Namaskar friends, family and anonymous readers! Emilia here, writing this from Rajasthan, the westernmost state of northern India!
We left the mountains and Mother Ganga behind in Rishekesh, and took a 13 hour train ride to the desert! Our adventure began on the train to Jaipur, when a bunch of kids came to visit our bunk to talk and sing with us and tell us about their yoga competition they had just completed. They then returned to show off their participation trophy, and helped us pass the time on one of the last train rides we’ll have in India together. We arrived at 4:30 am, and were greeted by one of our knowledgeable contacts, Rishi-ji. He situated us in our homestays, where we would be sleeping, dining and socializing for the next week. Catherine stayed by herself for a welcome challenge, Alessandra and Savannah stayed together, Dani and I were assigned to one family, and with no surprise, Nate and Ford were going to stay with one host family (oh the beauty of predictability!). We became quickly acquainted with our families, and with our busy schedules within the next few hours, put together with Rishi-ji, and Rekha-ji, a retired art history professor and painter. On our second day in Jaipur, we all had breakfast with our host families, and set out for the day, beginning at Amber Fort in the old city. We also visited a historic step well and a Krishna temple, giving us a feel for the stories old Jaipur and Rajasthan.
After our tour around some of the city’s historic sites, we made a visit to the city’s present: a place where handcrafts and tradition thrives. We visited the Blue Pottery studio, that is made up of a pottery studio and a hand printing studio, where fabric is made and then dyed with stamps. Similar to the stamps you used to make out of erasers in class when you got bored with multiplication tables. Seeing the preservation of traditional artwork in a new world made me appreciate the effort that artists make to inform us of the past. We then hopped back in the mystery machine (the van that would tour us around the city for the week) and visited a handmade paper factory. From seeing the original material to paper pulp to final production in the gallery gave us a unique perspective on the industry that we aren’t necessarily exposed to back home. Upon reflection, Nate had some wise words to share. He thought about how a department store around this time of year has employees pulling out bags not dissimilar to those we had seen, and is packaging their products without understanding where they had come from. But also that the workers in the factory are working with a precision that comes from doing things over and over, but have no connection to the places their products are going to. Both are removed from each other, but also need one another. It was interesting getting to understand what “made in India” really meant. He, as well as most other people in the group enjoyed going behind the scenes, and will take away an awareness of what is means to be a consumer in today’s world. We concluded the day by having dinner with our host families, dreaming dreams of printed peacocks on fabric and of paper star lanterns.
On our third day, we began our day taking a yoga class at a yoga center. It was no Phool Chati yoga, but we all enjoyed getting to move our bodies again and become centered on our breaths. After a generous breakfast hosted by Rekha-ji, we were invited to come talk to her about women in India, her own work as a professor, and any questions we had about Indian culture. She answered our questions with ease and flexibility, easily going from one topic of conversation to the next. We were then given the opportunity to be lectured by a professor on the history of India and the state of Rajasthan. Obviously there is so much, but a brief overview was all we had the time for. I personally learned that so much influences the India we are in today, and that the culture is always changing due to the outside world, much like the imperial influences of this country’s past. After a stimulating morning, we went to Jantar Mantar, a collection of large astronomical instruments that have been used for centuries to measure things like the altitude of the sun, the time of day, and horoscopes based on the position of the stars. There might have been a language barrier, but we subtly hinted to our guide that there were indeed 13 signs, and not 12, because of the new sign, Ophiuchus, which he not so subtly denied. It was still a wonderful place to stretch our imaginations and walk through the grounds with a keener understanding of the celestial landscape we stand under every day. After our lesson in science, we went to become lost in some sitar music, orchestrated by our very own Rishi-ji. We were ushered into a house of musicians, who for the past 4 generations has produced a maestro, and even holds a grammy award. But even without awards, it was easy to see the talent of the father and son duo on their respective sitars, and the tabla player beating out the improvisational rhythm with juxtaposed tenderness and speed. After some music, the group went out for dinner in order to celebrate our Thanksgiving day. Even though we aren’t at home with our families, we all agreed that being together as a group was just as appropriate. Our ‘Shanti fam’ ordered burgers and salads and waffles, because we couldn’t find a turkey or mashed potatoes, but it wasn’t the food that mattered, it was taking time to be grateful for the experiences we are having here, and the people we are blessed to spend them with.
On our fourth day, we took a field trip out to Tilonia barefoot college, an institution that teaches women from neighboring villages and from villages abroad solar engineering, earth preservation, and water conservation, among others. Many of the women who come to study are illiterate, and the college doesn’t provide certificates in order to have those women return to their home villages and provide simple solutions to problems without requiring outside resources. Catherine noted that the college gave out scholarships to those who have an interest in studying there, and that she enjoyed how the college not only educates their students, but empowers them as well. We took a tour of the grounds, but not without a photo or two for the local newspaper, of which unfortunately we will probably never see. #famous?
Our fifth day began with an interaction with Rishi-ji, who thoughtfully took the questions we had about westernization and traditional Hindu culture and its affect on women in the 21st century. He answered above and beyond the limits of the question itself, including the effects of politics and history; never shying away from giving us the whole picture. Our discussion with Rishi flowed smoothly into our seminar lecture with a ‘retired but not tired’ professor of Rajasthan University, where he was the director of political science, and since then has written 21 books and comes to talk to international students on subjects of the Indian constitution, its parliamentary democracy, and multi-party system. As promised, his energy heated the room, and questions were answered like rapid fire, covering all of the basics of Indian politics and more. The group then had lunch at the Main Art Center JKK, where the Indian Coffee House is located and where some of the tastiest coffee-ice cream desserts are enjoyed. We went out and about to the old city after lunch and were led by Rishi-ji on a heritage walk,looking into the small alleys of bangle-makers and the long lines of colorful dresses, quilts and purses for sale. Dani noted that it was impressive how many bangles people were making, especially considering that it was prime wedding season. It seemed like from the nightly fireworks and music, that weddings were going on every night!
Our sixth day was a highlight for most of the group, as we traveled to a folk artist colony, Kalaker Basti, located in a small slum in Jaipur. There, we were able to see and participate in the traditional performance techniques and artcraft. There was dancing, puppetry, sewing, and a horse costume that when worn, looks almost as if you were riding it. This was a big hit with the Shanti family, as one by one we each attempted to replicate the hip juts and head wiggles, none with the pristine skill of the local artists, but with almost the same enthusiasm. As I finished my own turn, our friend and performer asked, “How does it feel?” to which I responded, “it feels GREAT!”. That exchange could well summarize our time at the colony, as Alessandra reached deeper to talk about what it meant to be there for our group at the conclusion of our time with a gesture of gratitude and appreciation to the people we had met. She later told me that she really liked it because it was nice to see that even in conditions that we would consider as harsh, that art and culture still remained and thrived, and that children at a young age are taught to carry those traditions on into the future.
Our seventh and last day was spent doing last minute packing, and saying goodbye to our host families. Savannah and Alessandra were among some of the group members that were moved by the kindness displayed by their host families. Nate and Catherine both agreed that generosity and closeness of family were obvious characteristics of Indian families. Savannah summed it up nicely by remembering the kindness of everyone we met in Jaipur, Rishi-ji, Rekha-ji, and even strangers on the street. Jaipur will hold memory for each of us, whether from the tunnels, pathways, and elephants of the Old City like for Fordham, or the talks with Rekha-ji like for myself, or the wonderfully lush Indian thalis that each of us will hold dear. One more week left in India, and it is coming to a beautiful conclusion.