Temples and gods... in South India

Temple in Chennai

Nandi Cow or Holy Cow

India has 30 percent of the world's cattle.  The cow is holy and is the symbol of the earth as it gives so much and asks nothing in return. When we were kids, the Nandi cow would come by with it's owner and you could pay and ask the cow a question and it would nod it's head as a yes or no. The nandi cow is considered to be a type of fortune teller in this respect.  The funny thing is that both the yes and no nod is the same really...

Pongal-Celebration of the harvest-A small alter at a friend's home

"Pongal is a popular harvest festival in South India.   Named after a sweet rice dish,  Pongal starts on January 14 of each year.  The celebration lasts for three days.   On the first day, Pongal is offered to Bhogi or Indran (the rain gods) for providing rain for the harvest. On the second day, pongal is offered to the sun (Surya).  On the third day,  the family's cattle (mattu) is cleaned and dressed up with flowers, bells, and color powder. This is the day to honor the cattle's hard work for plowing the fields.

Festivities vary in different regions. Some families clean their houses and throw away  old clothes.  But the main activity involves people from the entire village. Neighbors get together for a community feast to share their crops and give thanks to all who have contributed to a successful harvest. " (Wikipedia)

Pongal Street Celebration

 We saw hundreds of cows painted and in a field with quite a few of musical bands playing music to celebrate the cows.  It looked like there was also some trading and buying of cows at the field during this festival.

Painted cows all dressed up for Pongal

Ganesh has an elephant's head and is known as protecting entrances

Stone temple on the way from Ooty to the tea plantation in Tamilnadu

The Arabian Sea

Having grown up next to the Arabian Sea, I love spending time by the ocean. When we were little we would go to Marve and Madh Island near Mumbai.  Both places were far away (about 2 or more hours by car, then by a small boat. We also used a bullock-cart when we went to Madh and that was a treat!).We were right on the ocean and spent many a holiday playing on the beach and swimming all day long in clean waters and sand.


Now in Goa, I look at the Arabian Sea a bit differently.  Some of the beaches are clean and the water looks okay but a lot of the coastline is suffering from pollutants.  There is a lack of infrastructure in terms of proper plumbing and disposal of garbage.  The local paper called the O Herald has many articles that bring attention to this issue.  Many hotels dump their sewage into the ocean and the local casino boats do the same. http://heraldgoa.in 

South Goa

The beach we are closest to has a ship marooned by it.  It has taken 10 plus years to get it removed.  The "River Princess" is now being dismantled and date of completion is November 2012.

River Princess Marooned on Candolim Beach by Fort Aquada

Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai

Small Fishing Village down the street from us..5 minute walk down the hill

 Dolphin Bay Resort

We are about five minutes down the hill by the Dolphin Bay Resort  (http://www.dolphinbayresort.in) where we often go for a long Sunday lunch curry.  Sitting on the verandah eating 'pakoras' (small fried vegetables served with a hot, green chutney), fish curry, dhal (lentils) and steaming rice can take several hours.  The meal is served with ice cold Kingfisher  beer or a really cold 'limbo pani' or 'limbo soda' (like lemonade but with limes).  Sometimes we would get lucky and see the dolphins jumping around.  After lunch we would get back home to take an afternoon nap to then get up to some chai (tea served with milk and sugar).

Street Life

Pan Wallah

The streets are always busy with people selling something or just hanging out.  My favorite shop-wallah's are the panwalla's ( selling of pan which is bettle nut  wrapped in a leaf and usually eaten after dinner like an after dinner mint), chai wallah (tea seller) and the mochi (shoe maker and shoe repair).  Lot's of the shop owners will sleep next to their stall and so life for them is all about living on a sidewalk with hundreds of people passing by there shop and home.  The term "wallah" is used as a person  of a specific work or service.

Mochi

Christmas Stars in Goa

In December, Goa has shops that will sell Christmas Star's (Star of David) and some houses will have a star outside that is lit with a bulb.  Driving around at night it can be pitch black as there are not many street lamps or homes that have electricity and even if they do, they turn the lights of pretty early at night.   However, at Christmas time there are these beautiful stars that you can see when you are driving around.  They are simple, made by hand and a tradition for many Catholic Goans.

