India

INDIA

THURSDAY, MARCH 09
There is no way to describe my excitement for India. My friend Dave and I woke up at 5am to watch the sunrise over the Indian Ocean. As our boat pulled into to Chennai, hundreds of fisherman were setting out on their small boats to get their catch of the day. The world was so silent and still, breathtaking. After a lecture from the U.S Consulate in Chennai, we waited anxiously until the boat was cleared. Finally, at 12:00 we stepped foot onto Chennai and began what would be an experience like no other.

The port of Chennai is exactly what you would imagine any port to be, except that it is covered with beggars, sellers and security. Chennai is the 4th largest city in all of India, and being a commercial hub, within one minute you can see the vast difference between rich and poor. There really is no way to describe India- you will have to see from my pictures but I will do my best. Immediatley after leaving the boat, the 6 of us, Lauren, Parr, Shana, Jori, Brooke and myself, were met by hundreds of rickshaw drivers. They come on so strong that you barely have time to think before you are being whisked away in a rickshaw, with a driver who has one arm and one eye. Parr and I jumped in and began our first rickshaw drive. This in itself is one of the craziest experiences. Traffic in India is out of this world- there are no rules, no speed limits, no lanes, nothing. Basically anywhere you see room, you drive, including oncoming traffic. In the middle of the road, our driver pulled over and made us get out- we don’t know why, but we Immediatley got into another rickshaw and continued on our way. Our plan for the day was to visit two shopping areas- one, a place called Island Grounds where a trade fair was going on that I had been told about my one of the interport students, and another called Spencer’s Village which is a small, boutique like mall. All of the sudden our drive stops, and tells us that we have arrived at Island Grounds. We get out, and realize that Parr and I are standing in the middle of an empty field, with nothing but hay and two elephants. I almost cried! Mom, you were so right, within 10 minutes of being in India, I was standing next to two beautiful elephants. Suddenly a group of young boys and men came running over and circled us. We stayed calm, took some pictures with them, and bolted back to the street to get into yet another crazy rickshaw. We decided to bypass Island Grounds, considering how the first try worked out, and we headed to Spencer’s Village.



In India there is a weird unspoken system between drivers, and store owners. Many jobs in India deal directly with tourism, and therefore they try and gain as much as possible out of it. Most drivers have deals with various stores and restaurants that if they bring their tourists there, they will receive free stuff or kickbacks of purchases. This makes getting anywhere very difficult. On our way to Spencer’s Village our drivers stopped three times, all at very expensive antique stores where we obviously could not afford anything. Finally we arrived at Spencer’s Village and to our dismay it was more of a mall than anything else. Although there were some great local boutiques, where I picked up some awesome stuff, mostly for Austy and Amanda, there was also Guess, Levis and a hundred other stores I had no desire to see in India. Inside the mall was a travel agency, so we walked in an meet Kenny who hooked us up with a great guide to take us around Chennai for the day. The six of us, with Adam and Josh met our guide and began our tour of Chennai. We began at Fort St. George, which standing in the heart of Chennai is an old military complex that now houses the Tamil Nadu government and the Fort Museums. The Government Museum with an exceptional collection of more than 2,000 south Indian sculptures, Hindu bronzes and archeological finds from the British and French East Indian company. We moved onto the National Art Museum which had an amazing collection of old coins, and statues. Nobody was interested but Shana and I, and we ended up alone inside of this massive museum for a while, just exploring all the beautiful artifacts. We jumped back into the cars and headed towards a specific part of Marina beach called Ghandi beach where the Tsunami hit. Although there is no sign left of the destruction it caused, it was surreal to be standing at the Indian ocean right where hundreds of lives were taken. The beach itself was beautiful, soft, smooth sand with the aqua Indian ocean crashing against the shore, yet nobody, and I mean nobody was swimming. The beach was filled with people, mostly men, all fully dressed; any women on the beach were fully dressed as well, and would not dare to even remove their shoes. There were all kinds of vendors, from balloon tossing to men selling sea shells, who bombarded us as soon as we arrived. But in the midst of sunset, standing with my friends on a beach in India, I could not have been happier.

