India

This morning we got up at 6.00 am to do the boat tour on the Ganges river.

To see the sun come up at that time is a magnificent experience. And with dinner tonight we shall see the full moon above the Ganges

This rowing 3 hour boat tour along the river is a sight to behold, people washing themselves, brushing their teeth, washing their hair, the ladies in their sari's on a very muddy river bank is a sight that is awesome but at the same time gruesome.

But the belief that it is a Holy River must be the cleansing factor, they pray to the sun , dive under water, an immense sight to behold.

Here at the roof top of our guest house the view of the Ganges is spectacular, the river is low now but swells to twice the width in the monsoon time, the town is build so that all buildings rise up about 25 metres above the river.level

No boat tours are then possible as the current is so fast that you be in Mumbai in know time at all. Varanasi is not for the faint -hearted, the smells, and sights of the never ending dirt and squalor are a so greatly representing a world that is so foreign to me.

Utter chaor but it works

India

Our Riksha driver in Varanasi is a real gem, he appeared the first morning coming out of our guesthouse and has bee our true guide and translator.

To move around atown called Varanasi on your own would be not that funny, the narrow streets in the old city are not for those that are new in this amazing dirty, rambling, space.

So many many move throught these narrow streets and with all kinds of shops on the side walk that shops and the path are simply one movement of people and animals ..yes watch out for the cow-poop that is everywhere. And not only that cows and bulls have right of way/

A visit to silk weaving an buying some wonderful colors to take with us. We looked up Sai Maa's `Ashram also in the old city where her devotees loved  to see us.

The evening ceromony held on the Ganges with the priest performing a most stunning display with bells, drums and a voice singing mantras (our photos coming) that we went to at 6.00 pm was a most powerful display of their traditions and honoring whatever they honor ...but very very moving and touching to be part of.

Images of India

American writer Mark Twain wrote: "Benares (Varanasi) is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

India

Yesterday we arrived in Varanasi..a journey from Chennai to Bangalore and on to Delhi ....Delhi has been in thick fog for 2 weeks and the airport has been struggling to get flights in and out.

We knew about it ..but still there where we circling above Delhi for the fog to lift, round and round it shoed on the screen,I imagine with many other planes in the smae predicament, hoping I thought before we run out of fuel.

At last there we go down the wheels came out, and land ..now the pilot informs us as no-one was able to yet depart that day there is no place for us yet.to embark ...ha ha ha

An hour later movement we are so mighty pleased to get our bums of the seats when an employee hurdles us on to a bus to catch the flight to Varanasi, back on our bums, but mercifully there are toilets on board...
These passengers had been waiting for us and a cheer went up when we arrived...as Sonja and I had ideas on a cappucino, that had to wait.

Varanasi's arrival lounge was a bee-hive of faces pressed against the windows I suppose for fresh tourists, our taxi driver proudly held up a sign with our names and off we went, needless to say we where stuffed kind off.

This morning after breakfest at the top floor of our guesthouse that is overlooking the Ganges and see the sun come up from our balcony, we had a great encounter with a riksha driver straight away. He became our guido in his riksha and showed us some temples in the old city, a labirinth of enormous proportions unimaginable.

No traffic is possible there but foot work, with lots of people, cows, goats, darting the cow poop is part of the game, he told us great sdtories, of history, customs, and symbolism of this city. We went to the burial ground and witnessed the bodies arriving under chanting prayers and how this ritual is so important to them to free the soul from the body.

Each cast has their own spaces to be burned amazing stories in this dream. Our guide we appreciated greatly with his fine manners and very spritual ideas that for me where mind blowing.

Without him we would not have been able to wander in that old part of the city as there is no way one can know how to get out.

A visit to a coffee shop, yes Cappucino's and Latte's where on, and on to a aroma theraphy shop to be told some wonderful ideas about many different oils, Rose, Sandalwood, Rosemary, many more, each one he placed as a tip on our arms untill we smelled just divine and naturally buying some.

