Hike

Today we went on a hike. It was my first hiking experience and I must admit that I was a little surprised. When Dr. Rao (head of Dvanyaloka Center) put hike on our itinerary, I assumed he met that we’d be taking a longer walk than usual. However, we completed a full blown, two hour hike with a steep, rocky descent. I was proud of myself for finishing.

During the hike, we saw an Indian walking the same path in sandals. Furthermore, we see so many people walking barefoot. I realized that I had no reason to complain. I was merely inconveniencing myself for two hours. My hike would end with toast and water. There’s would end with more daily activities to do. My inconvenience is their daily life. I wonder what an inconvenience would be to an everyday Indian who is not part of the higher castes. I wonder if inconvenience exists for them.

After the hike, we visited more temples. It was quite interesting because the site we visited had been buried and was discovered. It’s hard to believe that this beautiful architecture was once underground. It is so interesting to visit remnants of history in India because it’s so accessible. You can touch the actual temples, walk inside them. Some of the temples are still in use. In America, we’d be allowed to look at a replica of the site and that’s it. There is something to be said for how looking at history, the actual artifacts, feeling the grooves in the structures, examining the face of Visnu, can connect you to the people who made those structures.

Dr. Rao is always saying that the British claimed that India had no history. The British failed to see that history is something different here in India. It is alive in the traditions that carry on. In the saris and the little boys being initiated at eight. In the ancient temples that people still hold as sacred. In the rituals of having a “good morning.” History is alive and well, in both artifact and in present human interaction.