Happy Diwali!! Today is the official day but it lasts all this week!! Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights, and is calculated by the position of the moon and the Hindu lunar calendar. Diwali means rows of lighted lamps. Homes and shops are decorated with candles and coloured lights. Victory of light over darkness ( good over evil ) is the meaning of Diwali. Good for us all!! Diwali honours Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and people start the new business year at Diwali, and some say prayers to the goddess for a prosperous year ahead! ( This festival is for you Ian!!) Fireworks celebrate a Diwali legend that I won't go into here. There have been crackers and fireworks going off all week. I nearly had a heart attack early this morning when one went off. Then after breakfast, it was like a terrorist attack, lots of smoke, and prolonged explosions. All part of the celebration. I saw that from the hotel window. The lamps or candles, help the godess find her way to your home. Windows and doors are left open for her. Gifts and shared, food is shared, new clothes are worn. Yes, it is the Hindu version of Christmas , and I am glad to experience it.
Today I hired a taxi to show me Mumbai. He took me over the Sea link, toll route. This road is an enormous bridge built out to see, and it connects parts of Mumbai, the biggest city in India, the commercial hub. Quite amazing bridge.
Pic en route through Mumbai
Huge apartments crowded with many many people. We passed many shanty slums, of improvised building materials. Locals talk about the huge edifice in Central Mumbai. It is a skyscraper, housing just 5 people, owned by the richest man in India. Staff of 600 to maintain it. Quite amazing piece of architecture too. That in contrast to this, and this does not reflect the poverty that really exists.
We arrived at Sanjay Ghandi National Park, hired another taxi to drive us around. Our taxi driver was a Buddhist....see his car Buddha.
We took off our shoes to enter the compound. Marble like flooring. Three naked men, father and sons, I think, huge statues. I guess the nakedness signifies non attachment to material possessions like clothes, and non attachment to desires!!! I observed a Jain man at prayer. Totally naked. I didn't take a pic out of respect. He just stood in silence in the sun. This is Jain Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in India. Yoga teachers take note here: the yamas!! They practise firstly, Ahimsa, or non harming to anyone or anything. They eat vegetarian diet, and no root vegetables, as that may kill tiny organisms in the vegetable. Self control is the path to freedom. The second practice is non absolutism, or open mindedness to everyone's point of view. ( Influenced Mahatma Ghandi )
The aim of Jainism is to conquer inner passions like attachments to desire, anger, pride, greed, something that we all need to work on. This is a spiritual journey for me.
We entered the cloistered area at the back of this pic
Tombs
Cloisters surrounded the area
Lots of marble like statues
More tombs
Back of the three men
A huge hall to the side where the Jains would meet.....think church hall!! Huge area.
Very forested area, and very very hot.
You can stand as a bicycle passenger
Healthy snacks, no Western junk food. Love this about India. Lovely guavas, cucumbers, star fruits.
Well animal company too
Daddy on guard
Mom and child
We stopped at the Khaneri Caves. This turned out to be way more impressive than I was led to believe. Zoom in to learn more about the caves in this pic.
Main entrance
First cave of 109!! This was an enormous Buddhist colony, that died out 11 BC, if my memory serves me. The guide was great!!
All carved out of the rock
Dark passages behind here
Markings on the rocks
Cave windows
Meditation places
Impressive water systems were in place. All over they survived all this time. Maybe fed by springs, but you see hoses to let the water flow in the right places.
Stone carvings and many Buddhas
Quite impressive actually
The main place of worship. Our guide sang the Guyatri for us. Great singing voice, and the acoustic in here was totally amazing!! Other caves had equally impressive acoustics. You could walk behind the columns.
So well preserved
Inscriptions in different languages
Candles put in these holes, flowers would decorate
Like a Christian church...so much similarity between world religions
Mudras ( Yoga students will enjoy )
Not sure what this is, but my brother Rob will know. Hope you enjoy this Rob!!
Underground water systems
Valley with caves along. This cave system was HUGE!!
Hoses to help manage water
Part of the drainage systems
View across the forest below
Drainage under here
More drainage down the valley
More caves....they go on. We got to the top, and then descended. There were bedroom caves up top.
Calling all teachers! The Buddhist school....here are the classrooms!!
Put your books on the stone tables, and sit cross legged of course!
Huge emphasis on teaching. The caves were cool of course. These people were smart.
bedrooms at the top
Amazing pic of the intricate washing system.... you sat on the rock to the left. Buddhist washing machines!!!
We went up to the top of the system
Can't remember it all.....
Paintings exist on the roof!!!!!!!
Caves on either side of this valley, with drainage in between
Buddhas galore
Mudras??
So well preserved
Back to the animal company: baby begging for food
Mom, but don't tangle with her......
The taxi took us to the Lion/Tiger Safari.....the big build up. Of course we could not see the Lions.
Very disappointing as we expected a safari!! Only lasted 15 minutes max in a caged bus!!
We got on a bus and discovered that it wasn't a safari, but really animal enclosures. SO hot, the poor tiger spent his day in the water to cool down.
Back to my original taxi driver, Raju. He insisted on taking me to the biggest human laundry in the world. Human washing machines. Why let machines do the work, when humans need the income?? Many hotels actually sent their laundry to this place. This system works!!!!! Changing perspective here, guys!
Looks slummy and it was
Cleanliness must have been important though
Men only. Sorry ladies, but washing clothes is a male profession here. Hard work, as one of the women told me.
I took these pics from the bridge above
Raju took me to the Hanging Gardens. I was pretty tired from the heat, and humidity, but hung in...I either did it then or not at all. View to Mumbai from the Gardens.
Mumbai was very "foggy" all day...probably excessively high humidity, and this affected visibility, and pic clarity.
Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC spoil you, so this cannot be compared. Comparison, a new spiritual value for me, is very unhelpful in most aspect of life.
Riding the elephant
Gardens on the top were very very dry !!
Last stop, near Marine Drive was Mahatma Ghandi's residence. He actually lived here, and took most of the decisions that shaped the destiny of this country. Very impressive place, and I may return to it.
Front of the house, tons of trees here.
The house is turned into a museum
Ghandi wore very few clothes...maybe practical, and maybe influenced by Jainism. He worked for the common man, and the poor. How we need to embrace the values of this man. Great to escape the influence of the West here to the extent that I can, as it is everywhere of course.
Huge library in his 3 story home. Many Indian politicians came and met here.
Ghana's values.......read on....he had wisdom for us all.
More wisdom. This was a hectic day. So much seen. Gratitude is the response!!! Thanks for sharing this long day with me.
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