A Day in Agra

It was last minute but I decided to go ahead and see the Taj Mahal. I left the station at 7:15am to Agra, arrived three hours later and paid for a taxi for the day. Automobiles are not allowed closer than ½ mile so I walked the rest of the way. I went in the West Gate into a beautiful square with ancient Mughal buildings. The Taj Mahal was magnificent but very different than Indian architecture. It was built by a foreigner, a Muslim, and it is flanked by two mosques. As a Muslim, he would not allow any images to be made, so it appears very plain with only Arabic calligraphy and some flowers to accent the white marble. This may seem boring to many but after seeing so many temples filled with images and intricate carvings that made your eyes tired with how busy they were, I enjoyed the Taj’s simplicity. The emperor built it as a memorial for his second wife. His fake coffin is in the middle of the Taj Mahal. It took over 20 years to complete. The central structure is made of translucent white marble which is why people talk about the different colours seen at different times in the day. The marble is also carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of precious stones. The cornelian stone is red but when it receives light it glows as orange for a period of time. At night the Taj looks like a pale blue or even purple depending on the light of the moon, by morning the sun creates a golden glow. The gardens, pools and fountains around the Taj are also quite nice. As I promised to a customer from ASHA, I fed a cow for her. It was frustrating that I did not have much space left on my camera so I had to prioritize when taking photos that day.




Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire and the emperor and his family lived inside Agra Fort. It was well fortified, had over 20 palaces inside and is one of the few forts still in use day by royalty. I enjoyed walking around inside because it has so much character after centuries of war, repair, additions, and renovations. We were not allowed to access certain parts of the fort. It is right next to the river Jamuna and you can see the Taj Mahal from it. There were temples and mosques inside and some gardens, which looked very British in their layout. Though it was wonderful to see, I was glad to take a break from walking around and return to the taxi.




My driver Saneer took me to some specialty shops sponsored by the government. I went to a textile place known around the world for their high quality, handmade Persian rugs. I looked at all their varieties but didn’t have Rs. 30,000 to spare so it was a short visit. The next place I went worked with marble, inlaying precious stones. They worked with three colours of marble: black, white and green. I was amazed at the intricacy of carving the marble, shaping the stones and setting them to create a smooth, polished surface-all by hand. Technically this was not a place to bargain, so I hesitated at first when I entered their shop of marble carvings, boxes, animals, etc. But when I found a small box that I like, I gave in a bargained for it-paying half of his original price. As we drove to the market, I had a chance to speak with Saneer more. He has been driving the cab for tourists for 11 years, is 33 and has four children-10, 9, 4, 1. He told me about the kids’ school, his new home, and the history of Agra. I enjoyed getting to speak with him. I decided to walk around the market on my own and let him return home early. The market was not impressive, so I walked to the train station. On the way, I decided to try cycling a rickshaw to see how different it was. The young driver was surprised at my request and said I did alright. Those drivers must have iron legs to earn a living off of that job! At the station I spoke with a few Indian families and one student in particular was excited to speak with an American. We shared a drink while waiting for the train discussing school, religion, cricket, girls…an interesting conversation to say the least.

Old Delhi, a train to Ferozpur, an afternoon in Amritsar

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.

Ahmedabad

Due to the heavy city traffic, I had to get off on the outer motorway and take an auto rickshaw in to meet my friend. One nice thing about being a foreigner is that I’m easier to spot in a crowd. He took me to his house and I had dinner with him and his wife. He was surprised to see me sitting cross-legged eating food without a fork, knife or spoon. I had learned that much at least back in London, along with eating only with my right hand. He took me to a room I rented for two nights at a church. The next day was a long one, but good. I had breakfast with a family of a mutual friend and then he and I went to the Gandhi Ashram. It was a peaceful, simple and quiet place next to the river. After reading Freedom at Midnight, I knew much more about this unique, seemingly frail man who has shaped so much of India. I think he would like the ashram as it is. We left to Maninagar and saw the huge Swaminarayan mundir before arriving in the slum area that he has invested so much time in. We entered a small house and over 30 people gathered. We sang bhajans, I shared about what I’m doing in London and we prayed. Even out of their poverty they offered me lunch; I was honoured. While they were cooking I visited many families and prayed with them. All of them gave me water and chai (tea) so that my stomach was already pretty full by lunch. As I walked through the slum, I saw many people making incense to sell and doing handcrafts. Two girls I met were around eight years old and stitching small mirrors into cloth. It was beautiful but they would receive two rupees for their work though it would be sold in Delhi for about 100. After lunch, we went outside the city to a village. His brother lives there and parents are staying them briefly. He showed me around and introduced me to people. He has met and prayed with all the families there, around 35. It was great to see his passion to serve that community. We hopped on his bike and explored to local bazaar. Going through a city’s market is a great way to get to know the ethos of a place. I was looking specifically for a watch, since I didn’t own one and needed one. I searched for a small earring and drew a picture of what I wanted but no one had it. Many shop owners were surprised to have such a picky buyer. Afterwards we drove back, had dinner and got some sleep. The weather was in the 40s, normally people take a nap so he was shocked when he saw me still energized through the heat. Early the next morning he drove me to the airport and I took off to Delhi. There was a ton I did not see in Ahmedabad, it would have been nice to stay one more day.