We left the beach, and headed to Mylapore, one of the busiest quarters of the city, full of life, people and culture. We ended at Kapealeswar Temple, a Dravidian temple with a huge tank, dating from 1250. Though non-Hindus can’t enter the temples sacred space, we were able to enter the main gate and watch as Hindus entered for their daily prayer. It is customary in Hindu and Muslim religions that when entering a home, temple or mosque, one must remove their shoes, so we took off our shoes and stood right inside the main entrance and watched the people being blessed and paying their respects to the Holy men. The temple itself is magnificent; pyramid like in shape, it is covered in over 12,000 brightly colored statues of Gods and Goddess carved into each side, top to bottom. Right outside of the temple is a bustling area with stalls and vendors selling everything you could imagine. After leaving the temple, women lay strings of flowers in their hair like delicate white lilies of the valley, and we were stopped by a women with two children who placed one strand on each of us. We thanked her and headed to the Sheraton Hotel for dinner at Dashkin, which was recommended to us for a traditional South Indian meal. We ordered a dish which basically was a taste of everything on the menu, and although some people didn’t enjoy it, I loved trying new things. You guys would be proud, my eating has become much more adventurous, I mean I’m only in India once right? And Mom, Naan and dosas are phenomenal, I think we should add them to the Weiner family menu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10
I woke up at 4 am and met with a bunch of other SASers to depart from Chennai for our fight to Delhi. The airport is covered in people, sleeping everywhere you can see. Children were running around barefoot in the middle of the streets and waited at the door of the bus for us to get out. It is so sad, but we are told not to give them anything, because if you show compassion towards one, you will be hassled by everyone else. In the airport security is crazy- men and women are split up into different lines and as the men fly through the metal detectors, every women is taken into a small room and searched from head to toe. After dodging hundreds of beggars we boarded the plan, and for the first time the Weiner last name worked in my benefit- there was no room on the plane for the end of the alphabet, so all the W’s to Z’s were bumped to first class. It was awesome- I sat in the first row, got served watermelon juice, and an amazing Indian meal. After the somewhat bumpy but comfortable flight we arrived in the capital city of Delhi.

In many of the countries, independent travel is the way to go, but according to past SASers the India trips through SAS are phenomenal. So we signed up for a three day trip to Delhi, Agra and Varanasi. Other than seeing the Taj, visiting Varanasi is supposed to be the most amazing part of the trip. Set along the Ganges river, Varanasi is the religious capital of India. However, two days before our trip bombs went off in the train station of Varanasi and outside of the main temple of the city. Because of this, our trip was cancelled and all SASers were banned from visiting the sacred city. Despite my devastation, there were much bigger problems and really nothing we could do. But once we arrived in Delhi, I could instantly see that this was not the trip for me. There were two separate groups with the same itinerary for in India, each with over 50 people. I did not realize at the time, but upon arrival in Delhi, I noticed that we were traveling as a pack of over 150 people. This to me, is not the way to see and explore a country, definitely not India. Our first stop was at the Bahai House of Worship in Bahapur, which is one of the seven new temples created as a place for all religions and races to worship the creator of the universe and to express the love between God and Man. The design of Bahai was inspired by the lotus flower, representing purity. It is surrounded by nine large pools, symbolizing comprehensiveness, oneness and unity. I had never heard of this faith and found the principles to be extremely interesting; not all, but some include the oneness of mankind, independent investigation of truth, common foundation of all religions, the essential harmony of science and religion, equality of men and women, elimination of prejudice of all kind, and universal peace. We were told that before we enter, we must remove are shoes and all talking, laughing and gesturing must be halted. The minute we entered, I saw kids doing exactly that. Not only were there no locals or Bahai believers in the temple, but it was covered with SASers who had little or no respect for the sacred space. I was infuriated and on our way to the hotel, I realized that this trip needed to be saved.

