Keeping it beautiful, one day at a time.: Travel

Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2015

What the Yoga Retreat Looked Like!

Am back in Singapore - it is good to get back home to the little one and the hubby! But I definitely have left a piece of my heart back in Rishikesh and I do plan to go back to it some time soon.

Meanwhile there have been quite a few of you who wanted to know more about the retreat accommodation details etc., so here you go.

I stayed at Dewa Retreat in Tapovan near Lakshman Jhula and took their package which included accommodation, 2 yoga classes daily, one trip to Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Ashram and all meals (room service excluded). Their website is http://rishikeshyogaretreat.com.

Here are a few pictures and videos too that I couldn't post from there due to slow wi-fi. Slow or inconsistent wifi was probably the only downside, but then again, you don't go to Rishikesh to be plugged on to the internet always! Also, I hadn't taken any of my good cameras because I wanted to travel light and spend less time looking through a viewfinder, so these are just the few pictures taken on my phone.

So here you go...

My room

Welcome gift of prayer beads made of Tulsi (basil) seeds. Also got an amazing welcome drink - Tulsi Tea!

View from the room when the sun's out

View from the room when it is cloudy

View from the room when it rains

View from the poolside

Lakshman Jhula, 400m away from the hotel

Entrance to Vasishtha Cave, 19kms away

View from outside Vasishtha Cave

Vasishtha Cave (and my cabbie)

View from Kunjapuri Temple, 25kms away

View from Kunjapuri Temple

Sunrise at Kunjapuri Temple

Kunjapuri Temple

Rishikesh as seen from Kunjapuri Temple

The little fellow who kept following me around (and also half of the looooong flight of stairs to Kunjapuri Temple)

Halfway point of the climb to Kunjapuri Temple (I highly recommend the Masala Chai here)

The auto-rickshaw that's more popularly known as the Tuk Tuk there (too much Thai influence)

Ram Jhula

View from Ram Jhula

Shopping alley near Ram Jhula

Ganga Aarti at Paramartha Ashram

The original Shiva statue on the Ganga at Parmartha Ashram was washed away in last year's floods, so they directed me to this other Shiva statue in a garden within the Ashram. It was magnificent, and I loved the half crescent moon on his head, and the almost full moon above in the night sky.

A lot less touristy Ganga Aarti near the Shatrughana Ghat at Ram Jhula

View from the 13th storey of the Trayambakeshwar temple at Lakshman Jhula

Dear Dolma from the Tibetan Peace shop singing a Nepali song for me :)

The good folks at Dewa Retreat who took the best care of me!

With my fellow yoginis as we bid goodbye at Dehradun airport!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Farewell, Rishikesh!

So here we are.... the last day in Rishikesh! And it was a beautiful cool, cloudy, breezy one.

The day started with one last awesome yoga class. Today he made us do Sarvangaasana and Halasana, which I thought were just the perfect highlight to wrap the retreat with. When it did end, my fellow yoginis and I felt pretty sad, and all we could do was thank our good teacher profusely.

I had a couple of hours to kill before leaving for the airport, so I spent it at the poolside, reading my book and enjoying the wonderful weather. When it was time to leave, I went around to say goodbye to everyone at the hotel who made my stay so wonderful - the owner, the managers, the receptionists, the waiters, the restaurant manager, the security guard - all of them who took such good care of me for the last one week. My fellow yogini mentioned, "I wonder whether the owner realizes how good his staff are" and I couldn't agree more!

The rest of the day passed by eventlessly - it was travelling all the way, and I had the "Palace of Illusions" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for company. I absolutely LOVED the book which narrates the epic Mahabharatha from Draupadi's perspective. It is a terrific read.

So yes, that's the end of my much awaited yoga retreat. I am so happy I did this and very thankful for the support system (namely the hubby and the helper) that I have that made it possible.

Now it's time to get back to Singapore and then to a whirlwind shooting schedule in Abu Dhabi starting next week. It's going to be so different from the relaxed, quiet time I have had the past week but thanks to it, I feel prepared for what's coming up.

Until next time, Rishikesh!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Backbends, 13 Storey Temples And Tibetan Chants!

