Although I had three months to plan my South India trip, I never drew up a detailed itinerary. My goals were simple: to visit the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, meet Amma on her 60th birthday, see Raja Raja's Big Temple, and gain a deeper understanding of ashram life. I watched many videos and read travel guide books to prepare for the visit. However, nothing could prepare me for the warmth and kindness that I experienced during those four weeks in South India.
From my last visit to North India, I learned to set aside many of my Western ideas about planning and control. Most Indians believe in karma and dharma. They have faith that if things are meant to take place, they will happen no matter what. I will give you an example that happened just a few days ago. I was in Chennai Sunday morning. I wanted to attend Sunday morning mass. I asked a young woman at the Chennai Egmore station which general direction should I be heading to go to the Basilica of Santhome. Well, before I knew it, a team of people worked out the route that I should be taking. There was always at least one person accompanying me along the way until I reached the Basilica. Faith plays an important role in many people's lives in India, and my desire to attend Sunday Mass seemed to inspire everyone I met to help me get there.
As with any journey, there are always ups and downs. I must admit, I had been lucky for the most part. Another example that came to mind was getting to Amma's ashram. The tuk-tuk driver took me to four hotels in Kayankulam and they were all fully occupied. I then asked him to take me to the ashram directly. He left me and my two bags on the other side of the lagoon. Because I couldn't swim, I hesitated to go on an old boat to cross the lagoon. Well, a family walked by and helped me to load and unload my bags. After I got to the other side, I was able to get dorm accommodation on the day before Amma's BD on Sept 27th. According to the residents of the ashram, there were close to 900,000 people attending the BD celebration. There were people sleeping on the ground uncovered everywhere at night during the 3-day celebration.
India evokes strong reactions in visitors. Its intensity can be overwhelming, but I have always found myself drawn to its energy and generosity. I tend to overlook the minor annoyances and love India and its people. It had been ten years since I first visited North India. I am happy to see that the quality of life has improved a great deal over the past decade. Most Indian tourists I met are well-educated and make a decent living. Even though they complain about a corrupt government, I believe that all that could be changed with the next generation of intelligent and honest Indian politicians. What impressed me most was not the temples, caves, or celebrations, but the kindness of ordinary people. Again and again, strangers stepped forward to help without expecting anything in return. More than any landmark, that spirit is what I remember most about South India.
From my last visit to North India, I learned to set aside many of my Western ideas about planning and control. Most Indians believe in karma and dharma. They have faith that if things are meant to take place, they will happen no matter what. I will give you an example that happened just a few days ago. I was in Chennai Sunday morning. I wanted to attend Sunday morning mass. I asked a young woman at the Chennai Egmore station which general direction should I be heading to go to the Basilica of Santhome. Well, before I knew it, a team of people worked out the route that I should be taking. There was always at least one person accompanying me along the way until I reached the Basilica. Faith plays an important role in many people's lives in India, and my desire to attend Sunday Mass seemed to inspire everyone I met to help me get there.
As with any journey, there are always ups and downs. I must admit, I had been lucky for the most part. Another example that came to mind was getting to Amma's ashram. The tuk-tuk driver took me to four hotels in Kayankulam and they were all fully occupied. I then asked him to take me to the ashram directly. He left me and my two bags on the other side of the lagoon. Because I couldn't swim, I hesitated to go on an old boat to cross the lagoon. Well, a family walked by and helped me to load and unload my bags. After I got to the other side, I was able to get dorm accommodation on the day before Amma's BD on Sept 27th. According to the residents of the ashram, there were close to 900,000 people attending the BD celebration. There were people sleeping on the ground uncovered everywhere at night during the 3-day celebration.
India evokes strong reactions in visitors. Its intensity can be overwhelming, but I have always found myself drawn to its energy and generosity. I tend to overlook the minor annoyances and love India and its people. It had been ten years since I first visited North India. I am happy to see that the quality of life has improved a great deal over the past decade. Most Indian tourists I met are well-educated and make a decent living. Even though they complain about a corrupt government, I believe that all that could be changed with the next generation of intelligent and honest Indian politicians. What impressed me most was not the temples, caves, or celebrations, but the kindness of ordinary people. Again and again, strangers stepped forward to help without expecting anything in return. More than any landmark, that spirit is what I remember most about South India.
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