Hampi, Mantralayam and other stuff.

Its been about two weeks since my last post [Editors note: This is a lie since this post should have posted at the beginning of April] and a lot sure has happened, ranging from losing my wallet to having beer poured in my sneaker and having a dance party in the academic quad...So first, things first. I know I am on a student exchange here, but I must admit I haven't been doing much scholarly work. One of my classes haven't even started yet! The professor is in the US and will return in early May to come back and teach us...which means, instead of having a nice leisurely class pace, it will be class everyday! I'm certainly not looking forward to that. My two other classes are really chill and mostly we just come to class and have a small lecture with some discussion about the daily topic. I enjoy it, however, I can't be sure that I am getting a good value considering I am paying tuition for this.

Aside from that, I've done some fun things. I went to visit Hampi and a small village called Mantralayam. Mantralayam is a small temple town on the border between Karnataka and Andra Pradesh. It lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, which unfortunately was severly flooded in 2009 and the town was very damaged. Flocks of Hindu Indians make pilgramage to see the two temples and ashram, dedicated to the Brindavana of Guru (Saint) Raghavendra Swami, who believed in the worship of Lord Vishnu as supreme to all other Hindu gods. It is believed that the Guru stated that his Brindavana would stay in Mantralayam for 700 years...he has about 360 years left. He was an interesting person because he advocated the donation of food to all the devotees coming to see him and praise Vishnu. This practice is still continued and I had the experience of having a free lunch with all the other devotees that afternoon.

Hampi is a World Heritage Site, which consists of some very well preserved ruins from the Vijayanagara Empire, also lying on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Its really sort of a betwitching place; you walk into the ruins and its like walking into a lost time. In the late 1330's, a Prince named Hariharaya chose Hampi as his new capital and by the 16th century it was a huge metropolis with nearly 500,000 people living there. The complexity of the city can be observed in the remains of their advanced water system and different bazaar areas. The city fell around 1560, when it was set on fire by rival sultans. My favorite part about Hampi was certainly the Lotus Mahal, located in the Royal centre of the ruins. Named for the patterned lotus doorways, the building was supposedly the Queen's recreation area. Some of the best preserved areas are actually sites in the "women's quarters" called the Zenna Enclosure, including the Queen's Bath, the Underground temple, and the Elephant stables, located right outside.

In the areas around Hampi are also several temples, most famous being the Vittal Temple. This temple was actually never completed, but its huge compound was being built in honor of the god Vishnu. The temple is well known for its special pillars, which were designed to each play a different musical note. Although tourists are not allowed to tap on the pillars anymore, the guard did play a little note for my tour group! The temple compound is also home to the Stone Chariot, which has the allusion of being built from one solid piece of stone, but was actually completed by using several pieces of granite. The chariot is well-known because of the intricate battle scenes that are carved around its base as well as the fact that the large stone wheels were constructed on axles that actually allowed them to turn.

Another highlight of Hampi is the Hampi Bazaar, which is home to the so called monkey Temple, Virupaksha. One can see many little monkeys living along the main doorways of the temple, which is still used for worship. This temple is dedicated to a form of the god Shiva, and has several interesting delineations from older Hinduism. In particular, in this temple you can see a unique way of depicting Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull. Nandi appears in groupings of three--referring to different phases of Nandi. This is quite uncommon in Hinduism.  Aside from the temple, the bazaar itself isn't too impressive, but I did get the experience of going during the Hindu holiday of Holi. Holi is a spring holiday celebrating the story of the escape of a young prince, Prahlad  from a giant fire, after a Demoness named Holika, carried him into it.  Its also known as the festival of colors because it is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and water at each other. In Hampi, the celebration was on full swing by 8 a.m. and to my surprise, was mostly a lot of westerns just trying to get in the paint action.

After returning from Hampi, I got in touch with a Suvi, who is cousins with a friend of mine from way back when. Suvi and her fiance Rudolph, invited me along to a little thing called the Hash Run. Little did I know what I was getting myself into... The Hash Harriers run group is basically a group of people with a love of running and a knack for inappropriate jokes and beer drinking. My first Hash run was in a suburb of Bangalore, near the airport. We ran about 15kms then had some beer and some time on the ice -- a bit of hazing for the newcomers and those that broke the rules of the Hash run. For more information on the Hash Harriers, Google it. They have clubs in basically every major city around the world, and I plan on joining the Madison Hashers when I get back!

