Delhi and Amritsar

Funny, I'm posting from Delhi on a stopover on my way to Nepal! I was here less than a week ago! I spent some time shopping for books at the Jahawarlal Nehru University with a friend's boyfriend, Ankush. (If anyone knows where I can get a copy of the Therigathas -- preferably in Nepal, I would really appreciate it!) Then we visited Qutb Minar, a tower planned by the first Muslim Indian ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak, I was amazed with the intricate carvings, and I'll probably go back some day just to take some photos in different lighting. The surrounding complex was built from the rubble of Hindu and Jain temples that were originally on the site, continuing the age-old culture-wide tradition of knocking other people's buildings down to build your own on top. The shorter unfinished tower was meant to be taller, but they just couldn't get it up.

The next few days I spent sick in bed, with a brief and traumatizing train trip to Amritsar because I bought my ticket before I got sick. I was lucky to stay at Hotel Grace, where the owners were incredibly friendly, checked up on me regularly, and even made me a snack once! Basically I lived on biscuits and water for almost five days.

Once I recovered I took the short trip to the Pakistani border to watch the border closing ceremony at the only land crossing between the two countries. It was fascinating! It's a combination of pep rally -- including a dance party with Bollywood tunes -- and choreographed border guard demonstration.

I also visited Jallianwala Bagh, the walled park where British soldiers fired without warning on a peaceful demonstration and killed hundreds of people. The park is a beautiful but sad monument to the tragedy. I've included a photo of the Martyrs' Well; people jumped into the well trying to escape the bullets.

Lal Devi Temple was one of the more memorable Hindu temples I've visited. It's like a funhouse! You climb up and down ramps and stairs, cross over bridges, crawl through passageways, and double back on the path. There's a rack of bells that everyone loves to ring, and some of the passageways are tiled in mirrors. Through one passageway you even walk through ankle-deep water, which delighted me and more than one child. After the fun, I sat for a while to listen to women singing devotional music to the saint.

Finally, the best part of Amritsar: The Golden Temple is the holiest site for the Sikh religion, and I spent almost a whole day there. Sikhism is known in the west for the turbans Sikh men wear to keep their uncut hair tidy, and for the kirpans, the ceremonial daggers which are rarely functional weapons, but often controversial. Uncut hair and the ceremonial dagger are two of the five symbols of the Sikh brotherhood; the others are a comb, undershorts, and a steel bracelet. The turban is a cultural, rather than a religious symbol, and women rarely wear it.

I found the people here very welcoming, and everyone must remove their shoes and cover their hair. The temple also includes a langar, or community kitchen, where anyone can eat for free. The traditional guards, Sardars, are both friendly and intimidating. While I'm still taller than average, in Amritsar I didn't feel quite as monstrous as usual, since the Punjab region is known for tall men and women.

I stood in line for about 45 minutes to pray in the gurdwara, take some prohibited photographs on the roof, and listen to Sikh men singing devotional songs and recite the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, which is also the living guru. Finally, I sat and watched the sunset from the marble walkway around the pool. As usual, I took many photos, which you can find if you access Facebook. At sime I'm looking forward to taking even more photos with my new DSLR camera, on which I blew an entire month's budget yesterday.