Leaving Maharashtra for the North

Sunday, 6/19

We woke up super early to get back to Mumbai to fly to Delhi today. I was excited to start this next adventure. Of course, I couldn’t know what would happen in the future, but I hoped to connect with good people for a treasurable experience.

We arrived in Delhi around 6 PM and rode a taxi to Ananta’s, our program coordinator. We met the other volunteers in our cohort for the orientation week, then got situated, and went to bed.

Scoping out the domestic arrival terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport

Monday 6/20

Our first morning in Delhi. We woke up and had a basic breakfast, toast and jam, then Peggy and I and the other volunteers in our orientation week cohort got together with Ananta for a brief lessons on Indian history, religion, marriage, festivals, dress, family values, and safety.

One thing very interesting about Hinduism that I never knew before this trip is that it is very open to other religions. In a Hindu temple, you may find a sculpture or other artwork of Jesus Christ. It’s the oldest religion and as far as I know, the most open.

Something I learned more about is Hindu’s concept of Karma. Each day a Hindu has the opportunity to gain positive karma. Volunteering and other humanitarian social acts are worth a lot of good karma. But, all that good karma would do nothing for you if you were to commit a heinous crime such as rape or murder. Then, you will be sentenced to a miserable reincarnation – perhaps as a snake. But, if you die a virtuous person, you will live your next life as a human.

We also learned of a major Hindu festival called “Holi Festival” (festival of colors), celebrated in late February or early March. The story is that once upon a time a demon king named Hiranyakashyap ruled earth. He wanted everyone to worship him, but his son, Prahlad, would not. So Hiranyakashyap tried to kill Prahlad over and over, but Lord Vishnu, the supreme deity of preservation and part of the Trimurti (Brahma, god of creation; Vishnu, god of preservation; Shiva, god of destruction), would save Prahlad every time. Frustrated, Hiranyakashyap convinced his sister, Holika, to take Prahlad and sit with him in a fire, where she assumed her boon would keep her unscathed. She was wrong, as her boon only worked when she was alone, and so she burnt to death but Lord Vishnu saved him again. Thus, Holi Festival is the celebration of the triumph of Good over Evil. An important thing to celebrate.

Another festival Ananta told us a little about is the “Diwali Festival” (festival of lights), which is celebrated sometime between mid-October and mid-November. I was interested in it, so I read further on Wikipedia. Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. He is the embodiment of perfect manhood and his wife, Sita, is the embodiment of perfect womanhood. In the Hindu Sanskrit epic, Ramayana, King Dasharatha, his father, is to crown Rama as prince, but the king’s wife and queen, Kaikeyi is convinced by their wicked servant, Manthara, that the throne of Ayodhya, the capital of the Kosala, a powerful Hindu kingdom, belonged not to Rama but to Bharata, Rama’s younger brother. Kaikeyi’s judgment poisoned, she gets the king to exile Rama for 14 years. Rama, as the embodiment of perfection according to Hinduism, does as his father wishes. Heartbroken, his father dies soon after. Committed, Rama leaves Ayodhya, and during his exile he gets the opportunity to confront the evil Ravana, the primary antagonist in Ramayana. He slays him, and the war is over. Good triumphs evil. After his exile is expired, Rama returns to Ayodhya and becomes king. Celebrating his return, the people of Ayodhya lit rows of lamps (known as a diwali in Hindi, hence Diwali Festival). Thus, the Diwali Festival is the festival of lights, and like Holi, it is a celebration of Good defeating Evil. Fantastic story, isn’t it? Reading about these Hindu stories piqued my curiosity for other religious stories, for example, the principle ones in the Christian Bible (feel free to leave recommendations!).

After our morning lesson, Peggy and I and the other volunteers, Mike, Brit, Halla, and Dawn went into Old Delhi for the first time. We grabbed some snacks and walked around briefly. I saw the Red Fort in the background, we’ll be visiting it day after tomorrow as part of our orientation week. The reddish diaphanous fog made the fort look majestic and even threatening in the background. Perhaps I misattributed the threat I felt from the stern stares surrounding me.

At night, we took it easy and ate a homecooked paneer and pea dish, which was quite pleasant. We had a short Hindi lesson by our instructor, Ananta, and afterwards, Peggy and I wrote. Now it’s time for goodnight. Shubha raatri, my brothers and sisters.