Today's the sixth day of the retreat, officially the finally one. I say "officially" because as per the original schedule, tomorrow is travel day with no yoga classes. And sure enough, tomorrow I will be making my way back to Singapore, but given that I would be leaving the hotel only at 1pm, the teacher kindly offered to continue with morning lessons as per normal routine. I was so thrilled! One extra class! That really made me feel a little less blue about the looming end of the retreat.

Both yoga classes today, once again, proved to be challenging but incredibly fulfilling. My favourite part was when, to improve our backward bends during Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose, the teacher asked us to inch closer to a wall and to press our chests and stomachs against it as much as we can - this ensured that we were bent backwards beyond 90 degrees! It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had no idea my spine could so quickly get to that stage!

I took the whole morning slow - just lounged about in the hotel, packed and read one more book, this time another of R. K. Narayan's work "Sampath, the printer of Malgudi".

After the second yoga class, I set out for my last outing around Rishikesh, not without a heavy heart at the prospect of it being the last one. I went back to Lakshman Jhula and visited a 13 story temple right next to it. This one adorns pretty much all photos of Lakshman Jhula, thanks to its height, beautiful architecture and strategic location right next to the bridge. It had several dieties on each floor, with many of them lined up in a row of shrines from one end to the other. Interestingly enough, in the lower 5-6 floors, it also had a lot of shops interspersed with the shrines that sometimes I would go and pray to one by mistake. Weird. But the top floors were really nice - with single shrines featuring one Shivalinga each and offering some spectacular views of the Ganges below, the lovely bridge across it, the mountains beyond, and several ashrams, temples and shops around. My most favourite part was watching many yogis and yoginis practicing with dedication on the roof tops of the yoga training centres around. I loved it! Again, except for the priest, I was the only one around. I guess few people want to venture up 12 flights of stairs, when there are plenty of other temples at ground level all around. I took the opportunity to sit and meditate in that perfect atmosphere.

Afterwards, I went back to the row of Tibetan shops we had come across yesterday. I wanted to explore them a bit further because I was so fascinated by all the unique stuff they had to offer. I walked into one shop run by a darling little lady called Dolma. She explained to me what the designs on some of the things meant, and I picked up a pendant that was designed in one of the eight holy Tibetan signs and conveyed "Never Ending / Infinite Love" and one that looked like a prayer wheel with a Tibetan chant on it wishing "Never Ending Happiness". I loved them both! I also caught her humming a beautiful melody as I was looking through her wares, and later when I asked her to sing it again for me, she was so shy and insisted to do so only with the accompaniment of the original song on her phone. The song she was singing was Nepalese, but she had no idea what it meant. She told me that they spend 8 months in Rishikesh every year but when it gets too hot, she goes to Bhutan. There was something so sweet and charming about here... I really had a great time talking to her!

By the time I was done shopping, it was already dark, so I made my way back to the hotel. But not before I picked up a few more books from that lovely little book shop. I bought more of R. K. Narayan and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and felt really good about it.

Even though it was dark, I made my way back to the hotel very, very slowly because I didn't want the walk to end. But all good things have to come to an end, so I just got myself to enjoy every bit of that last walk around.

One more yoga class tomorrow and then it is time to say goodbye to this wonderful, wonderful place!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

From Asanas to Jala Neti!

After much activity yesterday, I took the day easy and didn't venture out in the morning. Instead, I spent it in the room and completed all the the storyboarding and scheduling work. I can now say that I personally am 100% ready for the shoot next week!

Both the yoga classes today were challenging and I got to try a few new things.

First was the Chakrasana or Wheel Pose - I used to be able to do this on my own a long time ago, but recently I had hardly attempted it nor do I think I would have been able to do it, even if I tried. But thanks to the wonderful teacher here, not only was I able to hoist myself up (he pulled me up with a belt at first), but also could strongly remain in that position for a while. It felt awesome!

Second was the Padmasana or Lotus Pose - Even before coming here, I could get myself into a Padmasana but it had never been a comfortable posture for me, and I would be able to hold it only for 30 seconds to a minute before my ankles and feet scream in pain and I get out of the posture in relief. But today, in the class, I held it for a good 15 minutes and also could get myself to bend forward and touch the forehead on the ground even as I was seated in Padmasana! Great progress!

