One of the aspects about India that has always fascinated me, is the reverence for their religion. For most Christians in the West, Christmas or Easter are seen as times to attend church as a family tradition (sometimes begrudgingly) and observe the rituals for that time of year. India, however, is vastly different. Religion and culture are one in the same. As in most religions, there is always a wide range of dedication that comes with each person and what they choose to partake in. However, from what I have seen in their temples over the past few days, it has given me a new meaning to the phrase "If you talk the talk, you should walk the walk."

Now, being more spiritual than religious over the past few years, I find that ceremony and tradition are rules that I want to break. If someone tells me that something is to be taken as fact and yet has no real proof, except that their "faith" told them so, I am a sceptic. However, stories in religion are silly, fun, scary, violent, and teach us something about humanity. From what I can tell from my very limited understanding of Hinduism, is that they have several gods that also can take on many forms. There are great epic stories that are passed down from generation to generation and are now written in some very famous spiritual books called the Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata. 

When visiting a temple in one of the 7 sacred cities in India (6 in the North and 1 in the South - which is where we are), we came across some beautiful carvings, ceremony, colors, and heart felt dedication. The pulse of the inner temple is a beat that carries you along even if you don't intend on dancing. The main gate is where all Hindus walk through with their offering of flowers, food, or spices. Being totally unaware about any of the traditions, I decided to buy a ring of red and yellow flowers, to give as a gift to the gods of their people. As soon as we walked into the temple square, beyond the large stone gate, there was an elephant all dressed up with paint, and was blessing those who gave a small donation. The elephant was trained to take the money out of their hands and then gently tap the top of their heads with its' trunk. AWESOME!

Ahead of us, I noticed that there was a line being formed in a setting much like you'd see at an amusement park... so Greg and I went to see what was going on. We lined up with all the men and women, all of whom were locals. As soon as we turned the corner we realized that we were heading into a sacred space. I was wondering if we were going to be hauled out of line, as the sign above us read, "HINDUS ONLY ALLOWED IN INNER TEMPLE." I thought for sure that this was the end of the road for us. Well, as it turns out it was for Greg, but not for me. I watched with nervousness as they asked him to leave the line, because he was a foreigner. I was going to head back with him, but then we both realized that they were letting me go in! So I looked at my husband and with a knowing nod... we knew it was where I needed to be.

As my travel partner was no longer with me for support, I felt a surge of panic arise within me. I thought, "I have no friggin idea what I am doing and so here it goes. Time to breathe and go with the flow." Sweaty arm pits and hands I marched forward. When I got to where the line diverged into two, I started to feel anxiety swell up inside me. I had no idea which way I was supposed to go, so I followed a couple of girls in front of me. I watched them and did what they did. They touched a statue... I touched a statue, they put a dirt like substance on their forehead... yup, I did the same. I also went for it, because I got pushed in that general direction, and took wet turmeric and sprinkled it on my head. Not sure where the water came from or why we were grabbing it from the ground. At least I didn't have to eat it!

As I was fumbling around, a nice man who seemed to be organizing the lines, saw I clearly was a fish out of water, and decided to help me. He told me about the gold on the temple, some of the carving of the gods and where I should go next. His help earned him $5.00. Worth every penny. I left the inner place, feeling shaky and relieved that it was over and yet wanting more. I couldn't really get into the meditation of it all, but I could see why daily Hindus go through the temples and observe these rituals to remind them of their blessings and to ask for guidance in their day. I loved that no one was preaching, condemning, and that their "house" was filled with love.

To explain what exactly happened in there, is very difficult. I feel very blessed that I have been able to experience something that most travellers will never get to. My gratitude for the people that helped me along, when they saw I needed it, was over whelming. I walked into the temple full of fear and anxiety and left feeling a sense of peace.

