We've rested
another night in Ahmedabad and are thankful our accommodations are at the same
hotel for three nights in a row this time. On the legacy tour, we typically
spend one, maybe two if we're lucky, nights at a hotel -- which means we are
tirelessly packing and unpacking for the bus or train ride ahead. Today our
tour group was scheduled to visit a farm about 2 or 3 hours outside the city;
however, Mat was adamant he wanted to spend some portion of our stay in
Ahmedabad capturing footage and taking his time. There is so much to see
and experience on the Gandhi Legacy tour-- this rigorous schedule means sometimes
Mat is unable to get enough time to adjust for lighting his shots or manage any
interviews at the organizations we visit. Today was his special day. Our tour
manager, Alok, arranged a driver and an interpreter for us
from 9am until 5pm. Of course, this little veer off the schedule
required a signoff from my professor in charge, and she was kind enough to let
me go under the conditions that I would carry along her phone number and Alok's
contact information as well.
Our hired
interpreter was Surech (sir-Race) a tall, 40-year-old man with a strong voice
and a deep understanding of his culture. He was quick to impart how important
family life is to this country. He talked about how the social structure is
very strong in his country. Grandparents live jointly with grandchildren and
impart the experience and wisdom they've learned. Surech emphasized that
sometimes this transfer of knowledge can be even more important than
traditional education. This was a theme he commonly returned to in our time
with him, and it's important to note that it is a central philosophy in India:
the value of family.
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| Mathe Singh Jain Temple |
Mathe Singh Jain
Temple
On our first of
many stops, we visited one of the Jain temples in the Old City corridor of
Ahmedabad. As it was morning, many residents of the area were coming to
the temple to be blessed with good luck for the day. A typical Jainist
visits the temple just after the morning bath. Surech described Jainist
as very intellectual people -- businessmen, professors, doctors. One young
Jain man tapped me on the shoulder and asked me where I was from. After I
mentioned I am a yoga teacher, he replied that he had been practicing yoga for
3 months now. Two women stopped to say hello and informed me that is was not
advisable to enter the temple wearing black. Black, to them, is the color
of sadness. So wearing black, what I thought would be an inconspicuous color
choice for our day out, was not the best idea. I may have to rethink my
wardrobe.
There are
restoration efforts taking place on the temple grounds. They are using the same
primitive tools and building materials to repair the temple’s sandstone. So
adjacent to the temple are workers using cattle attached to a large stone
wheel. Mat asked if he could take their pictures, and after some
interaction, they warmed up to us observing. Mat asked if the cows had names
and when they replied no, they asked Mat to name them --- and he decided on
"Abbott and Costello." They in turn wanted him to also name the
driver of the animals, and of course, Mat had a cheeky answer - that the
driver's parents had given him a name. They insisted, and Mat told the
crew that "Lurch" should be the driver's name.
Dada Mari
Stepwell
After taking
many photos with the crew, we headed to our next location -- a beautiful site called
the Dada Mari Stepwell. Built in the 16th century, this stepwell was built by
the Hindu rulers. One can find this type of stepwell in Gujarat and Rajastan
due to water scarcity in these areas. Its main goal was conserving the water
for drinking, bathing, and for the animals as well. Inside are Hindu designs of
flowers and both Arabic and Sanskrit inscriptions. The stepwell drops several
stories in interlocking of system of yellow sandstone. Imagine an ancient,
upside down (meaning into the ground) pillared sandstone building.
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| The caretaker of the Bai Hari Mosque |
Bai Hari Mosque
Located behind
this stepwell is a private mosque. In the distance, we could see the caretaker
of the mosque. There are roughly 100 mosques from the 14th century or 15th
century here in the old part of Ahmedabad. The masons working in this
area were specialists in making the Hindu temple and the Jain temples so when
the Muslim ruler tasked them with building the mosque, they offered motifs of
the Hindu and Jain traditions. We approached the very dutiful mosque caretaker
with caution as he was laying out the prayer mats for the day and offered him a
small donation to engage in conversation with us. He shared that he has
tended to this mosque for the last 48 years. He must've taken a liking to our
interest in him because soon we were spontaneously led on a rare tour to the
roof of this holy place. He motioned for us to climb the small spiral staircase
encased in one of the mosque’s minarets. From here, we had a breathtaking
view of the surrounding area. Truly it was an experience only made possible by
being at the right place at the right time. The day was full of those
moments, and although I was disappointed to miss being on our tour, it was a
personal view of India as I assume only a few had experienced.
Vegetable and
Flower Market
Mat wished to
get some footage of the local marketplace with the guide, so we stopped at the
local market. An elephant and his owner greeted us as we found a place to
park for our walk around the crowded streets. We stopped to engage with the
elephant owner. His 40-year-old elephant's name is Rose (in English) -- I can't
remember the name in Gujarati. He has cared for this elephant for 30 years and
describes their relationship affectionately as girlfriend and boyfriend.
She keeps him from getting harmed and he does the same. Though many speak of
the mistreatment of these beautiful beasts, this seemed to be a symbiotic
relationship. I walked back to the car to retrieve a banana for her, and
afterwards, when I paid the man his rupees, Rose clasped my paper bill in her
trunk and handed it directly to her “boyfriend.”
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| Rose, the elephant, and her "boyfriend" |
The vegetable
marketplace is full of middlemen. Farmers grow the produce and transport
it to the market to be sold. From here, people sit roadside in this
marketplace, displaying these goods for sale. Though we were informed of the
plight of the farmers, here in the market is a vibrant place of trade. Sellers
are eager to engage in conversation, and once Mat started taking pictures,
people constantly asked for their photograph to be taken with whatever they
were selling or with their friend at the next vegetable cart. Regardless
of occupation, the people of India are always proud of their job or what it is
that gives them identity. I think back to the sugar worker who wanted to be
filmed with his prized cow; similarly, in this market, a friendly young man sat
side by side with his dog; women selling chickpeas or leeks would cradle a
handful of vegetables as an integral part of her photo pose.
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| A proud dog owner near the vegetable market |
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| Vegetables on display among the vendors here at the market |
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| Mat showing a grandmother and her grandchild their picture |
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