the buddha as a boy.

The isolated villages we drove though, and their friendly inhabitants were probably as interesting as the monuments. Many huge hay piles, villagers fanning rice to separate husks, farm animals, colorfully clothed women fishing in packs with hand nets (shy to be photographed!), bright yellow fields of canola and freshly harvested rice.

Later in the afternoon i took a long walk around to visit all the various national monasteries constructed to honour the site- in their varying architectural styles- like a mini buddhism world fun park! went to Chinese, Nepalese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Burmese (or should i say Myanmarmenese?) temples. Also a notable german funded (Tara foundation) temple with richly adorned stupa decoration and equisite buddhist paintings in the tibetan style- they kinda represent tibet which can't officially have its own temple without upsetting china.

visited the Lumbini museum which was well-displayed with many replica statues and photgraphs of artowk spanning the full geographical, historical and artistic & architectural developments of buddhism around the worlds through the centuries. Features on some historic Buddhist sites im yet to visit on this trip like Sanchi and Ajanta caves only whetted my appetite to get to there.

Joined in the korean style prayer sesssion in the meditation hall of the monastery on the last night there to experience a new type of devotional activity- alot of standing and sitting, bowing in patterns with chanting- i hummed along contentedly and followed with some meditation afterwards. Really enjoyed staying here- have met some lovely people such as a Japanese monk who tuaght me alot in a short time and other younf people interested in Buddhism from around the world. Sad to leave but many more places to see- off in the land of INDIA!

Got accross the border nice and early (no bribes asked for!) and 2 very slow buses, 300km across rural Uttar Pradesh where it seemed the villages were alomst continous (not surprising for a state with 170 million living in an area the same size as victoria), and 9.5 hours later i arrived in Varanasi- holy city for hindus on the ganges river. Last night wandered the busy streets, dodging insitent rickshaw-wallahs and salesman, making a few necessary arrangments after finding a hotel.

This morning headed to the bnks of the ganges river in search of a bicylce, laundry, ATM and internet with photo-CD ability- logistics take time. Made it to the riverbank for a walk, watching the kids play cricket, many holy men working their trade under umbrella beside the river- offering advice, blessings, few people tried to sell me hash, among other things, while i admired the views of the river, numerous small boats, tall ghats, temples, palaces and mansions facing the river, faces of huge Shiva and Parvati paintings anear the most famous cremation ghat, dasaswamedh, reflecting the morning sun. however i had been here before and would be leaving by train tonight- so my primary destination today was to a place i hadnt yet visited- Sarnath, just outside Varanasi, where the Buddha expounded his first sermon- known as the turning of the wheel of law-2550 years ago. Rickshaw got me there by lunch and i enjoyed a visit to the archaelogical museum where many priceless artwork were on display such as the top of an ashokan pillar decorated with 4 lions - now the state symbol of India, a huge standing boddhisatva statue with large carved stone umbrella, a renowned piece with buddha sitting and teaching, fingers touching, wheel behind. Most of these artworks were from 5-6th centuries A.D (the Gupta period) but many where also from the 11-12th centuries- with strong Mahayana and tibetan buddhist influnces showing - while other were from the earlier period (pre-A.D) when buddha was never humanly depicted in stone. In Sarnath the large Dhamekh stupa- 34m high, 45m round soild stone dominated the ancient site, with many temple, stupa and monastery ruins being excavated around, a inscribed Ashokan pillar, and a jain temple next door said to be the site of the 11th tirthankar (enlightened Jaina holy man- beliefs similar to buddha such as Ahimsa- non-violence). Also national monasteries built by buddhist countries around the world. I made the prescribed triple clockwise circuit of Dhamekh stupa and took osme time to soak in the surroundings. Some dedicated young westerners were circuiting the stupa dozens of times- prostrating themselves on the ground every few steps- likely a self-denial exercise to fortify the strength of their practice. Seems like its spreading- could it be that western nations will be the location of a renewal of the Buddhist civilisation- as predicted 000s of years ago by buddhist astrologers?!

The same evening, after visiting the very sacred, golden gilded (800kg of gold) Viswanath Hindu temple, beside a newer large whitewashed mosque- the area heavily guarded by security forces- i was patted down twice and made to turn off my mobile kept in locker storage- are they expecting a terrorist attack i thought? - i found out later the heavy police presence was due to the communist party annual national conference taking place in Varanasi from the following day.

