Lalitgiri

I think because of our enthusiasm on the first day of Roja, Sue and I were invited by a new friend, Madhubhai, to visit his village outside of Bhubaneswar on Thursday, the final day of Roja. Sure, why not.

Plans in India are made slightly differently to what I am used to. I understood I would be called on Wednesday morning to confirm arrangements and that we'd be picked up on Wednesday evening, stay overnight in the village and have the whole day to participate in the festivities. On Wednesday night I was called about 8.30pm and told to be ready at 6.30am and wait for further instructions then. We were also told to pack bags to stay over Thursday night instead.

It all seemed to work out and by 9am we were on our way, Sue, Madhubai, me and a couple of young university students/volunteers, Mani and Abhilasha. The day was beautifully cool and drizzly and fantastic for a drive although I had a terrible cold that had set in which I was trying to ignore.

On the way to the village we visited two temples, one for Durga and one for Ganesh. In the first we lit candles and received blessings and it was a really special experience.

We arrived in Madhubhai's village in time for lunch and had that at his mum's home. He is a from a joint family so there were aunties and cousins and all sorts of relatives floating around.

The day ended up being pretty busy, visiting his family and friends and the old Buddhist remains at nearby Lalitgiri*.

In the evening we were taken to the centre of the village where there was a stage set up and a performance going on. This was something that occurs each year during Roja and it seems to me it is a cross between street theatre and preaching.

Due to the constant rain we abandoned plans to stay overnight which I was quite happy about as my cold had become worse and I was craving sleeping in my own bed. It was a really wonderful day in the end although very tiring. And of course, Sue and I have a few new friends (or family members)!

*Lalitgiri (also known as Naltigiri) is a Buddhist complex in Orissa comprising major stupas and monasteries, similar to Ratnagiri and, together with Ratnagiri and Udayagiri, part of Puspagiri University. Numerous excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India have been conducted since 1985, and continue to this day.

A museum is to be built to display relic caskets thought to contain bones of Gautama Buddha, and other archaeological finds for public display. The site was extensively excavated by the A.S.I. from 1985-92. The remains of a huge stupa, and relic caskets consisting four containers made of khondalite, steatite, silver and gold were discovered along with other important structure and archaeological remains.

It never rains...

Not a minute too soon, monsoon season arrived in Bhubaneswar this week. In Orissa there is a three day festival called Rajo (or raja, or roja) which celebrates the arrival of monsoon season and freakishly, the weather behaved and monsoon started right on cue with a sudden drop in temperature and heavy rains.

I was invited to attend some festivities in a slum called Salia Sahi which happens to be right next-door to my new apartment complex. It is the biggest slum in Bhubaneswar with up to 50,000 inhabitants, and one of the biggest in India.

My friend Sue who just arrived from Australia (via a month in Assam) came as well. We were decorated by the girls and boys with mehindi, nail polish and the Rajasthani foot-thingy. We were also a magnet for the local media that turned up!

It doesn't take long in Orissa, as a foreigner, until you're thrust into the media spotlight. Sue made it four days which, considering two of those days we were at the beach, is a remarkable achievement.

http://www.orissatv.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsId=NS42996

Some info on Raja:

Raja is an agriculture oriented festival, mostly observed in the coastal districts of Orissa for three days. It also inaugurates the agricultural year all over Orissa which marks the moistening of summer parched soil with the first shower of monsoon making it ready for productivity. To celebrate the advent of monsoon the joyous festival is arranged for three days.  During this festival Mother Earth or "Basu Mata" is considered to be a menstruating woman. Hence digging of soil or tempering it in any way is strictly prohibited. The Mother Earth is said to undergo pollution due to menstruation and given rest just like a woman imposed with several restrictions.

Raja is also considered as one of the chief festivals of unmarried girls or the potential mothers. The women folk, especially the virgins, forbid all kinds of manual works during these three days of Raja-festival. They don't carry water, cut vegetables, sweep the houses, sew clothes, grind grains, comb hair, walk in bare foot etc. So, all kind of restrictions are imposed both for the land and the women-folk.

The unmarried girls or virgins observe the restrictions prescribed for a menstruating woman. On the first day of Raja Sankranti they rise before the dawn, do their coiffure, anoint their bodies with turmeric paste and oil, then take the purification bath in the river or tank. Bathing for the next two days of the festival is strictly prohibited. During these three days girls are seen in the best of their dresses and decorations, eating cakes and rich food at the houses of friends and relatives. They move up and down in the swings rending the village sky with their joyous impromptu songs. The swings are tied to the branches of Mango or Banyan trees and decorated with garlands of different flowers. The virgins of the village gather there on this festive occasion and one of them is elected as Dolo-rani (queen of the swing). When the queen takes her seat on the swing, the virgins move her forward and backward with chorus of charming songs. These songs are full of jolly spirit of girl-hood days and refer to glorious future, happy love and would be marriage with suitable husbands.

After a slow start...

