Report from India, Part 3 Together at last!, Day 1, Part 1

This is actually from Day 2, but more pics in later posts

We began our first full day together with a visit to the Cottage Industries. We bought tons of silk for a Waldorf school colleague. (Silk is good for eurythmie robes). While in this multiple-floored 'department' store*, we did NOT buy hand-painted silk, bags, saris, shawls, rugs, a baby elephant inside a mother elephant inside an intricately carved egg (all carved from of a single piece of marble), spices, teas, ties, tailor-made suits, jewelry of all kinds, instruments, shoes, etc. I'm sure you get the idea.

Our next stop was the Birla temple. We were led to a little room where we foreigners could remove and store our shoes. The Indians had a separate coat-check-like place to leave their shoes. Then we padded on stocking feet around the temple. It was fascinating and beautiful to see the devotion of the visitors, with what reverence and adoration they bowed and placed flowers before the statues of Indian gods. It was reminiscent of a devout Catholic prostrating himself before a statue of Christ. Even the little children**, with “Namasté held”*** hands and bowed heads, tossed flowers at the statues' feet.

I found many of the translated inscriptions beautiful. They spoke of reverencing God and of his goodness and grace. Others talked about other aspects of typical Hindu worship, such as seeking to rise above the physical body and the physical senses to follow the path of enlightenment and to bring forth their inner potential. Several would have easily fit in at a Christian church as well.

Another lovely thing was the musical, lilting chant-like 'reading' of scripture. One man, sitting at a microphone, began a passage and then the other 5 or 6 men seated with him repeated it (or continued it? my Hindi is a little rusty...*cough, cough* (Shall we say, it's so rusty, I'm anemic?)) The chanting fondly reminded me of my visit to the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. (Fun side note: The main Hare Krishna or Iskon Temple, at Krishna's birthplace, is on our tourist agenda!)

Next stop: Tea shop. Let's just say, Indians like tea. A lot. When you try to explain to them that you do not drink tea (black or green, which was all they had), you get a look that seems to imply you've chosen to stop breathing. Their next thought is “I better up my salesmanship”. When we (as Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who don't drink black or green tea) asked for 'fruit tea', they presented us black tea, with fruit aroma. Ah well.

No, we didn't want to just try a cup before deciding. No, we just really didn't drink tea. Finally, the comparison to the salesman's religious vegetarianism made it clear. It was like us telling him, “Here's some meat. It's really good. Just try it.” Suddenly he was very apologetic. We assured him that we were not offended and that not all Germans or Americans *don't* drink black tea. In fact many/most do.

However, there were also spices in the shop, so the sale was saved. They were aromatic enough to fairly burn off your nose hairs—in a good way :). We bought some pungent green and black cardemon (or as our spell-checker suggested Car-Demon).

For our 3^rd stop, there is so much to tell! Click here to read all about it.

* By 'department' store I mean there were literally different departments or themed rooms--not areas for different brands, all with essentially the same types of wares like in the American sense.

** For those of you who feel that children joining in worship is too akin to brainwashing, think of how we, as Mormons, take our children to the temple grounds and teach them to respect and revere the House of the Lord and how we take them with us to church every Sunday. Or how American children are routinely taught to respect the American flag. (F points out that this practice is rather creepy for Germans, being reminiscent of unhappier times in German history. For me, as an American, this was just a normal part of growing up. Yes, I can still recite the Pledge of Allegiance.)

***When I say “Namasté-held” hands I mean hands held together, either with steepled fingers or with flattened hands pressed together, fingertips pointing up. This will come up a lot :)