and we feasted like a Maharastrian princess

One of this highlights of anyone's time at Sangam is the Maharastrian dinner.
A lot of effort goes into the dinner by both the staff and the participants.

The festivities start off with an 'indian afternoon' where we are taught the arts of rangoli, mehendi and sari tieing.Once we're all pretty with mehendi (henna) and are wearing a sari the fun starts.
You feel like a princess as you are snapped so much - especially as we are the CVP's - we have celebrity status here at Sangam

Dinner is a traditional Maharastrian banquet and the food is served on a banana leaf.
It is truely delicious and a small amout is very filling.
Dessert is the piece de la resistance of the evening - mango puree. It is divine!

After dinner we were treated to a show in true regal style by the local guides who use Sangam to meet each week. They danced a two hour stick dance spectacular - we even had to give it a go.

 

calm admist the chaos

I was just flicking through my photos earlier and I came across this pic.
To me this is a fantastic representation of how I feel about India at the moment. The goat is calm amongst all the chaos that makes India so wonderful.

This is actually a shot down into Indiranagar (not quite a slum) which is right next door to Sangam

Feasts and Festivals Event

As preperation for our time volunteering here in Pune, Sangam has put us into their 10 day Feast and Festivals event. The event celebrates the Ganapati festival and we have been given the challenge to find as many Ganesh statues as possible. We're not doing so well but some of the other's have been snap snapping away.

We have also been indulging in some regional feasts. My favourite so far has been the Bengali, today's was Mumbai from Chowapatty beach it is was gross too much puffed rice and things and white bread rolls.

Highlights of Feasts and Festivals Event:
Intro to Sangam - meet the family, neighbourhood walk, dominios
10 million girls, one voice
International Night -with sharing of story of NZ's islands
Laxmi Road and sari shopping
Visit to Aga Khan palace
Warli Art class
Hindu Festival plays performance
Trip to see Life Partner at the movices and dinner ot
Ganesh Challenge
Bollywood dance class
dancing as leadership

Gangapati pics

This is Ganesh being immersed into the water

this family wanted their photo taken - how could you say no?

a snapshot of the excitement we were experiencing

team Sangam - trying to be inconspicious

Gangapati festival

Last night we were fortunate enough to be invited by our neighbours to participate in the immersion of their Ganesh stautes into the river. This is an important element in the Gangapati festival and we had a great time!
We started off gingerly at the side of the crowed watching ... trying to take some inconspicious photos. But we were spotted. ... and were became a part of the celebrations. Everyone started handing us out prasad (offerings usually sweet). We had puffed rice with fruit like pomegranate and apple and cucumber. We were given some blessed coconut which had just been broken and the milk was on our feet. People then started to come and talk to us, asking where were we from, what we were doing ... one kind gentleman asked us if we wanted to join with his family in their puja. We have seen and been a part of a puja a few times now but we had not given puja yet so it was a crash course in what actually happens. What way round do we circle the plate and what do we say, luckily we all seemed to do it ok and the family was very happy with us. We then joined the family in their procession down to the river to immerse Ganesh. This was great fun and we didn't get too muddy!! We stayed around for a while longer taking photos of the kids and having a chat to them in english/hindi/marathi. We slowly walked back to Sangam enjoying the atmsophere of the processions we came across.

Ithaca or India?

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,pray that the road is long,full of adventure, full of knowledge.The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:You will never find such as these on your path,if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,if you do not carry them within your soul,if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.That the summer mornings are many, when,with such pleasure, with such joyyou will enter ports seen for the first time; stop at Phoenician markets,and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,and sensual perfumes of all kinds,as many sensual perfumes as you can;visit many Egyptian cities,to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all.It is better to let it last for many years;and to anchor at the island when you are old,rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

arrival into India

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."

I have been in India for a week now.
It is great to be back in India, back at Sangam and back in the chaos.

This time I am in India for three months, working as a volunteer at a Mobile Creche somewhere in the city of Pune.

Pune has been affected greatly by swine flu. Pune was the first city in India affected, brought in of course by Westerners like us. This has caused us a lot of trouble as we can not go about the town easily. Today, we were ordered by the police to wear scarves to cover our noses and mouth's while out shopping in the old district of Pune.

I am aiming to use this to keep everyone updated - hopefully daily

Enjoy!