Bumped into some Koran friends from Lumbini and played some cricket with local boys beside the river before preparing for the next leg of journey.

- I had a patience testing time at the train station- my train 4 hours late being told by announcent every 15 minutes for the whole 4 hours that it was about to arrive. Still, slept a little on the cold stone floor of platform 1 before boarding at 3am, snuck a few hours sleep before finally arrived in Satna 5 hours late at 11am. Shared a jeep with 4 fellow travellers - 2 aussies and 2 germans to my next destination- a 8 seater costing only $27AUD for the 120km journey- i can live with this- just gotta find some other tourers headin in the same direction each leg!

As i write this i have arrived in Khajuraho- home of Indias most equisitely sensous and erotic temple carvings created during a brief period of blossoming artistic genius during the 10th and 11th centuries- but more about that later....................

Since i last wrote i had one last day in Pokhara and then bussed to the nations capital and bustling city of Kathmandu. Have had 3 days here exploring all the most important and attractive sights (thee are many) in the city and surrounding valley.
In Pokhara, the final day was spent viewing sunrise over a himalayan panorama from the highest local peak, Sarangkot at 1592m, where there was a180 degree clear view up to the soaring peaks of Dhauligiri, Niligiri, Glacier Dome, AnnapurnaI, II & III, Machhupachhure, Gangpaurna, Lamjung Himal and others, all well over 6000m covered in now, glowing golden with the first rays of sun. Could see right across and around the valleys of Pokhara, Phewa lake and the high himalayan foothills petering away towards the Gangetic plain in the south. Felt a bit lazy to trek 3 hours from town to the hilltop- so indulged in a motorbike for the bumpy ride up there (And thrilling coming down!) from town- excusing myself with the idea i couldn't catch the sunrise if i trekked!
Took my time up there, chatting with some energetic Nepali youngsters on tour from Kathmandu, dodging other tourists (mostly Nepali and Indians) for the best pics, trying to avoid photgraphing the army base we were perched in and above (with big signs saying DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH HERE- kinda hard considering it was all around), and generally basking in the birds eye views of the world below (and above).
In the afternoon- travlled across town by public bus to visit a Gurung (Tamu) cultural museum - these guys are the ones who make up the famous British army Gurkha regiment. They also have a fascinating cultural tradition- such as haunting music and possession like-dancing, beautiful handcrafts, shamanic cermonies mixing nature spirit worship with Tibetan Bonn religion and Buddhism, tradtional medicine and other ceremonies. Reminded in many ways of the cultural practices of some more traditional mountain ethnic groups in SE Asia like the Akha- may have had similar burmo-tibetan origins. While i was there a funerary ceremony was taking place, which i humbly observed. There was dancing, chanting anround the white-cloth wrapped body. Later, by the riverside a shaman and the first born son led prayers, which were followed by ceremonial piling with sticks then lighting of the body on fire. Good time to contemplate mortality.
Next day the long bus ride to Kathmandu was scenic but windy, narrow rode- some of the other tourists on the bus seemed about to have a heart attack as we passed around blind corner and swered within inches of trucks flying past- but hey, that's driving in Nepal!
