Mussoorie Landmark - an opportunity literally laying in ruin

India....while incredibly fascinating and wonderful......will at times cause frustrations......

I am not talking of the frustrations caused by the minor inconveniences of living here.....those differences comparing living in India to the U.S.; those are issues I have accepted and actually embraced quite some time ago.....and I am proud to say, so has my family. We don't complain about such things......we are enjoying life here in India.

Of course, there are the HUGE issues of poverty, lack of infrastructure (although improving everyday), bureaucracy and corruption......and other social issues and ills.

So why.....with all of these huge issues to deal with am I choosing to express my frustrations about an old house, laying in ruin on top of a mountain?

It is certainly not because I am insensitive to all of the much larger issues.....I am.....my head almost explodes at times when I see the corruption in the government......my heart gets twisted and is in pain when I get a soft knock at my window from someone in need.......my stomach gets tied up in knot's when I watch a limbless man, with no shirt, in the heat of Delhi, pushing a plate filled with what may amount to $1 US in change, with his forehead while he makes his way along a dirty unpaved street....

I could share more such stories.....but I think you get the picture...I am grounded in "reality".
So....why?....what's the big deal about an old house when there are so many other bigger issues to deal with.

Well, there is no "big deal" actually.....until recently, I didn't even know much about the life of George Everest.....or how the tallest mountain in the Himalaya's was named for him, what his accomplishment's were.....or where he lived for goodness sake. A year ago, I couldn't even point out to you where Mussoorie, India was on a map.....or even that such a place existed.

But it does.....like many other places in India; monuments, fort's, tomb's, and other such places of historical significance, that have withstood the test of time.....but are laying in various states of ruin....or disappear as an afterthought in pursuit of progress...

There is much more to India than the Taj Mahal......so much more.

While the pressing issues I mentioned above are very real and extremely challenging to deal with....AND are a tremendous financial burden to the country......I also believe that it is important to preserve the past......the country's heritage......the culture that makes it unique and fascinating.....the history that has shaped the country into what it is today......How can a country, plagued with so many social issues afford to allocate funds for preservation when there are people starving?

Wouldn't this be socially irresponsible?

I am not sure of the answers to the questions I pose to all of you who read this blog entry.....but it is frustrating to see what I consider "NATIONAL TREASURES" being allowed to fall apart.

One could easily argue that the investment in preserving these national treasures would pay huge dividends......much more than one can imagine.....

I suggest that India has an opportunity to focus on preservation....showcasing that India is much more than the Taj Mahal......and it will be a benefit to the people of this great country.....and to me......I would be able to stop pulling my hair out.Now that I am off the soap box......I welcome comments from everyone....tell me how you feel about this issue......or one that may be bothering you.

I would like to hear the perspective from all of my readers from India......please give me your perspective......for those of you in the US or in Europe......imagine for a moment if Independence Hall in Philadelphia was allowed to crumble in front of our eyes......or the Arc de Triomphe.....or any other iconic monument that means so much to the country.....

I look forward to your comments.

By the way......the views from the George Everest Estate are amazing.....but would you expect anything less? He was in charge of surveying the country....measuring the peaks......he had an insider's knowledge of where to locate his house.....truly magnificent....

SUGGESTION: to catch an incredible sunset, I suggest that you leave Mussoorie at 4:00pm, like Preston and I did.....you will have time for the hike to the site, some time to take photographs and walk through the house.....and then time to locate a perfect spot to sit and watch the beauty unfold before your eyes.

We didn't make it to watch the sunrise, which I am told is equally incredible.....but I will guarantee you that on my next trip.....I will make my way to the top early one morning to witness it.

Prayer Flags -

Many of you know from reading the entries in my blog that I am enjoying my "entire" experience in India....part of the reason is the exposure to new and exciting things and the opportunity to learn something new everyday.....whether I am working or at play.

This past week I finally took some official "play time" away from work, and Linda and I escaped to a beautiful "hill station"; Mussoorie, India.

