Religious rituals - a colleague invites me to his village

Ok, it's been a while...

Some time ago I was invited by a colleague of mine to celebrate a ritual (puja) with his family at his village of Bhora Kalan. Today I went there. Some 80km from Delhi, the drive took me through a mix of crumbling houses, brand-new developments, spotless highways and pot-holed roads.
The village itself was lovely. The people very friendly. The food very Indian!

Fried bread being prepared for our lunch at the community center

So, here is what wikipedia has to say about a puja or pooja, after which some pictures will follow, enjoy!

Pūjā or alternative transliteration Pooja, (Devanagari: पूजा) (Sanskrit: reverence, honour, adoration, or worship) is a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests. It is done on a variety of occasions and settings, from daily puja done in the home, to temple ceremonies and large festivals, or to begin a new venture. Puja is modeled on the idea of giving a gift or offering to a deity or important person and receiving their blessing (Ashirvad). The two main areas where puja is performed is in the home and at public temples. There are many variations in scale, offering, and ceremony. Puja is also performed on special occasions such as Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja. The puja ritual is performed by Hindus worldwide. Various poojas are performed at various times of the day and on various occasions.

Enjoying lunch with the men!

Old houses in this village

The courtyard of the community center

The roof, where we ate the food

The women gather & gossip

My colleague Sandeep in the light clothes serving food

Entrance to the courtyard

My colleague (l) and our driver (r) walking through the village

View from the roof...

And another view...

And another...

Delicious & Delirious Delhi - part II

My earlier post on Delhi covered one of the most famous bazars in the city, the one around Jama Masjid. That day I got a complete different and more accurate view of the Indian capital. But for a city this big (11mln people), much more was yet to be seen.

So, one fine day, I found myself on a very early Sunday morning (around 6:30 AM) in an area in Delhi named after Nizamuddin, one of the most famous Sufi saints buried here in Delhi in a large tomb. The micro-area itself, where we met up with other Dutch expats living in Delhi, was one of small houses, dirty muddy roads, cows, open sewer systems and, to counter all that I guess, flower stalls.
 

Amidst Delhi traffic

We set off around this part riding our orange bicycles. The company DelhiByCycle has been set-up by a former Dutch journalist who has been living here for 6 years. The tour was really amazing. We drove around the smallest possible alleys, of sometimes just 50cm width. The houses were crammed together in a chaotic way and we could see the daily life of the people around us in its purest form. A mother washing her kids hair, 8 young men brushing their teeth on a balcony while waving at us. Small barbershops, kids playing and the usual dirt & cows roaming around.

Area where we cycled

Unfortunately, I have no pics of these really small alleys and the people living within, since it was going up and down and there were bicycles coming from behind as well. But if there is one thing I would recommend doing in Delhi, it is actually take one of these tours. It is a great way to explore a part of Delhi, you'd otherwise not see.

Cycling through clothes lines

Small alleys

A goat

We finished the tour with a picnic in Lodi Gardens (on which more below) after which we cycled back and everyone went their own way. We decided to go to the Delhi Red Fort (we had seen one in Agra before also).

Red Fort

It turned out to be just on the other side of the Jama Masjid mosque, where we had been the day before. The Fort was imposing, with its big red-stoned walls. Inside, we could relax from the hustle & bustle of the bazar close by and the tour we had that morning. Many nice buildings were scattered on the grounds within the Fort, and lots of benches and grass to sit on. That's what we did. It did not take long before a some 4 young kids came and sit next to us. At first slowly and a bit shy they started to say hello and then laugh. But before we knew, we were surrounded by at least 30 Indian people from all different ages taking pictures of us (for a video scroll down below). And then, some foreign tourists started taking pictures, perhaps they thought we were famous?

Little kids (look at the one in te red shirt posing)

It was a bit hard to get rid of them all in the end, because now the friend of the friend of the cousin of the uncle of the grandfather of the neighbour also wanted to be on the picture. But we managed to get out, take a riksja and leave for Lodi Gardens once more.

Lodi Gardens

And Lodi Gardens is a real paradise within Delhi. This park is located in a richer area, hence less people, and it has some beautiful tombs from the 15th and 16th centuries lying within. It is the ideal place to relax after a busy Delhi day. Not in the least because it has a great garden restaurant next to it.

Lodi Gardens

All in all, Delhi has lots to offer!


Funny video of the boys at Red Fort:

Diwali celebrated or how I became Hindu

Lakshmi - goddes of wealth

Yesterday was Diwali, a by almost all Indians celebrated holiday - also known as the festival of lights. So many houses were lit by christmas-like colored bulbs, and lots of fireworks lit all day & night long.