Third was the Hanumanasana or the Splits Pose - I had always wanted to be able to do the split but never really learnt how to. Today, with a lot of warm up as guided by the teacher, I managed to get into the widest split I could ever get into till date. I was still not able to get into it a 100% but the teacher said that I am very, very close to it and just a little bit more practice and I can do it! Exciting!!

Last but not the least, we practiced Jala Neti - the nose cleansing or sinus irrigation technique wherein you take warm salt water through one nostril, and drain it through the other nostril. It is supposed to cleanse your nasal passage, clear nasal allergies, sinuses, even help with tired eyes! I was so thrilled and was surprised to see how much of junk was actually released from the nose, post the routine. It felt SO GOOD! Good news is that we also got our own individual Neti pots each, so now I can try it out in Singapore too!

After the second terrific yoga class for the day, I decided to walk until the Ram Jhula, which was about 2 kms away. I was accompanied by the two girls who are also part of the same retreat as me, and we walked to the Lakshman Jhula first, crossed over and took the footpath all the way to Ram Jhula. On the way we came across a lovely Tibetan shop that had a gorgeous, very unique range of accessories and curios. We picked up a couple of things and walked on to the Ram Jhula.

At Ram Jhula, it was once again back to the alley of shops, hordes of cows, dogs, monkeys, sadhus, pilgrims, tourists, yogis and what not. To our amusement, one of the girls was approached by a professional "ear cleaner" who offered to clean her ears (no, it wasn't a joke, he actually does that for a living) . She said, "That is the weirdest thing I have ever been asked"!

I wanted to attend the Ganga Aarti on the opposite shore today. Yesterday I had noticed that it is much less crowded here and wanted to check it out. So we crossed over the Ram Jhula and joined a small group of people for the Aarti on the opposite shore. And it was a beautiful, beautiful experience! For starters, there were hardly any people. The Aarti was done by three boys who performed a synchronized routine to some lovely chants and music, with huge, spectacular lamps - my favourite being one that was shaped like a hooded cobra! They were so elegant, I could watch them all day long but I took some time to meditate and chant as the routine progressed.

As I watched the Aarti, one of the volunteers handed me a big lamp to do few rounds of the Aarti myself and at that point in time, with the Ganga flowing slowly, majestically, in front, with the mountains beyond darkening from the setting sun, the chants ringing in my ears and the flame of the lamp ensuing a brilliant light around me, I felt so contented, so happy, that I think my eyes actually welled up.

After the Aarti, we got the flower and camphor flame offerings, which we left adrift in the Ganga and watched it float away carrying a little bit of light each in the dark waters.

We took an autorickshaw back and after a meal of "vegetable seekh kebabs" and some hot Bournvita, I tucked myself into bed with my book of the day - R. K Narayan's "The World of Nagaraj". It is such a wonderfully simple and funny tale - I actually caught myself laughing out loud at many poins! If R. K. Narayan were alive, I definitely would have visited him and given him a huge hug!

Any day in Rishikesh comes to an end, and I am getting increasingly sad about the though of leaving soon. But I know I will come back, so for now, I will make the most of the remaining time in this wonderful place.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

From Sunrise At Kunjapuri to Sunset With Ganga Aarti!

I woke up at 4:30am and by 5am, a cab was waiting to take me to the Kunjapuri temple. Situated at a height of 1920 feet and 25 kms away from Rishikesh, I had heard that it offers a spectacular view of the mountains around, especially during sunrise.

So we set off, with the stars above and the stillnes of the dark night around. Save for a few trucks, there was hardly any traffic on the roads, and we had a smooth drive up the mountains. It was pitch dark when we started but by the time we got to Kunjapuri, the first rays of the sun had lighted up the sky and the last few kilometeres offered breathtaking views of the mountains rising above and the plains below, with the Ganga snaking through it. The cabbie had been playing some really nice devotional music throughout and I felt completely at peace as I took in the views.

