Ganga Aarti on the Full Moon

Just a quick update to tell you about my experiences today. Again, no pictures (see earlier post) but rest assured I DID take them. I also took some awesome video of the Ganga Aarti ceremony they did at Parmarth Niketan Ashram...

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Wake up, Practice, Get Lost!
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So this morning I woke up around 7:00 am but didn't want to get out of bed of course - it was so cold in the A.M. that I didn't want to move. Remember I have no heat and Rishikesh is in the Himalayan foothills. I waited another half hour or so before I convinced myself to get up and out of bed. I then recalled that the hotel owner (Nicky) was really cool and friendly to me when I arrived yesterday. He showed me around the hotel which, in fact, has its own yoga shala on the top floor. Actually, there are so many yoga shalas and Ashrams in Rishikesh that it seems nearly every building has one of them, so it wasn't surprising. Nicky said I was free to use the space for my personal practice if I wanted to - and today being a Full Moon (so no Ashtanga Yoga classes around), I decided to do a light practice. It was cold, of course, so I didn't push hard, but nice to get back into it...

Afterwards, I came back to the room, showered, and then headed out to the same cafe where I met Rani yesterday (she is my American friend whom I've met recently and who has showed me around a little bit). Rani and I agreed to meet at 11am, but it was already 10:45 and I was still at Ram Jula bridge (near where my hotel was) needing to get to Laxman Jula bridge. What does this mean to you, I know you're asking this. Don't feel bad - I'm normally good with directions and I STILL cannot figure out Rishikesh! Maybe that is common in Asia - I seem to have this problem in Thailand, Malaysia, and India...

So, I decided to experiment - yesterday it took me 45 minutes to walk down the east side of the river to the other bridge, cross it and then find the cafe right at that location. This time, I would cross my bridge first and walk along the other side, thinking I would eliminate some time by taking advantage of the curvature of the river. Yeah right - it took me nearly 1 full hour to get there and some big time hiking up steep roads and stairs. I was sweating by the time I arrived...

At one point, I thought I was lost - nothing was looking familiar, and my anxiety started to rise again. UGH - why can't I find this place? I should ask for directions, but I'm finding that sometimes in India, you ask for something, Indians will tell you they know it or have it or understand you when in fact they don't at all. Take Rani and I's journey yesterday in the Rickshaws - this was her doing most of the talking:

"You take us to Nataranj Shiva - Dancing Shiva for prayer on the Nataranj, you understand?"
"Yes Yes Nataranj Ok 150 Rupees yeah."
"Well I want to be sure - because today is Nataranj, I cannot worship sitting Shiva, only dancing Shiva - you're Hindu yes? You understand the difference?"
"Yes Nataranj"
"Ok. Jeff get in..."
...driving...driving some more... almost hit a cow... driving some more.... SHIT ALMOST OFF THE ROAD AND FALLING OFF THE MOUNTAIN LOUD HORN... ok driving....arrive at a hotel called "Nataranj Hotel".
"Ok Nataranj yes hotel ok please"
"NO!!! Not Hotel!! Nataranj Shiva Temple!"

LOL this went on for like 2 hours, 5 rickshaw riders later, sitting Shiva temple (not dancing), and a bunch of hassle only to find out that the Rickshaw driver didn't really know what Nataranj Shiva was. But he SAID he did. He (and some shopkeepers who do the same, mostly Indians looking for some kind of business) will say ANYTHING to you - you can never take some of them at face value, I've learned. Even when they say they totally understand you, they might not...

Enter a new philosophy of life - what do you do in a situation like this? This has been a subject of discussion between Rani and I, whom herself has spent nearly 8 cumulative years in India (living here). One option - get totally frustrated and upset, yell and scream, storm off, bitch and moan, etc. Another option - see things from a broader perspective. Understand that their life is just that - driving locals, tourists around parts of Rishikesh in a very competitive race to get business. They do have families to feed and bills to pay just like everyone else, so any kind of money will help. Moreover, there is a lot of ego involved, and when you step outside of it by not getting frustrated at their bumbling (in this situation), you can clearly see it. When the Rickshaw stops to ask if any of his buddies know where this temple is (or if it exists), almost IMMEDIATELY 10 - 20 more guys crowd around the Rickshaw and listen in. Then, one of them belts out an answer - "I HAVE IT! I KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO GO! I AM THE ONE WITH THE ANSWERS!" Then another belts out that THEY are the ones who know. Before you know it (no joke) they're arguing amongst each other about who is correct. Pure ego...

Ok I got off track - where was I? Oh yes, I was feeling lost on the west side of the river looking for the cafe near the Laxman Jula bridge. As I walked I consciously tried to use "Divine Mind" instead of "Egoic Mind" to guide me to the correct location, and believe that I will be taken care of and wherever I end up will be the right place. This has been going on for weeks now - I have seen the results myself, it totally works when you surrender your fears to the Universe. Just keep going, keep being open to possibilities that present themselves, no fear, no worries about being late, just be...

