This is an ANL 'redub' taken from the lengthy letter
produced at the time. It is being broken into dated entries here and some
piccies being added. This was a definite
highlight in the two years! Did you miss
the start - go back one day.
03/11/2012
Slept
early and well despite a couple of wakeups during the night. Didn’t get my VS
work done after all as the eyes were falling out by 9pm… big journey and heaps
of country air I suppose. Breakfast this
morning was one of the few that I cannot eat due to its cementing effects in
lower regions, so thank goodness for the goodies box! At lunch there was okra stew – another that
does not agree with me so simply took the chapatti and dhal – which were of
superior quality I must say. One could find the lentils in the sauce and the
roti so thinly rolled they melted in the mouth. I could happily live on just
that for the rest of my stay.
Took some
more rest post-brekky until 11am, when I set off down the hill towards the main
office and shopping area – yes shopping. Vani is an enormous outlet for
Chinmaya Publications and CORD** items, whilst there is a newish separate
outlet now for ‘cultural’ items; very pretty and quality items of jewellery,
home décor etc. At 11.45am we all headed into Maruti Mandir, (Sri Hanuman
temple) for chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama. This temple is by the main
entrance. Ganapati Mandir right at the top of the hill is out of bounds for
yours truly unless I can persuade the wallah with the golf buggy to provide a
lift! On that note, I only jokingly put
in the remark and, yesterday, regarding the infirm – but today it came true.
After lunch, I went to view the Jeeva Darshana, which took quite some time and
effort (there are seats inside, but are low and no handles to push oneself up
with, so just as much bother as continuing to stand) – so by the time I emerged
at 3.30pm, the old hip and pelvis were screaming a bit. Tried flagging down the
mentioned buggy bloke, but he said he was late for a meeting (-!-) so I just
sat down on the wall and rested. An older gentleman I had met at Sandeepany
rode by on his scooter and offered me a ride… at the same time another very
pleasant fellow walking down said not to worry he’d get the ambulance…
I must
have been looking really in need.
The old
fella was determined he was going to do the good deed so on I got and
thoroughly enjoyed the scoot up the hill – only to find there was an actual
ambulance chasing after me!!!!
Ramchandra Menon is the manager of maintenance here and part-time ambo,
apparently. Anyway, it’s nice to know the care is there.
Thus it
was I rolled back in my door by 4.30pm. Showered, washed hair and clothes
(there are no auto facilities here so daily hand-washing required) and settled
in for the evening. Am definitely on country go-slow time though. Even typing
this is proving to be a demand on the brain. Hope I can get it functioning at
speed for our first session with Swami-ji in the morning. The 'darshan' had
required more of one than expected; talking headphones with full commentary as
well as lots of written displays and the thing is enormous. Loved it, but realised that listening and
reading together don’t really work for a midlifemudhead so will revisit once,
maybe twice more, to ensure I get maximum out of the exhibit. Definitely, as
all have said before me, the room with the wax Gurudev leaves the strongest
impression – I admit to spontaneous tears, which were a little unexpected.
Have
spotted two birds not seen at Sandeepany (though one of them Sandeep says he
has seen there). There are many different flowers, some native wildflowers and
a few cultivars – all with blooms still on the plants. That will change now we
are here; already our South Indian 'wifies' are pulling them to pieces, despite
all the signage saying don’t. Having said that, I have in this matter become a
hypocrite – for there is an abundant yellow shrub from which I have a plume in
my room, given that none can be seen in the vista from my window. To be
accurate, I didn’t do the ‘actual picking’,
one of the SI sisters did it for me. Don’t think that avoids making me an ‘actual hypocrite’ though!
**Chinmaya
Organisation for Rural Development, a program of empowerment in self-employment
focused particularly on women.
Hari Om, Yam! I love the idea of slowing down to a state of extreme relaxation. And the chapati sounded yummy! Indigo x
ReplyDeleteRe reads are great. Yes their chappatis are perfect. By far best food. And yes I had tears in th wax room as well. Went back in there three times. Looking forward to this time too.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteIndigo - those roti were as soft as angel kisses. There's a thought for you!!
Mahal - yyeeeaaahhhhh!