Getting around

Carrying laundry  "Dhobi Wallah"

Yellow and Black Cab

Tuk-Tuk

I have always enjoyed and been fascinated by how goods and people get transported in India. When on the road you will see scooters, bullock-carts, bicycles, over crowded buses, and lots of people...

Back of a BEST bus

Lot's of bullock carts along the roadside in Goa.  This one looked like it was carrying the laundry from a nearby hotel to get washed and then returned . There were homes that had big yards with clothes lines with lot's of white sheets hanging all over and white towels.  I thought that this was hotel linens...

We are in a car being transported across the Mondavi river from Nerul to Panjim.  The barge was full of scooters, walk-on's and then there were two cars of which I was driving one of them.  When I had to back out of the barge I had basically most of the passengers help me back out by standing on the side and waving me on.  This also happened when I was in a very narrow street and the bus and  our small car could not pass.  Several passengers got out of the bus and helped me maneuver the bus and I passed it by about 2 inches!

Dashbord Art

Carrying tea leaves, near  Conoor in the Nilgiri Hills

The British Raj and the Ooty Club...

The British came into India  1800's and the term "Raj" means to rule and so the term British Raj means  the rule of the British in India.  The British  liked to go to the hill stations in the summer months as it was much cooler there.  Many hill stations have 'clubs' built by the British where they stayed at when it got too hot.One of these grand British clubs was the Ooty Club (known also by some as the  Snooty Ooty Club).  We stayed at the Ooty Club for a week with good friends and had a four course New Year's eve Indian dinner which was very good. Most clubs in India are open to registered members and guests only and the membership is passed on through generations.  It can be very difficult to get a membership to a lot of these clubs.

Ooty Club Dining Room for New Year's dinner

The Ooty Club in Ootacamund & the Nilgiri Hills were " discovered by the British around 1819, an idyllic spot described by Lord Lytton in a letter to his wife as having “Such beautiful English rain & English mud. Imagine Hertfordshire lanes, Devonshire downs, Westmoreland lakes, Scotch trout streams & Lusitanian views.” It was but natural that the British flocked to Ooty &, as their numbers grew, so did the need for a common meeting ground, & thus the Ootacamund Club came into being in October 1841.

The founder of the Club was a Captain Douglas who, together with 7 other officers of the Madras & Bombay Armies, formed the first Committee, Lt. Col. C.D. Dun being the first President. Captain Douglas at first undertook the office of Secretary until the establishment was firmly opened, & then handed over this office to Dr. R. Baikie MD. MMS. who, in default of other qualifications, devoted most of his time & attention to it.

The Club, at this time, had 360 members, membership being open to “All members of H.M. & the Hon’ble Company’s Civil, Military & Naval Services, & gentlemen of the Mercantile or other professions, moving in the ordinary circle of Indian society.”

.http://www.ootacamundclub.com/history.htm

The main living room at the Ooty Club where you can enjoy an afternoon tea.  The club is often busy during the weekends where members come to socialize, have a drink and a meal.  The club serves both Indian and Western cuisine which is excellent. We had a very British meal of steak and kidney pie one night with apple pie for dessert. It is common to find many remnants of the British in India through architecture, food, customs, schools and language.

Mixed Bar is for both women and men

Goa....Portuguese Architecture

Portuguese Style Home with family portraits in balcony

I came across this tile shop where you can order custom made tiles.  Most homes have tiles with a name given to the home.  My grandmother's home was called Loretta Villa and was in Bandra, Mumbai and was named after her (Laura Rathbone de'Souza). This home (below picture) is in the Altinho neighbourhood  which sits above the city  of Panjim ( now known as Panaji) which overlooks the Mondavi river and Arabian Sea.

Panjim Inn with Christmas Star

The Panjim Inn  which is a Heritage Hotel has a great art gallery and a lovely balcony where you can have a meal.  The rooms are full of Portuguese furniture and are simple but comfortable. This is a charming place to stay at if you want to discover Panaji. Another charming hotel on the water is www.opescador.com  which is close to Panjim.  It has a lovely pool and decent Goan curries.

Corner Fruit Vendors

Hillside Home

Lady of Immaculate Conception

The Lady of Immaculate Conception was built in 1541 and is in the center of Panaji and the feast of the church is on the 8th of December every year.