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Back to the family, we cruised along over what is one of the busiest, most dangerous stretches of highway in the country, the road to Jaipur, which eventually reaches Bombay. Our destination is Pushkar, a holy pilgrimage site in the state of Rajasthan, on the edge of the desert. Driving into Rajasthan, the scenery takes everyone's mind off the pandemonium of the road. The fields take on the muted desert hues of ocher and brick, and the women's saris, by contrast, get brighter by the mile. As we journey into the desert, many saris and turbans are neon-colored in yellow, green and orange, contrasting vividly against splashes of white and chestnut colored faces. We pass through numerous small towns that seem to derive their livelihood by harvesting marble. The dusty towns are busy with the polishing and transport of huge slabs of marble in virtually every hue. Camel-drawn carts move around the marble, and slabs are hoisted on the necks of an army of men; my back aches just watching these workers. The abundance of marble in this region is evident everywhere; the fence posts are marble a few slabs topped by a remnant of corrugated tin becomes a sturdy house. |
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Travelling in India, for me, has always been an exercise in people watching and reflection. The landscape is interesting, the historic monuments are breathtaking, but the intensely interesting facets of everyday life take a front row seat. The people are, in a word, fascinating, both physically and spiritually. The wonderfully flowing saris, the grace of the spare, lean bodies, smoldering dark eyes and gleaming white smiles all mingle to create a symphony of physical beauty. The physical beauty is only enhanced by the spirituality that breeds a very calm, placid demeanor. It is not unusual to see people sitting (often sleeping) in the oddest places, such as atop a fence post. The Indian can make himself comfortable almost anywhere, and sustain motionlessness for hours on end. The motionless Indian is not idle; the piercing eyes betray the bustling activity of the mind. It is no wonder that many of the World's great minds hail from this cerebral country. It is impossible to ever be bored in India. There is always some activity or inactivity to amaze or mystify the western visitor. The life of the people is a very public life: every act save the most private takes place on the street. People bathe, conduct business, wash laundry, cut hair, celebrate weddings, and perform funeral rites in full public view, a definite change from the western compulsion for privacy. The barriers that would exist in many societies are broken down out of necessity as India's population heads to the billion mark. Confrontation does exist, but considering the numbers of people, the lack of privacy, the poverty, and perhaps most amazingly, the intensity and diversity of religious beliefs, I feel India should be commended on its serenity. |
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