Sending some more pictures today…and just writing to say that if I ever continued to entertain the idea of bringing groups to India, the last two days have cured me of that for sure. I spent two days with 2 women from Russia, one of them who contacted me a couple of years ago via my blog and we have been trying to meet up in India since then, and her friend. Rich women who were here for a retreat and then came to spend 2 days in Rishikesh. Spending the two days with them, seeing what it means to show people around who want nothing more to do than shop, needing the patience to allow them to enjoy themselves while still moving them along to the various places to see and get a feel of Rishikesh…it was exhausting. And that was only 1 ½ days actually.
But I was out with them, took some nice pictures which I am posting here, and actually enjoyed much of the quiet time we spent together at meals etc. But the whole idea of doing this is really not for me. If any of you out there however ever decides to come to Rishikesh, and needs places to shop for good jewelry etc., I at least now have the information. These women spent over $3000 dollars on jewelry but I was introduced to places I would never have found on my own. For information purposes, it was a profitable day for me as well.
Hope you enjoy the pictures…I have had very little time on my own the past week since I met Ben….and then these women, as well as a lady I haven’t written about yet (she will be in the second “people” post as I am leaving her for the end…it will be difficult to really write about her)…but I did some computer fixing for her as well this week…and tomorrow the 2 ladies are leaving and Ben and I will be sharing healing sessions again and perhaps go to the puja in the evening. We’ve been spending lots of time together…he just keeps coming up looking for me until he finds me…and once he does, the time just goes by and it is dinner time and the day is once again over. He will begin his teachings shortly, so I guess I will have more time to myself by then, but for now I am enjoying his company, as he obviously is enjoying mine…lots of interesting discussions, lots of laughing…quite pleasant.
I still get my own walking in each day but it is beginning to get warmer and will probably have to change my schedule and go out for breakfast, instead of lunch and then spend the warm hours relaxing and then going out again in the evening…
OK…enough babbling….enjoy the pics. I'm trying to get more pics of people this trip and other interesting everyday scenes of life in Rishikesh. These were taken over a 3 hour period and the ones on the Ganga are evening time just before the puja...that is why the bridge is also so crowded...you can see evening baths in the Ganga, snacks to eat along the way and from earlier in the day, babas, kids coming home from school, etc.
Namaste
Jane
Sunday, March 02, 2008
#10-March 2, 2008- I’ve been Cured
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
MORE SOUNDS OF INDIA....PUJAS (RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES)
This first one is the Shiva Aarti held each day around 6 PM at the Shiva Ghat in Rishikesh. because of the length of the video, the final quality is not very good when resized to download, but it will give you some idea of the humble sacredness of this puja.
SOUNDS OF INDIA - PUJA IN HARDIWAR
Hardiwar is another of the sacred cities of India where the Ganges continues to flow, and the daily evening puja here is attended by thousands of people each day! It may be much more impressive than the simple one in rishikesh, but it was more commercial than spiritual. People were mainly out for a days fun, swimming in the Ganges before hand, and going out to eat afterwards, and money was collected, donations announced over loudspeakers, etc. But if WAS beautiful and impressive. so enjoy this as well...another taste of India
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Indian Journal 2006 #35-Aarti Puja Rishikesh Ghat
This afternoon Ilse and I decided to go for a walk, as it is now only really possible to be out after 4. But after 4 it is quite lovely, with warm weather but beautiful breezes. We spent hours walking and basically were on our way to the Shiva Puja in Swargashram (across Ram Jula). This puja, like the one in Hardiwar, takes place everyday of the year. But that is the only thing they have in common. I will do my best to describe this puja, using photographs as well, but the real "seeing" of this puja involves "hearing" as well, and so I've taken several short videos with sound, but will only be able to post them when I get home.
As I said, the only thing in common the two pujas have are that they are performed each day at 6 PM.
But beginning with the statue of Shiva,
which you remember in Hardiwar was over 30 meters high and surrounded by a fence...untouchable and hardly inviting to the average person...very pretentious. As was everything else about the puja...commercial, crowded, and not something I would ever want to go see again. Nothing really sacred or holy about the entire affair in general.
And then, beginning with the Shiva statue at the Rishikesh ghat, to the entire ceremony, the first word which came to mind was unpretentious. And honest, and "everyman's". You can see how lovely and peaceful the shiva statue is here, and more "human" size, and certainly touchable. People were sitting ON the statue.