We had a lovely time.....it was not only relaxing for both of us....it was an experience that we will cherish for a long time.

I began each day at 5:30am.....many of you may not think that waking up so early is relaxing.....but I couldn't wait to start my day watching the sunrise and then taking a walk.

One such morning walk took me to Happy Valley.....here is a brief history of what put Happy Valley "on the map"....so to speak.In April 1959, after fleeing Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan Government in Exile in Mussoorie. While I am unsure of how many Tibetan's actually fled and settled in the Happy Valley area of Mussoorie at that time, today more than 5000 Tibetan's live in the area. In 1960, the first Tibetan school was established.....however, the Dalai Lama eventually moved the Government of Tibet in Exile to Dharamsala...in the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh.

Today, a visit to the area will allow you to explore the culture of Tibet without traveling thousands of kilometers.....the Tibetan culture is alive and well right here in India.....including the practice of hanging Prayer Flags.

Until this trip, I honestly paid very little attention to prayer flags.....I knew they existed, I had seen pictures of them, seen them in movies.....and that was about the extent of my knowledge.While I am certainly not an expert.....I have learned a few things, and can also clear up some common misconceptions about the practice as well.....just from what I have read.

The origins of prayer flags can be traced originally to India....and the practice was later transmitted to other regions of the world; including Tibet. Not all branches of Buddhism recognize the practice of making prayer flags, but they are believed to have originated with Bon, which predated Buddhism in Tibet.

There are two ways of hanging or displaying prayer flags....the practice I was most familiar with was seeing them hung horizontally...square or rectangular pieces of cloth connected along their top edge to a long string or rope.....from high to low between two objects......and typically found in flying high in the mountains. This practice is known as LUNG TA, which means "Wind Horse" in Tibetan.

The other practice is vertical, where large rectangular pieces of cloth are attached to a pole along their longest edge.....this pole is placed in the ground on top of mountains, temples, etc....this practice is known as DARCHOR, which translates to "increase life, fortune, health and wealth to all sentient beings".The colors of the flags also have meaning......each represents one of the five elements.

Blue - symbolizing SKY/SPACE
White - symbolizing AIR/WIND
Red - symbolizing FIRE
Green - symbolizing WATER
Yellow - symbolizing EARTH

They should also be hung along the string in this particular order. However, I do not believe this to be a strict rule, as you will see that in some of the photographs I have taken, this rule has not been followed.

Prayer flags DO NOT carry an "individuals" prayer(s) to the GOD's....a common misconception.....

Prayer flags are deliberately hung in high places so that the "Wind Horse" can carry the blessings printed on the flags to all beings. They are meant to benefit everyone.....not just a single person.

The prayer flags that appear in my photographs are from two sites in Mussoorie....Happy Valley (of course) and the one's that were taken at sunset were taken at what remains of the George Everest Estate.....on another high ridge...just across from Happy Valley.

Enjoy the photographs....but don't miss your own opportunity to
experience the culture of Tibet and Buddhism literally in New Delhi's backyard.

Lazy Day in Lodi Garden

Tuesday was a very lazy day for me.....the office was closed for elections.....yes.....whenever an election takes place all of the offices shut down so that people can get to the poles to vote.

Linda had some volunteer work to do at the AWA office....so it was just Ramesh and I.....so I asked him to take me to one of the most well known parks in Delhi.....Lodi Garden.

It was constructed in 1936, at the height of the British rule in India.....and was the pet project of the wife of the then Governor General.....at was aptly named "Lady Willingdon Park".

The park is located on what was the south end of then British New Delhi...and in the process of making way for the park, the government at the time had to relocate a village of people to make way for Lady Willingdon and her project.....nothing stood I the way of the British!

The park was later named Lodi Garden due to the significance of the tombs that are truly the central features of the park.....tombs that date back to the late 1400's....and the last and youngest, Mughal structure to be built on the site of the park is a bridge that is ONLY 400 years old.

