Selections from My India Travel Diary, circa 2005
⊆ Monday, March 23, 2009 by Donia | dance , India , journal , odissi , poetry , travels . | ˜ 3 comments »
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:31:38
If you travel through America, states tend to blend into one another, of course there are distinguishing features between them in the form of regionalisms and topography. But going state to state in India can be like traveling to different countries. Nearly every state has its own language with a unique script. Cuisine, style, favored deity, customs and even truck art are all quite distinct.
Two shots of Bhubaneswar's famous Lingaraj templeFor the next three weeks i am a resident of Bhubaneswar. This city, the capitol of Orissa (an eastern coastal state - partially affected by recent tsunamis but before i arrived and not in his area) is famous for its many temples dedicated to Shiva (in the Hindu trinity - the demigod in charge of destruction). Some ancient texts say that at one time there were 10 million deities of him worshipped here. Apparently, it is not uncommon to find remnants of old temples while digging here. Actually, Bhubaneswar is another name for Shiva.
Orissa is particularly famous for is arts: textiles, painting, and dance
are its specialties.
Here - near Delhi - for five days with Guruji (my dance teacher)
Can't buy me love:
in a big house with love
locked in a mirror
like moisture-sucking wall paper
makes you pull away quick
nauseous and eager for the sun's waterThe Sweet Smell of Poison
Teeny, buzzing, whining, biting aggressors.
Better to tolerate them
and maybe tolerate malaria
or experience a "Good Knight" with the friendly perfumy household insecticide. Itching to choose the latter (the citronella oil from back home isn't holding up)
I wonder what my lungs think of the decision.Bird watchers Delight
You cannot imagine the variety...In Vrindavan (the "hometown" of Krishna, 90 km from Delhi, where i just was for three weeks):
The green feathered red-mouthed parrots travel around town at 4 pm chatting about the day.
One full moon night i got up, stepped outside and heard the peacocks meowing, as is their habit when nights resemble days.
A shock of blue on the clothes line and the king of fishers returns to his court. Of course, there still are crows and pigeons, there always are...
Noida has a bird previously unbeknownst to me. It sings only when a car is put in
reverse then its song resounds - like a parakeet on steroids. And there are auto
rickshaws that quack when their horns beep.Nostalgic confusion:
In the 6th grade i was under the impression that my statue was just that, impressive. my illusion was sustained by the thought that if you could see some of the top of someone's head then you were taller than them. A class walk past a reflective window clarified my short status. Here the reverse has occurred. Assuming myself among the smallest, the dance studio mirror has revealed otherwise.The Oldest and the Youngest:
Dancing
All the other students call me Didi (older sister)
asking me how long i have been studying
Smiling, i call them Didi.Good Care
At the art center - where Guruji stays and classes are held is one humble uncle. He maintains the place. Pious, unassuming, and attentive. One cold evening he gave hot herbal tea and peanuts. Three times he walked me home not wanting me to go unaccompanied. On the way, speaking sometimes in English sometimes in Hindi he told me about his hometown, the site of one famous ancient university (he will travel the 1600 km there in February), remembered his one visit to Vrindavan and spoke of when he lost his mind for a time after being suddenly rejected from the airforce academy because of a defect with his ear.
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March 27, 2009 at 10:15 PM Wow! What amazing travels and experiences. Look forward to the remaining installments.
March 27, 2009 at 10:16 PM PS - I love that bird!
March 30, 2009 at 4:31 PM Thanks so much for the encouragement, Heidi! The other installments are coming just shortly...