Well, today's festival, Gokulashtami is pretty much ineffable. Absolutely chaos, I will be sure to upload videos because there is no Western equivalent it can even be compared to. The back courtyard of the school was packed with students for the practice round of the human pyramid challenge. There were four drummers keeping the beat and everyone was dancing in a huge mass of people, and people up on balconies were dumping water on to the participants below (including, unfortunately, me and my camera... but we're both okay). There was a ceremony, traditional honoring of the gods, and a sweet passed around for everyone to enjoy. The girls formed a pyramid first, then the boys. The noise and crowd were overwhelming!
The festivities then moved to the front of the school, where the dancing and huge water fight continued. Everyone was soaked and dancing, having the times of their life! It is really unable to be described, so I will have to let the pictures and video do the explaining. Afterwards, everyone loaded on to the backs of trucks and buses to head further North for an even bigger pyramid challenge. I chose to stay behind, because there were going to be 25-30,000 people crowded into this small neighborhood and I was told it gets pretty wild. I am not a big fan of large crowds by any mean (especially after the first New Years in Vienna), they make me very uncomfortable... I know, India and I seem to be pretty incompatible on the physical level.
I did join in some of the festivities at Welingkar and was invited to join in the tribal like dancing, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't really appreciate the water being dumped on me, so I stayed towards the outskirts and then moved to a higher floor to look down on the madness.
I am back in the room for the afternoon, as the Monsoon has kicked back in and I didn't want to risk the trip to Tanni. I am settled in for a nap, watching a travel special on Dubai!
Will post videos and pictures later!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Wow, that's weird that people go ahead and dump water on people during monsoon season. As if it isn't wet enough there already!
Water, water everywhere, and 'nere a drop to drink. If only some it were potable. Perhaps a Pagan ritual. OR, there is so much rain from the monsoon that folks get daffy and figure they might as well join in the deluge. Thanks for keeping us all in the loop!
Post a Comment