We arrived at Hotel Ashok in Delhi and I b-lined it to the travel desk. I had just found out that (Mom, don’t get mad) Varanasi had opened its doors to tourists again, so my first idea was to leave the group and fly to Varanasi for the day. However, many other students had the same idea, and all the flights were booked. So onto plan B: A 4 hour drive to Jaipur. I booked and driver and guide for the next day, and felt relieved that I wouldn’t be traveling with 150 students through India. We arrived at the hotel around noon, so we had the rest of the day to explore Delhi. SAS’s plan was to drive us around like fish in a bowl, so we opted out of their tour and got a driver to take 8 of us all over. First we drove through New Delhi, past the monumental Parliament and the government buildings. Then we went drove to Old Delhi, and stopped at Lal Quila, the Red Fort, a massive red sandstone fort made to protect the city in the 16th century. Now it is a main target for Al Queda attacks, so security is extremely tight and we were only permitted to a certain point. We continued on to Jama Masjid, the largest Mosque in India, surrounded by one of the poorest neighborhoods I had seen yet. Jama Masjid, or Friday Mosque, was built in 1656 as an integral part of Shah Jahan’s plan to produce a walled city when he moved from Agra to Delhi in the 17th century. A vast open courtyard is enclosed by a low arcade with three massive gates on the north, south and east sides for people to enter. To the west, the direction of Mecca (every worshipper in any Mosque or temple pray facing Mecca), stand three large domes and two towering minarets overshadowing the prayer hall and mihrab, or prayer niche. In the center of the temple is a large pool where Muslims perform their ablutions of washing their hands and feet before prayer. We walked up the steps, removed our shoes and entered this sacred temple in the afternoon when many Muslims arrive daily. This was one of the most inspiring yet perplexing experiences of my trip. We were the only foreigners there, an amazing thing considering the amount of SASers in Delhi at the time, and silently walked around the sandstone mosque in silence. I watched as men performed their rituals, and noticed the great absence of women. It was rainy and cold, yet the Muslims did not seemed fazed by it at all. At one point, two men pulled out their phones and were taking pictures of me on their camera. I pointed my camera at them, gave the “universal smile” that is the most valuable tool I have on this trip, and snapped back. All of the sudden at least 30 Muslim men and boys surround my friends Liz, and Parr and I. We stayed calm, and decided to take a photo with them, hoping that by Adam taking the photo they would open the circle up and smile. Everyone posed for the picture and right as we smiled for the camera, I felt three hands on my body. I turned around, asked that they keep their hand to themselves, but instantly felt more hands grabbing me all over. We bolted out of there, put our shoes on as fast as possible and ran back to the car. This experience really upset me, for we were doing everything possible to respect their place of worship and honor their religions, and yet they had no respect for us or their sacred space.

We left the Mosque and headed to New Delhi to the Gandhi Darshan. This park on the banks of the Yamuna river is where Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and her son Rajiv were all cremated. A memorial and ever-burning flame stands as commemoration for the beloved leader and his family. My friend Jori and I ran ahead of the group, and once again were surrounded by a large group of men, who showed such disrespect for their own culture, and while I didn’t feel really threatened it was truly unsettling. Right after, with a few short delays when our driver tried to take us to some fancy store where we knew he got a kickback, we headed to Babu market for some local shopping. We were the only foreigners there and I loved being able to see what the markets for the people in Delhi looked like. Parr, Jori and I got henna all over our hands, and I got some skirts for 2 American dollars each, amazing! The 8 of us got back in the car and jetted back to meet SAS for a showing of “Dances of India”. I was so excited to see a real Indian show, but was disappointed to realize that it was definitely made for tourists. It had different examples of Indian music and dance from the North and South but was very overdone and Americanized. After an exhausting day, we went back to the hotel for a short nights sleep in an actual bed, something I have grown to look forward to greatly.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11
At 4am (yes, once again 4am, a time I have grown quite accustomed to) Adam, Andrew, Parr and I met our driver Krishan and got into the car for our 4 hour drive to Jaipur. We all passed out, but in the few moments I woke up, I saw such pungent scenes along our drive. People in India never seem to sleep, and at all hours of the night, traffic from tons of trucks, cars, rickshaws, and camels, yes I said camels, is horribly bad and people roam the streets in search for money, food and shelter. I continued to sleep and woke up to Adam yelling for Parr and I to grab our cameras. Right outside our window in the haze of morning was a massive elephant. I looked around and realized that somehow we had arrived in Jaipur (although I am glad I was sleeping because it was 8am, and God only knows how Krishan got us there so fast).

We made our way through Jaipur at dusk, passing tons of elephants and camels along the way. While is it considered a large city, Jaipur is much smaller and poorer than Chennai or Delhi. Known as the pink capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur was founded by Rajput Maharaja Jai Singh in 1727. He designed the city in a grid layout with sandstone palaces, havelis, avenues and bazaars which now houses over two and half million people. We arrived at the Hilton hotel, which is across from one of Jaipur’s most famous palaces. The Water Palace literally stands in the center of a man-made lake with not access to it but by boat. Although it is closed off to the public now, and only fisherman are permitted access to the lake, it is one of the most beautiful sights of India. We arrived at the hotel before our guide, so we enjoyed a delicious North Indian breakfast and began our day. First our guide Ana took us to the famous Amber Fort, a palace complex of Amer set with its sandy color blending into a backdrop of rocky hills overlooking Jaipur. There are many ways to reach the top, but we opted for an elephant ride, which was amazing, and a breathtaking way to see the entire city. The palace itself was by far one of the most remarkable sights in all of the cities I have seen. The front courtyard is covered in vendors, beggars, tourists, monkeys and elephants. We entered through the Suraj Pol or Sun Gate, took off our shoes, and entered a stunning marble temple dedicated to Kali, the Goddess of War. Ana told us that Raja Man Singh feared that he would lose a battle, and dreamt that if he worshipped Kali, he would succeed. The next day, he won the battle and began building a temple in her honor out of the same marble used in the Taj Mahal. We were each blessed by a Holy man with rings of flowers placed around our necks, and bindis placed on our faces. We walked through Amber Fort for hours, and still barely saw enough of it. I could’ve spent days there exploring all the different palace structures, hidden doorways and views.

