..and then there was auroville

just a few kilometers from pondicherry was auroville, an odd little city we'd heard about, mainly for its architecture.

since it was relatively close, we thought we would just rent some scooters and zip through the six (or maybe 10.. we never really got a straight answer) kilometers and be back in no time. well, after a few wobbly test runs up and down a quiet street we decided maybe the indian highway wasn't the best place to debut our scooter skills. we settled for regular old bicycles and headed out onto the open (congested) road.

all that for stop?

for a while everything was good. the city traffic cleared out.. we passed furniture workshops and open fields.. we even got a glimpse of the beautiful blue bay. then we hit kilometer five and i thought 'how much more of this?!' luckily my legs came back and i got a hearty second wind. it was about then that we were informed that auroville was, in fact, behind us. we had gone about 5 kilometers too far. whoops.

thatched huts on the path to the water

back we went, in search of a break somewhere before making the turn to auroville, provided we could find it. naturally, we thought of the sea, glittering and blue, tempting us in the 90 degree heat. we hauled our bikes through meters of sand only to find an impassible stretch of water. we forged ahead and made our way to a rather deserted 'resort' area that had apparently been damaged by the recent cyclone. did i mention there had been a cyclone? we changed into our suits in a crude sort of outhouse and took a short dip in the water as fully-clothed and underpants-ed locals looked on.
it was weird. still - bay of bengal: check.

pretty exhausted from biking and daunted at the thought of the 'up and down' road to auroville we bargained for an auto to take us the rest of the way, leaving our bikes locked on the side of the road. this ended up being a very wise decision, as the road to auroville (perhaps metaphorically?) was bumpy. along the way we passed signs for places named things like 'Surrender' and 'Certitude'. yeah, it's that kind of place..

when we finally got to the visitors center we were meant to watch a 10 minute video before getting our passes. we politely (succintly? curtly) declined and luckily they didn't put up a fuss. all the literature surrounding us talked about thing like the Divine Consciousness and seemed to like capitalizing Random Words. after our long day of bike riding, we weren't having it. we spent what turned out to be a rather long walk to view the famed temple (mantri mandir, officially) complaining - completely disregarding the signs for silence, and perhaps in a burst of karma, my dying sandal finally gave out. eventually, though, we made it to the viewing point.

and what was our reward for this long journey?

there she is

that's right. a giant gold golf ball. yes, this was the closest we could get to it. and no, we couldn't go inside. those passes had to be got the day before. incidentally, it's supposed to be quite an experience. all white inside.

we made our way back to the auto just before our pre-negotiated hour cutoff. then it was a rather painless bike ride the five or so kilometers back to pondicherry. thank goodness for a relaxing dinner of fantastic french food.

pretty little pondicherry

i've always been sort of intrigued by pondicherry. initially because it had such a cute name. i mean, pondicherry? it sounds adorable. then when i found out about its major french influence, i was sold. having now spent several months in india almost entirely pastry and non-amul cheese -less, i was hopeful for some authentic food if nothing else.

pondicherry did not disappoint! a charming little town, it boasts both lingering french influences and actual french people - thanks to the prominent ex-pat community. each street has two names, one french and the other vaguely tamil or perhaps the name of a person (confusing for the mailman, i'm sure). the city is divided into sections - french, tamil, muslim etc and bifurcated by a canal that has surely seen better days.

petit déj, anyone?

we stayed at a quaint little guest house (le rêve bleu.. charmant, non?) that seems to be popular with the french set - evidenced by the scene of baguette-tearing and cigarette-chain smoking we came down to in the morning. the french proprietess steered us towards the best bakery in town, baker street (english/sherlock holmes theme but thoroughly french) where we indulged in a breakfast of macarons (basil and vanilla olive oil) and croissants of the regular and almond variety (the latter was the best). french pastries at indian pastry prices? a rare find indeed.

properly stuffed, it was off to explore the city. we rented bikes and cycled around town, meandering here and there and stopping to take very similar pictures about every 30 meters. we made it out to the sea (which we later learned was a bay) and pedaled our way along the shoreline. at some point we stopped along the water at a cafe named, aptly, le café, where we had a lovely breeze and may have even been in the background of a (very cheesy) tamil music video.

colors of pondy

after some more wandering we made our way to a nondescript place farther down the beach for a quick drink as the sun was setting. on the way we stopped to see 'the elephant' who visits the temple each day to bless whoever wants to offer money or fruit. for a few rupees you can experience the warm breath of an elephant as its trunk brushes over your head. for dinner we met a friend of a friend for a rather nice meal - mostly south indian food (think rice and coconuts) with a fancy touch. i had the chicken chetinad - a local preparation - and we shared other seafood and curry dishes as well. delightful!

which kind of sums up pondicherry actually. it was a delight, and we left quite full.

