Mother Ganga

This morning around 6:30 I woke and walked out on the veranda and beheld the sun coming up over Mother Ganga. I wandered down to the ghat and met a young man who became my guide for the morning, Boblo. I told him I wished to meditate and then would be interested in talking, so he left me alone.

Oh. My. Goddess.

Sitting on those stone steps watching the people coming to bathe and feeling the energy of the stones reverberating through my body as I chanted my mala of the Guyatri mantra was exquisite. The peace and connection I felt with the untold number of people who've been doing this for thousands of years is very moving. There was a temple behind me with a loudspeaker broadcasting other chants and movement all around me and I was in a cocoon of peace.

I meditated and after a period of quiet, I had a conversation with Kali. Ahhh, the fierce, protective love of Kali Ma.

A lot of people would look at this place and recoil from the things they'd consider filthy. Me? All I see is beauty. Everywhere.

True to his word, my guide Boblo met up with me as I ended my meditation. He said it was a good one, and I agreed. It was at least an hour and a half with the chanting and stillness. We walked and he taught me a mantra to Shiva and Radha on the way to a Shiva/Radha temple. We then sat and chanted to Sita and Ram with a harmonium player and drummer inside the temple for another 45 minutes or so. I was given a set of bells to play and I borrowed an orange scarf for my head.

We then walked through back alleys and he told me shops to visit and shops to avoid. I was dodging motorscooters, cow and goat dung, and cycle rickshaws. Some people were sitting in tiny cubbyholes 2 feet tall in front of small fires mixing herbs and things. Others were climbing bamboo ladders to get to upper levels. School children passed us on their way to their morning lessons.

Now I'm on my way to meet Gina and the others for our morning chanting before breakfast.

Heaven. Namaste. May you be a blessing to all you meet today.