Lunch at the cafe believe it or not called the Vaticaan and delicious pizza's ..

To see people bath in the Ganges is an amazing sight, I like to look but not to join ...

India

We left Pondicherry today at 10.00 am in a very comfortable car that took all our luggage. Previously the cars we travelled in where so small that the luggage had to be tied to the roof.

The landscape showed rice fields and wide spaces of salt flats

Our driver was a daredevil darting through the traffic horns blaring, moving at amazing speed passing, the busses, cars, rikshas, cows, pedestrians, dogs, goats…it is not something you can watch it is best to look sideways as Dirk who sat in the front said" I died a thousand times today, ha ha ha.

We stopped at a road stall these places have amazing chai tea and fried veggie rolls simply yummy. The hotel basic but good and lunch. So Sonja asked where is a good place to walk, the answer was no-where. The idea of walking is looked upon as`weird

Well we did anyway and it was true it was not walking but darting between the traffic and shops and the social masses gatherings on the foot path spilling over on the road…

Here in India no-one suffers from fatigue syndrome, everything is on the move, endlessly going about their business.
We visited a beautiful church where a priest was given an sermon that was a kind of pre-historic, I believe from the accent it was about a punishing God not my cuppa. Lucky an attack of mozzies drove us out fast ..they loved our fresh blood, dinner was the only option.

Images

Quotes of Sri Aurobindo

"The yoga we practice is not for ourselves alone, but for the Divine; its aim is to work out the will of the Divine in the world, to effect a spiritual transformation and to bring down a divine nature and a divine life into the mental, vital and physical nature and life of humanity. Its object is not personal Mukti, although Mukti is a necessary condition of the yoga, but the liberation and transformation of the human being. It is not personal Ananda, but the bringing down of the divine Ananda -- Christ's kingdom of heaven, our Satyayuga -- upon the earth."

- Sri Aurobindo 

~

" We are sons of God
And must be even as he. "

Quotes from Savitri by Sri Aurobindo

Some images from India

India

The oasis of the garden here is so cool and calm when we return from the surroundings and the wild ride of the rikshas. The roads after all have many pot holes and strips of concrete that needs to be stopped for.


The beach here at the Quiet Healing Center is lined up with fishing boats, these long skinny timber structures, early in the morning they start on the day to catch whatever they catch to sell on the streets I suppose.

A pity how much rubble lies there on the sand, and we also discovered it is the mornings toilet for the people of the village. As we had thought about swimming the last days we where mighty pleased not to have gone in.

Frankly the surf does not look friendly here a deep gully runs of it with a strong under tow, but after the toilet discovery that's it for me.

There is in India ever present a surprise, we walked on the beach yesterday afternoon and came upon a delightful cafe, in its first month of being open ..spotlessly clean an owner who is involved in rugby and is teaching the village boys the game ..even shows international games on a white cloth screen from his laptop.

Inspirational he plans to clean up the beach in front of his space, like he is a new voice that will change the masses who not yet see that the space is their mind. He is the new ideas in all that India represents.

India

After our experience in the inner sanctum yesterday of this immense love and light that embraced us...Sonja phoned and to our surprise received for the next day a number to come again.

Dirk booked a taxi in the evening before, as this is the season for visiting India taxi's are in high demand.

This time we where with the A group which we discovered you know what to do so off you go. To enter this inner sanctum walking up the circular walkway is something so majestic its like entering a very strange and wondeful world. 

A new world and waiting to receive all who come, something that was long gone and appearing for a moment out of nowhere, to reveal this symbol of peace and harmony eternally present, in the most splendid form. This day we sat for 45 minutes in that incredible room, a power of self-awareness a delight to

The care that has gone into Matrimandir  is visible, the lotus leave waterfall a design so beautiful, a picture on the left. No photos can be taken inside.

A wonderful encounter with the idea of Sri Aurobindo and the Motherthat now after 20 years is ready to receive all that are desiring to be present in that inner sanctum for a moment.

