This is just a quick note before we dash off to the overnight train to Veranasi. We had an amazing day today, with a visit to a Shiva temple--where those of us who cared to be were blessed by Durga, a powerful goddess incarnation of Shiva's wife. She has many arms and is a protector of her followers by destroying their demons and troubles. The temple was huge and interesting, filled with different shrines to each member of Shiva's family, as well as to some of his more important incarnations such as Vishnu (who is easily recognizable because he's quite a striking shade of blue). There was also snake imagery everywhere, and lions, symbols for Shiva and his wife.
We also visited Nizamuddin, the most sacred pilgrimage site for Sufis. The 1000 year old shrine is circled by the ornate coffin-shaped tombs of famous rulers and Sufi saints. Built up right around, and completely circling the shrine, is a dense ring of paths and tiny streets lined with devotional shops selling huge garlands of hot pink flowers, glitter powder, and white devotional wafers. The den of shops was tightly packed and crowded, filled with pilgrims and devotees and salespeople and kids and beggars and us. It was slow moving through the crowd and fascinating to get the experience of the smells of incense and flowers, and the incredible colors, and the feeling of being packed into one purpose-bound mass of humanity. When we finally got to the shrine, it was a beautiful and holy place, with devotees kneeling and praying all around it. The small courtyard was paved in marble stones which were ridiculously hot for our bare feet. We met a 30th generation descendent of a Sufi prophet whose job was to help visitors learn about Sufism. It was an amazing experience all the way around.
And for lunch, we went to an Indian McDonalds! I believe there are many photos coming home of all the interesting ways that McDonalds is both the same and very different than in the U.S. Now we are rushing to pack and prepare for our 12 hour train ride to Veranasi.
More later!
We also visited Nizamuddin, the most sacred pilgrimage site for Sufis. The 1000 year old shrine is circled by the ornate coffin-shaped tombs of famous rulers and Sufi saints. Built up right around, and completely circling the shrine, is a dense ring of paths and tiny streets lined with devotional shops selling huge garlands of hot pink flowers, glitter powder, and white devotional wafers. The den of shops was tightly packed and crowded, filled with pilgrims and devotees and salespeople and kids and beggars and us. It was slow moving through the crowd and fascinating to get the experience of the smells of incense and flowers, and the incredible colors, and the feeling of being packed into one purpose-bound mass of humanity. When we finally got to the shrine, it was a beautiful and holy place, with devotees kneeling and praying all around it. The small courtyard was paved in marble stones which were ridiculously hot for our bare feet. We met a 30th generation descendent of a Sufi prophet whose job was to help visitors learn about Sufism. It was an amazing experience all the way around.
And for lunch, we went to an Indian McDonalds! I believe there are many photos coming home of all the interesting ways that McDonalds is both the same and very different than in the U.S. Now we are rushing to pack and prepare for our 12 hour train ride to Veranasi.
More later!
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