found a GH in Thamel, the tourist district of KMD and explored the streets some on the first night, i discovered the traffic, crowds, action gave the place alot of buzz and the touts were quick off the mark and persistent too. lots of tourists and a large area full of GHs, hotels, bars, souvenir shops, travel agencies, cafes, postage service, trekking shops, laundry, massage and about any other business you could imagine tourists might need.
Next morning found a bike for rent and figured this was my ticket, renting it for 3 days planning some serious touring around to the sites of the area. 1st day went out to Sywayumbanath buddhist temple, a towering stone and gold-gilded stupa surrounded by smaller stupas, sikharas, shrines, bells, prayer wheels, ancient inscribed stones, bronze lotuses underfoot, candles, boddhisatva statues, wheel of life symbols, several ornately accessorised gompas (tibetan monasteries), one with a massive statue of the buddha sakyamuni, and the area is replete with colourful prayer flags tied up between all the high points on the monuments. Alot to take in, so a wandered for more than an hour. One particularly sacred shrine was packed with worshippers and richly decorated in gold. The whole complex has great views over the city and valley, through the smog of pollution, mostly caused by vehicles. A long staircase up to the temple is lined with animal statues (buddhas vehicles), sacred prayer stones and large painted buddhas in meditation. Also hordes of macaque monkeys keen to snatch your lunch (one got a piece of mine!). After Swayunbunath, i headed further out past the stupa to an important but much smaller Vishnu temple, to get a taste of the countryside and talk to a few friendly locals more nice views too and a zoom coming back down on the bike- hadn't tested the brakes much first and i very nearly came off going over a speed hump at 40kmph+ -right in front of an armed soldier!
Next rode around th city to the country's most important and sacred Hindu shrine, dedicated to the god of creating and destruction Shiva in his most benevolent form as Pashnupati. Cremations going on here, emotional families, burning bodies by the river and rows of ornate and towering temples behind. I walked up to the stone terraces on opposite side of river to watch the going on, with a view over the many temple roofs in the large complex. Rama is worshipped in a temple here to, and 3 other temples up a stone lined walkway behind pashnupatinath were also large, one with a heavy dome, many smaller shivalinga shrines, statues in a forest of tall old trees. Chatted with a local nutter who was raving loudly and incomprehensively from a highpoint in the centre of the complex to locals dismay- he seemed to appreciate my efforts to calmly relate- perhaps not so nuts -just craving attention.
Later i rode on to Boudnath, the massive buddhist stupa, famous for its half-closed eyes painted on its base of its pointed top. Many tibetan laypeople and monks and other devotes here, tourists, moving in a steady processions clockwise around the temples base and i joined the flow. Circle of shops, art galleries, restaurants hotels, and one large golden-painted tibetan gompa around the stupa. Climbed up the whitewased sides of the stupa to circle higher and pay my respects at the shrine, contemplation on his teachings bringing a few moments of calm contentedness. View of the mountains over the open rooftops of the old buildings.
Pushed on for one more temple in the evening a few ks further out- the gorkana mahadev temple- a hindu temple, malla style, dedicated to shiva but with many elegant1000+ year old statues of all the hindu gods & goddesses and god forms surrounding he main building. Here a friendly & knowledgable member of the temple conservation commitee was happy to show me around- such as to a unique statue of 1st vedic (Rig-Veda- 5000+ year history) era rishi and a horizontal statue of shiva reclining of a bed of nagas (normally only vishnu is in this position).

