Spiritual Guidance

Another day another mission, literally. A dawn start to accompany Lamxi and her neighbour to Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna movement and the men only monastery for followers of Sri Ramakrishna , the famous 19th century Bengali 'saint' and social campaigner who is known as 'the prophet of the modern age'

This modern temple sits on the banks of the Ganges in North Calcutta and during the hours drive the cityscape became increasingly derelict and poverty stricken. Our western a/c car and driver was not an ideal vehicle to transverse the narrow lanes and a too close call with a bicycle rickshaw left a dent, to the dismay of our driver.

Fortunately for him Laxmi's neighbour, a devout Hindu,  was too busy trying to convert me and praising Modi, the Hindu PM, to notice the prang.  A wealthy housewife with a lengthy ancestral roll call and family owned considerable property in Calcutta, her passion in life is her religion and the missions.  In particular the neighbouring women centred Sri Sarada Math, a female only 'minature' version to Belur in honour of Ramakrishna's mother. The devotees also run a number of projects for girls but after three hours of being introduced to Senior 'nuns' in various buildings I'm ashamed to say my mind was focused more on the need for coffee than the need for charity.

Lunch was 'parsadam': the temple food blessed so as to taste 'divine'. It didn't. Nor did it have coffee. Instead I sat on a rickety bench by an open door to the holy Ganges so a distinctly unholy smell wafted in. I committed the cardinal sin of leaving my meal unfinished as the food just kept coming and I decided waste was a lesser sin than being ill in public. I also caused much mirth by tipping my desert rice bowl onto my plate along with the main rice. Alas, to me, rice is rice...

I finally escaped with promises to return (I lied) and a telling off for taking a picture. Um.

got into trouble for taking this picture of the Mother's Temple

The journey back turned into a nightmare as bumper to bumper traffic had hit the highway creating an even denser smog than usual. Although the slow crawl did give me the chance to photograph the impressive arches abandoned in the middle of nowhere which represent a failed Indonesian bid to build a neighbourhood here, plus I sneaked  a (forbidden) shot of the new modern suspension bridge, a contemporary landmark in present day Calcutta.

Bumper to Bumper traffic

Unfinished Indonesian project

Negotiating the new Suspension Bridge

Deposited back for a much needed coffee. Going without from 6am to 3pm is not good for my western caffeine habit. Then I rounded up today's non Christian focus with a walk to the nearby Hare Krishna temple.  Over the top extravaganza but with no one there bar a group of flower craftswomen, a chance to sit in solitude.  I now realise the 'shrines with a difference' I've seen everywhere belong to the large Hare Krishna contingent here.

Devotees of the Hare Krishna temple

Some of my "souvenirs" - maybe I am in need of spiritual guidance!

Then I celebrated my last day in Calcutta by doing the one thing that always happens when I believe I have got my bearings: I got lost. Fortunately I found myself again before darkness fell, returning with time for one more swim.  I will be glad to leave Calcutta, the unrelenting hardship which surrounds me the moment I step outside in contrast to the entrenched class system, the noise, the smell, the dirt, the dust...but it has been a fascinating experience, albeit not one I'd want to repeat. On top of the multitude of other perils, there is now a swine flu outbreak.  A good time to leave.