2013 – 34: Janmashtami, Lord Krishna’s birthday

The Rupee dominated the news this week. 1000 Rupees was worth $20 USD when I first arrived in India last year in February. At the beginning of the month (August), it was worth $16.55. Within four weeks, it dropped to $14.54 before recovering a bit to $15.22 by month’s end. With this wild volatility, it will be valued differently as you read this.

The government’s moves to stop the slide have backfired and caused much finger-pointing. Many politically motivated decisions are being made now in front of next year’s elections. (To read this chart, the higher the number the lower the value. It now takes 65 Rupees to buy one U.S. Dollar vs. 50 Rupees a year ago.)

The Food Security Bill was approved Tuesday to provide 5 kilograms (11 lbs) of rice, wheat, and grains, at heavily subsidized rates, to two-thirds of the country’s population, or 800 million people. At an estimated cost of about $19.5 billion USD, that’s 1.1% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and is expected to cause additional inflationary pressures (Internet photo).

Despite the political motivation, India continues to battle persistent hunger and has failed to achieve some of the most important U.N. Millennium Development Goals like reduction in maternal and child mortality rates. Poverty and malnutrition is a consistent scourge (Internet photo).

Separately, the state of Maharashtra (home to Mumbai) ratified a law against superstition, becoming the first state in the country to ban black magic and witchcraft including “inhuman rituals.” This follows the assassination of Narendra Dabholkar last weekend, an advocate dedicated to demystifying black magic (Internet photo).

Moving on to happier news, the festival known as Janmashtami was celebrated Wednesday in honor of Lord Krishna’s birthday. It’s typically celebrated in July or August, with the exact date dependent upon the lunar calendar.

I ventured out to the Chhatapur temple complex to learn more.

Strings of flowers were being prepared for the festivities.

Everyone was headed the same direction…

… as religious music blared from loud speakers.

Of the 20 temples spread over 70 acres, the celebrations were taking place here, at the Chhatapur temple itself.

Shoes are not permitted in the temple.

They are stored here in bins.

Colorful décor with happy and festive people were found inside.

People cued up to pay respects and offer tributes (flowers and food). Devotees of Lord Krishna fast for the entire day and night while reciting hymns and singing devotional songs.

The main stage featured a re-enactment of Krishna’s birth more than 5000 years ago. His father, Vasudev, escaped the imprisonment of Krishna’s uncle Kansa, and carrying the infant in a basket, crossed the Yamuna river and handed him to the king of cowherds, Raja Nanda.

Krishna is considered as one of the most powerful human incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The sole objective of his birth was to free the earth from demons.

The young thespians were pleased with the performance.

Note the bright colors…

… and the makeup details.

Costuming was well done.

Meanwhile, drummers danced and entertained in the courtyard.

I later wondered across the road to another part of the temple complex. Note the five cobras protecting this sign.

There were no crowds, as people paid their respects on a more individual basis.

This garden is filled with religious deities.

The hexagon symbol is used throughout the complex. It represents “divine mind” (God’s wisdom). It’s unknown whether the hexagon symbol was copied by other religions or developed independently.

Lord Hanuman dominates the landscape.

He is most widely recognized for supporting Rama in his war against the demon king Ravana.

In this photo, “one of these things doesn’t look like the other.” Can you see which one?

On my way out, I spotted this man of wisdom…

… and asked him to smile. Enjoy your week. Happy birthday Lord Krishna. ts

2013 – 33: Things you won’t see in the U.S.

India has elements we recognize from the U.S., as well as many things you won’t see in the states.  For example, billboards in Hindi.

 

The suburban wildlife has been well documented, but I was particularly fascinated with this cow.  What was she thinking?  She’s standing at the tip of a median strip during rush hour at one of the busiest and most chaotic intersections in town.  There’s no grass, so perhaps she just wanted to watch hectic humans strategically maneuvering through snarled traffic.  It’s quite a show.

 

Wild dogs are everywhere, and many carry rabies. 

 

None have bothered us, but as a precaution, we all received rabies vaccinations prior to arrival in India (it’s a series of three shots spaced out over a month).

 

This persistent pig likes to attack the garbage bin in the middle of the night…

 

…leaving quite a mess to be cleaned up each morning.

 

I have dozens of monkey photos.  Monkeys roam our neighborhood with ease.  Look for a future blog dedicated to our primate cousins.

