A Carnival of sorts…

I was all ready to be a good boy… My light was out and I was on my way to catch the 10 pm Angel train… and then as I settled into my bed and closed my eyes… carnival called out to me…

Of course it was not carnival, but there was some serious celebration taking place not to far away. There was music and from time to time there was a kind of announcement being made… I thought perhaps it was a wedding, but then I remembered that they are still celebrating Navaratri (Nine days of Mother Divine) here in India.

This morning I had been invited to a Vedic ceremony that was quite amazing, something about how they all behaved made me feel as though the way that they lived the ceremony was from a very deep level in their hearts. I was honored to be there and while I did not understand the chanting or know exactly what the offerings were, I could feel, from a deeper level, the energy that was being created… the connection between the offering and the hearts in the room.

It gave me a sense of depth throughout the rest of the day…

So when the music outside continued and caught the attention of my restless mind, I thought I should just go out and take a look. After all, it was bound to be another one of those sights that only India can bestow. So I walked out confidently into the Delhi night and followed the music to a place that looked like some kind of social club. There were guards at the gate checking invitations and while I normally would have been embarrassed to ask, I just used my foreigner status and held my camera in front of the guard.

I spoke english to him asking if I could enter and I could tell that he did not understand a word. Yet I continued to wave my camera up and down in front of him and he kind of nodded his head. I will never know what the nod meant. It could have been no as much as it could have been yes. But I just interpreted it as what I wanted to hear and I walked into the club.

It was easy to follow the music onto a lawn which had a colorfully decorated entrance with hundreds of pairs of shoes left by those attending the festivities inside. So I pretended as though I was meant to be there as well… took off my shoes and made my way inside.

So it was that todays India, which started in the blessings of a Vedic ceremony was capped by a most entertaining display of joyous celebration of this great holiday. I watched beautifully dressed young ladies, with amazingly colorful saris and dazzling jewelry, dance out stories in praise of Mother Divine and their friends and relatives rejoicing with them and even, from time to time, standing up and dancing with them. It was heartwarming and gave me a strange sense of being with family.

I sat among them and never once did I feel unwelcome. It was wonderful. It was simple and it was most sweet.

It was yet another gift in the form of a memorable experience from my dear India. I am ever more amazed at the softness of the hearts I come into contact with here, at the innocence with which they flow and the beauty with which they carry their lives…

It was another day in India and another day in which my heart was gently caressed by silence and yes, by a most joyous Carnival of sorts…