I must admit that things got off to a very slow start for me here in my volunteer life. It has been a bit surreal to be living and working out of a small and hot room, little contact with colleagues and very little to do.

However, finally things seem to be happening.

After moving apartment and just beginning to settle in, I was off for a three-day field visit to some of the RTI coalition partners to see the work they have been doing and talk the people who have used RTI.

RTI is the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is a law passed recently in India to give people the right to access government information. In the past, every government document was a secret and many things are still treated that way. However this new law helps people figure out what their entitlements are and why they aren't receiving them. 

The Odisha RTI Coalition is a group of 24 NGO's here in Orissa (Odisha) who work with the poorer classes. Many of these people are BPL (below poverty line), Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste. Education levels tend to be very low and illiteracy is common, making it difficult for these people to complete an RTI Application Form. 

I'll be posting some of the stories from RTI as the year progresses but in the meantime please enjoy some photos of the lovely folk at Raghupati Colony in Berhampur and the Tumba project community in Ganjam district, just near the border of Andhra Pradesh.

Night Sounds for an Insomniac

Sleep has been a rare commodity on these hot and sticky nights. With daytime temperatures up into the mid forties and humidity around 98%, one ends up in something of a daze most of the time. Of course a whirring fan above the bed does not always do that much to cut through the dense and oppressive air. Constant blackouts remove this one small luxury, usually when it is needed most.

Given the unbearable conditions of my current living arrangement, I have searched for and found a new apartment in a newer part of town. It also comes with an Aussie expat for company. Never know your luck in a big city like Bhubaneswar!

This pictureless film shares some of the nocturnal activities of my old neighbourhood.

Bhubaneswar Mall Culture - A Massive Whopping Affair

Two interesting things here in Bhubaneswar, the "malls" and the journalism. The following story from online journal Odisha Diary sums up both rather succinctly methinks. (Do not for a minute be fooled into thinking this town is "cosmopolitan" as we know it in the rest of the western world.)

Odisha's Capital city Bhubaneswar booming with mall culture

Report by Priya Priyadarshini; Bhubaneswar: Shopping has always been an interesting and exciting piece of flavour for all people who do enjoy it to the maximum length. With the reviving mall culture one can equally get the essence of brands and their utilities. It is something like a combo pack where one gets the range of simple stuffs starting from house chore items to the glassware touch. Each item with the unique portrayal of excellent artiwork and design wear.

Moving to the Orissa's capital city one can witness things on a growing up service. Though things are yet to get the perfect glow, viewing the troupe never lacks the pleasure. One is highly bestowed with the displayed stuffs that are vibrant in colour, texture and price as well. In Bhubaneswar the mall culture is a decade long phenomena when people started to carve their accounts with new inputs and that for with a happy note of brands and varieties. Malls are more of an enjoyable ride for many. Scrolling the segments not only we do get the new beats of brands but also sense the dreams turning reality.

“If a consumer wanders in a mall, he gathers sufficient knowledge about products. Choices and preferences come thereby keeping him up to date about products:, says Shiba Biswal a mall culture admirer.

While contrary to this statement Shashi Mohanty a book lover feels Bhubaneswar needs to revive in terms of mall culture as it lacks various other facilities provided by other city services.

In the capital city the malls are more a centre for the young scions.  Be it Big Bazar, Pantaloons, Pal Heights or The World each has it’s own package that deals with the prospects of improving lifestyles. Getting the latest flick and track from the ‘M planet’- the music store house and redressing your style with the best of suits, brands and clothes everything and all under single roof only. Similarly, packaging the seasonal and annual fruits and vegetables along with all the kitchen stuffs from the most reliable source is a great boost of the mall culture. Even the best of all jewellery stones do add another feature to the concept. It is always said that shopping with a bit of good food makes the ride a memorable one. Be it Baskin Robbins Or Pizza Hut, Moginis Or Spencer with all food stuffs one is certain to explore the best for the taste. 

Over the span of time the behaviour of consumer has moderated a lot. Malls can be adjudged to be the sole factor behind this. Earlier it was shopping only but with the mall structure it is more like a happy go fun ride where one experiences a lot regarding the basics of shopping as an adventure. Time saving idea is equally prevalent over here.

Well it is the most comfortable place for youngsters to breed their ideas at the best. Placed with the updates from the techno world there is equal; placement of novels, bestsellers and top 5 to relish one’s knowledge. Even the concept of coupon cards and membership cards do make it easier to shop. Malls are a way to boost your house with the maximum of things. As one can get discounted rates on varieties of occasion. Bumper prize, summer special, winter offer, even certain game points all at the end for every individual. While malls are the centres of experiencing the wildest shopping spree, kids do get their own world to explore in the dreamy land with each game stuff to pull their nerve straight. 

Though the youth culture appreciates the ways of presentation of stuffs yet gives a second thought to the pocket as well before stepping into the buildings. “I am pleased to get the ultimatum without any duplication as one gets the best of some designer wear. Again a place where I am free to deliver my thoughts with friends of my essence thereby grooming the know how of the latest fashion, “says Ankita Ray an aspiring media student.