 

In all my years, I’ve never seen this in the U.S.  It begs the joke: Why did the elephant ride in the back of the truck?  (take a guess)  There wasn’t enough room in the front.  (thanks Vibhu for the click).

 

Here’s a throw-back to yesteryear.  This block of ice is being delivered by bicycle.

 

Mosquito control is a major industry here.  This banner promotes a plug-in device which throws off a mosquito deterrent odor. 

 

We have them in our home.  The fluid is lavender oil and a chemical with a similar molecular structure to DEET.

 

And just outside our door, daily efforts are taken for mosquito management.  We try to avoid crossing his path, but aren’t always successful.

Sometimes, the fumigator can’t get out of his own path.  One can only imagine the government regulation surrounding such a process in the U.S. (and with good reason).

 

We’d be perpetually frustrated without this device.  It’s a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) connected to our Internet router and a lamp. With inconsistent power and continual outages (about 20 times per day), this battery backup gives us light and keeps us connected.

 

However, sometimes during longer outages, the battery lacks the stamina and we switch to candles.

 

When ordering food at Subway, there are two separate lines, one for veg and non-veg.  Separate staffs and utensils are used in the preparation.  They don’t want to risk “contaminating’ the veg side with any meat products (chicken).

 

McDonald’s are plentiful in India…

 

… but you won’t find Big Macs on the menu, or quarter-pounders, nor any beef products.  The choices are chicken, fish and veggie burgers.

 

At first glance, India’s McDonald’s seem consistent with any other McDonald’s worldwide.

 

But take a closer look.

 

What don’t you see?

 

What you don’t see is diversity.  White skin is aspirational.

 

The TV airwaves are filled with ads promoting skin lighteners.

 

There’s even a color wheel to examine your tone. Meanwhile, the U.S. is filled with tanning salons to darken skin.  I suppose it’s human nature to want what someone else has.

 

This newspaper editorial blasts the cosmetic companies for creating this marketplace.

 

India imports oil from Iran, MiG fighter jets from Russia and cigars from Cuba… three things you won’t find in the US.

 

68% of the United Nations members recognize the State of Palestine.  The U.S. does not.

 

Here’s an infomercial promoting the H2O X5 mop.  Wait.  This is very common in the U.S.  Late-night TV has an endless stream of “buy now” offers.  Sorry, this breaks the theme of this week’s blog.

 

This is the EXACT same infomercial from the U.S., only priced in Rupees at 7999 ($126 USD).

 

Ok, back to things you won’t see in the U.S., like this auto rickshaw.  I presume its labeling is designed to promise an alternate-world experience during your travels through the streets of Delhi (the spelling is close enough).

 

Spitting is efficiently discouraged in this sign…

 

…and comes with a fine here of 200 Rupees ($3.17).

   

This is an ordinary jewelry store…

 

… complete with chili peppers and a lemon above the entrance to ward off evil spirits.

 

These men are painting the new metro station with brushes while precariously balanced on scaffolding,

 

In the U.S., a person on a hydraulic lift and a paint sprayer would have knocked out this job in a few minutes.

 

The people tucked away in this tiny pocket of Mumbai specialize in laundry.

 

Dozens of families manually toil, washing clothing by hand.

 

This proprietor has a contract with a local hotel.

 

Here, the sheets are drying in the late afternoon sun.

 

When Greg’s brand new Punjabi Jutti (shoes) needed repair, we didn’t have far to go.  A shoe repairman sits on the sidewalk in-front of our housing complex.

 

There was no line, and no waiting.

 

He made a thorough repair using glue and tacks.

 

50 Rupees later (79 cents), Greg was back in business. 

 

There you have it.  A collection of things you won’t see in U.S.  Enjoy your week.  ts   Note:  This is a Korean restaurant where we followed the protocol:  No shoes / sit on the floor.

2013 – 32: Happy Independence Day!

 

India and the U.S. share a deep historical heritage with both nations successfully shedding British colonialism to achieve Independence.  Just as July 4^th is well-known and celebrated by every red-blooded American, August 15 is equally significant to Indians.

 

In 1757, the British East India Company began ruling parts of India to manage their trade in silk, indigo, salt, tea and opium.  Their power expanded to most of the subcontinent during the next 100 years until the Indian Rebellion of 1857 when the British government took control.

 

After leading an Indian nationalist movement in South Africa for 21 years, Mahatma Gandhi returned to his native India in 1915 and spent the next three decades pushing for, and finally achieving, Indian independence through civil disobedience. 

