June 24, 2012

Last night I slept about 7 or 8 hours, which is really good news, I'm starting to get on the Indian schedule.  This Indian schedule is pretty weird, they get up between 4 and 5 (the Muslims start wailing over loudspeakers at like 4 AM so it's pretty much impossible to have deep sleep after that point--plus the ridiculous birds) and have breakfast at 7.  Tea around 10 AM and lunch is at 1 then nap time until 3 or 4, then tea again at 5 PM.  Dinner isn't until 9 PM, which is kinda strange, but whatever.

Today I had a very relaxed day, Arupeshananda advised me not to go to Belur Math because it was Sunday, so the crowds would be immense, and some important politician was going to the Math to be blessed by President Maharaj, so the chaos would be worsened.

So Arupeshananda worked on my computer while I watched, and then we went and played some pingpong (the Indian kids are supposed to be really good so I wanted to practice, turns out I suck really bad and will most likely be getting destroyed at the table for the rest of my stay here).

In the evening I wanted to go to Arati (Vespers) at Belur Math, and Arupeshananda advised that I go with Swami Gangananda.  Gangananda is an interesting case in Ramakrishna Vedanta (of which there are many), he is an Iraqi, who went to Germany and became a doctor, then somehow or another took initiation from Ritajananda in France and joined the monastery at Belur Math.  The strange thing about him is that he is both a great devotee of Thakur and a devout Muslim.  Don't ask me how the two mix, but he has harmonized them beautifully and is a very sweet Swami.  He took me with him to Belur Math and made me sit with the monks at arati.  He told me from then on I was to wear a white dhoti and bring a chaddar and sit at the back of where the monks sit, this is a big deal because otherwise I would have to sit in the public area, which as you can imagine, is a zoo.

Belur Math arati is really an experience, all devotees of Thakur should defiantly be climbing walls to get over here and hear all those people packed in the temple singing the songs.  There have to be at least 100 monks in the monks section which is a sight in and of itself.


I finally have some pictures to show everyone, sorry for the delay.  They are sparsely populated at this point, which I'm trying to change.  I'll try and get pics of me and the monks up, along with a few other pics, up by tomorrow.

 This is Vivekananda University's entrance, the building is about five years old.

 This is the somewhat gross pond right in front of VU where I frequently see fish and water snakes.  The reason they don't chlorinate it to clean it up is because they farm fish to eat in it and then the servants go catch the fish with nets. 

 Sanskrit learning posters.

 Cowshed Swami trying to convince a cow to pay attention to him.  I watch the cow drama between the Swami, his workers, and the insolent cows in the morning from the balcony just outside my room.

 More Sanskrit learning posters.

VU classroom

 Where we get our milk

 The view from the balcony outside my room

 View of the cowshed and pen from my room's balcony

 Halls of the VU building

 My room looking in from my door towards the balcony

 Another view including my bed, notice the mosquito net.

My desk set up to distribute gifts to the Swamis.

 Thanks everyone for your interest in my situation, I'm surprised to see this blog already has over 90 views.  I'll try to keep the information flowing freely, at least until I start school next Monday.

Good Night and Good Morning,

Kamal