Holi Warriors

March 11th was a holiday for those of us in Delhi, to celebrate the Hindu festival of colors, Holi.  Holi goes on for a day or two - even the weekend before, Devindar and I got water-balooned in old Delhi, and you'd see people here and there smeared with vibrant colors.  But, the big to-do was the morning of the 11th.  This year, there were more expats and friends around, so we had a little mixer at Essel, with all of the staff and us participating.  Smearing your friends and family with colors is a form of well-wishing for the upcoming year; supposedly the colors were once ayurvedic powders, meant to foster good health.  Everyone at Essel was well and truly in the mood.  Devindar got me good with the colors, or gulal, the night before when he dropped me off, and then in the morning, everyone was up and at 'em fairly early, smearing each other with the colored powder.  We took the party outside and it quickly became a water fight, complete with squirt guns, buckets, and a hose.  It was a blast!  So much fun.  The whole neighborhood was out and about and having a good time.  It made me realize that there are just some underlying truisms to human celebrations worldwide.  The Holi party we had resonated strongly with the egg dyeing, water fights and egg tosses held on Montgomery and Mackh lawns over the past 30 or more years.  It's spring, and Muslims, Christians, and Hindus alike are celebrating the themes of renewal, growth and the end of winter.  We topped our morning off with homemade samosas from Abdul, very special lassis, and a good long nap.  I had no complaints...ah, spring!

The Blessed Event

After much anticipation and planning, Taru's wedding weekend was finally here. This is the first Indian wedding that I feel I've truly seen from it's beginnings to the beautiful end. I observed the early stages of courtship, the engagement, the buying of the trousseau, the logistics and in-laws, and wedding gifts... all of it culminating in festivities the weekend of February 28th.

Carla and Sherry flew up from Hyderabad for the occasion, and Neeta needed a ride, so all four of us girls piled into the Optra with Devindar and headed for Rohtak on Friday afternoon. The first event was the sangeet, which is part mehndi party and part bachelorette. We got to Taru's house just before the start time, and ended up staying there to get ready. The house was packed with family and friends, including all of my Nehas, Divya, Saloni, Neharika, and many more. It was really fun to primp and prep and have tea together, while Taru bummed around in her grubs, shedding mehndi flakes in her wake. We danced and had our mehndi done, and then belatedly realized we couldn't eat with the henna drying on our hands. So the boys fed us our dinner - can you believe it? Gender roles are so complex in India. On the one hand, you may have fewer freedoms; on the other, you're treated by those who know you with a gentleness that is disarming.

Tuckered out by our ladies' evening (plus a few boys, of course), we headed back to the Faculty Club where Taru's family had reserved us rooms, and sacked out. In the morning, we had a breakfast of radish parathas and headed back to Taru's house for the Tel ceremony, where Taru's uncles came to formally present gifts to her mother, and her female relatives performed ritual blessings with chutney, herbs, tumeric and yogurt. After Taru was blessed and washed, the four of us girls excused ourselves as additional guests began to trickle in for the wedding. We headed to the main market to pick up last-minute doo-dads for the wedding - bindis for me and Neeta, jhumkas (bell-shaped earrings) to go with my lehenga, a jewelry set to top off Carla's outfit, and earrings all around. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to the Faculty Club and get ready for the wedding. Neeta and I arrived to no hot water, so we were delayed even beyond the normal Mackh timeline. We were supposed to be at the wedding at 8pm, and I eventually rolled in about 9:30pm. But, it was ok, because the groom didn't arrive until about 11pm, so the whole evening went off at a leisurely pace.

