Walking Into the Light

As promised back dated posts Haridwar 01-07-08 I must say that this feels like old times, working on the laptop in a hotel room. This laptop has seen a few hotel rooms, a few as grubby as this one even. But then, as we were coming back from the ghats this morning we saw where the dobhi was being dried. I am sure it is really clean until it gets laid out on the side of the river right next to piles of rubbish, where pigs are scrabbling around in a welter of grubby plastic bags. Actually this computer has been in this very hotel before, when we stayed in Haridwar 3 years ago during our Silkthreads Project. It feels as if the project has started now, after lots of travelling we are here in one of the main centres of Hindu Pilgrimage. If you bath here all your sins are washed away, Adrian bathed his feet this morning, which might get rid of a few bad actions. Once again we are fascinated by how being a Hindu is not something reserved for going to the temple once a week, it is your whole being. We are also again fascinated by how the ritual and actions of religion are like performance. The images and symbols of the Hindu way act like metaphors, in the way artists try to make sense of their world through images and symbols. We have just begun to collect sounds and images, but tonight we hope to document the Ganga Arti, the Fire Ceremony on the Ganga, it happens every night at dusk, wild and wonderful. Look out for images soon. Tomorrow we leave for Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River, by private Ambassador Car. That actually means being a bit sick round the bends. For those of you reading this who had not been in an Ambassador, it is something like being in a boat. It is hard to know at this stage what we will become interested in, actions, rituals, bells. But it is great to be nearly there, experiencing the pilgrims way.

We are now in Kathmandu. Sorry that there has been a lack of BLOG, but we have not seen an internet cafe on the whole of our pilgrimage route.

What I will do is fill in the gap with installments as if we were on the pilgrimage, but not now. First, here in Kathmandu after 20 years, it is a great shock. Its so set up for tourists now, I knew it would have changed, but this is beyond belief. Thamel just goes on for ever, not just Freak street and the German Bakery now!

It comes as such a shock after spending about 2 weeks entirely with Hindu Pilgrims, we saw 3 white people the whole time we were on the pilgrimage, and we met a bunch of Pilgrims from Wembley! (We hope to meet up with them on our return to the UK. To find out their oppinions of the Pilgrimage route as British Asians will be very interesting)

The temples here are really interesting to see now that we have been imersed in Hinduism for weeks, this strange blend of Hindu and Buddhist, butter lamps and Ganesh, bells and stupas. It is fanscinating. Walked through to Durbar Square (the main square in K) last night, late afternoon. Many people were out shopping for vegatables, making puja (an act of worship) as they were passing. Darshan (giving a view of the resident god) was happening in one temple and below there was a mayhem of veg. and motorbike horns and shoe salesmen. It reminded me of when you are in a muslim country and the call to prayer comes and everyone just bumbles along ignoring it. Here Hinduism is just a part of everyday life. It is like making a performance piece on the way home from work, although of course it is a religious act.

One temple was surrounded by Pidgeons, this is my worst night mare seeing that I am affraid of birds, but Adrian made a great recording or thier sound.

We also fell upon a stupa, a copy of the Swayambunath Stupa (stupa is a a round mound topped with a sculpture, used in buddhist worship). I have never seen this before. Gee (clarified butter) was being thrown down its sides and again the surrounding mini stupas were a mix of Buddhas and Hindu Deities. However, the highlight was an impromptue game of cricket, Adrian was a bit of a hit with the ladies.

So more catch up news to come. For now, we have a HOLIDAY in Thamel

As I sit before my computer, still in Kilburn, North London, I find it hard to imagine that in 4 days time I will be in New Delhi. The items for packing are piled behind me and most of the paper work, injections and purchases have been dealt with. However I still have a sneaking feeling that something has been left undone.

Maybe it is thought about what we will actually do once we are there, once we have booked transport to take us higher into the mountains to begin this important Hindu Pilgrimage. I have a new video camera, yes, but what will I film? Adrian, my partner has a new digital sound recorder, but what will there be for him to tape. A lot, if our experiences in India are anything to go by, maybe too much.

As well as just experiencing being in the mountains at the source of Indias most sacred rivers, what will this journey mean, in terms of ongoing research? This is all ahead for us to discover.I feel daunted, and nervous and very very exited.