Last Weekend in Mysore!

Sadly, this past weekend was our last in Mysore. Of course, we had to live it up. The festivities began with a shopping extravaganza on Friday afternoon. We visited the Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium, the Silk Emporium, our three favorite Badsha stores (the family has about 9 stores just in Mysore!), and the Devaraja market. Our favorite shop in the market was the oil and incense shop. Three brothers run the store their grandfather started about 40 years ago. We got to sit and watch the littlest brother roll incense while the middle brother let us smell all of the most popular oils. While we decided on the oils we wanted, we had chai tea with the eldest brother and just chatted for about an hour. After we left notes in their guest book (they have about 15 books all for different countries!), we thanked them and moved on to do some more shopping damage. We finally wrapped up shopping around 8:30 and hit up the delicious buffet at the Southern Star for dinner.
One of the Badsha brothers invited us to the club, High Octane, for a little dancing after dinner. The club was much smaller than I thought, and our group made up about half of the total crowd. The rest of the crowd was comprised of European yoga students and friends of our Badsha boy. The music was a great mix of American and international popular dance music. We danced our little hearts out until the club closed at 11:30 (so early)!

On our Saturday morning tour of the Bylakuppe Tibetan Monastery, we had the opportunity to observe the monks worshipping. There was much chanting, along with percussion and wind-instrument playing. The rhythmic recitation helps the monks memorize the scriptures.
One of the temples boasted larger-than-life gold statues of Buddha's father (left), Buddha (middle), and Buddha's brother (right). Buddha is not wearing a crown like the rest of his family, symbolizing his renunciation of the material life. Instead, he is represented with his begging bowl. Also notice that the Buddha is not a jolly fat fellow that many people associate with the name Buddha. This is a popular Chinese version of Buddha, but it actually makes no sense considering the Buddha begged for his food and led a life of moderation.


In the afternoon, we were given a tour of Infosys, which provides business consulting and technological services to clients on a global scale. The center provides training to new employees in hard skills, such as computer technology, and soft/people skills. Infosys is all-inclusive; there is housing for employees and their families, a grocery store, a gym, a health clinic, bowling alley, the list goes on. The globe-shaped building reminded me of Epcot. Being there was strange, because although it was an amazing complex, it was nothing like India. The style was very Western, and I was also surprised by the fact that it didn't smell like India. This is so hard to describe, but I'll just say that you take for granted the smell of cleaning solution and freshly cut grass until you live without them for a month.

Dr. Rao's godson came to show us some snakes on Sunday morning. He catches snakes that get into sticky situations with people and releases them back into the wild. India has a ton of snakes, and that's important because they help keep the rodent (especially disease-carrying rat) populations down. Some people got to hold the snakes, but no one was allowed to touch the king cobra. Go figure.

Prof. Lubin had to leave on Sunday afternoon, so we threw him a little going-away party. Unfortunately, the cake decorator got a little confused and so the cake said "Happy Birthday" as well. I love how "Have a nice trip" reminds me of Winnie the Pooh's handwriting. Regardless, it tasted delicious.


Zac had befriended some boys in our "neighborhood" and enlisted them to help a small group of us learn cricket. The eldest explained the basics to us, and the younger ones demonstrated his descriptions of various rules and procedures of the game. This picture is of Zac, waiting for the wicket to be reset and the line to be redrawn so that he can bat. Don't get caught outside this line if the keeper has the ball, because he can throw the ball to knock down the wicket and you are out! Unfortunately, I only made one run before this happened to me. My team lost, but before we had to face any further humiliation, it was time for us to leave to go to yoga. Hurrah for clean chakras! After yoga, we ate the Green Hotel and celebrated the last few hours of the weekend at Cafe Coffee Day...the ice-blended coffee is to die for! Sadly, today is Monday and now, I must work on my final papers before leaving for the beach on Thursday!

Northern Karnataka (Continued)

Last entry I left off at the marketplace in Hampi. The bazaar is headed by, you guessed it, another temple. The main attraction here is the "elephant blessing." You give a rupee to the elephant, the elephant gives the rupee to the attendant, and then the elephant blesses you by touching his trunk to your head.