The visitors center 1 km away serves great chai-tea and has some wonderful shopping to be done which we did, after all what is India without shopping? We have learned a few tricks, the first purchases in puttaparthy are now deligated to be pyamas ...agh cheap is not always lasting


Here at the Quit Healing Center the lunches and dinners are delicious, the chef a wizard, the laundry gets done for us We travel mostly by these rikshas which bless Dirk's heart he does the negotiating of the fare, which can be  tricky business ..prices range from the high to the low and each trip is another story.

Each driver wants to be our guide and I believe by now Dirk's wallet has many many business cards of Riksha drivers ...yes they all have cell phones and business cards, India is moving fast ahead


Some must be frustrated race drivers and move through the traffic in an unbelievable speed, but I suppose you would have to or the whole show would trample over you. Still it is the most amazing thing how it all fits on these narrow roads packed with trucks, cars, motorbikes and bikes.

We had an idea to hire a bike in this space in Auroville which we released with a sigh of relief as this woul have been a performance that we be in white bandages from top to toe by now...

 This tremdously large baniyan tree was the only tree 40 years ago standing where then the ceremony began of building Auroville, its many branches filled with birds

India

Today our journey to Matrimandir began with taxi ride to the gate and waited in line with many different nationalities, then the guide came and instructed all on the way how this experience would unfold to go into the inner sanctum.



The space itself to begin with is an oasis of green, the lawns cool, hibiscus veverywhere, and the variety of trees amazing, always remembering that nothing was there 40 years ago. 12 petals designed of red bricks are surrounding this golden boll rising up from the petals that carry names like we in our miracles healing center in the sanctuary as peace, power, love, joy to name a few.


We walked to the west entrance and took our shoes off then walked inside a space of cool marble so splendid to be revived immediately, a haven of tranquility

White socks where provided, to then continue on a white carpeted spiral walkway to the top where we entered in the inner sanctum for a 15 minute meditation..


This majestic inner sanctum is like a nurturing, an embracing presence of pure love. The marble columns and walls, glass panels, the enormous crystal in the center that receives the beam of the sun from a opening in the roof descending down was a superb vision to witness.


All around where placed white mats and white cushions to take a seat in a wide circle, the beauty of this inner sanctum was a grandeur and overwhelmingly breathtaking

India

Today we took a taxi to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram about 7 km from our guesthouse ..The Ashram is in a beautiful tree lined street quit a wonderful space like entering from the hustle and bustle in an oasis


The street has a book shop with His writings and me as a avid reader could have bought a few of these great pieces of his ideas ..but when one travels books are simply a no-no…


The ashram itself is a calm and cool looking building, very inviting to enter the first form catching my eyes is the ….of Aurobindo covered in flowers placed in a magnificent pattern .


Devotees streaming past touching the flowers lying in water and cooling themselves with the drops of water after touching them and bowing in devotion.

The smell in the air is wonderful and everywhere around the edges of the courtyard people in meditation quite a scene …

I am not so sure that this is what Sri Aurobindo had in mind nor The Mother who’s bed and chair are on display covered in masses of flowers …but this ashram show can never detract from Sri Aurobindo’s message to all man who ask for an answer.


And it was a wonderful and peaceful space to spend some time in gratitude for all those that dedicate themselves to bring a new moment to all those that are weary of this dream ..

The Ashram is a stone trow from the beach where a the coffee shop called Le Cafe gave a wonderful cuppa...

India

We slept like babes with the ocean pounding just across.

Today we went to the visitors center in Auroville  an interesting encounter with a lot of details about its first beginning and one amazing detail is that from a bare large landmass 1.5 million trees have been planted.

I must confess it is spectacular to stand there and see this beautiful structure among the wide and green gardens which on a video is shown how its developed.

It is an oasis of peacefulness to be there, to walk, to sit among gigantic trees and  to join in this space. with all those coming for a new moment of peace and harmony.

 We are working fast and furious to save ourselves by eating ice cream and lying in a hammock.