Instead of thousands upon thousands of people, there were a few hundred. All dressed in new clean clothing and truly there for the ceremony (which is what puja means). The gathering was quiet and respectful...no frolicking in the Ganga, picnicking etc. 
The closest thing I can compare it to, in its sincerity and sheer jubilence of worshipping spirit, would be a Black American Church with everyone singing Gospel along with the Church choir. And if you have that picture in mind, you will understanding how moving and lovely this puja truly was.
The Church choir was a group of young boys, all studying to be Hindu priets someone told me, but I am not sure, dressed in lovely yellow remnants with the white signs of Shiva worship painted on their forheads.
They lead the chanting and everyone present joined in with handclapping, swaying, raising of arms as if to say "Halleluja", smiles of joy on most faces, and spiritual concentration on the others. 
The ceremony ended when little plates which had wicks to light on them from the central fire were passed around from hand to hand so that each person present could get a blessing directly from Shiva. 
And each person took it in hand, made circular motions with the plate and gently passed it on to another person so that everyone present eventually got a plate of fire (including us!). I really wish the videos were available to you now.
I would gladly come back here again just to enjoy the moving music and chanting as well as the glowing faces of those who are truly "with" their god in the moment of prayer and worship.
And just as quietly as everyone converged for the puja, once it was over they dispersed just as quietly back home....quite lovely and inspiring. I hope the pictures do some justice to the experience.
And just to end a perfect evening, we had a lovely view of Rishikesh at night while having a snack of Naan for dinner before heading back to our rooms, inspired, happy and at peace.
Namaste
Jane
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Saturday, March 31, 2007
India Journal 2006- #33- March 29-30 Day at the Movies and Puja in Hardiwar
...and the weather... just as a sidethought:
The weather is really "india" now. I need the fan at night for several hours and certainly during the day (if I am in the room!). Appetite is less and very few places here have AC. So eating, at least a lunchtime, is not easy. So slow and easy is the slogan. Really not looking forward to Delhi which will be worse due to the humidity there, but at least there the shops are AC as is my room, and room service is available so it should be OK! Just checked now, and it is 41 degrees here today!!!! Same as Delhi. No wonder I feel so listless!
March 29, Thursday at the movies.
After Ainat's suggestion of a couple of days ago, Ruth, Ilse and I decided to take in a movie in town today. We went down by Rickshaw, came to the theater and found it large, pleasant and FULL of people, mostly young. It is the day the market is closed, which might account for some of the people there, who had a day off from work, but it was 12:30 in the afternoon and there were mostly young India guys, teenagers,,,,very few girls. Wondered why they were not in school. However, the packed house added a completely new dimension to the film! Cheers, singing, applause, catcalls...it was really a full, living experience. The movie theater was fan cooled and pleasantly comfortable, despite the great heat outside. The movie was Bollywood, but the singing and dancing were not overdone, and
beautiful as ever. The story was predictable, but wonderfully done as well, and the main actor, don't remember his name, brought me to tears at some places, without even understand a word of what he was speaking. It was called Namaste London, there was some amount of English spoken as most of it took place in London, although there was a full tour of India, including Rishikesh, and you can imagine the audience reaction when Rishikesh came on the screen, but the only thing we really missed out on were the innuendos and jokes. We had a thoroughly lovely 3 hours and came out with big smiles on our faces and a good feeling, which is still with me a couple of days later.
And if that is not a successful film, than I don't know what is!!
We came home feeling very pleased with ourselves and just realxed for the rest of the day. And then in the evening, Ainat came to my room for some updates re: her and in the end we began discussing ideas for us working together back in Israel. And finally, she helped me make up a flyer which I made up on the computer and have begun distributing...in Hebrew...and hopefully it will even get me some customers for when I arrive in Dharamsala.
Following that session with Ainat, I also decided to write to a cousin of mine who has a good friend who runs a travel agency in Israel, so that I can have a personal contact at home who will be willing to give me practical advice about getting this business off the ground.
I continued to contemplate many angles of this group idea and int he end I realized that like most things, I have to send it out, and with no expectations, release it to God. I am sure that no matter how and no matter when it happens, it WILL come to fruition, and will be just perfect for me and for those who find their way to me. Once I get home, I will give a big push to this Yoga for Special needs course as well as incorporating meditation and pranayama with it. And of course to do more and more with Reiki.