Taru looked like a princess in her lehenga, all red, gold, and rhinestone loveliness. Everyone from work was duded up to the nines and looked amazing in their party wear. I was much more petted than I deserved for my lehenga, which I've decided is not much better at hiding the chubs than a sari - perhaps worse. But, it does stay in place a lot better. After greeting the bride, we waited for the baraat (groom's party) to arrive, had chaat and took lots of pictures. The baraat arrived in style, with fireworks, a Punjabi band, and lots of drunken dancing. Karun was escorted to the stage and Taru came to meet him in all her glory. There shortly followed what I like to call attack-garlanding, as both Taru and Karun collared each other with garlands of jasmine and carnations. Then there were pictures...lots and lots of pictures. With the bharat arriving after 11 and the subsequent picture-fest, the actual wedding ceremony did not get underway until one or two am. We sat in chairs around the stage and listened to the pundit reciting the ritual prayers, sipping coffee and munching jalebes. The party didn't wind down, nor did Taru and Karun get dinner, until about 3:30am (nuts!). Everyone headed home tired and replete with wedding happiness.

I so enjoyed this wedding. It was wonderful to see Taru and Karun begin their lives together, and to see all of the hopes and worries come to happy conclusion. Taru's family treated us with incredible hospitality, and it was so much fun to spend time with all the folks on my team outside of work - I am going to miss them all terribly.

Kidnapped! or Valentine's Day at Devindar's

Still recovering from the parental invasion, I didn't get much planned for Valentine's Day.  I made a half-hearted attempt to organize my usual single-ladies dinner, but the early return of Taru's Prince Charming, plus general apathy from the rest of the crew, left me with not much planned.

As per the usual Saturday routine, Devindar and I set out for a solid day of puttering.  There was a big craft mela (fair) on, so we went and explored that.  I got some lovely patchwork pillows and a funky backpack which I love.  We bartered over a traditional painting of Radha Krishna, made holy by a layer of cow dung beneath the paint.  I couldn't quite get the artist down to a price that was reasonable, but I ended up buying it after all, a few weeks later - holy cow.  

Now, I don't know if it was just serendipity, or if Devindar was just trying to save me from a solitary Valentine's Day, but he ended up inviting me over to his house for his niece, Pari's birthday party.  I was definitely not at my best and tried to beg off, but he insisted he was kidnapping me and taking me home for the party.  Although it was a little awkward, Devindar's family couldn't have been more lovely to me.  Dinner was exceptional, and I was able to meet Manju, Devindar's wife, and Shubham, his son, as well as his brother, Ajit, sister-in-law, Pinky, and their daughter, the birthday girl - Pari.  Being a guest in an Indian home is to be overwhelmed with welcome.  I'm still not comfortable with being the 'honorable guest,' but I was honored, indeed.

The Golden Triange - a lopsided version

After my jaunt to Hyderabad and a successful foray into the Punjab for the parents, we reunited and headed for the mother of all Indian tourist attractions, the Taj Mahal.  We wrassled a bit with a flat tire on the way, but were soon headed for Agra to see Akbar's tomb at Sikandra, Agra Fort, and the Taj.  As always, I loved Sikandra with it's rosy palate of red sandstone with marble inlays.  I know it's sacrilege, but I prefer it to the Taj's pearly whites any day.  Besides being beautiful, it's far less crowded and more peaceful with its lovely deer park and faintly crumbling gateways.

Agra fort was a pleasant surprise, more imposing than its Delhi cousin and in far better shape.  It was a beautiful day to wander through the sandstone halls, explore Shah Jahan's marble prison, and gaze upon the Taj from afar.  We did the whole fort in less than an hour, but it was still wonderful to see.

And now, on to the Taj.... It is beautiful, of course. And crowded. And, like most things in India, subjects you to a bit of sensory overload.  First warm sandstone and then cool marble beneath your feet.  Tracing the lilies etched in relieve around the mausoleum. Seeking seams in the seamless piedra dura, and marveling at the love and what must have been obsession, that inspired the building.  Finally, watching birds wheel in the fading light above white minarets, and the sinking sun turning dust motes rosy over the Yamuna.