Yesterday was dedicated to exploring the other two prominent cities of the valley- Patan and Bhaktapur- that were rival city states with Kathmandu for many years during 15th-18th centuries- they competed with each other through vigourous building of monuments and the legacy is awesome displays of architectural masterpieces lined up in each city square. Many other old, golden, gilded, and ornately carved, decorated temples, stupas, shrines and ghats to visit in the surrounds of each town as well. No shortage of devotees paying their respects to each of the deities either. In Patan (only a few ks south of Kathmandu), it's own durbar (palace) square was some sight to behold. Stone-paved square and wide stone walkway beside the palace wall, extending for about 200m, the length lined by many tall and elaborately designed building of different styles, stairways up to temple shrines lined by massive statues of guardians, elephants, horses, lions. In front of many of the temples was a stone column topped with a statue of the temples presiding deity, with a statue of the Malla-era king atop the column opposite the palace entrance. The beautifully carved golden doorway lintel leading into the palace especially memorable. The many surrounding old and masterful building gave a real ambience of artistic history a continuing legacy from the crowds of locals themselves enjoying the ambience. Bumped in to an Aussie, Dale, id met in the mountains while in the Austrian funded and well displayed Patan museum. Also visited a number of other wonderful hindu & buddhist temples in Patan, such as the golden (mahavir temple) and the mahabuddha temple.
Next to Bhakpatur, 20kms north-east of Patan. here the sense of history was even more pronounced, the old-city's buildings invariably tall old-looking and ceramic brown with fine wooden windowframes. The narrow stone streets of this town, hardly let any sunlight in between the buildings and are thankfully free from cars and motorbikes. 3 separate public squares in this town offered superb architectural surroundings. The heavy golden palace entrance archway was even more exquisite than Patan, bells, peacocks, shimmering in the sun- a priceless artwork of humanity (thats why its UNESCO world heritage listed!). The palace here is known as the 55-window palace for the 55 equisitvely carved windows that line it. The towering five-tierd Nyatapola is dedicated to the goddess of the 5 earthly elements, and wa a great place to climb up and watch the square below, hustling sellers and bustling crowds, and admire the buildings around. Further east is the famous peacock window, the most equisitely carved wooden window of all, the detail so fine i could hardly make out its depths from just 2 metres away. Bhaktapur with its woodcarving legacy is naturally thus home to a thriving wooden handicraft industry, and also many ceramic artisans, their shapely wares on evenly patterned display in the potters square. In other parts of town were Nepal largest lingams, many stone carved shiva and buddha statues sitting on small stupas by the river and a colourful Ram-Sita (heroes of the famous ancient epic, the Ramayana) temple.
Last moments of sunlight were passed at a temple to the sun god, Surya Binayak, south of and overlooking the rooftops of bhaktapur, it tall temples, the surrounding valley and its cultivated fields, and a row of glowing pink himialyan moutains far in the distance to the north.
Today was spent exploring sites closer to home- in Kathmandu city itself- primarily the Dubar square area and south towards the river. The Talleju temple at the top of the square was the most massive but none allowed to enter (enjoyed the colorful entranceway instead) except for festival days. Kathmandap, at the south of the square, is the large and multi-roofed wooden pavilion, built during the 12th century, that gave the city its name. In between were many varied, tall, colorful, elegantly shaped temples and shrines, including an important colourful shrine, a black statue to Bharaib, one of Shivas most vengful and destructive forms, wearing a necklace of skulls many devotees here (he must be placated). Further along the happy couple Shiva & Parvati are housed in a beautfilly carved wooden palace (and stare ot from the top story window). All this runs along beside the old royal palace with a carved wooden facade, tample towers and even a section of European-style white columnades. Took a relaxing break sitting on the top level of the Maju deval, watching the bust streets below. Rode south to visit sites outside the durbar square, like the queens pond, makhala temple and a vishnu/shiva/brahma (trimutri) temple beside the river.
As with Patan and Bhaktapur the woodcarvings on temple, palace and (even regular) home buildings was spectacular (though i reckon Bhaktapur takes the cake). The architectural diversity of these cities should not be underestimated- there are many different styles such as wooden/stone, Malla dynasty era (multi-tiered roofs), Sikhara (Indian style honeycomb shape), Mughal (square and domed) to name only few, and all the temples are unique in their own ways. Hard to stop taking photos with each having something different to offer.
also visited a smaller Boudnath replica temple near Thamel, where an old tibetan lady and i took a mutual shining communicating through smiles & gestures, we wandered clockwise around the temple. Thangka peddlers persistent here too.
To me these monuments symbolise all the powerful forces that work on earth and in human nature explained through the pantheon of Hindu deities and incarnations, each honoured, acknowledged through shrines, temples (with blessings hoped for). From the Hindu perspective, Buddha is integrated into the faith as an incarnation of Vishnu- buddhists can be sensitive to this topic (e.g anti-hindu graffiti at buddha as vishnu shrine), While many other temples are dedicated solely to Buddha as the enlightened one, who simplified and purified the corrupted and ritualisitc, inidividually limiting and self-justifying forms of hinduism (e.g. rejected caste system). Today Nepal is majority Hindu (approx 80%), with a significant buddhist minority (approx 15%).
All this sightseeing involved riding over 50kms per day through some very congested, bumpy streets and narrow alleyways- buses flying past, horns from all directions- was all sorts of fun!
Tried to do some shopping this afternoon- alot of fine crafts here- but bargaining is a challenge with the inflated tourist prices. Got some fabric and brassware, then sent a 10kg box home, full of warm gear for trekking, books and shopping.
It is a product of the unemployment and poor infrastructure in Nepal that sponging off tourists becomes the most attractive option for many- perhaps they can't afford pride or a sense of morality (like i would understand it) either. So i should have compassion for the professional hasslers, though their surely a serious test of patience- i have to shake off dozens of ambitious and persisent folks each day. Yes, it is not easy as a independent and individual traveller in these parts when your on a tight budget with a heavy itinerary and a tight schedule too. Tomorrow am off to Chitwan national park in the south and central, lowland (terai) part of the country. Hope to see much wildlife and get a break from the city. I have taken the easy option and booked a package to visit chitwan, so we'll see if that takes any spice out of the adventure. Then to Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, where i hope to find some serenity and enjoy the atmosphere, before crossing to India- to Varanasi en route to Khajuraho i imagne (but u never know....)- so my next entry will be from Incredible India!
goodbye and good luck!