I am really falling behind with this blog and have so many interesting stories, some quite sad to tell the truth, and really see the need for having a laptop with me if I am to do this correctly. Coming down to the internet cafe is very restrictive and not conducive to creativity either...But I will do my best one of these days to get these stories off to the blog.
I will continue with the next day, March 30, Friday, when we went to Hardiwar for the big Puja (ceremony) on the Ganga which takes place each and every day of the week. After being there yesterday, it is something quite beyond my human comprehension that this takes place each and every day of the year. I will post as many pictures as possible to try and give you a feel, and also have 2 short videos, but again, they will have to wait until I get home to post. The nice thing about the videos is that you get the full sound effect also. Then, the only thing missing, would be the smells, the predominent one for me at the puja was not the usual smell of people, and cows, and humidity, and sweat, and incense, but the smell of rose petals from all the little offerings being carried by people before releasing them to the river. 
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I also released one into the flow of the River, with a special prayer...of course for my whole family, loved ones, peace in the world, contentment etc., for all, but I included a very special prayer for my grandson Yali, asking that his life unfold and continue in the way which will bring him tranquility and full development of his amazing potential. And that this be in the way which will most suit his personality and special needs. Once done, I found myself with chills and tingling throughout my body...and very deep profound sense that my release of the offering was accepted and understood, and later in the evening, I was again moved to tears of joy and release, as I KNEW that things will now begin to be better for Yali...it was as if I was given a sign, sitting on the banks of the Sacred Ganga, that God knew exactly what I was asking for and that he took my request to heart. Even sitting here now writing about it, I have chills again and a choking feeling in my throat...all WILL be well with him it is telling me.
We arrived in Hardwar by taxi after a pleasant hours drive... Ainat, Ilse and Agee and myself. .JPG)
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First, we stopped at the enormous statue of Shiva...about 30 meters high we were told....difficult to take a photo as the sun was behind the statue, but you will get some idea at least of the size from the pictures at the beginning of this post. Near this statue were other tourist, like us, but Indian, as well as babas praying and a view across to the town...
We then walked across to the town and began our exploration of the ghat where the puja would take place in about one hours time..JPG)
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First, what really drew our attention was the festival atmosphere...people by the score swimming and frolicking in the river, many fully dressed, others with less clothing, and some women from Rajasthan removing their saris completely. Other people changed their clothes in the changing rooms which are available, just like you might find at a local swimming pool, and bathed in different clothes and then changed back into their holiday saris as the time of the puja approached. Many men were also have a shave right along the ghat to prepare for the ceremony as well. But all so festive...singing, eating, enjoying...smiles, laughter, just lovely.
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We removed our shoes as instructed and spent the next couple of hours barefoot, which was not really easy for me, but not the end of the world either. We did our own offerings early so as not to be crushed by the huge press of humanity later on...and this was a wise decision.
We made our way along the ghat, and just sat and observed for awhile, the amazing variety of "people" waiting for the puja to begin:.JPG)
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The little fellow below was breastfeeding and I was so pleased to see the ease at which his Mother got him latched on, through her sari, fancy jewelry etc., without a hair getting mussed and with no fuss whatsoever....
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We finally found our way to seats along the ghat to wait, along with the thousands of other people 
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who come here each and every day, for the official puja to begin. There were drums, singing, mantras, chanting, hand clapping, fire, (all can really be seen well in the video), and, as always in India, amazing splashes of color everywhere!
I will try and post as many pictures as possible in this post, and special post which will follow it, with just more pictures, as I am having trouble deciding what to post...the scenes were so amazingly beautiful, especially as dark settled over the ghat...I hope something comes through in these pictures.
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Following the puja, .JPG)
we followed the rest of the swarm and just walked around the market, enjoyed the smells and sights and again, were amazed that this happens every single day! I even bought Ainat a balloon, 
as she asked for one....By then however, we were quite exhausted, from the heat, the humidity, the press of humanity and not drinking enough, so decided to head home, and arrived home around 9:30 in the evening...sooooooooooo happy that we went!
I am really having difficulty putting the experience into words, so I will let the pictures say as much as possible, and hope you can get some feel for the profound sacredness of the experience combined with the amazing sense of festivity, as well as the great pleasure of doing this with friends.