We had a lovely dinner and headed on to Gwalior.  It makes for a long day, but I've come to believe that Agra doesn't merit an overnight.  Our hotel in Gwalior was lovely - Usha Kiran Palace.  Part of the ruling family's estate, it still sits next to the ancestral family home and the Scindia Palace museum.  We had a good sleep in and a lovely breakfast buffet the next morning before rambling about the museum for a few hours and checking out Gwalior Fort in all it's blue-tiled loveliness.  The Usha Kiran treated us well.  Rooms were palacial and the spa was wonderful.  Mom and Dad and I all had massages, which were great, and then we followed it up with a belated birthday dinner for me at the hotel.  The staff were so sweet - they whipped up an impromptu birthday cake and sang to me.  Just lovely - the Taj experience is not to be beaten in the hotel world.

The following day, we headed for Jaipur, by way of Fatepur Sikri.  Although the abandoned city is beautiful, it has the most persistent hawkers and touts of anywhere I've been in India.  Dad and Paul each succumbed to the wares available, but on the whole I think they enjoyed themselves.  After a four-hour drive to Jaipur, we had a nice dinner at Niro's and checked in to the Narain Niwas Palace, which I love.  In the morning, we headed for Amer to see the palace.  This is the first time that I've been there early enough to catch the elephants - apparently, they're not allowed to do more than a handful of trips each day, so once all the laps are done, there are no more elephants to be had.  The elephants carry you from the courtyard at the bottom of the hill, up to the palace gates - I've never had a more regal ride, and I think Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary loved it.  So worth going early.  After Amer, we had to go to the obligatory rug shop with our "free" guide.  Paul and Mary got a very nice rug, which should have made his day, but I have the strong sense he felt he had still lost out on some commission in the long haul.  Devindar and I dropped the 'rents at City Palace and went fabric shopping for Mom, as well as buying my long-sought Ganesh t-shirt.  Then, it was back in the car to head to Delhi, so that Mom and Dad could catch their flight out that night.  

It's amazing how quickly two weeks can go.  It was a tremendous amount of planning, but so great to have my family here.  I wish Mom had liked it better, but I think she was only so open to India from the beginning, and getting sick didn't improve things much.  Dad seemed to really like playing shutterbug and geeking out on the history - I really need to take him to Europe.  He would go nuts over Italy, in particular.  Paul and Mary, the veteran travelers among us, seemed to have had a great time.  And I was supremely grateful to have them along to referee the three musketeers.

It's all in a cave - Ellora & Ajanta

So, post saving problems, here's my complete re-write of this post.  You'll forgive me if I'm not as enthused about it the second time around....

We arrived in Aurangabad on Monday evening and headed for our hotel, Lemon Tree.  I was pretty jazzed that I'd found a place that was within Paul's $60/night budget and seemed like it would be nice.  When we got there, I was even more pleasantly surprised.  The hotel was brand new and had just opened a few months before.  We had big, lovely rooms, complete with all of the amenities, a great restaurant, and very friendly staff.  They even left a towel elephant, complete with flower decorations, on my bed each morning.

After a good night's sleep, we rallied fairly early for the 3 hour drive to Ajanta to see the cave temples.  Once we'd passed the tourist village crucible and made it through the bus line, all was good.  We clambered up a long set of stairs and into the valley where the caves are carved from the cliff walls.  Paul rode in in style, maharaja style, that is - on the backs of some very determined chair porters.  Many co-workers had told me that the Ajanta caves were beyond repair and no longer worth seeing, but that is definitely not the case.  Given how old they are, an amazing amount of the original paint is still extant.  In any case, it was well worth it to see the grandeur of the stone chamers and to feel the polished stone of the sanctuaries beneath your feet.  We puttered around the caves for a few hours and headed back to Aurangabad for a thali dinner.  Mom, Dad and Mary weren't too sure about it; Paul claimed he liked it.  In either case, their reactions made me realize how much my palate has changed over the past year.  

