July Continued...

Had a beautiful few days in Yamnunotri, visiting a famous shrine there. The drive on Friday was long but took us into the beautiful Uttranchal state. It was so green and lovely, it was like somebody had turned the saturation up on my eyeballs. We passed through totally untouched nature and windy mountain roads for miles before we reached the small mountain town, although we made several stops along the way (Indian taxi drivers are very adamant about getting their chai breaks). When we did reach the valley, surrounded by snow-capped Himalayas, greener all around than anywhere I've ever visited, I really lost my breath in awe. It was nice to get far away to a place where people still live quite simply, surviving on steeply sloped terrace farms or small roadside cafes that cater to the pilgrims who travel through there.
On the Saturday we hiked the 7km uphill path to the shrine, which was built around a natural mountain hot spring. Along the way we passed gorgeous waterfalls, spilling the melted mountain snow into the turbulent Ganga Yamuna. When we at last reached the temple, I went into the women's section of the hot springs, which was unfortunately really sealed off, a bit dungeon-esque, and reeking of urine. But still, for the experience, the other girls and I undressed and stepped into the piping hot, murky pool. We tried to stay still and endure the bubbling water, but were constantly buffeted by older Indian women who were bathing themselves. Then, we noticed a few men stealing furtive glances through the one small doorway into the women-only space. One actually tried to take our picture! So much for thinking they'd behave at a holy sanctuary...
On the walk back some of us took a donkey path from the main road and walked to a secluded spot upriver where we could swim. The water was icy, even though it was so close to the temple where steam gushed from between stone slabs with the heat of the springs. In that place, far away from all of the people and worshippers, things seemed purer and holier than any spiritual site I've visited thus far. My fellow California travellers would probably disagree with me, because I know that when they go these temples and mosques they feel some sort of connection with the place, but when I'm there I don't really know what I'm supposed to be feeling. I suppose I've never been a very spiritual person, but I also can't help but feel that sometimes all of the people that flock to these places ruin the serenity I expect each spot to have. Then again, it seems like Hinduism is not about that at all, not about calmness or individuality, but about being part of a big, collective entity. Maybe that's why so many of their deities have multiple heads?

22 July 2009
I was supposed to spend this last weekend in a place called Haridwar. It's one of the places on the Ganges where the river turns from a mountain stream into a full-fledged, rapid river, and is a very holy site for Hindus. Serendipitously, though, the three of us who decided to leave on Saturday morning ended up on the bus to Rishikesh, about an hour away from Haridwar but also on the Ganges. Found out afterwards that I was pretty fortunate in the end, because Haridwar is really crazy at this time of year because of a pilgrimage that's taking place.
This six week long pilgrimage involves men from all over the country making their way to Northern cities along the Ganges so that they can bathe in it and collect its holy water to bring home. What it turns out to be, however, is sort of an Hindustani spring break - mobs of young men take over the streets, chanting and running and driving women away. I don't know how something so holy can turn people into frightening mobs, but even Rishikesh, cal next to Haridwar, frightened me.
Rishikesh is where the Beatles went to for spiritual enlightenment in the 70s. Their old ashram is still there, abandoned and overgrown. The friend I was travelling made us go with him inside, guided by a crazy baba, while all around us were signs that said "No Entry." I guess a couple of hundred rupees will get you anywhere, but I didn't think it was very special to be there just because many years ago the Beatles had stayed there for a few weeks. And I felt even more disillusioned when the baba tried to suck more money from us, and get us to buy hash from him, once again displaying the hypocrisy that runs so closely with the holy here in India. Rishikesh's remaining claim to fame is as a yoga sanctuary and a place to learn ayurvedic massage and healing. Basically it's really full of European hippies. Whenever I pass by them on the street I feel like I have to apologize to them for ruining the authenticity of their Indian experience - none of us white people acknowledge each other.
Anyway, the three of us dished out a little extra money and got a really nice hotel room. I know I'm a hypocrite but the air conditioning was a gift from God! When we went back out into the streets they were packed. All of the pilgrims dress in orange and run in the road shouting out battlecries and maatras. Passing by these men in small alleyways in a really packed crowd guarantees you a bit of a groping. Tons of them pushed really close in torun a hand up my thigh, but by the time I'd look up to defend myself with a harsh glare, they'd already disappeared in the opposite direction. And I was really covered up too in a long sleeved kurta. I don't know how I could better hide myself. I just know they wouldn't try that with an Indian girl.
In Rishikesh we also saw the Laxman Jhula temple. It looks really cool from the outside because it's thirteen stories high and right on the edge of the river. Once again, though, we were charged a special fee with the man at the gate to enter. I didn't see anyone else having to pay. More disappointment met me inside as I discovered that the temple is only half holy site, and half shopping centre. Between just about every shrine to one of the gods there was somebody selling clothes or jewellery. It was pretty silly. That night we had a nice dinner in a traditional restaurant that overlooked the strong rapids on the banks below. I hadn't been really enchanted by the short time I'd spent in Rishikesh, but I think it did teach me some of the realities of Hinduism and the pilgrimage season. And of course, not to go to Haridwar in the middle of July.