Pomp and Circumstance(s)

So, last night we're just about back to the hotel, returning in the rick-shaw with Nand Kumar on our little side street, and suddenly swooping and swerving in front of us is a motorcycle (not at all uncommon).  But this time it was a little different, actually jolting.  Why, you ask...I'll tell you…but first let me digress for just one moment.  Much to my surprise, since we have been here, I have not been able to fill up one hand counting the amount of Westerners that I have seen, so it came as quite an equal surprise to see the motorcycle last night swooping and swerving in front of us with a Papa John's Pizza Delivery box on the back of it.  It was like a futuristic flash of a billboard sign conveying to us that yes, we will be returning back home to the States in a short while (so here is something to start the process of cultural re-

orientation). Well, it stopped at the apartment building just before our hotel (for which I was at least glad to see that it wasn't being delivered to where we were staying).

Just prior to that we had passed the local group of dolak (big bass drums) players getting ready for the upcoming Ganesh Festival the beginning of September this year.  It is ten days of celebration to the God of success, remover of obstacles, learning and wisdom.  From all accounts it is a mighty good time, full of celebratory feelings and infectiously rhythmic music (we both wish we were hear to enjoy some of it, but not so much as to alter any plans).  And, speaking of Ganesh, Laurie and I had our first opportunity today to actually visit a Ganesh Temple and do some praying there.

 On the steps leading up to the temple, a three dimensional mural, and an extremely cute and charming traveller

After running a few errands before Laurie’s last evening session (like buying a new piece of luggage to haul all of the medicines, herbs, oils, salves, ghees, powders and pills for 90-100 days, and stopping by the tailor’s to pick up some items), 

The very talented tailor

we had a bit of extra time so Nand Kumar suggested we go to beautiful Sarras Park and the temple for Ganesh that is there.  

Sarras Park; a beautiful little temple structure (not the actual one) amongst the greenery

When we climbed the stairs to the outdoor temple we observed for a short spell; watching the people arrive and then reach up to ring a large ship’s bell to announce that they would be entering under the roof of the temple to come in and pray, and a very nice gregarious local man struck up a chat with us.  

A little blurry, but you get the idea - ring the bell and let Ganesh you are entering to pray.

After a short conversation he offered to take us inside to walk us thru the procedure of praying to Ganesh for help in working thru obstacles and asking for assistance toward success.  It was a very relaxed scene and after circling the housed altar of Ganesh we then sat down on the floor and continued chatting for awhile; as did many other folks underneath the temple’s wall-less roof.  Very tranquil, not to mention having first approached the temple by walking around a small pond filled with lily pads and over a bridge that had the uncanny ability to transport us back to Giverny in France (home of the Impressionist painter Monet).

Not exactly Giverny but it certainly activated the memory of our visit there

By the way, I’d like to pause calmly for a moment and just mention that:

WE’RE DONE WITH OUR TREATMENTS…YAHOOOO!!!!! I don’t have to get up early tomorrow morning and put on the same clothes I have for the past 21 straight days and miss the wonderful complimentary buffet breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.  I am, to put it mildly, PUMPED!!!

Now let’s not lose our heads here…we are after all returning with a huge suitcase full of herbs, powders, oils, pills, ointments, and ghees to to ingest, boil, swallow, and rub on and into our skin and muscles for the next three months.  But, hey, we can, and will spend a fair portion of the next two days actually tooling around to see some of the sites of Pune.  Nand Kumar has agreed to drive us for another two days and we have lined up two more temples (one Ganesh and one Parvati <wife of Shiva, mother of Ganesh>), a more beautiful park than the one we saw today, a historical museum, a little more shopping-dhara (the newly discovered, highly effective panchakarma discipline that uses no oils, steam, rice, medicine, milk, or any of the above; just shopping, pure and simple.  It really seemed to work for Laurie when she went with Dr. Aruna that one day, so we’re going to try it together. Not sure yet if it is as effective on the male gender.), and a Monday evening dinner party at a nice restaurant with Dr. Pendse and the other doctors (though Dr. Gajanan has gone home for the next 5-6 days to the south to visit his family in their small town amongst the mountains and waterfalls…we’ll miss him.).  When I finished my session today Vikrant presented me with a beautiful drawing he did freehand as a gift.  He is quite the artist, which is a wonderful counterbalance to being a doctor (he plans on studying Sanskrit and uncovering some of the hidden meanings of the ancient texts, while Gajanan plans to open his own practice in the next 3 months down south in his hometown).

  

Beautiful statue of Excellent Prince Duff (in the Park), with Ganesh in the background

So hey, graduation party Monday night.  Vikrant has been sick the past couple of days (Gajanan was for about 6 days before him) and today when he arrived (coughing up a storm and looking very ragged) I said to him that he was going to be dancing on the table Monday night (he was the only one who did not know of the impending plan to have a get together).  After a momentary pause, he cocked his head and looked at Gajanan and me and just said in a very quizzical voice, “Why?!”  Well, Gajanan and I had a great laugh at that, as poor Vikrant truly had no idea what we were talking about.  During the course of the 21 days the three of us developed a wonderful relationship of pulling each other’s legs, providing a great deal of entertainment and laughter; sometimes at rather inopportune times (for instance, it is not advisable to either laugh, or cause laughter while a busti is being performed; or should I say induced…or should I just stop saying anything more about it).

Also, I have been getting more of a hang for Hindi as time goes, only to find out that maybe I should be speaking more Marathi, the native tongue in these parts.  There are a lot of languages in India; even learned a smidgen of Urdu.  But in the middle of a sentence an English word or phrase gets thrown in.  It certainly isn’t easy to decipher what’s kosher and what isn’t; kind of like watching a two lane road become a four or five lane road before your very eyes…you know you’re actually seeing it but you have absolutely no idea how it has become what it is, how it continues to exist in such a state, and how on earth you would plug yourself into such a scene if left to your own devices.

Well, I think that will do it for now, other than to say from both Laurie and myself:  Hum Tumse Pyar Karta Hoon! (We Love You!), Fir Milenge (Hindi) or Nantar Bhetu (Marathi) (See you later), and Shuba Raatri (Good Night).

Oh, and to each and every one of us:  Shuba Prahwas (Safe Journey)…

 Three Dimensional Mural on the way up the steps to the Ganesh Temple; pretty cool, huh?!

 Pagoda in the park...Peaceful, Tranquil (met another very friendly man here with his young son)