Bhubaneswar is certainly taking a metro look having an assurance of recycling and renovating things with the mall culture and this is the just the beginning of the maximum whopping affair yet to activate the city dwellers.

http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=26755

The Joys of the Share Auto

Until I acquire my own wheels, the only way to get around Bhubaneswar is to use auto-rickshaws. There are a few bus routes but the "autos" are everywhere. There's two ways to get a ride in an auto, firstly and most commonly is the "share auto" which is where an auto runs from point A to point B and picks up and drops off along the way. The second is "reserved" for which you pay a hefty premium and that auto will take you all the way to where you want to go.

With limited financial resources, time on my hands and a general curiosity about doing things with the locals, I find myself in share autos most of the time.

A newcomer to Bhubaneswar would have no idea about the system as street names and addresses either don't exist or are hard to come by. After a couple of months here I'm finally figuring out the lay of the land, not to mention the share auto routes and the prices I should be paying.

The guys on my neighbourhood routes to/from Kalpana square are great and never try to overcharge me. In fact I find that most of the time the prices are fair. The great autowallah swindle is something that irks many a foreigner in India.

If I want to get from the south side of Bhubaneswar (where I live) to the north side, it can take me an hour and up to five different share autos.

So the system takes a little getting used to and is very intimidating to newcomers but once you've got the hang of it city starts opening itself up to you.

In the past couple of months I've had some really cool experiences with locals in the share autos. Just in the past few days here's some of the "joys":

1. I took a reserved auto on Sunday to meet my friends for lunch at the Mayfair Hotel. It was pretty far and pretty hot so I thought I'd do it in style. I got the autowallah down from Rs80 to Rs70 but he didn't really know where he was going. We stopped along the way for him to check the price with his mates and he told me it should be Rs80. I could've argued we stick to the agreed price but what the hell, he has to make a living and what is Rs10. So at the end when I paid him, he was so happy to get the extra Rs10 and we had a laugh and shook hands. A couple of days ago I went down to my corner auto hub to get a share auto and he was there. He was so happy to see me he shook my hand enthusiastically and had all his mates do the same. We reminisced about Sunday's ride to the "Maypair" (f's aren't pronounced in Orissa, it is substituted by a p). Gorgeous!

2. The other night I was coming back from a meeting and got in a share auto at Kalpana Square. The women are always in the back and the men in front with the driver. I've had as many as nine in an auto before. We had a lady in the back with some shopping bags, then me, then two other ladies with a child aged about three also had to squeeze in. The lady on my right wasn't happy to squeeze over too much and it didn't leave much room for the two other ladies, let alone the child. I grabbed the child and stuck him on my lap so that we could all fit in. Not sure how this bold act would be viewed by the locals, the mum asked him if he was okay and he did the cute Indian head wobble to say yes. He sat comfortably in my lap the whole way to their stop.

3. About half way down from Kalpana Square to where I live in Brit Colony there's a roundabout where we turn. I call it the cow convention of an evening because there's scores of cows that head there when the temperature cools. Loads of dogs too. A few days ago we stopped there to let some people out and they were fixing up the payment. I was in the back seat, at the edge. Perfectly timed, a cow walked up and stopped with its rear less than a metre away from me. It then started to relieve itself. Right there! Not knowing quite what to do, I just had to hold my breath and turn my legs so none of the poo sprayed up on me.

Yes, life in India is never dull!

Calcutta

A few of us headed up to Calcutta for the weekend for a bit of a break. Calcutta is only 7 hours away by train - that feels like nothing after the Delhi commute.

Calcutta was the former capital during the British Raj, before it was moved to New Delhi. It is a huge city that has some beautiful colonial architecture, wide, tree-lined boulevards, and, much to our delight, footpaths. 

The main reason for the trip was to see a game of IPL Twenty 20 Cricket at Eden Gardens. The local team is the Kolkata Knight Riders and they played the Chennai Super Kings. There were some stars out on the field with MS Dhoni (India's captain) heading the Chennai team with help from Mike Hussey and Doug Bollinger. Brett Lee was bowling for the local team which is owned by one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Shah Rouk Kahn. It was a pretty slow game with Chennai struggling to get 130 in the first innings. Most of the attention of the crowd was focused on Mr Kahn and his Bollywood cohorts. Kolkata came in firing and was clearly going to win the game but it was delayed after about 8 overs due to rain and then called off. Kolkata won by 10 runs under the Duckworth Lewis method which means they've got a chance to reach the finals series.

One of our friends here in Bhubaneswar also planned a new social movement activity for that day. International Day of Service, conceived right here in Bhub, is a day where people can go and volunteer at a local orphanage or aged care home. The aim is to motivate and mobilise volunteers. The first event was held on Saturday and due to us being in Calcutta we hooked up with an orphanage there. So after arriving at 6am, showering and getting breakfast, we were off to the orphanage loaded up with face paints and big smiles. The kids were just gorgeous and once they warmed up we had a ball. I think the photos say it all.