I joined some friends in Delhi, washed some laundry, ate lunch and went out to Old Delhi to see the Red Fort and Chandi Chowk. The fort was nothing like the small little forts of the old western movies in the States. The Red Fort, like most forts throughout history, was a fortified town. Thick walls kept enemies out but inside they had palaces, homes, a water supply, gardens-everything you need and want in a place to live. We could see remnants of British colonialism in certain sections. Outside the fort we took some rickshaws into Chandi Chowk through an immense maze of shops. Our two drivers did amazing navigating through 1000s of people in tight alleyways filled with shops and I was surprised to not hear anyone yelling at them. The buildings around us were centuries old and people still live in and operated business out of them. The stands were organized by product type: spices, jewellery, kurtas, sarees, etc. A bag of pepper broke up as we entered the spice area so we all we coughing for about 5 minutes. We stopped at an ancient Jain temple and had to wash up before entering. Our rickshaw drivers had much to say about Obama. It made me realize that no matter how much the media can control something; it takes charisma to captivate people to the point that a rickshaw driver in Old Delhi becomes impassioned.
Our train “Punjab Mail” to Ferozpur was 90 minutes late; we left at 11:30pm. We had a 3 level sleeper right next to the cabin door so it was noisy and a guy was selling chai and food all night walking down the middle. We spoke with the Indian family next to us. They have been to London several times and know people in Southall. They joked that there were more Punjabi in London than Punjab. I actually slept alright on the top bunk. We arrived at 7:30am. Ferozpur is a small city very, very close to Pakistan and filled with 1000s of soldiers. After a brief nap, we had breakfast. We celebrated out friend’s grandson’s birthday mid-morning and then visited a church. I knew some of the songs they were singing in Hindi. It was very hot while we were there, so we retreated indoors for a few hours when it was really intense. In the evening we visited a woman who was training other women in her village to design and make blankets, sarees, wall hangings, etc. It had started as a hobby for her a few years ago and now is sponsored by a local NGO that operates a bank. They have helped start a program for women in that village. We spoke with her and took some photos since there are other groups in India we know of and support through ASHA that make and sell handiwork. What they were making in her village in the Canal Colony was very nice but took a long time to make.
The next day we took a cab ride to Amritsar and passed miles and miles of wheat on the way. Punjab is the breadbasket of India and people were busy gathering it all. And we also saw big batches of marijuana growing, but refrained from taking any. We first stopped to see the site of the Jallianwade Bagh Massacre, where hundreds of Indians were shot by the order of a senior British officer in 1919. It was a beautiful memorial and serves as a lasting reminder of British atrocities in India. From there we walked to the Golden Temple, the mecca for Sikhs. Most of those who came were Indian, I only saw a few white faces. We were in Sikh country. The Golden Temple is in the middle of a huge pool of water with one narrow ornate bridge leading to it. The water is sacred and many were bathing in it. I saw very few women in that place. On our train ride back to Delhi, I enjoyed talking with a Sikh man and hearing more about his faith and the significance of the Golden Temple to him. Though he lives in Delhi, he makes a trip there every month! We had excellent service on our train and arrived well rested into Delhi that night.
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