The holes in this large boulder are not natural. Before dynamite, builders use to make small holes in the rocks, insert some wood, and wet the wood so it would expand. The pressure would cut the rock with great precision and ease! They then used the building blocks to build a variety of structures.









In the royal center, there was an underground tunnel area that used to contain the precious jewels. Very Indiana Jones-esque...as we felt our way around in the dark (we had one match), we were just waiting to run into the pit of snakes.












"The group" standing proud on the remains of an ancient home. Although not quite as preserved as the temples, it was cool to see what kind of structures the people (at least rich important people) used to live in. They even had aqueduct systems and wells right up to the houses! The last day was a refreshing break from looking at temples, but we were all ready to head back to Mysore by the time the trip was over.

Monkeys and Temples and Cows, oh my!

The past week was spent sight-seeing in Northern Karnataka. We traveled via sleeper train, which I have decided is one of my least favorite modes of transportation, but luckily we were able to use the good old Dept. of Tourism buses for the rest of our transportation needs. The cities were visited included (in this order), Badami, Mahakoota, Pattadakal, Aihole, and Hospet/Hampi. I will have to do this blog in two installments because my internet is being finicky, so please enjoy the first half while I try to find time to finish the second half. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer as best as I can.

Dr. Rao teaching his disciples about the rock cave temples of Badami. I will spare you all the details and the hundreds of temple pictures I took, mainly because I can't remember all of the details myself. There is so much artwork and symbolism in every nook and cranny!











A ton of monkeys hanging out near the temples just waiting for you to be off your guard so that they may steal your food.













Can you believe these temples were literally carved entirely out of a sandstone in just the beginning few centuries AD?














While in Badami, we had a 5:00 am wake-up call to hike to the sacred pool at Mahakoota. After descending several steep rock-faces, I realized someone had lied to me when they said it was supposed to be an easy hike. In any case, we all survived and I arrived in Mahakoota with a great sense of accomplishment. I still wasn't brave enough to enter the sacred pool (aka natural spring adorned with a temple) crawling with dirty men. I did, however, enjoy sitting (and laughing) with the onlooking women and children while I watched several members of our group take a dip!






Our next stop was a temple complex in Pattadakal. Many of the temples are simply archaeological in nature, but there was still one functioning temple. If there was one thing I learned on our temple tours, it was that Nundi, the bull, outside facing a temple indicates Shiva is inside waiting to be worshiped.










Not all the gods have a statue for them to dwell in. The lingas (large stone phallic symbols) are also popular representations of the gods. Again, this temple is for Shiva devotees. The holy man in the picture takes care of the temple, the linga, and is the middleman between the devotees and the god when it comes to offerings. Popular offerings include money, flowers, and fruit.















Aihole (pronounced I-hole-eh) also had a lot of cool temples...and cool kids. This stubborn little fellow would not stop following us around even when Dr. Rao yelled at the children to leave us alone. What was different about this little boy was that he didn't keep nagging us for chocolate, school pens, or money. At one point, he just took my hand and walked with me for awhile. We never spoke a word, but his little hand in mine said more than I ever could have.







The kids in Aihole also were great when it came to taming the cows for us. We were all shocked when a herd of them started following us up the stairs to the temple! Of course, watching them nonchalantly canter down the stairs was even more amazing.











We climbed to the top of this temple via a stone ladder and a small little opening in the roof. There was an unimpressive mini-shrine, but the birds-eye view of the temple complex and extracting a laugh from some Indian tourists was worth the climb.











The last (and longest) stop on our tour was Hampi. Hampi is literally a huge archaeological site/city full of ancient ruins. In one of the larger temple areas, there was a beautiful stone chariot. It is a replica of the ones they actually used to tote statues of the gods around during important occasions.











The marketplace in Hampi was largely touristy, but we could still find some neat souvenirs. Believe it or not, all of that pretty stuff serves religious purposes. However, as tourists, we still insist on buying it for fashion.

Forgetful Me...

