During the teacher's break, I also spent part of the time exploring Bangalore with Mahesh and Pallavi along with their two children Chirag and Niraj. I was connected to them through one of my friend's named Santhosh who lives in AZ, but is originally from Bangalore. Although I had never met with them before this trip, I was welcomed with open arms and had the opportunity to explore many places in and around the city.
They picked me up from the school and our first stop was a government school to show me where the children of Shanti Bhavan would be attending if they did not have the privileged opportunity. This school was a one-roomed building without desks and chairs. They children used their book bags to write on and seemed to have minimal educational resources. This was quite different from the schooling situation at Shanti Bhavan. They seemed to enjoy having me come to visit though.
Our next stop was to get some snacks on the road. This is me and Niraj. He prefers to do an animal pose. :)
Because I mentioned my recent interest in meditation, they took me to Pyramid Valley which is the home to a large pyramidal temple used for mediation purposes. According to the Pyramid Spiritual Trust-India, this structure creates the ideal environment for meditating given the energies created by the shape. Inside, there is a set of stairs that lead to a "chamber" in the middle of the pyramid where the energy is said to be at its highest. It was an interesting experience for someone like me who is new to meditating. I have learned and practiced very basic Theravada meditation which does not focus on these supposed energies.
Mahesh seems to have so many connections. One of them was a dance teacher who runs her own dance school for younger girls. She only teaches Bharatanatyam which is a classical Indian dance form based off of the ancient art of temple dancers. It was given an official form around the 1930s's, but inspiration comes from the moves that people used to perform around temples to convey stories about the gods. It is originally from Tamil Nadu and its name is actually a Tamil combination of words that translate to "expression, music, rhythm, and dance." It is a beautiful display of intricate hand motions and body movements to portray various ancient stories. I was given the opportunity to learn a bit of basic moves with the students. It was hard work that required a lot of balance!
Here is a girl dressed in the performance attire. Absolutely beautiful!
We also explored Lal Bagh which is the botanical gardens located in the heart of the city. The initial idea was proposed in 1790 and since its beginnings has expanded to cover 240 acres.
Mahesh works as an attorney which is known as an advocate here in India. He works as a civil service advocate in the High Court of Karnataka. He took me in to see the Supreme Court building and because he is an advocate, I was able to accompany him inside to see the courthouse. The advocates wear robes and appear very much like judges.
Another fun trip was when we visited an Emu farm. Mahesh has another friend who owns an Emu farm. I never thought Emus would be here in India, but it is actually becoming a popular business venture. Almost every part of an Emu can be used in some useful fashion. Its feathers for clothing, its meat eaten as a source of protein, and even oils can be extracted from them for medicinal purposes.
I was visiting during Ganesh Chaturthi which is a 10 day festival celebrating the day that the Hindu god Shiva declared his son, Ganesha, superior to the other gods. In Hinduism, there is a deity trinity that explains the functioning of the universe. Bramha is the creator of all, Vishnu is the maintainer of life, and Shiva is the destroyer of everything. Ganesha is most commonly known as the "elephant god" because his images depict a man with an elephant head. He is considered to be the "Remover of Obstacles" or the "Lord of Beginnings" and is often called upon by people at the beginning of a journey.
Many houses held poojas (prayer service) at their houses in honor of Ganesha during this time. After the prayer, you receive a blessing and at Mahesh's Aunt's house, this turned out to be a coconut, jasmine flowers, and bangles. A red bindi is added to the forehead which is commonly thought of as the third eye. Tumeric is also spread along each temple as another ritual.
Overall, I had an amazing time in Bangalore not only because I had the privilege to experience so many different new things, but I also had such wonderful company. Mahesh and Pallavi are such warm and generous people. I was honored to be in their company and learn so much from them!