I also visited a few more places in Bangalore, such as the ISKCON Temple and the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The ISKCON  temple is totally dedicated to mediation and worship of Krishna. Those following the teachings of this temple are encouraged to repeat "Hare Krishna" over and over again. This meditation should be incorporated into all aspects of life, from cooking to understanding one's purpose in the world. I did pick up a few books, which are Hare Krishna publications. Lalbagh Garden was nice, but I wasn't too impressed, considering Bangalore is supposed to be the "Garden City" of India. The gardens trace their lineage back to the King Hyder Ali, who commissioned them in 1760. However, attempts at maintaining these Gardens end up feeling like a park where you can't sit on the grass--its so uptight and stuffy, with guards around every corner, blowing their whistle at you if you veer off the path. Truth is, Bangalore is developing far too quickly and its losing all that formerly made it an attractive place to live, including the lavish gardens and greenery. It seems all that's left is a government trying to desperately cling to that past. Anyway, I better leave before I get on a real rant on Bangalore development!

Cubbon Park and Mysore Wanderings

So, I've been in India for a little longer than a week. On day two of my lovely adventure to India I didn’t do much besides go shopping to find some dorm room essentials (bed sheets, a pillow and a bucket!) Everyone here uses buckets in the shower to collect the hot water so it doesn’t run out, so I figured I would get one and be smart about showering here too. I went shopping at a department store because I am not quite brave enough to go out to the markets and bargain with people who speak little to no English and of course, it doesn’t help that I speak little to no Kannada or Hindi, both official languages of the Karnataka, the state I am living in. The people at the department store were extremely helpful, almost to the point of suffocating me. They followed me everywhere, asked if I needed anything else or if they could recommend something. A less patient American would have flipped out (and I am not that patient). Anyway, I took all my new stuff back to my dorm and decorated it.

The next day I decided to book a day tour to Mysore, a nearby city. Mysore is the old capital of Karnataka and has many historical sites, which is why I opted for it. After booking my tour, I took an auto to the largest park in Bangalore, called Cubbon Park. It is set in the middle of the city and named for the former British Commissioner, Sir Mark Cubbon. The park is actually quite lovely, and a very nice refuge from the incessant noise and pollution that is city life in Bangalore. The temperature difference also helps, it seemed nearly twenty degrees cooler in the park! Cubbon park itself  is a plot of land, nearly 300 acres large. The park has some very lovely gardening and from all appearances, the city has done a fantastic job of keeping the trash from the streets out of the park. There are places to lay and lounge, places to sit and bird watch and several hide-ways for all of the young couples. It's quite the mixture of people actually: school groups, businessmen, homeless beggars and of course, tourists. But be careful where you lay, all the bugs bite, even the ants!

Aside from the greenery, the buildings that are located in the park are very different, architecturally speaking. On the south end, there is the Government Museum, which charges only 4 rupees to enter, is red and imitates a Gothic styling. Inside, it houses a few interesting pieces of stone carvings and statues, ranging in age. Next door, is the Venkatappa Art Gallery (free with the Government Museum ticket), which is a simple modern building. The gallery is not very impressive, displaying only 3 showrooms, the most famous being that of K. Venkatappa, who was the court painter to the Wodeyar Family. The Wodeyar Dynasty ruled over much of South India from 1399 - 1947. On the Northern end of the park you can find the neo-Dravidian government buildings . These buildings are unfortunately closed to the public, but are beautiful from the outside. Painted red is the High Court of Karnataka building, called Attara Kacheri. And across the street is the Vidhana Soudha, the house of the state legislature.

The next day, Sunday, I embarked on my trip to Mysore, with a friend I had just met, Manindra. The tour began at 6:30 a.m. and ended around 11:30 p.m. We booked through the state run tourism office, KSTDC and embarked from their station, Badami House located near Cubbon Park on Kastubara Road. Since it was still dark out, I opted for a taxi, the safest of which is Meru Taxi service, which you can conveniently book online and get all correspondence via text message! So, our first stop was Channapathna, 60 km away along Mysore Road. This little town is famous for manufacturing all types of wooden toys and wood carvings, most specifically using ivory and teak wood. The streets are lined with several emporiums, and we stopped at the government run shop, where the prices are fixed.  

 Our next stop was Tipu Sultan's summer house in Srirangapatna. Tipu Sultan was the de-facto Muslim ruler of Mysore from 1782–1799, where he fell to the British in the Fourth Mysore war. His rule (and his father, Hyder Ali) was the only break in the long Wodeyar Dynasty of South India. Sririangapathna, located on the Cauvery River, was the center of their seat of power and acted as the capital. The town itself was a large fort, which even had alligators swimming in it's moat! The summer palace is located outside the fort walls, about 1 km east, and costs foreigners 100 rupees to enter. The palace was built mostly of wood, features decorations on nearly every inch of its interior surface and several murals depicting Tipu Sultan's war campaigns.  After touring the summer palace, we headed into the fort, where you can still see the remnants of the ramparts, battlements and the large gates. Inside the gates is a lovely temple called Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. This was my first temple visit and I was unsure what to do, but essentially, you take your shoes off and leave them to a person who watches them for a few rupees. Then you enter the line and follow around to see the gods. You can leave money as an offering and the many holy men working will billow smokey incense towards you or give you holy water to drink. You can also adorn yourself with the traditional red tikka powder on your forehead, a single dot upwards called the tilaka, symbolizing the minds eye.

