Most of you are aware of my return to India! I am really am wanting to write this to somehow show the reasons as to why I am not quite done, nor may I ever be i suppose.
One thing I like to describe about India are the bus journeys, you can travel for hours and hours and not feel the need to do anything else but look out the window.
On Saturday 12th April. I was given 3 days holiday from the school where I am teaching english for 6 months. Its a very secluded area in the south and I decided to spend it in Pondicherry 6 hours north.
Only 20km away from arriving at Pondy, sitting at the front with full view of the nutty bus driver keeping me on my toes as he decides he needs to be faster than everybody else!
Looking out of the window... I see a young boy, supported by his mother briskly walking down the road but with a stick in his mouth.
I thought `Oh dear maybe he is in trouble and is being rushed home for a thrashing,' as he didnt seem to be looking too well. Then I would see a lady, walking along also with a stick in her mouth and another one and another. Until we started to slow down to the bus driver's disgust, the traffic started to form and I could take a better look. I wasnt sure but my confirmation was on seeing a no older than 18 month old boy on his father's shoulders with a stick through his cheeks... sealing his mouth shut!
Ok so, I think I have established that they are pilgrims, thousands of them. Some holding spears and carrying big carnations. Walking to where iv yet to know and why...but many exhausted pilgrims walking for how ever long in this searing midday heat... unable to eat or drink properly because out of sincere devotion. Yes they had wire inserted through their cheeks, with what looked like a small spear head attached.
I was unable to comprehend what i was seeing, children even with 5-10 metre long wires through their cheeks that then had 3 other children attached to it. All of the same height of course. Can you imagine it must be qiute tricky and painful to walk that distance if your neighbour next you was shorter than you... well more painful than it probably already is!! I was beginning to think how and why it is possible to see such determination and no pain on their faces. Maybe total fatigue but totally unfazed by their purpose in this.
Now this was the least of what I was about to see, and nothing was goona qiute prepare me for what I was to see next. The crowds are getting thicker and we are now officially at stand still. The bus driver had already got off the bus at this point to go and have a closer look himself. All of us are hanging out of the windows, music of trumpets and drums start to create more excitement. The Pondy police controlling their crowd looking all dapper with their trimmed moustaches and pristine starched extremely smug fitting uniform and their very french red Kepi on their heads!
There is a rest tent with helpers caustiously aiding the extreme pilgrims by hydrating them. Ahead I see an old man pulling a decorated cart... he passes by. I take a photo, I'm like "wow thats amazing he is pulling that cart the whole way.. whilst having his mouth speared up!"
I naively assume he is pulling with a rope tied around him.. another even bigger cart and a young man has to stop just up ahead. He is aided by his trusty devoted followers with water and time to rest. He starts up again pulling the large cart behind him, wacthing him advance towards us.. Im looking for the rope wrapped round his waist? "Where is the rope!!" I think to myself! I get my camera out, ready to snap but this time as he passes by I'm unable to bring myself to take a photo. Attached to 2 pieces of rope that he is pulling are two 3 inch hooks attached to the skin of his back! And that is how he is pulling that cart! ...Still want to read on?
More and more pass us buy... buses, trucks, cars being pulled by 4 - 6 men all with the same one long spear through their mouths and 2 large hooks, hooked in their backs. Really how is the skin able to do that? R
You'd think that it is the few who are able for such extremities, but here with the sheer volume of dedicated pilgrims, it really truly proves our physical and mental capacities.
I saw men walking on nails as shoes, with woman falling to their feet to kiss in devotion.
The party and celerbrations are wild now as they pass us directly by, banging our bus. Everyone dancing with so much energy... Then i get spyed! A white girl is witnessing their proud joyous occasion and I get a cheer and shouts of hellos! I even caught the attention of a pilgrim whislt pulling along a JCB tractor, he gave me a wave and a big smile through his sealed up mouth. I waved back with a hestitant smile, but now I feel I wish I gave him a bigger one. I was suddenly blown away by the energy and devotion these people must have.
Now if your still able to read this... one last thing happened after 2 hours stuck in a traffic jam... at the time it most certainly never felt that long.
If you've been intrigued enough to carry on reading, you will be able to comprehend the plight of my experince.
As we got moving again... luckily as I was becoming entirely overwhelmed with this experince. They had one thing more waiting for me.
There was a crane to the side of the road.. with a round contraptoin hanging of it, about
20-30 feet off the ground. Hanging... yes hanging! ...were about 5 or 6 bodies. All hooked and tied up to this contraption from their shins of their legs to the skin on their backs. All fully concious, except for the body in the centre whom was hanging somehow differently. From his extremeity he had either passed out or I told myself how he must have just perfected his meditation.