So, last entry I forgot to mention two crucial chunks of my time spent here thus far, Chamundi Hill and Mysore Palace. On the left is a picture of the temple on Chamundi Hill. Chamundi is the goddess who slew the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. The hill is the backdrop of the city, and Chamundi is loosely analogous to the town mascot. When the British came, they pronounced Mahishasura as "Mysore." Apparently the name stuck.




We visited Mysore Palace the second day here. Dr. Rao used to direct preservation and research at the palace, so we got a VIP tour. Most of the palace is open to the public to tour, but people still live there (not the maharajah obviously, but still very cool)! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the tour...

View of the dining hall. It was so easy to get lost in the intricate detail, light, and color. There is so much going on, but unlike some of the German castles I saw a few weeks ago, the Indians manage to make it not look kitschy.

These pillars are painted, hollow cast-iron. This is just one example of the extreme brilliancy of color portrayed throughout the whole palace.


The armory. Very cool collection of swords. My personal favorite was the smaller dagger that when plunged into flesh, would pop open on both sides, causing more damage and pain to the unfortunate victim.

There are no words for how beautiful this stained glass ceiling was. If you look closely, you can see the peacock motif, a symbol of royalty.

The popularity of game-hunting finally became real, and very scary to me, as we meandered through the game room. The maharajah and his buddies stored all their "trophies" in this rather large room. There must have been at least 7 or 8 tigers, one cheetah, several water-buffalo, two elephant heads, a giraffe head, and a ton of smaller game animals. If that wasn't bad enough, parts of the animals had been made into tables, light stands, etc...

This was the very first hall we walked into. Notice the large elephant head mounted on the wall. Like I said before, the Raj loved animals.

First Week in India

I am finally in India! Ok, so I have been here a week, but they have kept us really busy! This is a picture of what I am going to call home for the next month, the Dhvanyaloka Center for Indian Studies. The rooms (I share a double with Taylor) are pretty nice...hot water, internet, comfortable bed, no bugs. I have nothing to complain about. Dr. Rao, the director, is a very intelligent and accomplished man, not to mention a sweetheart! I hope I am doing as well as he is when I am over 75 years old! The center is truly an oasis, and an escape from the craziness of the city, which (at least for me) gets intimidating very fast.





After our first day in Mysore, we realized we had much to learn. Prime example: never go anywhere without a map, a written address of the place you want to go, and know several landmarks near said place. We took some auto-rickshaws into the city to explore, but when trying to get back, we discovered no rickshaw driver knew "Dhvanyaloka Center," or where Bhogadi road was (probably because I have not seen a single road sign in Mysore). Although our driver said he knew where he was going, we ended up driving in circles until we finally convinced him to stop and let us out (after charging us a ridiculous amount). We met up with another group of friends that were having the same issues. Eventually, by relying on memory and a map we found posted on the University of Mysore campus, we were able to walk back to the center, unharmed (except for a few nasty bug bites).
Friday afternoon the group had a tour of Somanathapur. Long ago, when Muslims came through Mysore, they desecrated the Hindu temple; therefore it is not used for worship anymore. It remains now as an archaeological site. Unfortunately, being so unfamiliar with the Hindu religion (as of right now), I can't say much about the temple other than the fact that the stone carvings are remarkably detailed and creates the overall beauty of the site. Every shape, image, and material is a very deliberate symbol and serves a very specific purpose, making the extensive artwork even more impressive.