Rajkot

I have a good friend in London who has been here about two years. When I told him I was going to Gujarat, he quickly suggested I see his family. A mutual friend had gone out for his brother and sister’s wedding last year, so I had already heard a bit about the family. Thankfully his brother speaks English very well. It was admittedly intimidating travelling around trying to translate Hindi and Gujarati script. His brother took me back to his house, I met his sister and parents, had tea and then we went out to the city. His cousins joined us on their motorcycles. We went to the zoo, saw the dam, fed some pelicans and got some local food. It was nice to talk with them. Meeting a friend’s family and friends always allows you to get a fuller picture for who he is. They told me stories of him growing up and little habits. It felt good to laugh with them. They took me to one of the major temples, we entered, sat for a while and then left. Each temple I’ve been to has been different in some way. That may sound obvious but it reinforces the diversity within Hinduism. Being in India, the heartland, I paid more attention to the details and being an outsider allowed me to ask questions more freely. After the temple, his brother and I went shopping for a kurta, which was harder than we thoughts since places were closing. I ended up finding nice, cheap yellow short kurta.

We came back late, I met his cousins family and had dinner around 11:00. We had some sugarcane juice and relaxed on their roof. The next morning I enjoyed learning to play cricket. Seeing that England has such a bad team, it was a good thing to learn from Indians. Cricket is by far the most popular sport. Throughout my time there I saw kids playing by whatever means necessary. I saw kids use rolled up paper for a ball, a branch for a bat, bricks for the stumps in dirt patches, rooftops, market streets, ghats…it reminded me of how desperate kids in Mexico were to play football. I had fun bowling, fielding, batting in their front yard. Though I’ve played baseball, cricket has a different technique. Anyways, after lunch he took me to the station and coordinated with my friend in Ahmedabad. I am so glad I only had a backpack this whole time, it made me a lot more mobile.

Jamnagar

I live with an Indian family in London and two of their children attend the youth club I run so when I told them about going to India, they were excited to coordinate with me to see their family in Jamnagar. Another kid in the youth club who lives on my street has family there and I met his older cousin at a restaurant while he was completing a masters degree here. I know it sounds like small connections to base a trip off of in a foreign country knowing hardly any Gujarati, but I went for it. This older cousin picked me up from the airport and took me around to see all the family members.

The city is very different than Mumbai. It is pretty quiet, small and less developed-I actually enjoyed how peaceful in seemed in contrast to the noisy, busy big city. One of the cousins who spoke some English took me around that afternoon to see the sites. We went to see Lakhota Palace in the middle of Ranmal Lake. It was very dry but come August it will be very full. The palace itself has been under renovation for years. Just nearby is Bala Hanuman temple which has had 24 hour chanting since 1964, a world record. We visited a beautiful Jain Temple with intricate carvings and art inside and out. Just across the street I had my first experience bartering/bargaining in India. It isn’t much different than in other parts of the world. I am still white and they still demand a much higher price as a result. I found a nice green bandhani silk saree. Bandhani is a unique style of tying and dyeing pieces of cotton or silk to make dots or other shapes in cloth. He started the price at Rs. 1200, I ended up getting it and two bottles of Pepsi for 800.
I loved meeting the families, telling them how their families were doing back in London. They were really interested in what I was doing there and glad to help me with some Gujarati. I know some sentences and the alphabet since I found a tutor one week before coming. So I can read and write but my vocabulary is horrible. Since I sing bhajans in Gujarati and Hindi I at least had a jump on the pronunciation. Every family welcomed me so warmly. I had brought gifts from their families in London, and they in turn had some for me to bring back to London. Half of my backpack was gifts!
Gujarati food is sweet and my favourite is malpua, like a sweet roti. The mango is in season, so I loved it. I was so full but everything tasted so good I wish I had a bigger stomach. I am pretty sure I gained 5-8kg. While I was riding around on the motorbikes with the cousins, we stopped for chai and pan (tobacco and some nuts rolled up in a leaf). With no signals, few lights and cows and dogs in the roads, you needed to honk at each intersection. Being with the families, visiting their shops and favourite places was a wonderful way to see the city.

