2013 – 42: Festive Season fun

Here in our office pantry (cafeteria), take a guess: which of us had lunch?  Hint: This photo was clicked on Karva Chauth. 

Answer: only me.  On Karva Chauth, married women fast throughout the day and pray for the longevity of their husbands. The women rise early to have a meal before sunrise, and then forgo all food and water until they see the moon.  There is no reciprocal holiday, however, some men fast in empathy.

Last Sunday, Greg was up at 4 am and out the door for his WOW adventure (Week withOut Walls).

After bus / train / bus transportation, the entire 7^th grade arrived in the Himalayan area of Rishikesh…

… with very rustic accommodations

Here in Delhi, we were envious of the cooler temperatures they experienced.

It was up early the next day…

…for a 7 hour hike.

They explored a mountain temple…

…and a local school.

These are the desks (students sit on the floor).

Note the lessons on the walls.

I’m sure these students would marvel at today’s modern schools with “smart boards.”

It truly was a WOW week for Greg and the entire 7^th grade.

Back in Delhi, Friday night after work, office colleagues gathered at a local club for some pre-Diwali fun.  It seems every song has specific movements made famous from Bollywood films (hand motions are a key element).

Saturday put us at the school for most of the day where Kayla rehearsed a dance routine featuring 35 girls from a nearby slum.  More on this next week.

Saturday night, the school hosted the annual Fall Fiesta (Halloween event).

The costumes were impressive.

There was fun and games…

…and student entertainment.

The evening concluded with a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

It was great fun.  We’re enjoying festive season.  Only one more week to Diwali.  ts

2013 – 41: Three festivals and a wedding

With Diwali only two weeks away, festive season is in high gear.  These Diwali gifts will soon be in the hands of happy recipients.

The stores are filled with Diwali gifts…

…with the gift basket assembly line right in front.

It was a very busy weekend.  We were invited by our good friends and neighbors to the McCormick Diwali celebration Friday night.  The evening started with the launch of miniature “hot air balloons” which were fueled by candles.

Diwali is known as the “festival of lights,” which included fireworks…

…lots of fireworks.

The evening’s activities continued to build with drummers…

… and fire-eaters.

We could feel the heat.

Colorful characters joined the party…

…and everyone was invited to the dance floor, in this case, for inter-cultural dancing.

Special thanks to Satish and Jyothi for the invitation. It was a fun and memorable evening.

Saturday night found us at the American School for their Diwali event.

Greg enjoyed being showered with flower petals upon entering.

The evening was complete with fireworks…

…lots of fireworks.

Diwali was celebrated Sunday at our housing complex which was complete with music and a Mela (shopping).

Also on Sunday, we attended our first Sikh wedding.  Here is the bride (center) with her mother and sister.  The Gurudwara, Sikh Temple, is in the background.  Unlike the Hindu religion, no day is considered more auspicious than another: however, Sundays are preferred for weddings.

Here is the groom with his veil, which was tied by his sister during an earlier ceremony.   Both families (minus the bride) surrounded the groom outside the temple.

Under the purview of the Priest…

…the fathers and uncles greeted each other and exchanged garlands to signify the joining of the two families.

In preparation for entering the temple, we quickly learned two rules.  First, deposit your shoes….

…they are not permitted inside.

And two, hair must be covered (Lynda used my scarf; I was provided a bandana).

Just before entering, snacks were served…

…including “worke,” a pastry covered with silver foil.  Yes, we ingested real silver.

Inside the temple, everyone was seated on the floor.

There was live music.

In a sing-song chant, the Priest conducted the ceremony from the “Guru Granth Sahib” or Sikh holy book.

Holding a scarf, the groom and bride circled the Granth four times…

…stopping to pray in-between.

With the ceremony completed, they are now husband and wife.

From there, it was off to the reception…

… where the BMW gang posed with the newly married couple.

75% of marriages in India are arranged, however, today’s younger generation is using more modern techniques.  This happy couple met online through a marriage web site.  Amanpreet considered and rejected 18 potential suitors.  Robin was lucky #19.  Enjoy your week.  ts

 

 

2013 – 40: Dussehra

 

Many people asked if we were impacted by Cyclone Phailian which slammed into the eastern-Indian seaboard Saturday at Gopalpur.  We saw no effects as Delhi is about 1600 kilometers (1000 miles) inland to the northwest.

Sustained winds were at one point clocked at 161 mph, but reduced to 125 mph when hitting land. Nearly a million people were evacuated.

