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| Milkman |
The rain continues to fall as the monsoon season is now in full swing. It's 7am and the school children are on their way to school in their clean pressed uniforms; some in brown, some with checks of red and green, and the government school uniforms of khaki pants & blue shirts for boys, and girls in blue & white. The street sweepers are out in the drizzle cleaning the streets & gutters, and women in saris walk past with the colorful cloth pulled over their head to ward off the rain. Families go by on scooters, 3 deep, with umbrellas. The milkman rides a motorcycle in full rain attire, pants & rain jacket with hood, milk cans strapped to the back sides. There are several kayaks on the lake this morning as well; something I haven't seen before. The weather is cool now with no need for air conditioning; a fan being sufficient.
It's Cow's Day, the 12th day after the full moon, and the women are dressed in red saris, with trays full of flowers, are on their way to decorate the cows in the street with vermillion powder, red strings to tie on the legs, necks, & horns, and to do an arti to bless them. There are so many of these traditions & rituals in the Hindu faith, which keeps their way of life fully integrated into their beliefs. They truly live their religion and their faith in the Hindu gods is strong. This is such a rich culture that I can only touch the tip of the iceberg of understanding. It fascinates me daily and I am so glad I moved here to be a small part of this complex country.
My new house should be painted and ready either today or tomorrow and I can start shopping! I am so excited to have my own space, top to bottom and lucky to have found a place with privacy in the old city. It is a narrow place with all marble floors & stairs, sandwiched between 2 large houses with a living room and bath on the first level, then up to the kitchen, which has a long granite counter top, the next floor is the bedroom and the next a rooftop terrace with a half bath and a view of the City Palace - awesome! I can hardly wait to buy plants for my outdoor space. Once I get the basics of a hotel room (bed, sheets, fan) bought, I can move in and continue to furnish it. Himanshu has a small gas tank with a burner on top I can borrow so I can make chai in the morning. Life is simple here and all is as it should be.
It's Cow's Day, the 12th day after the full moon, and the women are dressed in red saris, with trays full of flowers, are on their way to decorate the cows in the street with vermillion powder, red strings to tie on the legs, necks, & horns, and to do an arti to bless them. There are so many of these traditions & rituals in the Hindu faith, which keeps their way of life fully integrated into their beliefs. They truly live their religion and their faith in the Hindu gods is strong. This is such a rich culture that I can only touch the tip of the iceberg of understanding. It fascinates me daily and I am so glad I moved here to be a small part of this complex country.
My new house should be painted and ready either today or tomorrow and I can start shopping! I am so excited to have my own space, top to bottom and lucky to have found a place with privacy in the old city. It is a narrow place with all marble floors & stairs, sandwiched between 2 large houses with a living room and bath on the first level, then up to the kitchen, which has a long granite counter top, the next floor is the bedroom and the next a rooftop terrace with a half bath and a view of the City Palace - awesome! I can hardly wait to buy plants for my outdoor space. Once I get the basics of a hotel room (bed, sheets, fan) bought, I can move in and continue to furnish it. Himanshu has a small gas tank with a burner on top I can borrow so I can make chai in the morning. Life is simple here and all is as it should be.
