Last day of Puja and Jain Temple

After that perfect morning I recently described we went out to dinner in the evening. We always do this on Sundays because that is the one meal our cook mary has off. So after dinner walking down the street we saw on of the trucks bringing the Idols to the river. In front of the trucks were drummers and about thirty guys dancing around. They all were having a total blast. "come join the moment!" they said to us. Stacey and Adam immediatly went in and started dancing with them, but the rest of us stayed behind, a bit embarrased. Eventually we decided we couldn't pass up this opportunity and ran up and jumped on the back truck with a bunch of teenage girls. They were very welcoming and immediatly demanded we start dancing and cheering at the top of our lungs. They asked us the usual questions, "what country. how long in kolkata. where are youstaying. why are you here. first time in india?' all of that, but most of our time driving along the street was spent dancing and yelling. it was a sort of roll call, one girl would yell something, than we say "jaaaaa" then she says something "jaaaa!!!!!" then she says something "habat mada" (something like that) then over and over again. it was great. then. 'why aren't you dancing, dance, please dance, dance somemore...why aren't you dancing more" they covered us in this pink powder, from the ganesh idol i think. All along the street other trucks would zoom by and we would yell out 'jaaaaaa!!!!!". We were going really slow because we were a truck full of kids, but eventually we made it to the Ghat (next to the giant Cricket stadium...) with about 10 other trucks in line ready to put the idols in the water. Women were not allowed to watch the dunking or leave the truck - we might fall in...

i'm having more trouble than i thought accepting the discrimination against women in this country. its really starting to get to me. I mean - there are some temples where women aren't allowed during 'that' time of the month. COME ON. are you serious? its just hard for me to accept a belief system that thinks women are so mentally unstable they aren't allowed in a holy place. its insane. Anyway, i'm sure it wasn't that exciting anyway, it was dark...

So...we dumped the idols and then literally raced back. We got back to their apartment complex and danced and danced..and had more pink powder dumped all over us..had some sweets..then the music stopped, and it was over. "ok, its done. Puja's over, have to wait until next year.." There was a huge fuss about us leaving, we kept trying to leave, and then a mob of 40 some people rushed towards us and said - no no, wait wait, we will take you home, you can stay here, its too far to walk. you joined our festival we can take you..", "no no, its ok, we can walk, its not that far" then they all rush towards us again. Eventually we piled in one of their cars with 4 of the girls and they drove us home. it was almost too much. They were just soo excited that we had chosen their truck and wanted to go with them. They couldn't believe it. "never forget us" they pleaded as we got out of the car. "don't worry, we difinitely will not forget you"..

So, that was amazing.

yesterday we went to the Jain temple. it is hard to describe how breathtaking it was. From head to toe, inside and out, covered in sparly mosaic and mirrors. So beautfiul. There were just a few pieces of stained glass and the light shown in so perfectly that there were a few rainbows on the ground.. i took some pictures of the outside, not allowed to take photos on the inside. But if you can see the sparkly mosaic pictures, imagine a building completely covered in that. Every inch accounted for. All walls, the ceilings were exquisite - a emerald green chandelier..So amazing. Still - There are a few sects of jainism - one thinks that women can be saved, another says they can't...i just...the men in this country are taught to be pushy and boss women around...

Actually..i digress...Anubhav's cousin is a really perfect example of this point. When we were walking he would say, "you walk here, come over here" even when I didn't think I really needed guiding...all the usual stuff. he even took a few pictures for me when he thought i didn't have a good enough view, or was taking the wrong angle. Anyway, typical Indian male behavior..but then as we were walking back he was saying he still lived with his mom, and how it is not uncommon for men to live with their moms until the age of fifty. and i quote "indian men don't grow up" "we are all little boys" - he was only 19 so is is just a kid, but still. They are taught to have confidence and be controlling and have an air of knowing - but they don't..they are scared little boys whose mommies tell them what to do...

another example - when you start asking one guy for directions, or show him a map, after about thirty seconds there is a crowd of dudes all trying to tell you what to do. They see you talking and strut down the streen "lets see what all the fuss is about, I be I can help figure out this mess.." They all know. You know nothing. ugh..

I keep managing to end on a rant. its ok; here is the link to the pretty pictures. the first bunch are of different pandals. They are a bit tedious and repetitive, i just want to show how many of them are, and how different they can be. Next is a few of the cemetary - I don't think I mentioned they were all Scottish, and a bunch of them were boys who died around age 33 at the turn of the century...Then there are pictures of the Jain temples.

http://ups.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023787&l=622e6&id=17701665