Saturday morning, Taylor, Jess, Emily and I ventured out to St. Philomena's Cathedral. The exterior was of typical Gothic architecture, and the interior was that of a typical cathedral, but the extra color and lights gave it a distinctly Indian flair. We walked inside only to discover that an Indian Catholic wedding was in procession (and fortunately for us, in English)! Trying not to stand out too much, we stood in the very back, along with some wedding guests trying to entertain/quiet their children. Unlike an American wedding, guests would wander in and out, and talk (quietly) during the wedding! The abundance of music during the service made for a very worshipful and cheery atmosphere. After the service, we lingered outside hoping to catch a better glimpse of the bride and groom as they exited. While outside, we helped a lost, hysteric, little girl find her mama. I thought for sure someone would question four Westerners holding the hand of a crying child, but no one seemed to care, and some people refused to listen to us try to explain she was lost. Fortunately, she reunited with her mother inside the church, and we felt we had done our good deed for the day. The wedding party finally left the church, and we watched as pictures were taken in front of the church. From a distance, the wedding photographer even subtly snapped a photo of the four of us! In fact, several people stood in front of us to have their picture taken, as if we were a part of the attraction! Of course, this has become common place now. Most days we go out, a family will ask if they can take a picture with us and the children, or even the whole family! I don't know whether to feel like a zoo animal or a celebrity!

By Saturday, our chudidars we had ordered on Wednesday were ready! The process is really simple; the "sales rep" will show you a ton of different patterns of chudidar, which will come with fabric for the tunic, pants, and shawl. After you have decided on one you like (and that is in your price range), the tailor takes about 20 measurements, and makes your personalized chudidar. They are super comfortable...like walking around in your pajamas!















On Sunday evening, there is a traditional illumination of Mysore Palace; it began as the Raj's "gift to the people." To this day, it remains a popular attraction. We finally were pushed through the crowd (Indian's have no conception of personal space), and able to roam around the palace grounds. The best way I can describe the atmosphere was a Fourth of July picnic. Everyone was there with there friends and family, claiming spots on the grass to listen to the live music, have some food, and take in the spectacle. Pictures cannot do this justice...it takes some 90, 000 lights to light up the palace, temple, and all of the surrounding gates, both inside and out!



Sunday night was a perfect ending to our few days of "sight-seeing" before actual classes began. We now have a lecture after breakfast and before mid-morning tea, and then our second lecture starts at 3pm, giving us time to work (or in most cases, take a nap!) Classes have flown by, and this weekend will be filled with mid-term paper writing, for next Tuesday we depart for a week of travel in North Karnataka!

Germany!

I know everyone is very curious about India, but before I begin, I need to get through the amazingness that was spring break with University Chorus. Deutschland is now one of my new favorite places. We flew into Munich on Saturday morning and a short bus ride put us in the little town of Füssen. The town is quant and is a beautiful foreground for the grandeur of the Alps. The highlights of Bavaria were singing in the Wieskirke and visiting Neuschwantsein. Bavaria is a predominantly Catholic state, and the Wieskirke, “church in the meadow” reflects the Catholic culture. The Wieskirke is home to a crucifix that was seen crying real tears. This miracle brings Christian pilgrims all around the world to the church so that they may present their requests to God. Needless to say, the mass that we sang in was packed full of people. Although the majority of the service was in German, it was still a memorable first Catholic mass!

Later that afternoon, we hiked up a (paved) mountainside to Neuschwantsein castle, which is the castle that Walt Disney used as a model for Cinderella’s Castle. The original is much better. The top of the castle had a singer’s hall, which unfortunately King Ludwig II never got to use (he died mysteriously before the castle was fully completed), but occasional concerts are still held there today. The awesome acoustics accentuate the beauty of the murals on the walls, depicting some of Ludwig’s favorite stories and legends. We gave an impromptu performance of our one a capella piece, “Daniel, Daniel.” Little did we know that this piece soon would be sung at every possible opportunity.

Although the interior of the castle was lovely, the exterior was even more awe-inspiring. After finishing our tour, we hiked further up to the “Queen’s Bridge,” which stretches over a waterfall. With the Alps on one side, and Neuschwantsein on the other, you cannot help but be overcome by the magnificent beauty of this place.

On Monday, we traveled to Oberammergau. The town is infamous for it’s Passion plays that it performs every 10 years to the glory of God in order to thank Him for sparing their village from being wiped out by the plague. With over 2,000 participants, the plays draw such large crowds, you must reserve a ticket several years in advance. Although the next Passion is not for a few more years, Jörg, our tour guide, was able to get us inside the theater, and we sang (naturally) “Daniel, Daniel.” The town has remained small, and of course, is all about Jesus. He is literally just about everywhere: restaurants, shops, local homes, etc. To no surprise, I was loving it.