Finally we left and went to a small village where they hand-make all sorts of crafts that India is known for. We watched as them make Indian rugs which take up to two years to make, and were told that when one is completed there is a huge celebration. It was really interesting to see how they work, and how each member of the area is part of a team. It doesn’t matter how many items one person makes, but how many they make in total, and ideal completely lost to most Americans. We skipped lunch, and headed to the Jantar Mantar, one of the five remarkable observatories built by Jai Singh. Constructed of stone and marble, the massive structures were designed by Singh to prove to the Mughal Emperor that Hindu astrology was based on science. Inside the complex is a variety of structures devoted to each astrological sign, and the largest sundial in the world. We walked around for a while until leaving for the City Palace. City Palace, in the center of the pink city, is still home to the former ruling family and several other edifices that have been converted into museums. From textiles to costumes, weapons to art, these museums cover so much of Indian history and tradition. The Palace itself is a fusion of Hindu and Mughal décor, with delicate white patterns, sandstone walls, and marble columns, all guarded by two stone elephants at the gate. In the center of the Palace were a group of men playing traditional north Indian music, while a holy man blessed anyone who accepted it. But at this point we were exhausted and starving, so we headed to a local restaurant and treated Ana and Krishan for dinner. We shopped at a small local market before getting back in the car for our ride back to Delhi. Somehow our 4 hour ride became a six hour one and the four of us became so delirious we actually resorted to playing geography. Parr tried to pull a fast one on us by claiming the emerald city as an actual place. In addition to the fun inside the car, the view out the windows were something I’ll never forget. We saw everything you could imagine- cars packed with 14 people in every spot possible, trucks filled with animals, animals carrying trucks, men (and mind you, its just what I saw) pooping out the backs of moving cars, and kids running across the highway to bang on our windows for money. Jaipur was unforgettable, not only for its breathtaking art and architecture, but for its people as well.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12
We got to sleep in, until 7 am that is, before we set off for our train to Agra. The train stations in India are incomparable; people sleep anywhere and everywhere, covered in dirt, feces, and sewage, just waiting for people to come and go. Right as I stepped out of the bus I was harassed by two children begging me for food, and although I had nothing, I still felt guilty. I walked as fast as I could towards the train but couldn’t help but be affected by what was around me. At that time in the morning, even I couldn’t help but feel wide awake.

We got on the Shabatabi express to Agra and thankfully got first class seats. Basically in Indian trains, anything other than first class means a cattle-car which is not only uncomfortable, but unsafe. We arrived in Agra, home to two million people, and realized that as the main tourist destination in all of India, the beggars and poverty throughout the city is immense, We were supposed to visit the Taj at Sunset, however, upon arrival we were told that the Prime Minister was visiting at 1:00, which meant that it would be closed to the public. So we changed our plans and headed first to Agra Fort. Built in 1565 by Emperor Akbar, the fort is a medley of Islamic and Hindu styles of architecture, and seemed to be endless, with hundreds of stairs, corridors, temples, and levels. Surrounded by high red sandstone walls, we entered the fort through Amar Singh gate, and explored. In the center of the structure is the Khas Mahal, marble pavilion, which is next to a octagonal tower where legend has it Shah Jahan lay on his death bed. His son banned him to the fort for eight years, with enough compassion however to give him a direct view of the Taj, where his wife lay to rest. It was extremely foggy and we couldn’t see the Taj, so we left and made our way to the gates of the famous monument.

