My room is next to the Tibetan kindergarten. I wake to the sounds of their morning songs around 6:30 in the morning. Again in the afternoon I hear them I hear them singing: today “Old MacDonald” and “Are You Sleeping…” Around 4:00 there is a flood of kids in blue uniforms running everywhere.
Thanka painting is traditional art form which dates back to the around the 7th Century. It was originally based on Indian religious art, but it has also incorportated Chinese, Nepalese and Kashmiri styles. Many Thangka paintings feature the Buddha or other dieties or demons.
Thangka is very precise in it the propotions of figures. Those studying this art form spend three years learning these proportions before they even pick up a paint brush.
I got to join a group of students from my old university as they skipped the three year introduction, and got down to painting. The outline of the picture had already been drawn, as is the tradition. The painting deliberately omitted a deity, as it would bring bad luck to paint such a piece incorrectly. This was the result of my 5 hours of effort.
Proof that I really was in the Himalayas!
I left McLeod Ganj on Tuesday night. I made the mistake of taking the “deluxe” bus, and it ended up being a cold, bumpy, sleepless night. Then I discovered that the key to my friend Mark’s house (where I was to stay) had gone AWOL. Eventually I tracked it down, and had a good night’s rest. Thursday night I took the night train (which was four hours late) to Ahmadabad.
From Ahmadabad I headed to Bombay to meet two friends, Kyle and Maryanne. They were flying in to spend 11 days travelling with me. I was excited to have somebody to share my experiences with: to be able to point and say, “wow, look at that!”
I’m in culture shock! As much as Bombay felt like a different country from northern India, Mysore is even more of a change. Every corner has a traffic light, and pedestrians actually wait for the walk signal to cross the street in most places.
There is a broad expanse of land which parallels the coast of Kerala for at least 100 miles that is criss-crossed with canals connecting lakes and rivers. Here the traditional mode of transport is of course boat, and one can take day or overnight cruises.
I am staying with the family of my friend Raj, whom I met in Dharamsala. He came down for Christmas, and brought a group of friends with him. His family is Catholic, and there is a small christmas tree in the living room. This area is very heavily Christian. Christianity here dates back to the first Century. The legend has it that the Apostle Thomas brought it here. The original Syrian Christians here still conduct their services in a dialect of Aramaic.
On Sunday, we came down to the beach in a place called Varkala. Overlooking the beach are red cliffs, atop which are perched a series of small hotels, restaurants and and shops. At any given time there are 4-5 eagles riding the air currents above the cliffs. The water is the perfect temperature, and I spent about three hours in the surf.
Christmas Eve was filled with fireworks. In between barrages, one could hear carrolers going door to door. Later in the evening, our gang went for a walk to look at the decorations on houses in the neighborhood. We walked among a sea of stars, lights and nativity scenes, with fireworks exploding overhead.