Mission Accomplished

Though this is a photo of me in Jaipur, I looked pretty much the same today and got multiple compliments as people went out of their way to congratulate me on assimilating to Indian fashion.

Two words: mission accomplished : )

Left to right: Mariya (Bulgaria), Carol (Brazil), the Owner of the Holy Cow Hostel, and Yours Truly

Flesh and Stone

My Indian travels finally began some weeks back when I and a group of interns decided that it would be worth a 12 hour bus ride to spend 3 hours viewing temples in Shravanabelagola and Halebidu (try saying that five times fast - or better yet, spelling it)

- Shravanabelagola, India - 

We began to question our decision about halfway up the side of a steep cliff as we courageously took on several hundred stairs and cursed our daily gulab jamun for weighing us down.

(for some reason, this picture refuses to load with the correct orientation) 

As we climbed higher, we were shocked to see an old man happily trotting down the side of the cliff carrying a bucket and adjusting his turban every few steps. We were surprised, you see, because the turban was the only thing he was wearing.
Maybe he was trying to prepare us for what we would see if we ever reached the temple?

At least when you weren't faced with damaging sights burned into your retinas, the view was quite nice:

And I have to admit, what we saw when we finally reached the top was even better.

With the same pride (but less sag) than the old man enjoying his morning hike au natural, this Indian god built hundreds of years ago and is still a towering sight to behold. Attended to by temple priests offering blessings to passing tourists and the faithful gathered in the courtyard to sing praises, he looks out upon his domain with a cool, unfeeling gaze.

- Halebidu, India -

In my opinion, this is the hidden gem of India. This temple was nearly as breathtaking as the Taj Mahal, and it's a shame that it doesn't get the attention it deserves. Imagine the detail of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, multiply it, and apply it to the interior and exterior of a great Indian temple tucked away in a (relatively) small town. 

What's even more incredible is that every single statue in the entire building is unique, and there are thousands of them throughout (this picture above is only one small portion of the entire temple, pictured below). My favorites were, of course, the elephants marching along the bottom column with each one striking a different pose (though the kama sutra carvings also proved interesting).

They say this temple is incomplete, which explains the lack of an ornate roof and why some portions of the decoration are left untouched. But archeologists have offered a different explanation as to why there are spaces of stone without statues: it's a challenge to the next generation, to see if they can match the talent of the craftsmen who built this temple.

It raises an interesting question: If we were compared to our ancestors, all things held equal, how would we compare?

Sorry...

I haven't posted in a long time, but I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, promise.

I'll make up for it over the next few days, so stay tuned - there's incredible sights and experiences in store

Hampi, India

Acclimating

After three weeks of near starvation and more Domino's pizza than I care to think about, I have finally developed a strong tolerance to spice. 

Doesn't mean I particularly like doing that to my poor taste buds, but at least I can handle it now :) 

While I'm eating lots of food and have no idea what it is/what it's called, there is one thing I've really enjoyed: kerola parotha (specifically the parotha). Mmmmmm

Checking an item off my bucket list: The Indian Wedding

I'm still reeling from this weekend and the fact that I was invited to participate in a South Indian wedding, in India. I would have been happy to attend one in the states, but this was just incredible :D

While speaking with a coworker, I mentioned the three wishes I would want granted while in India: to see the Taj Mahal, ride an elephant in Jaipur, and attend a wedding. To my surprise, she mentioned that she and her family were going to one that weekend, and would I like to come?

Well, who wouldn't?

That's how I found myself wrapped in 9 yards of light blue fabric, decked out with bangles, gold jewelry, and a bindi. We traveled to Sneha's house and, after meeting her husband, parents-in-law, 9 month old son, and 94 year old grandmother (who all attended the festivities), we tried on saris. Despite feeling a bit like a burrito wrapped in all that fabric, I was thrilled and we set off. 

We arrived at the venue, and the first thing I noticed was all the colors. Now India in general is one of the most colorful places I've ever been (it's because people got sick of the bland desert after a few hundred years, according to the locals), but this was a whole new level. The second thing your senses are assaulted with is smell, and you realize all that color is from fresh flowers. I mean, thousands of flowers. Everything is decorated to the nines with beautiful bouquets, which are hung near the entrance, arranged in walkways, given as gifts to the groom, draped around the necks of important members of the wedding party (I somehow got one myself despite not even knowing the families that were getting married), and in every other part of the ceremony you can imagine. 

I wish I could recount for you every detail of the rituals, but there is no way to give justice to the grin on the new couples' face as the groom ties the knot on a necklace for the bride three time and they are married, doused in rice with turmeric, flowers, and beads. It was an arranged marriage, but neither the bride nor groom seemed particularly unhappy. Maybe a bit bored at times, but they performed about 20 hours of rituals over the course of two days. I don't really blame them. Everyone else attending the marriage was equally distracted - nobody besides me was watching the ceremony with rapt attention - and they were all milling about, chatting with their sister's cousin's brother's aunt. No one even so much as blinked when the transgender cross-dresser came in and threw a nasty hissy fit over not being paid immediately (it's actually auspicious to have a man dressed in a sari bless a new couple, and they are often paid to attend the nuptials) despite being in the middle of a complicated ceremony. 

I wish I could upload the pictures I took, but alas, I left the cord that connects my camera to the computer at home. So please accept these pictures as place holders, and I'll update the post in a few weeks with the correct picture. 

Now checking off "attend an Indian wedding" from my bucket list :)

Day 1: Sari

Day 2: Salwar Kameez

The Sky Bar

Picture this: a 16-story luxury shopping mall modeled after the elegance of the Roman empire. The highest-end stores, fine dining, and on the roof, an open-air bar with the best view of the skyline, a dance floor, and a dace permit (dancing is not permitted in Bangalore without permission). 

Add the best group of interns you could ask for - all international students starved for dance and drinks - and you'll get an idea of one of the most fantastic nights I've spent in India:

Carol (Brazil), Mariya (Bulgaria), Dan (Columbia), Laura (Mexico), Monica 

To be honest, I usually don't like going to dance clubs; I was even a bit skeptical about this one. It's just awkward when no one can dance and random guys grab your hips and (poorly) attempt to bust a move. But it's a totally different story when you're with people who know real dancing - I'm not talking about just the ability to bounce to the beat or trust your hips - and the other people at the bar are too timid to try anything. We owned the club that night, and with the view, it felt like the entire world was at our feet. And it was the best feeling in the world. 

P.S. If you're worried about the drinking age in India, don't be. It's 18.

Just Go

Advice from an Indian on a moped when I showed hesitation at crossing a busy street (and for good reason): "it's India, just go!"

My new motto, I think.