The architecture is amazing.....sometimes you just have to gaze in amazement at how the craftsmen of the time built a structure with crude instruments and without the aid of modern construction techniques......and they are still standing.

During my casual stroll in the park, I took quite a few photographs of the buildings and several very "lazy" dogs that were sleeping the afternoon away. Even the bee's were lazy and were not buzzing around, despite the temperature being in the upper 80's.

Lodi Garden is a very popular place for Delhites...for jogging, walking, sitting together and talking and if so inclined, taking in a bit of the incredible history that makes Delhi an interesting place to live.

Don't miss a chance to enjoy this "urban oasis" when you make a trip to India.

Enjoy!

Mark Twain's India.....not much has changed!

"In Agra and its neighborhood, and afterwards at Delhi, we saw forts,
mosques, and tombs, which were built in the great days of the Mohammedan
emperors, and which are marvels of cost, magnitude, and richness of
materials and ornamentation, creations of surpassing grandeur, wonders
which do indeed make the like things in the rest of the world seem tame
and inconsequential by comparison. I am not purposing to describe them.
By good fortune I had not read too much about them, and therefore was
able to get a natural and rational focus upon them, with the result that
they thrilled, blessed, and exalted me. But if I had previously
overheated my imagination by drinking too much pestilential literary hot
Scotch, I should have suffered disappointment and sorrow."

Mark Twain, Following the Equator

One day I was doing some research on trying to find some quotes about India....when I stumbled upon one by Mark Twain. Further research led me to what has been described as one of his "least known works of literary"......a book called FOLLOWING THE EQUATOR, A JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD.

I found the entire work online.....at no cost, but I believe that I would truly enjoy acquiring a copy in "hardback"; a bonus would be if I could find a copy that was printed close to the year it was first published, in 1897.

This book chronicles his journeys, part of which he spent in India. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about India through his eyes.....it was his first visit to India as well....like any writer, he has chosen to write about the aspects of his visit that left an indelible impression on him.

While this may have been a "sleeper" when compared to his other works; not as notable or as well read by comparison to others, I have found a "connection" and I am thoroughly enjoying every word he has penned!

Have you ever given some thought to this.....about what makes a book or movie a "sleeper".....when the author, actor or director has created what some would herald as a masterpiece in his/her past?

Without getting too "deep" in my theories on this matter.....I think in the case of Twain chronicling his "Journey"..... it is simply his inability to "connect" with his audience, largely American, who were not well traveled and could not make a connection to his words.....they could connect easily to the mischievousness and "adventures" of a Huck Finn....but found it difficult to connect to his description of his experiences while on his journey....thousands of miles away from their own, with no familiar characters to relate too.

What is amazing to me, is that his words have struck a very common chord with my experience.....our family experience.....since we have been living, working and enjoying our time in India.

Here is something that many of you may find interesting; whether you are from India.....or living in another part of the world and are thinking about visiting......Twain's words, written over 115 years ago, have relevance to the India of today.

You may find it difficult to believe.....as so many positive changes have taken place since India has gained it's Independence from the British......even in the last 10 years, but it is INCREDIBLE to learn that much is still the same...similarities exist and are intertwined with life in India today.

I have provided the link to the website that has the entire book online.....Twain's time in India begins in Chapter 38 when he sails to Bombay.....and ends in Chapter 61.

http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/twain/following-equator/1/

Here are some of the buildings, mosques, temples, and tombs that have "thrilled, blessed and exalted" me.....since discovering them.

Spice Market

Preston and I love to take walks in Indra Market.....it is not for everybody.....we are typically the only American's in the market, but it is a great place to take photographs and see some interesting sites.Some of my favorite things to photograph are the SPICE BOYS!.....I love the colors......very vibrant.....reflected in the way people dress......the colors of India.