Coming to India, I prepared myself for sipping tea, eating curry, and taking immodium. The first two are very much part of daily living, but the last is not a huge factor, thanks goodness, where we've been traveling. The food is very safe; cooked with filtered water, washed hands (can't guarantee that everywhere), and a basic desire for tourists not to get sick (bad for business).

There are several types of places to eat depending on where you are; in a village, town, or large city. Almost everywhere you go, the smells of food wafts through the air into your nostrils and causes excitement to the palate and makes your mouth water. I personally have enjoyed sampling from a variety of different ways of eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

For the morning you can choose from a couple different options. We went to a local bakery bought bread, jam and tea. This allowed us to eat leisurely in our own room and then get going for the day. The other option is to eat in your hotel. Depending on the scale of the hotel, you will either pay extra (about $4.00 Canadian for 2 people) or it will be part of the tariff (cost) of the room. Usually, there is an English breakfast (a large population of British and French travel here in the winter) or an Indian traditional meal to choose from. We decided after the first day that white bread, butter, jam, and tea was not the type of good morning my belly was aching for first thing. So we then bit the bullet and tried an Indian Breakfast. However, at first, the thought of curry first thing made me cringe a bit inside, but what did we have to lose, except a pound or two in the toilet (sorry, but that can be a fact jack). Well, let me tell you, we were over-joyed with the yumminess of all the complimentary dishes. There is a sweet small donut (like a mini donut at K-days or the Calgary Stampede, except not disgusting) called a vada, then a dosa which is cooked with rice (looks like a small fluffy pancake), a Dahl dish (soupy mixture made with lentils and mild sweet curry flavours), chai tea, veggies (steamed), and 2 types of chutneys (think sauces to dip wings into... give me a break, it's the only reference I can think of!). Mmmmmm.... those mild but bright flavours allows the mouth to sing first thing.

For dinner and lunch, there is something to consider: do you want to eat where the average blue collar worker eats? Or do you want an A/C hotel type meal in a restaurant, where a different group of Indians would frequent? We have gone to both. I would have to say that for the average person in India even $4 is expensive, because they can eat the same dishes on the street corner for less than $1. For us however, the difference is not really in price, but the experience that goes along with it. The nice restaurants we have eaten at have been superb. The total cost for the two of us to dine and be belly aching full is under $10, and you get air conditioning, which when it's 30 above, is quite nice. The street food, or local shops, are very cool however. The people are ridiculously friendly and really want for us (foreigners) to enjoy their food as much as they do.

Where ever you go, I would recommend trying the "veg. meal," which consists of eating on a banana leaf and getting a variety of small dishes (the size of a 1/4 cup that include: Dahl, chutneys', buttermilk, sweet rice soupy stuff, raita (like a cucumber yogurt dish), and basmati rice. This "meal" is prepared in large quantities and so when you order, the servers go from table to table putting what you want on your leaf (think chaotic dim sum). You can add more or less of something that you like. It is unlimited. The cost for that is under $2.00/person at a nice restaurant and under a buck at the local diner. 

All in all there are some traditions that die hard in India. One is eating with your right hand. There are "hand washes" in all places (a wash basin with soap and water, or no soap depending...) that you use before and after you eat. No utensils are used unless they can see that you are struggling and then they will give you what you need (usually a spoon or fork). Because the main cuisine is vegetarian it is easy to scoop the food up with rice and a roti (flat bread) and shove it in your mouth. Eating here is not pretty. You're hands are gonna get dirty and learning to rip the stretchy bread with just one hand has been a trick that took a few meals for both of us to master. Greg seems to have been born for it, as he dove right in, and is having a lot of fun with it! Curious why all the eating is done with the right hand? Well, traditionally the left was used for other duties, of which do not need to be discussed here (think no toilet paper and wiping... enough said!)

All in all, my advice to people traveling to a foreign country, is to forget what the "guide" books tell you (they have been wrong on several accounts here) and observe. Times change very quickly in some areas of life and other things never will, so keep aware of your surroundings and just go with the flow!