Sarathy the Chariot Driver

A couple of weeks ago (sorry, I've been bad about keeping this up) Kaushik Sarathy, my Turner partner here in Chennai and all around terrific guy, got me up early in the morning to take me to his families' favorite temple.
I hope that he, or anyone else reading this, will forgive any of the inaccuracies reported here. I say this with all reverence and mean no disrespect.

Many of the Temples have 'chariots' or wagons on which the Lord is placed and pulled through the streets by the devout, pulling on long chains. The chariot, which by itself can be enrmous, is decorated for the event

There are, of course, lots of Hindu gods, and they incarnate into many avatars, Krishna being the incarnation most familiar to us in the West 'cause of the saffron robed folks who used to dot the airports. The avatars have lots of adventures and kill demons and create rivers and mountains and many such things. The numerous temples in India celebrate the various avatars and their deeds.

One of the things Krishna did was drive a chariot in one of the major Hindu epics, the Mahabarata. The caste of chariot drivers are called Sarathy, hence Kaushik's family's interest in the temple. BTW you can tell this incarnation of Krishna because he has "moustaches".


So the chariot is constructed without a turning mechanism, and so with a combination of wedges, weighted brakes on the back, and rice flour, the chariot is turned through the streets. The guy in the picture is holding one of the wedges, which doesn't seem so big when you consider the size of the wheel behind him.

Kaushik did get me into the line and I pulled on the chain for a while. It was a really hot morning, despite the early hour. We didn't pull long or far, but I can imagine that it would be a religious experience to pull it all the way around.

I tried to make some comment about the idea that if the chariot driver was riding in the chariot, who would be driving? But the irony didn't make it through the translation.

So it gets hot in India.

The sun passes over Chennai much sooner than it does over New York City in it's procession to the solstice. As a matter of fact they call this period Agni Nakshatra or "Star Fire". There was one night last week that it did, indeed feel like the stars were shooting heat out of the sky.
They say it ends next month. But thay also say it only lasts 14 days, or 24 days, or 30 days - depending on whom you ask.

I wonder why it doesn't happen after the soltice as well. Maybe there's something they're not telling me?

Happy Birthday

So it's not very Indian, to have Ms Hepburn here, but it is very Johnny Bowtie.
I learned that today is the anniversary of Audrey Hepburn's birthday. She was an international, and had come to India with Unicef, so perhaps it's appropriate that she be included here.


Anyway, she was an icon, a remarkable, creative lady who never publically deviated from good taste and a certain Belgian propriety. Let us take a moment to say Namaste to her example.


Let me also take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Liza Doolitlle Day! With the tendency of this blog not to get updated, I don't want to miss it LOL

May the King grant you all your heart's desire.

New Year's Day

Sunday turned out to be not only Tamil New Year, but a work day, and also celebrity day.
It started with three Turner celebs came trouping out from the greater world to visit the job site and catch up on the ground realities.We were having coffee in the hotel before heading out to the job site, when it was noted that sitting at the next table was a starlet of the Tamil film industry. She very kindly agreed to pose for a picture with us. She was so sweet. So that's Kaushik and Dan Hsu (from NY), and Namia, Nick Billotti (Pres Turner Int), Jimmy (my boss) and me.

So Sunday night I was invited to a fashion show. It was for the launching of a new LCD Television line in the Indian market. The place was full of Indian TV Salesmen. Not sure that they were interested in the fashion....
The celebrity of the night was a TV heartthrob named Suriya and everyone went gaga over him when he showed up. Talk about your bedroom eyes! Obviously a soap opera star...

Spent the evening shaking hands, making contacts. Wrong industry, but you never know...

Oh, did I mention the see through saris and the bare-chested men in feather boas at the fashion show? Happy New Year

I'm Getting Married in the Morning

With all the progress in technology, the Hindu traditions get brought along too. There are still ox carts in the streets, as well as the beautifully carved wooden temp-le chariots, but some of the traditions even borrow a little from Bollywood (or Tamilwood).

There is a tradition that when a man comes to town for his wedding. He is paraded through the streets so everyone may have a look at him and see who's clan the bride is joining. It's also a double check for the parents so anyone can 'speak now or forever hold thy peace'. As pointed out to me, someone can step up and say 'I know that man and he already has 3 wives....or owes a lot of money....or whatever.'

This groom, in an electrified oculus, accompanied by a couple small cousins, was at the center of a huge parade. With a band and marchers, his float was on top of some vehicle which was so completely covered by the float I couldn't see if it was car, or truck, or what.

The parade took up the entire street. I had to plaster myself against the wall of the building to let it pass into the dark night and onto many years of wedded happiness.

Gratuitous OFC Photos (Oh Fer Cute)

no one will be surpirsed that I will stoop to a little crowd pleasing schmaltz, especially when trying to back myself out of not having posted for a while.

There are bunches of wild dogs all over India and of course all over my jobsite. A friend theorizes that they don't bark because they're not tied up. Some do bark at me at times - I'm still not sure if I smell wierd or if they can see me that well to know I'm a different color.

Anyway, there's one (shown right) who will follow me all around the site because I'll give her a big rubdown - and then go wash my hands - quick! I call her Lakshmi after the goddess of wealth, cause she's gold. But she whines like an out of control space ship in a bad Sci Fi movie. Stillshe's very sweet.

This guy on the left isn't tame enough to come to me, but I think he's a handsome fellow. He was much more interested in the rest of his pack than he was in me. They were cavorting and jumping and chasing after some others making inCURsions (sorry)

...And it's spring, so now there are more dogs on the site. These guys were trying hard to find a shady spot to nap. Damn sun kept moving!!

Commute

Apologies for not updating sooner, there was a trip to Ireland for Patty's day, and Stonehenge for the equinox and St Paul's for Good Friday. The Turner folks got all funny about it, so there's been that to deal with back here. But between yoga and gym and the 2 hour commute each way to the job site, the blog has suffered. Sorry.

So yoga and the gym are great, and the commute may get better starting today. There's one big road in Chennai, the Anna Salai, named for an old politician. Apparently he built a major road in every major city in India. It is anywhere from 2 to 6 lanes wide and up to 10 lanes of traffic will hurtle, or creep down it.
There are very few traffic lights, and even when there are, traffic snarls terribly with people turning right from the left lane and all that (We're on the other side of the road here thanks to the British) So to fix the problem, the Chennai Corporation (city) builds 'fly-overs'. I called it a viaduct and they all looked at me funny.

The Gundy flyover, presently under construction is at a bend in the Anna Salai and two branch roads that lead to major sections of town. Navigating through the intersection with buses and bull carts and crowds of pedestrians and cockroach like pedicabs, and the changing construction lanes and what not is a nightly circus. One night it took 90 minutes just to get through that intersection.

So the thing has been under construction for 7 years and is far from complete, but they are opening the main span today (we think). As we came by it yesterday it was all lit up. Yes that picture is not of a shopping center canopy, but of the concrete road bridge festooned with lights. What's more, the little line of lights at the top: run! Talk about your distraction!

They like to celebrate here. (Especially the politicians!)