The buses dropped us off and we walked through vendors and beggars about ¾ of a mille to the main entrance of the Taj Mahal. With men in one line and women in the other, you could see the intensity of security surrounding India’s most prized place. Somehow, we ended up diverting and followed two men through a set of stairs and a back alley, where we ended up in the middle of a community of homes, shops and buildings. We were taken through the back alley to the Taj, and although a bit sketchy to say the least, we were able to see a part of Agra that no visitors seem to ever go. At last, I stepped through the gates and saw the Taj Mahal for the first time. I stood there, speechless, for what seemed like forever, and yet not even close to enough. There really is no way to describe the Taj- I can’t think of any words that could even come close to matching its beauty, and although it has been explained to me a hundred times, I didn’t understand it until I saw it for myself. Marvelous, overwhelming, and tremendous that Taj is truly one of the wonders of the world. It was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Muhal after her death while giving birth to their 14th child. He vowed to build her this temple, and after 22 years, bringing marble and stone from all over Asia on elephants, he completed the Taj. He made this breathtaking palace out of eternal love for Mumtaz, but only was able to see it from his view in Agra Fort. After taking tons of pictures for the first time in my entire trip I decided to put the camera down, and enjoy it for myself. My friend Adam and I entered the dome where their bodies remain, and sat down. We sat for an hour and watched the people coming in and out, their reactions and emotions; I we touched the entire length of the Taj from side to side, running our hands along the perfect white marble, and stared at the magnificence of it. No matter how long I stared, it was never enough. We only had two hours there but I could’ve spent a lifetime. As we took our last steps inside the Taj, I cried knowing how lucky I am to have experienced it. It was so moving, so inspiring and Mom and Dad, I can’t thank you enough for giving that to me.

After the Taj, with my adrenaline rushing me to an extreme natural high, we made our way 25 miles west of Agra to Fatehpur Sikri, a large compound made by Emperor Akbar on a premonition that he was going to bear a son. Within twenty years it was virtually abandoned due to lack of water, and now remains an incredible ghost city, with all of the structures intact. As always, traveling in a pack of 150+ is not my style, so I opted to travel alone through the abandoned city. The delicate red sandstone structures still have the fascinating aura of 16th century India, with what seems like a never ending amount of gardens, palaces, and balconies. I walked passed the Pachisi Board, a gigantic stone board game where Akbar used to use slave-girls as pieces, Anup Talao Pavilion which was the home of Akbar’s favorite wife, and Panch Mahal, a five story palace decorated lavishly with symbols and engravings. While exploring I ended up at a gleaming white marble mosque shaded beneath a mother of pearl canopy. I took off my shoes, and was handed a small bag with two strings, a piece of fabric and rose petals. I was pointed towards a marble wall with wish-bone like cutouts and tied my strings to it, for what I perceived from the man to be for good luck. Then, I walked inside, laid my fabric and rose petals onto a bed, and was blessed by a holy man. When I walked outside, I was greeted by a beautiful little girl, who when I spoke to her in English responded back with perfectly. She walked with me for a while, and although she was bright, pretty and savvy, said that no matter what she did, she was doomed for a life on the streets. I tried to give her money but was instantly harassed by a group of beggars, so we ran outside, and said our goodbyes. I left feeling like I could’ve done more, but sadly knowing the impossibility of that.

MONDAY, MARCH 13
After an emotionally and physically exhausting few days, we fly back to Chennai and arrived home, to our ship which is so nice after being in such a foreign place. I wanted to see as much as I could in my last few hours in India, so I jumped into a Rickshaw and went around town for a while. On the way back, Adam, Dave and I ended up in a rickshaw with the same driver Dave had on the first day. Joseph explained that he is a father of three, two boys and one girl, and that instead of paying him, he would love for us to give him some “American things”. So when we got back to the boat, I threw some clothes, toys and food in a bag and gave them, with love, to Joseph for his family. I think that was a great way to end my journey.

My experience in India was inspiring, shocking, devastating, and exciting all at the same time. It was exactly what I had imagined and everything I never could have. And yet, I am leaving feeling unaccomplished and unfulfilled, two things I am not okay with. See, its not that there is poverty and tragedy in India, rather that India is tragedy, the definition of the word. On one of the bus rides we had a bag of garbage that needed to be thrown out, and when I asked our tour guide where to put it, he threw it on the ground and said “India, garbage”. Those two words stuck out in my mind so strongly. India is a world where God is the basis of every culture and religion, yet I feel like it is the one place God completely overlooked. While this experience was life changing, it also made me mad and angry that nothing has changed, that nothing is changing. In other countries we have been to, poverty is visible, but it isn’t all that you see. In India, every street, every field, every building is amassed with sick and homeless people, starving children and animals. More than not, people are handicapped in someway, missing eyes and limbs. I was told that in Chennai many of these handicaps are self-inflicted so they can receive attention and money from the government. I hate to say this, but I after leaving I feel like with the exception of the people and incomparable monuments, India should be bombed, settled for a couple of years, and begun all over again. I wish I could have done something, anything, but for the first time I feel like no matter what, I couldn’t even leave a dent. So for me, although India was amazing to experience, it was devastating knowing what other parts of the world have, and how little we really share it.