It was the most powerful storm to hit India in more than a decade.  Note:  hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon.  They have different names pending on the region of the world.

. 

We are deep into the festive season and celebrated Dussehra Friday at the office with a friendly game of blindfolded-darts (it’s not easy).

Everywhere you turn throughout Delhi, you see the build up to Diwali.

The masses are out, shopping in force.  This is the happiest time of the year.

This is prime time for saree stores.

Saturday night, we attended a festival featuring traditional folk dances.

Aarti is a dance with open flame. Much care is needed with this dance.

This is the 8th year for this teacher from the American School.

Next, the Garba dancers moved in a rhythmic, circular fashion.

This one dance went for an hour with very consistent hand and feet movement.

This was followed by the Dandiya Raas, also known as the Sword Dance.

Dancers moved in a circular fashion, clanking their colorfully-decorated Dandiya sticks with other dancers as they rotated.  The sticks represent the sword of Goddess Durga.

Everyone was dressed for the occasion.

Even the audience brought their own sticks and performed Dandiya Raas with friends.

It was a cultural-enriching evening.

Sunday night, we celebrated Dussehra.

In the middle is the evil, 10-headed King Ravana, flanked by two of his henchmen.  Dussehra celebrates good over evil and marks the day when Rama killed Ravana and freed his wife Sita from kidnapping and imprisonment.

The henchmen were first lit on fire (all three were loaded with firecrackers).

The paper-mache effigies were quickly engulfed in flames.

Then it was Ravana’s turn who exploded and burst into flames to the cheers and delight of the crowd.

Within minutes, evil was eliminated.  The festive season is here.  Only three more weeks until Diwali.  Enjoy your week.  ts

 

 

 

2013 – 39: Three monumental days

October 2 is a national holiday pan-India in recognition of Gandhi’s birthday. 

Mohandas Gandhi was born in Porbandar in 1869.  Educated as a lawyer in London, he then spent the next 21 years in South Africa where he developed and practiced his own style of social activism. His followers called him Mahatma (high-souled).

Returning to his homeland in 1915, Gandhi became the leader of Indian nationalism. After more than three decades of civil disobedience, arrests, fasts in protest, India received her independence from British rule in 1947.  The United Nations now recognizes October 2^nd as International Day of Non-violence.

Known as the father of India, Gandhi is featured on the currency (this 1,610 Rupees is worth about $26 USD).

Greg and I took advantage of the holiday and jumped into an auto rickshaw in search of Gandhi celebrations.

Greg loves rickshaw rides.

From there, we boarded a very crowded metro train for Delhi.

What better place to celebrate than Gandhi Smriti (remerbrance).  This was Gandhi’s home near the end of his life.  He was assassinated here in 1948 while on his way to a prayer session.

Alas, the museum was closed on his birthday (we didn’t receive a straight answer, but we suspect for security purposes).

We continued deeper into the city for a pedi-rickshaw tour of Old Delhi, which normally delivers a stimulation overload, however, many stores were closed.

Tours were still available at Jama Mosque.

Built during the 1650’s, Jama Mosque is the largest mosque in India and the focal point of Old Delhi.

This family of four was out and about enjoying the day…

…as was this family of four.

But not everyone had the day off as seen by these commuters.

Our day ended without any recognition of the holiday.  We’ll try again next year.

This photo was taken the very next day, Thursday, October 3^rd.  Where you ask?  Is this from Munich?  No, this is a hotel lobby in Delhi.  October 3^rd is Reunification Day marking the point in 1990 when East and West Germany became one country again.

Since October 3^rd also coincides with Oktoberfest, our dealers joined us at the German Embassy to celebrate. The band flew in from Munich that morning…

…providing the opportunity for inter-cultural dancing.

The event was very authentic.  Note the integration of the Indian flag in the middle of the Maibaum.

Paulaner Bier was served, in this case, with the help of a robotic arm.

All cultures enjoy Oktoberfest.  This photo features an American, an Indian and two Bavarians.

The third monumental day of the week was Saturday, October 4^th.  This marks the start of Navratri, a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, which is celebrated for 9 nights.

This is a very auspicious period in India leading up to Diwali on November 3^rd (note:  the dates are determined by the lunar calendar and thus shift each year).

There you have it.  A recap of three monumental days. October 2: Gandhi’s birthday, October 3: German Reunification Day.  October 5: the start of Navratri.  Enjoy your week.  ts