Later that day, we visited King Ludwig’s summer home, Linderhoff. The castle is modeled after Versailles, and comes complete with a fantastical cave dedicated to the composer, Wagner; Ludwig used the themes from his operas in much of his household décor.

We left Fussen on Tuesday and head for Frankfurt. We took a break in the middle of the day to visit Rothenburg, a medieval city that is still surrounded completely by the old city walls! Walking on the cobblestone streets, we were able to look around, visit all of the unique little shops, and partake in the town’s famous treat, snowballs, or schneeballen. Think of hardened funnel cake in ball-form, covered in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, marzipan, chocolate, etc. Unfortunately we did not have time to experience the town’s many attractions (including a “Hell Museum”), because we had to hop back on the bus for Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is one of my new favorite places. The city itself is very aesthetic; approximately one third of the city is either parks, trees, or gardens. The majority of the buildings are artistic in architecture, and the city goes to great lengths to preserve the beauty of the old, while reaching forward into more modern architectural styling. Large pieces of art can be found in front of businesses, and the shopping arcades are like walking through a small town within the city. Close to our hotel was an old Jewish cemetary, walled in by a Holocaust memorial, shown below (we found the Frank family, so naturally we had to take a picture). The city is safe and the people inviting, and there are plenty of museums and other attractions that we did not have the time to see.

Right outside of Frankfurt we performed a joint concert with the group, Polyhymnia, at the parish church, Koppern. We decided to dedicate “In Remembrance” to the victims, family, and friends of Virginia Tech. All the way in Germany, we still were informed of the shootings on Monday afternoon, shortly after it happened. The Washington and Lee and Lexington community has very close personal ties to VTech, and of course, many students from Boonsboro now attend the college as well. Needless to say, all of us were grieved with this news, and diligently watched CNN and checked the internet for status reports on our family and friends. Before we sang “In Remembrance,” the church bell tolled in a moment of silence; the news was all over international and German news, and everyone offered us their sincere concern and prayer. Truly, the world was grieving for the victims of Virginia Tech. The concert was truly moving, and afterwards, we had a late dinner with the members of Polyhymnia.

The next morning, we were off to Eastern Germany, the former GDR, and more specifically, Leipzig. Thursday, we took a tour of Wartburg Castle, most famous for sheltering Martin Luther as he translated the New Testament into German (shown to the right). To stand in the spot where the Protestant Reformation began was indescribably awesome. The castle is also the former home of St. Elizabeth, who lived in the castle as a queen, but secretly went down to the village to give food to the poor and help the sick.

Later that day, we visited the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, which is now a small museum. It was a nice background tour before singing in St. Thomas’s Church the next day, where Bach spent the last 20 some years of his life composing music. We had the opportunity to sing just a few feet in front of Bach’s final resting place inside the cathedral (again, “Daniel, Daniel”). Not only was standing in the presence of Bach beyond cool, but I also couldn’t help but smile when we finished singing and our final chord resonated through the church for several seconds, longer than I had ever heard.

Our last day was spent in the birthplace of Handel, Halle (University Chorus pronunciation: Holla!). Unfortunately, Handel is Halle’s only true claim to fame, so after visiting St. Mark’s Church (where Handel learned to play the organ) and the Handel Museum (in which we sang the Hallelujah Chorus for the heck of it), the group used the afternoon to spend our last remaining euros on souvenirs and the traditional German 4:00 pm coffee and cake break. Our final concert was at the Holleben Church, and we performed with a local Jazz choir, “In Tune.” Again, the church held a moment of silence with the tolling of the bell to mourn for the victims at Virginia Tech. The concert itself was very lively. We did four rounds of the end of “He Never Failed Me Yet” and had a church full of Germans on their feet dancing and clapping to American Gospel. They even asked for an encore, and we of course, happily obliged. It was a joyful end to a most memorable trip. The only thing I had to worry about was making sure I got on a plane to India in about 48 hours…