textile text

from the colors and kites of ahmedabad i headed towards the promise of deserts and textiles in kutch. a few hours spent mostly asleep at the back of a sleeper bus (they actually have beds with curtains - kind of like the 'knight bus' in harry potter. and often just as jerky) and i arrived in bhuj, the principal central destination and jumping off point for the area. the guest house i had tracked down was small and simple with a friendly staff.

earthquake damage inside the palace complex

the first day i spent wandering the town, which is rather unremarkable except for the earthquake damage that’s still visible throughout. the quake, in 2001, was fairly disastrous for the region and many of its oldest buildings and the remnants are still around. i saw the aina mahal, the foremost of the city’s few sights, which was little more than a few rooms of a once-great palace. the blue and white-tiled floor and the room covered in mirrors made for quite a sight. i capped off the day with some window shopping – perusing the markets, shops and stalls for embroidery work and snacks.

the next day it was off to discover what i had come here for: textiles! kutch is the home of all things textile in gujarat, which therefore makes it home to some of the best textiles in the country. there are hundreds of villages in the region, each of which specializes in a particular craft, be it embroidery (of all different styles), dyeing, or printing.

so the first day i set off in a rickshaw with lilli, a lovely finnish, london-based lady who takes off the month of december every year to travel and has been making her way through india for the last few of them. we stopped at various points along the way at small villages to wander, take pictures, enjoy chai, or snack on namkeen. we even crashed the early stages of a wedding at one point. ‘tis the season.

displaying her wedding dress

our first craft stop was in bhujodi, known for its embroidery - as many villages are. the work was indeed detailed and beautiful - full of mirrors (actually more of shiny silvery discs) and every color imaginable. the things they produce are amazing and surely take months to create. one can't help feeling though that they would be helped (commercially, at least) by creating items with a color palette that appeals to a more western aesthetic (as opposed to every color you can think of). the pieces we later saw in workshops and cooperatives (run by westerners, often) reflected this notion, but the women whose work we saw in their homes largely didn't.

prints on prints

our next stop was ajrakhpuram, the home of traditional wood block printing. (!!) dr.ismail mohammed khatri's family has been in this business for nine generations and seems to be the only family left in this business. we took a tour of the workshop although it was past 3 and the dr. explained that the sunlight, and therefore work, was largely over for the day. this was disappointing, but still seeing the dyes, long tables laid with cloth, and best of all - dozens and dozens of block designs, was still fascinating. after the requisite chai we were let loose to explore the fabrics and clothes in the cabinets. my excitement must have been noticeable because at some point lilli said 'you're in heaven, aren't you?'. was it that obvious? in the end i curbed my enthusiasm a bit and walked out with some fabric, a scarf and a bag. and the important information that one has to go to a different city/region to buy the actual wood blocks (i smell another trip to gujarat!)

our final, rather abbreviated, stop (too many village stops earlier, i suppose) was in madhapur,  a town that had some handloom work. we saw the giant looms but, again, nobody working them. and i was disappointed to find not handloom textiles but rather predominantly heavy woolen shawls and blankets.

sari i fell in love with

the next day i headed north, up into the bunni region, which requires a government permit for a reason i'm still not sure of. it was a bit farther than the last day's journey and the wind made the trip rather chilly. but along the way there were sights of marshes and all kinds of birds. again it was a day of visiting random little villages that one would never find without a guide. here there are all types of embroidery, including jat and rabari, which each use distinctive stitches and motifs.

desert dwelling

but the villages were also filled with fantastic architecture. traditional round mud huts called bhungs decorated with the ubiquitous gujarati mirrors and carved designs. the interiors were similarly bright - filled with brightly colored walls and carved and mirrored wooden furniture. being me (of course) i also took particular note of the doors. there seem to be so many similarities between these and ones i've seen in north africa. it makes me wonder if there's a universal 'desert' architecture - the mud carvings i also related to the arid landscape of niger and nigeria (or at least what i've seen in photos). at any rate it was as beautiful and ornate as the textiles we saw all over - usually accompanied by arms loaded with plastic bangles and weather-worn smiles.

my final day in the region was spent in mandvi which is a port city known for its beach and ship-building. the beach was incredibly underwhelming - a depressing little stretch of sand with a few snack stands and some horses tethered to stakes. the city itself was similarly unexciting, the 'market' leaving much to be desired (like shops, for instance). the ship-building, however, was an incredible sight. i wasn't expecting much, but tramping around seeing these enormous wooden structures propped up on shore, being made by hand, was pretty awe-inspiring. like watching noah's ark being built. was it worth the 30 rupee/one hour bus ride? yeah probably.

in short kutch was a lovely place with friendly people, unique sights, and of course, colors!

let's go fly some kites

so after my three weeks of travel i dropped in for a pitstop in mumbai (just enough time to get some clothes altered at the tailor and others cleaned from the dhobi), enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather, and decided i really do feel at home in the city.

