It's the end of the third week, and I feel totally at home here in the little neighborhood around the Institute. A typical class day starts with a wake up call from the feisty stray dogs in the field near our house, followed by a cup of coffee and a little bite to eat. A short walk through a beautiful park gets me to class or practice. In the early morning and late afternoon hours, the park is busy with local folks walking or running laps in the park. At first it was surprising to see ladies with running shoes, and classic Indian baggy pants and long tops running or walking in groups, but now I'm the one wearing a longish kurta and scarf to go to and from class.
The studios, offices and store of the RIMYI are located on the same premises as the Iyengar home, with little more than 10 feet separating the entries of both buildings. The gated entry is guarded with personnel and security cameras. We sign in, pass by the many statues of gods, including a splendid Patanjali, deposit our shoes on the patio shelf, and make our way upstairs to the big asana hall for practice or class.
Morning class or practice tends to have to compete with rush hour noise (see a previous post for the culture of traffic here), but soon we're deep in concentration and the noise fades away. We return to the flat around noon and typically the maid and the cook we share with the upstairs yoginis are at work. Having a cook and a cleaner are a common and highly affordable practice here. Unless we have some appointments or errands elsewhere, we usually have a nice home-cooked lunch and then work on notes or head out for appointments or just fun before the next class or practice.
On this day, I went to check out an artisan in the 'hood who makes batik. These home businesses are common, and like many places here, can be hard to locate, not just because signage is small and hidden, but more importantly, because there are no street name signs. On the advise of two Danish yoginis sporting batik "pune pants", I go to a nearby intersection, call the business number, and the gal who answers says, "Wait there, I'll come get you!"
Ten minutes later I am in the shop which is no bigger than a walk-in closet, but full of beautiful fabric. Out back, the workers paint, wax, dye and sew.
After I place my order for two shirts
(sorry students, I'm still not ready for "Pune" pants!), I see a couple
of gorgeous batik Ganeshas hanging on the wall...I can't resist!
Here in Maharastsra, Lord Ganesha is a big deal. He symbolizes wisdom and good beginnings and is worshiped in the home, and in formal and informal temples around town. Believers ask his blessing for achieving success in their endeavors. His statue or portrayal, in many artistic styles from the formal to the playful, is ubiquitous, including the walls of our apartment, car dashboards, and of course, temples. Tonight, outside our apartment, just in front of the park entrance, a pooja was performed....you can see Lord Ganesha in the back decorated with flowers.
On a normal night, we might go out to dinner after practice or just go home and see what we can throw together, but tonight there was a celebration of the Anniversary of the founding of the Institute. The children who take classes there preformed dance and song numbers and a fabulous play. Guruji and family were there and the asana hall was packed. Food was served following the performances and Guruji and Geeta were seated in the courtyard receiving greetings from their students and friends. They both looked radiant!
The studios, offices and store of the RIMYI are located on the same premises as the Iyengar home, with little more than 10 feet separating the entries of both buildings. The gated entry is guarded with personnel and security cameras. We sign in, pass by the many statues of gods, including a splendid Patanjali, deposit our shoes on the patio shelf, and make our way upstairs to the big asana hall for practice or class.
Morning class or practice tends to have to compete with rush hour noise (see a previous post for the culture of traffic here), but soon we're deep in concentration and the noise fades away. We return to the flat around noon and typically the maid and the cook we share with the upstairs yoginis are at work. Having a cook and a cleaner are a common and highly affordable practice here. Unless we have some appointments or errands elsewhere, we usually have a nice home-cooked lunch and then work on notes or head out for appointments or just fun before the next class or practice.
On this day, I went to check out an artisan in the 'hood who makes batik. These home businesses are common, and like many places here, can be hard to locate, not just because signage is small and hidden, but more importantly, because there are no street name signs. On the advise of two Danish yoginis sporting batik "pune pants", I go to a nearby intersection, call the business number, and the gal who answers says, "Wait there, I'll come get you!"
Ten minutes later I am in the shop which is no bigger than a walk-in closet, but full of beautiful fabric. Out back, the workers paint, wax, dye and sew.
Some quick background: It is said that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess
Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, out of
sandalwood paste. She had him stand guard at her door while she bathed, so when
Lord Shiva returned and Ganesha didn't allow him
to enter, Lord Shiva became enraged and severed the head of the child. After realizing that he had beheaded his own son,
Lord Shiva declared that he would fix the situation by replacing his head with that of the next creature he spied...which turned out to be an elephant.
Here in Maharastsra, Lord Ganesha is a big deal. He symbolizes wisdom and good beginnings and is worshiped in the home, and in formal and informal temples around town. Believers ask his blessing for achieving success in their endeavors. His statue or portrayal, in many artistic styles from the formal to the playful, is ubiquitous, including the walls of our apartment, car dashboards, and of course, temples. Tonight, outside our apartment, just in front of the park entrance, a pooja was performed....you can see Lord Ganesha in the back decorated with flowers.On a normal night, we might go out to dinner after practice or just go home and see what we can throw together, but tonight there was a celebration of the Anniversary of the founding of the Institute. The children who take classes there preformed dance and song numbers and a fabulous play. Guruji and family were there and the asana hall was packed. Food was served following the performances and Guruji and Geeta were seated in the courtyard receiving greetings from their students and friends. They both looked radiant!
Even Patanjali was dressed up for the occasion!
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| My roomie Tahsha and I taking a rare photo in the Asana Hall |
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