My neighbour's house entrance, decorated for Diwali

In the evening we went to my employer's home to celebrate if. Before we could eat & drink we had to perform a ritual knows as Lakshmi Puja. According to tradition people would put small oil lamps outside their homes on Diwali and hope Lakshmi will come to bless them. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped by those who wish to acquire or to preserve wealth. It is believed that Lakshmi goes only to those houses which are clean and where the people are hardworking. She does not visit the places which are unclean/dirty or where the people are lazy.

My appartment block, with decorated balconies

Outside the gate of the appartment block I live in

Entrance of a house lit with candles

As I was told when I left my flat, I should have left either the lights on or a window open, for then Lakshmi would also come and bless my home. Unfortunately, I did neither, so chances are this is going to be a bad year for me!

For this ritual we lit many candles and placed them around the house and in front of a small shrine where small statues of the goddess were placed. Then we all got a red dot on our forehead and a sort of lace tight around your right arm. All the time we were supposed to sing or chant a song, but here we had a laptop with the correct song playing during the ritual.

Fireworks!

After this ritual we sat, ate and drank and started lighting fireworks on the streets. No one lost any fingers or got burned. At least, not anyone I was with....

Me, a converted Hindu (with what's left of the red dot)

An almost Indian wedding....

You who have been following me on twitter and facebook know that I was invited to an Indian/French wedding. Last night was the reception or more formal part of the celebration, the night before it was more informal with the women singing some traditional songs. More on Punjabi wedding traditions here.

Entrance to indoor venue Thursday evening

This wedding, with the girl being French, and a not overly traditional family on the side of the groom, was a more quiet one, as I was told by the people I met. To me though, it was all very interesting, taking a look inside an Indian family, how they dress, behave, what they eat & drink (Indian food, bacardi-coke, Kingfisher beer, Zinzi wine).

Indoor celebration, with traditional Hindi song-singing by the women

The venues where the celebrations were held were really beautiful, especially last night. Out in the open, tables & chairs put on the grass, nice lighting, lots of food and drinks (the alcohol flows only till 22.30/23.00 due to strict laws, but the Indian people like in the rest of the world, keep on serving drinks from under the counter). They could have accomodated hundreds of people there easily.

Entrance to outdoor venue

Friday evening venue, out in the open

Celebrations end also rather early because of this. By midnight most people had left so the party of friends I was introduced to decided to go out. The evening before we actually ended up at some friend's place where the drinking continued. This night the club of choice was Out of the Box. A not too big, just opened and very popular restaurant/bar/nightclub. It was here that the friends and brothers & sisters of the happy couple sat and even I had to say a few words in honor of them. So there I was, a (what seemed to me) semi-invited guest, not knowing any of them, standing amidst their friends wishing them all the best. So that part of the Indian culture as I know it is true, all are very hospitable!

The party I was with, standing on the right my host

Late night/early morning leaving Out of the Box nightclub

So, next step will be a real Punjabi wedding. Can't wait!

A little on Indian business... getting settled in & my house lizzard

Interesting day today and last night as well actually. Meeting clients over dinner and today during lunch. Trying to get my finger behind how they conduct business here. Of course, lots is similar to where ever, but in India they seem to be sometimes at a different pace. Everything has to happen "asap", best is yesterday, everybody promises the same, nothing gets done in time. Delays are notorious, we all know it is going to happen, still everything will be "finished" by tomorrow..... not.

Anyway, more about business some other time, when I can evaluate more.

Today was also the day I got myself a cleaning lady. For 1500 rupees (25 EUR), she'll clean the appartment, the bathrooms (separately charges as I told before) and do the dishes. I wanted her to come every other day during the week, but that was so odd for her, she just got confused. Then I tried every day but the weekend, but that also was difficult to explain. So I will just tell her the day before if it is necessary for the next day. Also, I was hoping to pick up some Hindi from her, but she seems to shy to talk to me... Maybe that'll change over time.

Got my shirts ironed for the incredible sum of 18 rupees (6 shirts, 25 cents).... Got a lot done today actually around the house, with the help of my employer of course and their people, who made my home a little more cosy and practical today. Cabinets, shower curtains etc.

Lovely!

Even the house lizzard seems to like it since he or she moved from the kitchen to the light above the television set, where I keep all my little flies & moths :). The lizzard is liking it.

Home is wherever I lay my hat?

Since internet is not installed at home yet, I grab the opportunity to do a little writing at work. Everybody needs a break, right?