BAM - I found it! I knew I would! Rani was sitting there smiling and waiting for me. I told her about my trek and how going that route was NOT the quickest and I apologized for being late. "You're not late, you're exactly where and when you need to be"... :-)

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Long lunch, Bookstore and Coffee Sadu
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So as we usually do, Rani and I ended up talking for hours at the cafe - also waiting for the guy to bring the check! Rani seems to know him well - he's a very sweet, gentle and open hearted Tibetan kid who supports his whole family with the job at the cafe. Any tips you give him, he distributes among the rest of the workers for their benefit. He smiles all the time at everything and anything you ask him. Rani and I love this guy - such a great energy :-)

Finally, Rani goes and gets some warmer clothes (she is staying in an Ashram nearby) while I wait in the bookstore attached to the cafe. Really cool place - TOTALLY unorganized, you can't find anything, but you have to "stumble" upon it. I ended up buying a book called 'Yoga School Dropout', which looks like a very entertaining read :-)

We walked across the bridge intending on doing some shopping, but instead found a nice coffee shop where we stopped and had a bite. We were making our way to the Parmarth Niketan Ashram (near where my hotel is), but it was too far to walk so we had a coffee before hailing a rickshaw or Jeep to take us there. In Rishikesh, you see lots of swamis, sadus and people who are on spiritual quests just walking around in robes, with wooden staffs, etc. The image you might paint in your mind for a renunciate - sometimes you see exactly that, sometimes it's different. Sitting in the table next to us at the coffee shop, there was a young man who was clearly a spiritual seeker but somehow different from the rest. Rani has an ability to sense that he actually can play with our Kundalini Energy and has been listening in to our conversation the entire time. He realizes that we know what he is doing, and in fact Rani even says out loud "Someone is raising my energy level and he is very near to us!" I don't feel anything at the time but I do think he is listening to us. When we get up to leave, we find a Jeep to take us to the Ashram and while I'm getting in, I look over to him and he smiles at me. We exchanged a lot of information in that brief look - "I know what you were doing!" "I know you know :-) You're welcome :-)" It's actually a good thing, that he can raise our energy level like that - Rani pointed out to me that I hadn't stopped smiling the entire ride to the Ashram, all because of it... Hope that makes sense in description :-)

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Ganga Aarti and Parmarth Niketan Ashram
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So we get to Parmarth Niketan Ashram and start walking around the place, checking out all the statues and scenes depicted in those statues of famous Hindu stories. I don't know the stories but I did see Krishna (of course), Hanuman, Shiva, Sita, and other gods / goddesses doing various things :-) LOL I sound so green. I found it very interesting though, as Rani explained to me what each of them mean...

Then, we found some flowers that would suffice for our Aarti and headed to a section of the Ganges river (which fronts the Ashram) for our little ceremony. Rani told me that the purpose of the ceremony (on this day, the full moon just after Nataranja) was to ask for cleansing and karmic freedom for my ancestors on both mother and father side. You have this basket of flower petals (well sort of a basket), along with incense and a small candle. You go down the ghat up to the river, say a prayer to the river (for Ganga is herself a very important Goddess in Hinduism - and I'm looking at her at that VERY moment, this, the most honored of rivers in India). Then, with incense burning and candle lit, you set the flower basket on the water, and Ganga takes it away. Your family (mostly deceased but also alive) gets immediate benefit from that act - purification of their karmic baggage, their grief, their souls. It was one of the more beautiful moments I've experienced. Because - you have to picture it (as I did not take pictures for this, wasn't feeling appropriate). Ganga River is flowing very strong and fast moving, rippling waves, realtively cool outside, the sun is setting and reflecting off the water, you see backdrops of majestic mountains and bridges and Temples and such. It was amazing...

Then - Rani asked if I wanted to experience a "bath" in the Ganges. Well, not a truth bath as I wasn't going to remove all my clothes and go inside, but at least take a dip with my bare feet. I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants, and went in. Then, you take the water in your hands and "throw" it up and over your head, rubbing the water on your head and on your arms and legs and body. The water is thought to have so much power that you yourself will experience cleaning of sins, of karma, of negativity. Honestly, I did not get that impression at the time. But what I DID get - one of connection. I felt an amazing sense of connection with billions and billions of other people in the history of the world who have done the exact same thing in this exact same river. I felt immense connection with that idea and with them, and it was fantastic...

Shortly thereafter, we walked to the main ghat where they Ashram boys were setting up for their singing / kirtan ceremony. It was soooo cool - and recommended to me from friends earlier, I'm glad I went. I took some good photos and I have the BEST one of me with a backdrop of Krishna statue and the sun setting. Today was a day for connection... :-) Rani left early to go back to her Ashram to attend to some personal business, but I stayed for the entire performance. Afterwards, I could walk back to my hotel (as it was close by this time) but I stopped in another Italian place for dinner that was along the way. It's a SMALL place with like 6 tables but they had a decent menu - mostly foreigners. I've come to realize that foriengers know the best places to eat in Rishikesh - when you see lots of them, it's a good place...

Anyway, I ended up sitting with this nice gentleman named Nicco. He's Italian and does not speak much English, but we had some really great conversation. I hope I get to run into him again before I leave Rishikesh. Then I walked back to my hotel and here I am sitting at the internet station :-)

Hope all is well with everyone - tomorrow has more adventure in store, I'm sure :-) Namaste and Love from India :-)