On our second and final day in Aurangabad, which was my birthday, we headed outside of town to Ellora, home to Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples.  The temples range from very roughly hewn alcoves of rock, to triple-layered temples carved deep into the rock face - just amazing.  There was a Buddhist tour group chanting in one of the caves as we passed through; I caught a bit of it on video:

After Ellora, we went exploring in the Mughal fort nearby.  The battlements are some of the most elaborate that I've seen, comprising multiple gates, bridges and a moat.  The grounds aren't in very good repair, but it's still possible to see how impressive the fort must once have been, with it's towering minaret and layers of defenses.  

Finally, just before leaving, we headed to the 'mini Taj,' or Bibi Ka Maqbara.  Built for Aurangzeb's wife at her death, it's a 2/3 scale model of the actual Taj Mahal.  There were several big school groups there and we were quickly rivaling the mini Taj for their attention.  I've never been in so many school pictures in a single day!  Tuckered out by our stardom and cave-hopping, we headed for the airport to catch the evening flight out - Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary back to Delhi and Amritsar; me to Hyderabad for a conference.  Phase one of the Parental Invasion - completed!

And so it begins...In the backwaters of Alleppey

Paul and Mary, Mom and Dad,  arrived in India on January 30th and 31st, respectively.  After much planning and plotting on my part, we were about to embark on what I fondly referred to as the "parental invasion."

Since Paul and Mary are fairly seasoned third world travelers, I didn't pull any punches on getting them acclimated to India post-haste.  For their first day, and while we were waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive from San Fancisco, Devindar took them into Old Delhi, to see Lal Quila and the Jama Masjid.  He also innovated on my program a bit and took them to see Akshardham, a Hindu temple in North Delhi that even I haven't made my way to yet.  Paul and Mary arrived back at the guest house tuckered out, but already madly in love with India - just the way we wanted it. 

That night, I did another 1am airport run with Devindar and picked up Mom and Dad from the airport.  After a few hours of sleep, I sent them back out on the town with Devindar, this time to see Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar, and to make a run to Aggarwal Lassiwalla - yum!  For dinner that night, most of my team met us for dinner at Pind Balluchi and we introduced the 'Rents to punjabi cuisine.  It was so much fun to have my two worlds converge a bit.  I've some to love all of the personalities on my team; they are unfailingly supportive, generous and interested in you as a person.  Mom, Dad, Paul and Mary fit right in and had a blast.

On Saturday morning, we rallied fairly early to head for Cochin, Kerala. Despite the best of intentions, our flight was delayed (of course) and we arrived in Fort Cochin pretty late in the day, with not much time to sightsee.  While I think we short-changed it a bit, I still feel as though we got a taste of Fort Cochin and Keralan culture.  We attended a kathakali dance performance and had a lovely dinner in Fort Cochin, before heading home to put the jet-lagged crew to bed.

Sunday saw the dawn of a lovely day - bright and sunny.  We drove out to Kumarakom to meet our houseboat and were on board by midday.  It was fun to finally meet Kence, from EcoTours Kerala - he's quite the character and many Googlers have had their negotiating adventures with him.  But, the man runs a good houseboat.  The crew took great care of us and made amazing meals throughout our overnight cruise.  

I think a cruise through the backwaters is a cure for all ills.  There is nothing to do but lean back and watch the water lilies and rice paddies flow by.  Life around you all seems idyllic, though I'm sure it's not completely so.  I found myself thinking how great it would be to buy a bungalow by the canal and forget about the outside world for a while - a la Gaugin in the South Pacific.  A girl can dream, right?

Paul and Mary were in their element and loving every minute.  I think Dad too, was pretty swept away by the place.  We listened to good music, ate the wonderful food and generally let the world go by.  Mom, unfortunately, was nursing Delhi belly in silence, so it took me a while to get her properly medicated and cheerful.  But, a boat cruise was probably about the best place we could have been, with nothing to do but relax and hang out.

We returned to Fort Cochin midday on Monday, had a nice lunch and headed out on a flight to Aurangabad and the next leg of our trip - the caves at Ellora and Ajanta.