Learning Traditional Indian Dance at the Gandhi Memorial

A trip to Mahatma K. Gandhi’s memorial led to a wonderful surprise of games and dance on our third day of “Mission India.”  As we walked past the gates of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, we saw an array of people who were there to honor one of India’s, and the World’s, finest leaders and advocates of peace and freedom.  Faces in the crowd we saw had the look of awe and curiosity almost everywhere. Many seemed as if they were at home and in comfort within the Memorial. Children laughing in the distance first caught our eyes. I walked along with Bei, Mark, Caleb and Amanda drawn like magnets towards the laughter and chatter of young sweet voices. Though there were many sites to be seen, we all felt connected and touched by sound of laughter and innocence in the distance ahead of us. We stopped and stared at the children dressed in their beautiful and colorful traditional Indian clothing. Girls ran past one another with a youthful mentor running along in a game they called, “chain” We were invited to play this game with the young girls. We did! Amanda and I were eager to win yet we were the first caught in the chain! We ran, pulled to the left, and to the right. We laughed like the children. We became them. I felt at home as I thought of my own children and how long it has been since I last joined them in a game of tag or ghost. I was deeply moved by the kindness extended to us,  two grown women, two strangers, to play this child’s game.

After the game we learned that these girls were attending a dance class. Miss. Vijaya, the children’s dance teacher, volunteered her weekends to teach girls classical Indian dances.  I was touched by the time this lovely woman took out of her day to make these girls happy. Perhaps Gandhi’s message inspired this young woman to make her weekend sacrifice of time, yet she looked just as happy as the girls and most likely viewed this as no sacrifice.  Next, Vijaya invited us to watch as the girls preformed all kinds of wonderful dances for us, this day was to be their free day of dance yet the girls accepted us as guest and were eager to show us the art they learned. Girls ranging in age of 6 to 14, stood in their positions moving every part of their bodies in sync, with the motion of their limbs. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I thought of the focus and obedience they must put into each and every step they learned. Even their necks, eyebrows, eyes, and mouths moved in unison with their dance motions. I was amazed at this intricate art form and with Vijaya’s dedication to the girls.  Amanda, Bei and I were invited by Vijaya to learn a dance called the chak. We were taught to move our hands pointed out aligned with our feet in this simple beginners dance. I wanted to dance more yet the lesson was soon over L. Vijaya explained that the chak, a traditional Indian dance meaning “square,” which is why our bodies were in a square position as we danced.  We all thanked Vijaya and her young brilliant group of girls for their hospitality and kindness. This day, I am grateful how the people of India value their culture so intensely they are willing to share any part of it with strangers from a world outside their own.

Dance, laughter, joy: all of this happened to us while we were the Gandhi Memorial. The sense of joyous peace was everywhere.

~ Antonia M

Smells, Dirt, and Magnificence!

Many people have heard the 18^th century proverb which states that cleanliness is next to godliness.  Well, apparently someone forgot to tell the greater population of New Delhi about this saying. Not only does this city have poor sanitation, but it also remains home to questionable health practices. Yet despite the conditions that are running rampant throughout this city, the health of the general population remains in good shape, and efforts are under way to combat these problems.

After having a few days to explore the city and see life how it really is, it pains me to say that it really is a hard knock life. Nobody would agree with this statement more than the citizens of this city. Not only must they contend with the unrelenting grey cloud that lingers over their heads, which is smog, not bad luck, but they also face significant sanitation shortcomings.  When I first stepped out of the airport in New Delhi, aside from being greeted by the smog in the air and smell of urine on the ground, I was forced to look at piles of trash collecting on the sides of street corners, in abandoned lots, and even on the street itself. Needless to say, hygiene is obviously not a priority for most of the people here.

Although hygiene may not play an integral role in the public life of this third world society, a shroud of immunity seems to cover the citizenry.  Normally, you would expect to see somebody who readily dives into piles of horrid rancid trash piles to contract some type of ailment. Here, however, people do what they have to in order to get by and have been relatively successful thus far. While this practice generally prevails more in the slum areas, for obvious reasons, a new meaning can be given to the statement “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It is no longer about what is wanted. Instead, people do and take only the essentials to ensure survival.