Following this temple, we ventured to Mysore itself, where our first stop was St. Philomena's Catholic Cathedral. This church, built between 1933 and 1941, is a lovely neo-Gothic cathedral with stained glass and religious art inside. While I have been to several Cathedrals all over the world, it was interesting to stop here because they were conducting mass in Hindi and all the people were dressed in traditional Indian clothing. Being Catholic myself, I enjoyed the idea of fellowship all over the world, even India, one of the worlds oldest civilizations. After this we went the government run Kauvery Silk Emporium, where we had some time to purchase silk items for a good price. I bought 2 lovely silk scarves for 499 rupees each. Next we finally made it to the main feature of the tour, Mysore's Main Palace, called Maharaja's Palace, the seat of the Wodeyar Dynasty. The building, in an Indo-Saracenic style, feature a rainbow of stained glass, beautifully cast silver doors, and floor-to-ceiling murals all in a mixture of Hindu, Muslim and Gothic traits.  You must take your shoes off before entering the Palace and there are several exhibits of the Wodeyar family inside. It is definitely one of the most over-the-top buildings I have ever been in. Unfortunately, photography is strictly prohibited inside the palace walls, even at the price of 200 rupees, which they charge any foreigner entering for a visit.  However, there are several gardens and outer courts where you can photograph the beautiful exteriors. If you have the time, I would recommend staying the night, because in the evening, the entire palace lights up, as every corner is covered in over 95,000 light bulbs!

Our next stop was the Mysore Zoo, where you can enter for about 25 rupees and you can see giraffes, tigers and a large exhibit of tropical birds. We then traveled up to Chamundi Hill, about 3,500 ft above ground level. On the way up you can get some beautiful aerial views of Mysore City and its a nice escape into green India. At the summit of the hill stands Sri Cahmundeswari Temple, with a 130 ft-tall gopuram (entrance gate). It was a lovely temple, with a bustling tourist area around the corner and wild monkeys roaming about, sometimes hassling the visitors. On the way down, you can stop to see Nandi, the god Shiva's bull. Standing 15 ft-tall, this statue was carved out of a single piece of solid rock in 1659 and it only took 24 hours! Finally, we ended our tour at Brindavan Gardens, about 20 km from  Mysore. These gardens are very lovely, using a variety of fountains as center-pieces. Stay until nightfall and you can see a decent illumination of the fountains and a music performance, but don't forget your bug-spray, as mosquitoes are plentiful in the evening. And as a side note, several Bollywood films shoot scenes here!

Well that's all! Sorry it took so long to post, its been a busy while this last week, trying to get ready for class and ensuring I had everything I needed and of course, I wanted to ensure my factoids were accurate for the post. If you are interested, I am taking three classes while I am here: International Conflict Resolution, Issues in International Commercial Arbitration and Law & Economics of the World Trade Organization. It should be an interesting semester and here's to hoping that my professors don't make us take exams. since each course is only a seminar. I have my first class on Monday and I am excited to make some more friends, a few of which I have already. The women in my hostel are very lovely and hospitable, inviting me to dinner and taking me under their wing, showing me how to get by here. I hope this positive trend continues!

I miss the DMV?

Day One: I have safely arrived in India. I got here on yesterday at 130 a.m., which played to my advantage because I got to sleep on the plane a few hours before landing and then I slept a few more after I arrived on campus. After that, I was basically able to stay awake all day and am not really jet-lagged at all. I was awoken to take tea and a breakfast around 730 a.m. After that, I went to meet the Vice-Chancellor’s assistant who helped me with my “formalities”. She told me I had to venture to the other side of the city, about 1 hour away, to register with the Immigration Office. Thus began my first adventure on an Indian Auto-Rickshaw. 

For those of you who don’t know, an Auto as they call it is a small, 3-wheeled taxi-like vehicle that can seat maybe 3 persons in the back and is completely open minus a little roof. My driver spoke just about no English, which I guess was a good challenge for me. We had to communicate with the few words he did know and the hand signs I could muster up. After explaining to him where I needed to go, we were off. It was absolutely terrifying. Traffic in Bangalore is crazy. There is little to no regard for lanes or lane switching. People cross the street wherever it pleases them and the car exhaust is almost too much to handle. At the same time, it seems to work for them. Everyone knows and understands the crazy rules of the road, but needless to say, I was a bit shocked. New York traffic has nothing on this. So, after about an hour of hanging on to dear life, I had to find the immigration office and register. My Auto driver found it with some help from the local GPS (asking around). 

