Rath Yatra (Rot E-autra)

July 6, 2016 -- Rath Yatra

Today is the 139^th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad. This year it falls the day before Eid-ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Rath Yatra is a Hindu religious holiday and Ron has the day off as all schools are closed as well as banks and government offices. We got up at 5:15 to leave by 6:00 and get to the Jagannath Temple by 6:30. As both communities come together to celebrate their festivals, authorities are taking strict safety measures to ensure peace. Apparently there have been clashes/riots in the past. As many as 16,000 police personnel and 4,000 volunteers are on hand including bomb squads, dog squads and fire brigades.

On Rath Yatra the Lords Jagannath and Balram and Goddess Subhadra (Hindu gods/goddess) are seated in their chariots and paraded along a route that winds through the city. It starts at 7:05 a.m. at the Temple and ends at 8:00 p.m. making numerous trips along the route so everyone has a chance to participate. In addition there are ‘floats’, mostly trucks with simple decorations carrying members of a particular society such as ours although I do not think Asopalav Bungalows participate  Ron took 119 photos and some are included. I must say the event was pure India for me. Throngs of people of every description. I mean tons of folks, all in close proximity with not enough room for us all.

Rahul had suggested taking nothing but the camera. Ron wore a money belt so we could go out for breakfast afterwards, leaving his wallet at home; I left my purse and phone at home. I regret forgetting our face masks as we found a great viewing spot but it was right next to a generator and fumes were abundant. We both decided to wear shoes instead of sandals. Thank god! I have never seen so many lost sandals (flip flops) in my life but it speaks to how crowded it was. We were standing next to an open jeep so the owner could stand up and get the best view.  We had to look over the heads of many rows of people in front of us. At one point I was standing there and two elderly women (probably my age…yikes am I elderly?) anyway these women came up to my chest so maybe they were five feet tall or less. Let me tell you they were powerful women and with one of each side of me they just about knocked me over trying to get a better view. I had to laugh. The tall man behind me frequently pushed me in a way that indicated I needed to bow my head so he could get a better shot. Indians have no problem with physical contact.

At 7:05 two ‘chariots’ left the temple with the gods to be paraded through town. The crowd came alive with hands clasped in prayer and adoration. Due to the density of the crowds everything moved at a snail’s pace. This was followed by 18 highly decorated elephants, some carrying passengers. People in the crowd would place a 10 rupee note in the elephants’ trunk that would then lift his trunk back to his mahout who pocketed the money.

The event was definitely what our friend Jon Bormet calls ‘an assault on the senses’. Loud speakers blared with music and commentators’ announcements. Smells abounded but mostly we experienced diesel fumes from the nearby generator, visually colors from highly painted elephants to bright saris abounded and everywhere we went we were greeted with warm smiles.

After the parade of elephants the crowd started thinning and Rahul took us onto the temple grounds. I was floored to see how many people lost one or two of their sandals, all rubber flip flops. I was  glad we wore shoes because the streets were so crowded that it easy to get stepped on or to step on someone else. We made our way back to the car but at first it was rough going as still many people were gathered to watch the ‘floats’ go by. Still I spied more lost sandals. Adjacent to the parade, was a faire like area with gymnists, body builders, and others.  Very Indian

This week I had discovered a café that opened at 8:00 and served breakfast which is unheard of here unless you go to a hotel. I called to make sure that they really did open that early and was told everyday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. We had decided in advance to go there for breakfast today. So when we entered the restaurant about 8:15 we were surprised that we were the only patrons. We were met by a young man who said ‘cleaning’. He said ‘breakfast is impossible’. I retorted ‘I just called and was told you were open everyday’. At that point he relented and showed us to a table. They had espresso so I indulged in two espresso drinks, my first before 11:00 since arriving as I haven’t yet found a coffee shop that opens before 11:00. We came home and gave Rahul the rest of the day off and told Sankar he also did not need to return this evening as we knew he would be going to the Rath Yatra. From what we can tell he is a devout Hindu, going to temple for hours on Sundays. It was a great day and both of us were glad we went to have yet another Indian experience.

On the way home near our house we came upon a funeral procession. Rahul immediately pulled to the side of the road. A group of about 20-30 men were walking down the middle of the lane. A number of them were carrying the deceased woman on a roughly made stretcher. Her body was covered with flowers although her head was visible. There were no women. Rahul said women stay at home while the men take the body to the cremation site. Apparently Hindus are cremated, not buried.  For days after the passing of the person, neighbors bring food to the house so the family can grieve.

After lunch we took a nap and relaxed the rest of the day. I cooked a couple of meals in the afternoon: Cowboy Caviar which we had for dinner and blacked eyed peas with bacon which I froze for a future meal. Our internet is not working at the moment so we watched TV news which was dominated on three English speaking channels with Tony Blair’s addressing the Chillot report. After enough of that we finished the evening watching Colbert’s Late night show. What a silly man!