More to come.
One thing I like to describe about India are the bus journeys, you can travel for hours and hours and not feel the need to do anything else but look out the window.
On Saturday 12th April. I was given 3 days holiday from the school where I am teaching english for 6 months. Its a very secluded area in the south and I decided to spend it in Pondicherry 6 hours north.
Only 20km away from arriving at Pondy, sitting at the front with full view of the nutty bus driver keeping me on my toes as he decides he needs to be faster than everybody else!
Looking out of the window... I see a young boy, supported by his mother briskly walking down the road but with a stick in his mouth.
I thought `Oh dear maybe he is in trouble and is being rushed home for a thrashing,' as he didnt seem to be looking too well. Then I would see a lady, walking along also with a stick in her mouth and another one and another. Until we started to slow down to the bus driver's disgust, the traffic started to form and I could take a better look. I wasnt sure but my confirmation was on seeing a no older than 18 month old boy on his father's shoulders with a stick through his cheeks... sealing his mouth shut!
Ok so, I think I have established that they are pilgrims, thousands of them. Some holding spears and carrying big carnations. Walking to where iv yet to know and why...but many exhausted pilgrims walking for how ever long in this searing midday heat... unable to eat or drink properly because out of sincere devotion. Yes they had wire inserted through their cheeks, with what looked like a small spear head attached.
I was unable to comprehend what i was seeing, children even with 5-10 metre long wires through their cheeks that then had 3 other children attached to it. All of the same height of course. Can you imagine it must be qiute tricky and painful to walk that distance if your neighbour next you was shorter than you... well more painful than it probably already is!! I was beginning to think how and why it is possible to see such determination and no pain on their faces. Maybe total fatigue but totally unfazed by their purpose in this.
Now this was the least of what I was about to see, and nothing was goona qiute prepare me for what I was to see next. The crowds are getting thicker and we are now officially at stand still. The bus driver had already got off the bus at this point to go and have a closer look himself. All of us are hanging out of the windows, music of trumpets and drums start to create more excitement. The Pondy police controlling their crowd looking all dapper with their trimmed moustaches and pristine starched extremely smug fitting uniform and their very french red Kepi on their heads!
There is a rest tent with helpers caustiously aiding the extreme pilgrims by hydrating them. Ahead I see an old man pulling a decorated cart... he passes by. I take a photo, I'm like "wow thats amazing he is pulling that cart the whole way.. whilst having his mouth speared up!"
I naively assume he is pulling with a rope tied around him.. another even bigger cart and a young man has to stop just up ahead. He is aided by his trusty devoted followers with water and time to rest. He starts up again pulling the large cart behind him, wacthing him advance towards us.. Im looking for the rope wrapped round his waist? "Where is the rope!!" I think to myself! I get my camera out, ready to snap but this time as he passes by I'm unable to bring myself to take a photo. Attached to 2 pieces of rope that he is pulling are two 3 inch hooks attached to the skin of his back! And that is how he is pulling that cart! ...Still want to read on?
More and more pass us buy... buses, trucks, cars being pulled by 4 - 6 men all with the same one long spear through their mouths and 2 large hooks, hooked in their backs. Really how is the skin able to do that? R
You'd think that it is the few who are able for such extremities, but here with the sheer volume of dedicated pilgrims, it really truly proves our physical and mental capacities.
I saw men walking on nails as shoes, with woman falling to their feet to kiss in devotion.
The party and celerbrations are wild now as they pass us directly by, banging our bus. Everyone dancing with so much energy... Then i get spyed! A white girl is witnessing their proud joyous occasion and I get a cheer and shouts of hellos! I even caught the attention of a pilgrim whislt pulling along a JCB tractor, he gave me a wave and a big smile through his sealed up mouth. I waved back with a hestitant smile, but now I feel I wish I gave him a bigger one. I was suddenly blown away by the energy and devotion these people must have.
Now if your still able to read this... one last thing happened after 2 hours stuck in a traffic jam... at the time it most certainly never felt that long.
If you've been intrigued enough to carry on reading, you will be able to comprehend the plight of my experince.
As we got moving again... luckily as I was becoming entirely overwhelmed with this experince. They had one thing more waiting for me.
There was a crane to the side of the road.. with a round contraptoin hanging of it, about
20-30 feet off the ground. Hanging... yes hanging! ...were about 5 or 6 bodies. All hooked and tied up to this contraption from their shins of their legs to the skin on their backs. All fully concious, except for the body in the centre whom was hanging somehow differently. From his extremeity he had either passed out or I told myself how he must have just perfected his meditation.
More to come.
