Well, apart from the cows. And it really is true what you get told about the cows - they are everywhere and do seem to rule the roads. And the beach. And anywhere they choose to be.
Today is Dussehra. This is (according to the Great Font, Wikipedia) one of the most important Hindu festivals.
Patnem was turned from sleepystreet town to raving paradox.
A van/truck-type vehicle with a rather large sound system on the back crawled along the road stopping at intervals to allow the gathering crowd of be-muscled young males* to jump about to the dance-techno-pumping mix blasting out of it. This reached its peak on our street especially when our yogis went and joined in the dancing causing the local girls, who had been shyly swaying around the edges, to move with a lot more verve.
The best is yet to come.
Following this mobile party was a Ford fiesta** hatchback with its back door up revealing a small alter/shrine accompanied by a tiny little ancient man with a beard sat behind it. The more sedate and slightly older folk followed. There were no frenetic boppers behind this one. A local lady explained that today was Dussehra. She didn't explain what Dussehra was, she just pointed at the two polar opposite celebrations of it right in front of us and considered that explanation enough.
There was Hindu mass singing emanating from a temple on a little further up the road and fire crackers going off everywhere.
The interesting thing is that this did not initially seem that weird. It was only when I took a step back and witnessed it from a slightly different angle did I see the very Indian nature of it - an ancient and a modern world completely mixed in spirit but separated in essence. Very clear methods of celebration from different parts of the world coming together in a perfectly accepted manner. The excitement of village dance, the solemnity from the Easter parades in Spain, the reverance of the elders and, well, a rave all thrown together.
This is how to remember that I'm in India.
*human, not bovine (just to clarify)
**intended?
Today is Dussehra. This is (according to the Great Font, Wikipedia) one of the most important Hindu festivals.
Patnem was turned from sleepy
A van/truck-type vehicle with a rather large sound system on the back crawled along the road stopping at intervals to allow the gathering crowd of be-muscled young males* to jump about to the dance-techno-pumping mix blasting out of it. This reached its peak on our street especially when our yogis went and joined in the dancing causing the local girls, who had been shyly swaying around the edges, to move with a lot more verve.
The best is yet to come.
Following this mobile party was a Ford fiesta** hatchback with its back door up revealing a small alter/shrine accompanied by a tiny little ancient man with a beard sat behind it. The more sedate and slightly older folk followed. There were no frenetic boppers behind this one. A local lady explained that today was Dussehra. She didn't explain what Dussehra was, she just pointed at the two polar opposite celebrations of it right in front of us and considered that explanation enough.
There was Hindu mass singing emanating from a temple on a little further up the road and fire crackers going off everywhere.
The interesting thing is that this did not initially seem that weird. It was only when I took a step back and witnessed it from a slightly different angle did I see the very Indian nature of it - an ancient and a modern world completely mixed in spirit but separated in essence. Very clear methods of celebration from different parts of the world coming together in a perfectly accepted manner. The excitement of village dance, the solemnity from the Easter parades in Spain, the reverance of the elders and, well, a rave all thrown together.
This is how to remember that I'm in India.
*human, not bovine (just to clarify)
**intended?
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