The following morning my friend who studied in London showed me his factory. About 70-80 people work there processing metal in parts for residential and commercial electric bases. (He’ll have to help me out with remembering the details.) Sadly I didn’t have my camera with me at the time. He introduced me to the engineers, more cousins and other workers. They start by melting the brass into small but heavy bars. From there they polish, cut, shave, and drill into all sorts of part that will be packed and shipped all over India. They are also beginning to do business in Europe. It is a pretty big industry. Jamnagar is known for its metalworking, and I know hardly anything about metal so I can’t describe this very well. What I do know is that it is an intricate process that is eased by being able to purchase machines to save time and your back. After the tour, he took me to my bus. I was very thankful to have him arrange transportation for me and coordinate with my friend in Rajkot.

Mumbai

Upon hearing the word “Mumbai” you might immediately think of Slumdog Millionaire. As my plane approached the ground I did see several slums but no kids were playing cricket on the tarmac. It is the economic and entertainment capital of India. It is a city of contrasts with amazing wealth and poverty. It is also very diverse with people from all over the country and institutions recognized around the world. It is hard to think of an equivalent city.

Well I did not see all the tourists spots, go to the beach or even stay in a hotel. I did something better-I stayed in the homes of local people hearing and seeing their involvement with various projects and work in the city.
Saturday I met with a couple who are doctors operating an HIV clinic in Thane. The husband took me through a PowerPoint summarizing their work and some of the main issues they struggle with. I was privileged to join in a staff meeting that afternoon hearing about some of the families, facility needs, and ideas for connecting with the larger medical community. The shame associated with HIV and view that God is judging them keeps many people from reaching out to these people. It can be overwhelming to holistically address these patients since there are also relational and psychological wounds. Their program and these doctors are well respected in the community and there are some opportunities for partnership with a local hospital.
Sunday evening I stayed with a family who have a passion to serve the community around them yet strive to call others to serve with them. They are Christians and though Jesus calls them to visibly love those around them, it is difficult to convince others to step out of their comfort zone. I had a good conversation with their oldest son about ways youth might be able to get involved in even small ways to make a difference. Education is a huge problem and he has a close friend who teaches children from the slums and connects them with a local government school for further education. Their younger son is applying to do grad work in counselling. There are hardly any counselors in Mumbai but with the mounting pressure on students and employees along with natural strain from being a congested city, there is a huge need. The number of suicide attempts in the city is staggering.
Monday I met with an agency involved with forced prostitution and the legal prosecution of the perpetrators. They have a tough job and nothing is simple, quick and straightforward. The girls want to make a living, the owners want money, and the authorities can sometimes be bribed to let things slide. Even when they finally coordinate with the authorities to make a move and rescue the girls, the girls do not always want to leave their previous life. The legal prosecutors face threats and physical danger from others for taking away someone’s business. The aftercare workers also have a difficult task in helping these girls deal with the abuse, their own identity and worth, and their transition and acceptance back into regular society. The government provides meagre supplies for living causing most to want to return to prostitution. There are so few counsellors and even fewer who have any experience with the trauma of prostitution. In spite of all this, it was encouraging to hear of all the women who have been saved, learned a skill, and become wives and mothers.
Our charity shop, ASHA, is small but growing and we love to support projects addressing education, healthcare and local handcrafts. I definitely think that those I met in Mumbai working with HIV, education in the slums and forced prostitution would be worth supporting.

Off to India!

I went to India for two main reasons. One is cultural exposure. If I am living in a community dominated by people from India, going to their country will definitely help me understand them better. The second is to check in on charities and projects our charity shop ASHA supports and visit others we may support in the future. I will have a variety of posts to make; I had bad internet connection while there so I am catching up now.
I left Friday the 10th to Mumbai landing Saturday afternoon with one backpack. I left by plane from there to Jamnagar Tuesday morning, took a bus to Rajkot the following afternoon and another bus to Ahmedabad the next afternoon. I flew from there Saturday morning to Delhi to meet up with two friends. We left Delhi that night by train to Ferozpur. Monday we took a cab to Amritsar and a train back to Delhi. Thursday I took a day trip to see the Taj Mahal in Agra. Friday I flew to Varanasi and returned to Delhi Monday morning. I flew back to London at 2 the next day. 18 days. So if you want to break out a map here are the cities in order: Mumbai(Bombay), Jamnagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Ferozpur, Amritsar, Delhi, Agra, Delhi, Varanasi, Delhi, London.