Project Why - Revisited

Place: Northern Virginia, USA

...a trip down to the basement.....toys carefully chosen for durability by the wise parent......and hesitantly parted with by the children....isn't it funny how a toy/game, that has been at the bottom of the toy chest for months/years, suddenly becomes "my favorite" when it is time for it to be culled.....it is a scene I am most familiar with....it happened in our house on several occasions......a common scene that takes place in homes across the landscape of "Suburbia USA".

Most of the time, toys and games like these make it to the community/church garage sale......or make their way to the Salvation Army or Goodwill locations. Drop off bins are sometimes stuffed to overflowing capacity with toys and clothing items that are donated by caring people who wish for these items to have an extended life cycle beyond the need that it filled in their home. These acts of generosity/charity never quite fulfill.....as many times as I have carried things myself to donation centers.....and while I knew that my donation would make a difference in the lives of several....I never saw the smile......I never saw the end result of my donation. Think about it....have you?This box...had a different destination.....it was filled to capacity.....securely taped to endure the rigors of air travel.... and the loading and unloading of three separate airplanes....it was X-rayed and viewed by several eyes.....the box was touched by countless numbers of hands.....it made its way from the United States.....briefly stopped in Moscow, Russia for two/three days....and finally, after traveling almost 13,000 miles, it made it to the Govindpuri area of New Delhi, India.....100 yards or so, down a well kept alley off of a very busy street...past the lady sitting on the ground sifting lentils.....each step bringing us closer to the voices of children learning to count in English from behind the open windows and doors.......to "Project Why".When most of the people in Delhi are just getting started, the dedicated founder, Anouradha Bakshi, has been up at least four hours...organizing her day,planning the next, touching the lives of those who have stepped through the doors and slipped off their sandals/shoes,raising money and dreaming about the future.

Anu, as she is affectionately known, has a heart the size of India, and dreams as large as the world, but runs an organization that serves hundreds on what amounts to just a few U.S. dollars a day.The children that she serves and the lives she has touched are countless......but unlike the commercials for "Visa" credit cards that end with the word "Priceless", the reality is....making a difference in the lives of others.....in the real world......has some cost associated with it.

This blog entry is not meant to be self serving....or to bring attention to a caring family from the United States.....I hope that those who read this get a true understanding of what a difference can be made in the lives of others through small acts of kindness and charity.....whether it be in from a box filled filled with toys carried halfway around the world.....donating your time......or by opening your wallet or purse.For those of you who read this and are touched in anyway.....inspired to do something beyond your community, to reach out past the borders of the US...do something. If you are traveling abroad....do some research before you leave. If you are unsure or feel that it may be too complicated or you just want the assurance that your donation will be well received and will reach the right people...maybe feel compelled to donate to Project Why......I can personally vouch for it's legitimacy and the good work that is being done.....help if you can. See the links below.
Just look at this smile!

Email: anouradha.bakshi@gmail.com
http://projectwhy.org
http://projectwhy.blogspot.com
http://www.dearpopples.com

Faces of the Foothills -Shimla

Faces of the Foothills.....Shimla; a compilation of photographs.

This young boy caught my eye as we were driving through the center of the city. He was standing just outside of the temple gazing at something in the distance....

As I was walking down the walkway that led back to the lower level of the Shimla Mall, just beneath the shadow of Christ Church, I stopped in front of these two girls to take a picture of the Church....I could sense that they were watching me, so as I turned to continue walking......our eyes met.....I asked if I could take their picture.....look at the difference in the smiles!

On a slower area of The Mall, these two found a quiet place to chat.....are they brother and sister? are they friends? are they more? Public displays of affection, is not culturally acceptable; no hand holding,etc......notice their feet touching.....so subtle but yet so far apart.....

There are many things that I will never master while here in India.....one of them is walking while balancing items on my head.....this Chaat Walla stopped momentarily for me to snap a quick photograph.......nothing fell, thank goodness......I hope that he found the perfect spot on the Mall to set up shop and sell his items......

With outstretched arms and cupped hands, this man humbly accepts a token of charity from a passerby.......