Christmas Eve in India
Chrismas Eve in India. Headed to Madurai on Friday after practice with a British gal and one of Lino's assistants. Madurai is renoun for the which is abut 2 -3 km square easily. It was a 7 hour car ride and that was enough in and of itself. We stayed at a hotel that brought the neigboring temples' elephant in for breakfast.
Meenishka was amazing and huge and it was easy to get lost but not so easy to go where only Hindu's were allowed. Somehow we made it into one "Hindu only" section but got pulled from the main queue for the mother of all temples. We all got blessed by an elephant and made offerings with lotus flowers, coconuts, garlands, bananas, and ghee. We spent nearly 2 1/2 hours in that temple and could have easily spent the whole day there.
The next a.m. we had breakfast with the neighboring elephant and then headed into the city and saw an incredible palace and ate with the locals and shopped and rode in a rickshaw and auto-rickshaw with views of more churches and temples. The car would not start when it was time to leave so we headeback to the neighboring temple and meditated while the mechanic worked on it. And voila! It started up within an hour.
We were blessed to be taken around by locals who just saw us gazing up at the work of the ceilings and showing us the old parts of the temples and the OFF limit sections and visting the bats and rats and old dwellings that are closed to the public. The car ride back was a little scary. Witnessed several cars and a truck turn over and I was ready to administer first aid.
I'm happy to be back in the ocean today and David Garrigues made it down from Mysore for Kirtan last night but needless to say we were a little late from the drive. Did get to frolic with him in the ocean this late a.m. and he and Julie serenaded me on the beach with their guitar and violin. Live bluegrass here in Kovalam. I felt right at home. It was awesome and quite the scene.
I'm well and loving my time with Lino and grateful to all I have learned from, Nancy and my other teachers. Tim, Nicki and Eddie, and of course Suzy Gill.
I am very excited to share all when I return and until then I wish everyone a very safe and wonderful holiday week. Blessings from 7 degrees North of the equator.
Much love, Randa
Meenishka was amazing and huge and it was easy to get lost but not so easy to go where only Hindu's were allowed. Somehow we made it into one "Hindu only" section but got pulled from the main queue for the mother of all temples. We all got blessed by an elephant and made offerings with lotus flowers, coconuts, garlands, bananas, and ghee. We spent nearly 2 1/2 hours in that temple and could have easily spent the whole day there.
The next a.m. we had breakfast with the neighboring elephant and then headed into the city and saw an incredible palace and ate with the locals and shopped and rode in a rickshaw and auto-rickshaw with views of more churches and temples. The car would not start when it was time to leave so we headeback to the neighboring temple and meditated while the mechanic worked on it. And voila! It started up within an hour.
We were blessed to be taken around by locals who just saw us gazing up at the work of the ceilings and showing us the old parts of the temples and the OFF limit sections and visting the bats and rats and old dwellings that are closed to the public. The car ride back was a little scary. Witnessed several cars and a truck turn over and I was ready to administer first aid.
I'm happy to be back in the ocean today and David Garrigues made it down from Mysore for Kirtan last night but needless to say we were a little late from the drive. Did get to frolic with him in the ocean this late a.m. and he and Julie serenaded me on the beach with their guitar and violin. Live bluegrass here in Kovalam. I felt right at home. It was awesome and quite the scene.
I'm well and loving my time with Lino and grateful to all I have learned from, Nancy and my other teachers. Tim, Nicki and Eddie, and of course Suzy Gill.
I am very excited to share all when I return and until then I wish everyone a very safe and wonderful holiday week. Blessings from 7 degrees North of the equator.
Much love, Randa
1 Comments:
Dear Randa, We all miss you but we are delighted that you are having an interesting stay in India. All the best for 2007! Wishing you light and love...Sally King
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