So, I stayed a little longer in Holland, but as I wrote earlier, I am official now. My workpermit was given after handing in tons of documents, a translation of my degree, legalized, stamped & signed and for what? But it seems my degree in History of Russia & Eastern Europe is badly needed in India....

Monday evening the driver picked me up from the airport and dropped me at my new appartment. I had seen the flat before, empty and a bit diry. But now the walls were painted, most things cleaned and a complete inventory of furniture, kitchen appliances, towels etc. etc. was moved in. Yesterday the tv was installed, now I am waiting for the internet and the washing machine to be set-up.

Living room

The first morning I was woken by the doorbell at around 7 AM. They rang and rang and rang so I decided to get up and see who was this annoying person. It seems that people are aware a new tenant (and a Westerner for that!) moved in, so there was a guy wanting to clean the car, 2 ladies wanting to clean the house, another lady that wanted to clean the house, but I told them all to leave me for now.

My employers are obviously the ones helping me with all this and with negotiating a rate for the cleaning lady. We have not done that yet, that is why some of these ladies are coming by to get in first I guess and they have done that every morning now. And each time I tell them the same.

The cleaning-rates are divided into 2 parts. One for the appartment excluding the toilets and one for the toilets. For the 3 toilets they ask as much as for everything else. In total 2000 rupees (an approximate 35 EUR) per month for everyday cleaning was asked by one of the ladies.

Master bathroom with the "expensive" toilet

We are still looking though, 2000 rupees is too much I was told.

As for ironing (I do not like that part), there seems to be an Iron Man, no not the superhero, but a guy who irons your shirts. Hmmmmm, nice.

Some more pics of the appartment below, not all rooms are ready yet. The study and guestroom (feel free to visit!) are under "construction".

Kitchen

Master bedroom :)

View from balcony

Some Words On Booze, Supermarkets And Civilization..

A hot day today again, after all the thunder and rain of last night. It's Saturday, so time to venture out for some new experiences. Not many of them are shocking, but it gives an idea of everyday life for a foreigner like me.

When I walk to the central MG road in Gurgaon, approximately 15 minutes from my place, I pass quite nice houses. Many are being constructed and what immediately attracts the attention are the women who are carrying the bricks on their heads to the site. Not uncommon here, I know, but still, a little weird for me walking by with a bag of groceries, books & DVD's (on the way back that was).

I decided to visit some new malls, the ones where once again it becomes very clear how the world is merging into one big eating & shopping paradise. McDonald's, TGIF, KFC, Pizza Hut, Levi's, Lacoste, Hillfiger, Adidas, Canon, Nokia, Blackberry etc. etc. etc.

Funny how we measure civilization....

Of course, I do not have big problems with that, because I went to TGIF for a chickenburger, a Mojito (alcoholic one this time) and a brownie/ice-cream. Hmmmmmmm. For this I paid 25 EUR. One of the more expensive lunches to be honest. Would I have chosen an Indian one it would have been 4 times less (and maybe also more healthy).

Wine, unfortunately, is an expensive item in India. Comparable what it used to be in Russia up untill a couple of years ago. At TGIF you pay an approximate 40 EUR for an imported bottle. And to my big surprise, minors up untill 25 (!) cannot consume alcohol here. Now, India has a double standard concerning alcohol anyway. In many restaurants they don't serve it and supermarkets do not sell it. So where do you buy your favorite beers, wines, whiskeys and what more? Right, at specialized shops that are spread out along the main roads. In Delhi they close at 22pm, in Gurgaon a little later, but then again, you can actually buy whatever you want 24/7. Even when the shop seems completely closed, a tiny little window, just enough for a bottle to pass through, is always open.

Wine menu TGIF

In the evenings and during the night, you can see cars standing near these shops, people lining up to buy their drinks. And then they drive... With families living together in one house and mothers, fathers, wives being not to keen to see their kids and husbands drink, where else can the latter go?

A licquor shop

 Anyway, today I bought myself a nice bottle of wine for 17 EUR. With which they did not allow me to go inside the mall, so I brought it back to the place I bought it from to pick it up later.

The supermarket is actually nothing special, so just see for yourself if you recognize all the vegetables and other stuff they sell there.

A Day In The Life Of The Office

Maybe it is interesting to tell you a little bit about an average day in the office. Luckily, I haven't had too many of those, since most of the times we're out at meetings, but today was one of those days.

Approximately half an hour later then I was told the driver picked me up this morning. I got used to adding time to everything I am promised, because no one seems to be on time here. If you adjust, it is rather easy to live with and then suddenly everything actually happens on time.