 

The sub continent was divided primarily along religious lines and at 11:57 pm on August 14, 1947, Pakistan was created.  Just minutes later at the stroke of midnight, on August 15, India followed to become an independent country.  The date August 15 was selected to coincide with the anniversary of Japan’s announced surrender in World War II just two years prior.  Here’s how the news appeared then.

 

Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, delivered his famous “Tryst with Destiny” Speech:  Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

 

We celebrated Independence Day at our office the day prior with the display of colors from India’s flag, saffron, white and green, which represent courage, truth and prosperity.

 

Everyone was encouraged to wear the colors…

 

…which they did with nationalist pride…

 

…down to the saffron-tipped shoes…

 

…and tri-colored hair clips.

 

We utilized the colors to send greetings to our MINI customers.

 

Even Google attempted to capture the spirit, but slightly missed the mark.  Social media blasted Google for getting the color wrong:  “it’s saffron u idiots not yellow” was a tweet that captured the emotions of many.  Others thought it looked too much like the Coca-Cola logo.

 

Greg and I went exploring on the 15^th.  We grabbed a rickshaw…

 

… and then the metro.

 

We arrived at Delhi’s iconic India Gate to witness festivities…

 

…which included face painting…

 

…and flying kites.

 

Americans celebrate Independence day with barbeques and fireworks.  Indians celebrate with family outings and kites which signify freedom.

 

At 66 years, India’s independence is relativity young compared to American’s 237 years.  Unlike the U.S., there are people alive today who remember the days of British colonialism in India.  Enjoy your freedoms.  ts

2013 – 31: Malls

 

Malls, malls, everywhere malls. Delhi has no shortage of malls.

MG Road is lined with malls both north and south.

 

These cows must be waiting for this mall to open.

 

There are so many malls, they’ve run out of names.  For example, this is Mega Mall.

 

And right around the corner is Mega City Mall.

 

Yes, these two malls are within walking distance of each other.

 

This is the Metropolitan Mall…

 

…not to be confused with the Metropolis Mall across the street.

 

This is the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon…

 

… which is 15 kilometers away from the Ambience Mall in Delhi.

 

The malls offer many of the choices we know from the U.S.

 

Arcade games are identical…

 

…but beware of saree-wearing pool sharks.

 

Big name brands are plentiful…

 

… with many options for a new suit.

 

High-end retail is here…

 

… very high-end.

 

You can even pick out your next BMW at the mall. 

 

Malls have movie theaters with a few English titles, but primarily Bollywood films in Hindi are offered.  This film appears to have had a decent sized budget.

 

The budget for this film was most likely less.

 

There are plenty of places to eat at the malls…

 

… with familiar menus (minus the beef).

 

And there’s always room for dessert.

 

Yes, many of the calorie-laden, artery-clogging, sugary choices we know from the U.S. are available here.

 

Starbucks just came to India last year and the lines have been out the door.

 

Multi-national brands have permeated India society.  It’s nice to see those who maintain local traditions and dress codes to avoid global sameness.  Enjoy your week.  ts

2013 – 30: The 29th state

 

Before jumping into the headline news, here’s a story about Shiva devotees known as Kawad Yatra or Kawadies.  Every July, they fetch holy Ganga water and carry it by foot to their local Shiva temples.

 

Kawad means ‘single pole.”  The water pots are not allowed to touch the ground.  For two weeks, the roads and highways of northern India are streaming with devotees, dressed in saffron (one of the three colors of the Indian flag). 

 

Most are men, but women are also making in-roads with this tradition.

 

This is an auspicious time for Shiva.  More than half a million devotees make the trek each year and travel from 100 – 250 kilometers or more to perform this ritual.

 

On to the headline.  Cartographers will be busy with the big news this week that India has just created a new 29^th state.  Here is Andrea Pradesh, India’s 4^th largest state, as we’ve historically known it.

 

And as of Tuesday, here’s the same territory divided to create the new state of Telangana. On an interim basis, Hyderabad has been declared the state capital for both states for the next 10 years. 

 

This debate has raged for decades.  The decision was met with protests and government resignations by those opposed.

 

But India has a tradition of state bifurcation.  Some 12 years ago, three states suddenly became six.  And now tensions are flaring in several other states who also want to divide along cultural borders. From an American view, imagine if Long Island decided to break off from New York and create the 51^st state (an idea that was actually proposed by citizens who were fed up with tax dollars being diverted to up-state projects).  Enjoy your week.  ts