Once I arrived, there seemed to be little to no order or structure to what was going on in the office. People were crowding desks and running all about. I finally asked someone what I needed to do and I got my number. After filling out my application, I learned that I needed 2 passport sized photos, so my Auto driver and I set off to find a photo studio. After about ½ hour, we returned with my photos only to learn that everyone had gone to lunch. So, we had to wait an hour. I went to a little local restaurant and ordered food. It was hard for me because the place was totally filled with men, and I had read and knew that men would get served before women in many places. So there I stood, waiting for about 15 minutes for my food, while most of the men got their food right away. It was very frustrating to say the least. The men just kept staring at me and many of the workers spoke little English, so when I asked why it was taking long they just kept telling me 2 more minutes. After that little debacle, I had to negotiate a waiting rate with my driver. We agreed on $100 Rupees, which is about $2.45 USD. We waited, and then I went back to the immigration office, where I waited a total of another 2 hours to get my registration certificate. The waiting was so horrible and so disorganized that people were getting into fights about who was in line first. Let’s just say, I never thought I would miss the DMV. 

Finally after about 4 hours, we left back to campus. My total payment to my auto driver was $604 rupees, about $14 USD. What a deal huh? After I got back to campus, I was moved into my dorm room. It is very minimalist, consisting of just a desk, a small closet and a cot with a pillow pad, not a mattress. Not at all what I was hoping for, but I will have to make the best of it.  Anyway, today I am going to try and shop and get registered for classes, so I’m out. I'll be posting photos soon!

I'm off then.

Its past one a,m. and I am not the least bit tired. I am up watching Harry Potter. Fitting huh? I love those little English accents and I suppose I will hear them in India. I leave for the airport tomorrow at noon and then take off for India at five thirty. Both excitement and nerves are brewing in my tummy, I feel like I'm going to the first day of school. Weird.  So, I believe I have done a far better job of packing the necessary things for my trip this time around than I have for others. I expect that I will be a bit of a shopping nut in India, so I made the required sacrifices here. If you have any requests, do let me know and I'll try to get you a bit of something. Remember, Chris and I won't be around come Christmas time this year! On the side, we have said our goodbyes already! So crazy to think that we won't see each other for at least six months...

Ah, if you are wondering what my campus is like, here it is! My school, The National Law School of India University recently updated its website, where it has many photos posted. The link is: http://www.nls.ac.in/.  I hope you find it interesting and I hope that its all I am expecting it to be. I will post again once I get acclimated and situated in Bangalore. Hopefully I don't get sick, seeing as I do think being sick for a week was quite enough for me this year.  Well, its all set to be a good trip and here's to hoping that nothing goes wrong! Wish me luck! I'm off then.

The Death.

I am less than 2 weeks away from departing to India and I am dying. I have this terrible cold/cough/sneeze/headache and it will not go away. I've been sleeping extraordinary amounts and so my body is really confused about what time it is and when I should be awake. This is not what I need when I am trying to get to India healthy and remain that way. I don't want to be sick for my first few days there, especially considering I will be jet-lagged and immersed into a completely new place.

Aside from that, I have almost everything I need for my trip. I have purchased a pretty awesome sleep sac and pillow from Cocoon USA. And I have found some great stuff to keep me away from the mosquitoes. Hopefully they stay away! I still need to find some lightweight pants/jeans. Any suggestions?  I tried to find some linen pants to no avail.

For those of you wondering where I will be in India, here is the wiki-link to my city, Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore. I will be attending the National Law School there.

Back to bed!

I'm leaving, I'm leaving!

I depart the lovely state of  Wisconsin for New York and then far off lands this Friday. I hope I have packed enough underwear. From what I understand, its very important to have enough underwear. Aside from that, the rest of my life is going into a storage unit--all of my belongings will be forced to fit into a 5x10 storage room. I am very conflicted about how I feel...I am excited to go to India and experience all the wonders that it has to offer. At the same time I am very sad; if you didn't know, Chris leaves for deployment in March and not seeing each other for a year is going to be rough to say the least.

But anyway, I don't want to get all sappy and depressing. So, I will tell you all the awesome things I plan on doing in India:

1. Learn real yoga.
2. Try to meditate.
3. EAT!
4. Not catch Malaria or Japanese Encephalitis.
5. Learn to cook some delish Indian food.
6. Make some friends.
7. Buy some silver jewelery.
8. Study? (I will be in Law School there).
9. Take a weekend holiday to the Ocean.
10. Safari.

NOTICE: Love is not on this list, so no, I am not going all "Eat, Pray, Love" here. I don't need to find love. I am lucky enough to already have that in my life. And I carry it with me always.

Et viola, I am off! I'll try to post often about my adventures and hopefully you all will read. And if you're lucky, I may post some photos.