then i left again.

kites of all colors

this time heading to gujarat for my third trip to ahmedabad. it's quickly becoming one of my favorite cities.. all kinds of architecture.. textiles, of course, and this time.. kites! uttarayan is literally just a festival of flying kites. people all over india enjoy flying kites this time of year, grateful for the winter weather (which still requires sunscreen) and windy days. uttarayan is always celebrated on the 14th, and officially commemorates the lengthening days and moving northward of the sun. and perhaps nowhere is it celebrated more than ahmedabad.

bright pink spinning.. like cotton candy

my first day in the city i visited what are becoming my 'usual places' - namely lucky tea stall (a favorite haunt of the late, great m.f. husain) and dropped some rupees at two standby textile shops. (side note: i found a cohort who's even crazier about textiles than i am! she just bought her third sewing machine, to give you an idea..). i spent the rest of my afternoon searching for kites.. easier said than done! while i had seen scads the night before on the way back from the train station their presence was less than universal. i did eventually find some, along with the sights of kite-preparation: stretching the string and adding the powdered dyes and glass bits (for cutting), spinning on the big wheels, and getting the string onto the spools (which i just found spell-bindingly gorgeous, especially with the lovely gujarati text). i saw several kids practicing in preparation for the big day. and a few of them even invited me into their home behind the kite stand. they were all smiles and giggles, of course.

spools and spools

the next day the festivities began. bright and early people got up and took to their roofs to take advantage of the early morning breezes. i made my way to a friend's friend's house on the other side of the city. there i found out that proper attire for uttarayan consists of sunscreen and hats (often cowboy hats, it seems), and tape around the fingers for the die-hard kite-fighters (remember that glass i mentioned?). we tried our luck getting the kites up and cutting some down - we were even successful a few times though, admittedly, accidentally. it was much fun - fighting the neighbors on nearby rooftops and cheering and gloating when victorious. lapet! we shout (which means 'cut'). we managed to learn the proper ways to string the kites (maybe a few errors), bend them (over your head), and keep them in the air (that part may have been more theoretical on our part). we spent the day between rooftops of various friends, intermittently flying, snacking (chikki is quite popular.. sweets with peanuts or sesame seeds, also these little balls of puffed rice), and dancing when the wind died down. as evening came on and the light began to fade people started lighting paper lanterns and letting them float up into the atmosphere - a truly lovely sight.

but since one day wasn't enough - and the next day was sunday after all - there was another day of festivities. we repeated our actions from the day before - different rooftops, same activities. with perhaps less kite-fighting and more dancing. another gorgeous day with beautiful weather and good company. what more could you ask for?

well, maybe just a little breeze.

northern exposure

as i was headed on a northward train bound for the capital i realized a week ago i had been lying on a beach with sand in my toes. my sunburn was still peeling when i reached delhi and its cold winds. the forecasted highs in 60s turned out to be quite deceptive - as that temperature lasts only for about two hours a day when the sun meekly tries peek out from behind the solid curtain of clouds.

i spent the first few days with my good friend reetika's family - she arrived two days later - enjoying home-cooked food and walking around the neighborhood, including the fancy nearby mall, which was all decked out for christmas. i must say the cold weather made it feel a little more festive.

then my friends arrived and we left for haryana - but of course not without some family input on driving, weather and fog. eventually we were on the road and, lo and behold, the fog was as bad as we had heard. for the last 30 kilometers our speed was probably little better than a determined cow. but we were rewarded with chai and duty free goodies upon our arrival at jimmy's house.

a dewy karnal morning

the next day or two were spent enjoying the sights of the countryside in karnal, getting to know jimmy's family (in town from the US and australia) and, in my case, taking pictures of dewdrops on the roof.

then that night we, and all the guests, were treated to a party. in preparation the women all got henna from the mendhiwalla (which i stupidly didn't take a picture of) and some of us finally got our hair properly done after months of tangles and gel! we got all gussied up and come outside to an awesome setup. jimmy's front yard was transformed - surrounded by tents of white and pinks, with hanging lights, covered tables, chaffing dishes waiting with catered deliciousness, a bar, a dance floor/DJ and a full staff passing out appetizers. these guys don't mess around. and, best of all, since it was a punjabi affair, there was dancing (and bhangra, natch) within the first 20 minutes. even baby zara (jimmy's newest niece, with the absolute cutest cheeks i've ever seen) made and brief appearance on the floor. it was pretty perfect.

but then it was on to amritsar! and my first time in the punjab. we crammed our stuff into the back of a moderate-sized indian car (read: very small by american car standards) and jammed five of us into it. i've said it before, and i'll say it again. that backseat was not meant to be shared by three grown adults. it was a rather painful car ride - imagine being on a plane in the middle seat with no armrests, no ability to get up and walk through the aisles, and no entertainment but old hindi songs (which i generally like, but still). for eight hours. that was about the size of it.