Our office is located in a cellar, so very little daylight enters, which is good cause it does not get too warm. But why most of my colleagues hardly seem to go out for a little stroll to catch some fresh air is a mystery to me. The office is a nice one, it's open space, light, some nice designer features.

My desk

 In every office you enter, as a visitor, or for us, when entering our own office, you get some cold water offered by the office-help. He in this case, brings us a thermos and comes during the day to give you some tea with milk, grean tea, cookies, a snack - you don't hear me complaining.

Lunch is served in the office and taken from the home of the owners, prepared by their cook and served from small metal containers. Indian food of course, freshly made, really nice. I have to be careful though not to bit on the red peppers, I am also the only one eating with me water-thermos next to me.

Meeting and lunchtable

During the day you get used to the regular fall-out of electricity that after a few seconds comes back on.

So, as you see, nothing really spectacular, I am sorry if I have disappointed you, but now you know that life in India can be almost like anywhere else in the world. I guess....

Concerning A Flower Market, A Monkey God And Urdu Theater

Yesterday was an interesting day. Went out to look for an appartment and it seems that we are finalizing soon. I saw several and now we need to hassle a bit with the owners. Expect to inform you all tomorrow.

But that is not what this story is about. Last evening we went to see a theater play in Delhi. On our way, we had to stop at a local flower market, because some offerings needed to be made tomorrow by our female companion. While she stayed in the car, we, her husband and I, went to look for some nice flowers. He regretted taking me into the market, since when the sellers say me, the prices hiked immediately. It was a funny looking market and since it had been raining quite a bit, it was very muddy as well.

The flowermarket

Near the flowermarket I saw this enormous statue of some kind of local god, there were also several temples around. Of course, I had to make a picture after which I learned from my companions about Hanuman. This Monkey God is a central figure in a story about the struggle against some demon king. He also vowed to never marry so as to protect a prince & princess his whole life. Therefor, people who decide not to marry in India but sacrifice their lives to the greater good, pray to Hanuman.
We also got to talking about why the cow is holy for so many in India, but they could not give me a satisfying answer yet, even after consulting with their parents on the phone. So we'll get back to that. The one comment the mother of my companion gave was that she "just did not like people who eat cowmeat."

Hanuman, the monkey god, between the trees

When we finally arrived at the theater, we had to rush to make it in time to our seats, but then again, even the Indian theaters do not start on time. Although I did not understand a word of what was going on, it still was quite interesting and nice and the atmosphere was real good. It turned out to be a very funny story.... (you can read one of these so-called 'folktales of Rajasthan' here).
There were 2 men on stage who told a story that has been orally told for many centuries by the Urdu-speaking people of India. Only lately all such stories have been written down by scholars and are now being put on stage. Luckily for me, I could buy some of these stories in English translation, so I will be the last to laugh!

The actors on stage were friends of my companions and they all decided to go out for drinks & dinner. They brought along a Bollywood director and some other friends. We drank wodka from a water bottle, ate braincurry, butter chicken, grilled chicken, muttoncurry, naan, roti and ended up with the sweetest (literally) dessert I have ever tasted. All in all, a very fun and inspiring evening with fun and great people, who knew how to tell stories even off stage.

Palmtrees near the restaurant we ate

A Little Local Flavour

Ok, upon request a small item in English for my non-Dutch reading fans!

Today is a semi-national holiday in India, the end of Ramadan is being celebrated during the so called Eid-festival. It is not a national holiday, so not everybody is off today. If the Indians would grant all religions in their country to have their sacred holidays as a national holiday, no one would ever work (not that they seem to work so much anyway..).

We had a meeting though and after that we went for lunch (at around 17:30). My companion suggested I would try the famous brain-curry. How could I refuse? The place he had picked he had not been to for the past 3 years, so when we entered, even he had to admit it was a little dilapidated, broken mirrors on the wall, dirty floors etc.

The take-away window of the restaurant

But it would be good, he promised. Luckily we also gotten the butter chicken curry, so I would have at least something I would eat. Once served, you cannot see that is is brains on your plate, but the thought of it makes you not want to start, at least I did not. But what the heck. It tasted strong, meaty and was overall not bad.

Curry made out of sheep-brain

In and out this place in about 30 minutes we drove on. Discussing on our earlier meeting, I suddenly see a monkey climbing the electricity poles in the center of Delhi. And then I started wondering what it was that I ate......

The restaurant we ate at in central Delhi: "National"


It was also the first monkey I had ever seen in the wild.
So maybe not a little, but a lot of local flavour today....