In order to combat the health and sanitation problems this city faces, several initiatives have been adopted. For example, most public transportation vehicles here run on compressed natural gas (CNG). This reduces carbon emissions and helps the environment. Parks and gardens are also becoming more popular sights which serve dual purposes. Not only do these parks and gardens offer visual enticement and create a sense of beauty for the city, but also serve to reduce air pollution.                              

 Although New Delhi may not consistently have the luxurious sights, smells, or sounds of cities in developed countries, more important aspects such as culture and tradition continue to set a precedent which other places can learn from. This is a city several hundred years old and many aspects of it are magnificent, especially the historic monuments.

~Mark D.

Delhi Traffic

I have been waiting for a wreck to happen with this crazy traffic, and today I finally saw one! Some might call it just a minor fender bender because a car slightly tapped a motorcycle at about 2 mph. But I am going to count this as an accident. The driving in New Delhi is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I have been wondering why lines were painted on the road because no one pays attention to them. Cars just drive wherever they want, which sometimes includes sidewalks. Also, it is not unusual to find cars driving the wrong way on the highway. This makes crossing the road difficult, and turns “frogger” into a real life game. Something else that is out of the norm is the amount of honking that is done on the roadway, but surprisingly no one has road rage. The honking is just used as a signal for passing a vehicle and for safety purposes, but occasionally honking will be used to signal that a car needs to pick up the pace or get out of the way! To keep their vehicle in one piece, the drivers must always be alert, and it is hard not to be with so many things happening on the road way.  Even though Indians have unconventional driving methods, I have to say that I feel safe when I get in a vehicle.

What seems to foreigners like a stream of moving chaos that is traffic in Delhi is something that Indians seem to take it in stride. I don’t know how that happens, but it does.
~ Amanda W.

A Mosaic of Religions

The many religions of India are evident everywhere in Delhi. The mélange of spiritualities are in close proximity to each other even though some inter-religious tensions have been part of India’s history. Despite this, religions having their origins in India seem to share a common thread. We saw examples of this when we visited several religious temples, each belonging to its own unique faith.

The first temple we visited was of the Baha’I faith. The structure was fashioned after a giant lotus blossom and seemed fairly new. It was the first of many stops where our shoes had to be left at the entry.  Our bare feet on cold marble added to the ambiance of the temple. Inside, the structure was more or less hollow and resembled a small western style church. It was completely quiet except for a few whispers and murmurs from commentators which reverberated off of the white brick walls. Complete silence is to be observed so as not to disturb those in prayer. I felt inconsiderate and too touristy when one of the temple’s frequenters gestured for me to turn my camcorder off and silently went back to his pew with his family to meditate. There was a sense of peace inside the temple.

The second site we visited was a little different. The Hindu temple of Akshardam was the more fortified of the three of our stops. The entire complex is surrounded by a concrete wall and heavily guarded. Inside the gate, before reaching the actual temple, all back packs, camcorders, cameras, etc. had to be stored in a locker after filling out a form where every item had to be listed. After that, we passed through a final entry gate complete with security that would make the TSA blush. Passed that, we saw a temple with beautiful architecture. The detailed carvings in the building were extremely intricate and displayed highlights from Hindu lore. It was fashioned in the old Vedic style but was built only in 2005. Despite its spiritual connections, I did not feel the same serene atmosphere as I did before at the Lotus Temple. It is hard to summon those same feelings in place that has been dubbed “India’s spiritual theme park.”

The final place we visited was a Sikh temple called Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.This out of a was my favorite. Before entering we received a brief orientation on etiquette inside the temple. We removed our shoes and all the guys in our group had to wear an orange head scarf to cover our hair. The inside was very homely. The floor was carpeted and food was handed out at the door. We sat for a few minutes and watched the steady stream of worshippers circle around the inside with their hands clasped together in front of them. Their holy book was sung out loud with live music. For a religion that requires men to never cut their hair and to always carry a weapon, this is where I felt most comfortable. The sounds of the holy book had a transfixing effect that cleared your mind. The simplicity of the temple was made up for by the spiritual ambiance they had created.

All of these religions, however different they may be from each other, all have similar characteristics. They all consider personal reflection and meditation to be essential parts spirituality. With as many tensions that exist in India, it seems as though all religious groups regard peace very highly. This serenity rubs off on you.

~ Caleb F.