and this was one of the nicer ones!

but we were rewarded with our arrival in amritsar and the softest bed i have slept on in months! the next day was a full day of amritsar - which mean golden temple, wagah border and lots of food. it also happened to be christmas! in india, that apparently amounts to cheesy christmas wares - including uber-creepy santa masks that people walk by wearing/selling - and cruising around in the street all night honking and yelling. but i digress.

golden water

our first stop was the golden temple (officially, harmandir sahib), the holiest site for sikhs and an incredible sight to behold. definitely one of those 'i can't believe i'm here' moments. the gurdwara draws religious pilgrims, of course, but also welcomes anyone - provided your head is covered and your feet are washed. once inside you can see all sorts of families, visitors and faithful taking a dip in the holy water or circumambulating in approach to the inner temple. we took our time enjoying the various views of the gold reflecting on the shimmering water and the white marble tiles. because of intense sunday crowds we made our offerings at a smaller shrine and received our (delicious!) prasad. you can even go back for seconds. now that's a good temple. in seriousness though, it was a pretty incredible experience and one of the most spiritual places i've gone in a very spiritual country.

just look at it glisten

having experienced the quintessential amritsar attraction, it was on to the number 2 thing to do in amritsar: EAT. amritsar has the self-proclaimed 'best food in the world', which apparently means the oiliest. we were lucky to have jimmy, a seasoned amritsar visitor, to hit all the highlights of punjabi cuisine in the city, including the famous kesar da dhaba, down a series of alleys i'm sure i never would have discovered. we had a parade of foods - greasy puffed up puri or thick tasty kulcha, along with various vegetables and paneer that all came with a thin layer of desi ghee floating on top. even the heartiest of eaters among us were thoroughly stuffed after each meal. incredible food, but i don't recommend eating it every day. unless, of course, you're a robust punjabi farmer who works his fields every day. sort of the indian version of a ploughman's lunch.

sun setting on india and pakistan

our next stop was onward to the wagah border, the india-pakistan border, (so close to lahore - only 26 km! - i want to gooo) which i have heard is an experience. we arrived just before the flag lowering ceremony at sunset. my friend and i were ushered through security lines and then sent to sit in the ladies section (our less fortunate male counterparts were relegated to stay outside as seating was full - or so we thought). it was packed and the crowds were excited. it was quite a patriotic display, with flags waving and chanting (long live india, that sort of thing) that i imagine is matched only at cricket matches. one man in a white track suit ran along the road rousing the crowd and inciting cheers. in the midst of this we noticed three guys running across the road to claim some spots on the road down front. yes, it was our friends. evidently they used some bulky SLRs and college IDs to convince the border police they were making a documentary for an american university (did you get permission? oh yes yes). no, i don't know how they would make a documentary with still pictures, either. stop motion animation? at any rate they got in and of course the story has now become requisite in retellings of our trip to amritsar. the border scene looked quite picturesque - the flags and crowd in that golden dusky light - but after a few guards shouting and high-kicking and the simultaneous flag-lowering, it was all over.

reminders

after a small christmas celebration that night (mini tree, santa hats and fruit cake - all available here) we awoke for our final morning in town. we followed a hearty breakfast (naturally) with a trip to jallianwala bagh. the site memorializes the victims of one of the sadder chapters in india's history - a massacre of innocents by british general dyer. 700 was the official death count but other estimates place it at over double that. most moving were the bullet holes in the wall that people tried to scale to escape.

after a quick stop shopping for shoes (which was remarkably quick considering the shoppers included women) and some streetside sweet potatoes (with lemon and spices, of course) we made our way back on the road. another long ride, made bearable only by reetika's ipad and a stop for chai and pakoras at a dhaba.

lemon parathas.. who knew?

eventually we made it back to delhi, where i spent the next few days playing with reetika's nephews, eating, museum-hopping, seeing friends, and (my favorite thing to do in delhi!) shopping. some highlights: sampling different types of parathas at paratha wali gully in chandni chowk, trying the unique changezi chicken, snacking on aloo chaat and getting piping hot momos wherever i could find them. new years was celebrated as it should be, with good friends and good food. (although we missed the midnight countdown..oops) the rooftop bonfire was an added bonus. and at janpath i scored some great kurtas and beautiful scarves at excellent prices (native-approved) and bolstered my confidence in my haggling abilities.

it was a great trip - and wonderful seeing old friends (does two years an old friend make? i say yes) but before i knew it i was speeding back to mumbai in my sleeper train berth. warm weather (goodbye, socks!) and metered autos (god bless those) welcomed me back to bombay, which i'm glad to enjoy. at least until the next trip.