When we got to Kunjapuri, it was cold with a strong, chilly breeze and I had to brave a really long flight of stairs before I could get to the temple. Especially with the altitude and the cold, I found that not an easy task. But once up at the temple, the breathlessness from the exertion made way to breathlessness seeing the gorgeous backdrop of the quaint, serene temple. The only sounds that accompanied the beautiful sight were that of the breeze, chirping of a hundred birds and the gong of the temple bell that reverberated across as I struck it.

I realized that I was the first visitor for the day. It was just me, a couple of priests and what seemed like their families on top. So in a way I had the whole temple to myself and I prayed to my mind's content. I had picked up a puja thali (plate) with offerings for the Goddess and once the priest took all offerings, he replaced it with a coconut and packets of puffed rice and sugar balls as prasad. As I walked out of the shrine, a darling little dog started following me, clearly for the eatables on my puja plate. I opened up the packet of the puffed rice and gave it to him, but he politely declined it and continued to follow me hopefully. Then I realized I had a dog with a sweet tooth on hand and what he really wanted were the sugar balls. So I gave those to him which he eagerly lapped up, after which he unceremoniously stopped following me.

I kept walking around the temple, taking in the views in all directions, and soon there it was - a huge red ball of the sun rising up from beyond the mountains. It was the sunrise I had so badly wanted to see. But when it started to happen, instead of watching it, I wanted to close my eyes, while allowing the warm rays to fall upon me.

I sat on a metal bench facing the sun, watching it rise, meditating and chanting in turns. At one point in time, while I had my eyes closed, I felt a movement next to me. I opened my eyes to see a baby monkey stealing off some of the leftover puffed rice on my puja plate! As soon as he saw me watching, the naughty little thing ran away. So I left the plate on the bench, got up and stood a short distance away and continued enjoying the sunrise and chanting. After I was done, I walked back to the bench and sure enough, the plate was now completely empty without even a grain of rice left in it. The little one had done his job well.

After spending a good hour in the peace and quiet of the temple and making friends with two little kids who helped me break the coconut prasad, I walked back down the stairs. Half way down there was a "Maggi Cafe" where I helped myself to a cup of refreshing masala tea and then it was time for the drive back. Now with the sun completely up and the skies fully lit up, the drive offered a different view and I enjoyed it thoroughly, wanting it to never end.

Back at the resort, it was time for my morning routine of yoga class, breakfast and shower and a short walk to the Lakshman Jhula and back. By the time I was back, I was completely exhausted from the early morning rise, the climbing of stairs and all the walking and I collapsed into my bed and napped right away.

I woke up just in time for the afternoon yoga class, which thankfully wasn't too strenuous. After two rounds of sun salutations on each side, he made us do different kinds of pranayama or breathing exercises and also got us to meditate.

And then I set off once again, this time for the Ganga Aarti. Different ashrams and temples around Rishikesh hold evening prayers to the holy river Ganga and the biggest prayer in Rishikesh is held at the Paramartha Ashram. The hotel arranged for an auto-rickshaw to take me there. From where the rickshaw dropped me, it was another flight of stairs and a walk of about 750 mts, which including walking through the Ram Jhula (the other long hanging bridge of Rishikesh), alleys of shops, temples and ashrams - all of which were alive and vibrant with pilgrims and tourists and yoga enthusiasts. I loved the energy!

At the beautiful Paramartha Ashram, the bhajans preceeding the Aarti had already begun and I joined the big group that had gathered along Ganga's shore. Again, I meditated as they sang, and then once I was done, watched the sun set beyond the river. Soon the Aarti began and several big lamps were being swung in a circular motion in respect of the holy river. It was a fascinating sight but I have to say that I was a bit taken aback by how much of it was "touristy" vs. spiritual. Even though many folks seemed to focus on the prayers, the vast majority, including a few sadhus and people donning the orange robes, were more interested in taking selfies or posing with the aarti lamps. I wished I was in a pre-camera era when the atmosphere would have been so different and I do think they should be banning videography and photography in those premises.

I was also heartbroken to realize that the huge Shiva statue that graced the waters in that spot before, had been washed off in last year's floods. I was really looking forward to seeing that utterly magnificent statue and had no idea it was no longer there. I believe the guy who passed on this information saw the heavy disappointment on my face, so he helpfully told me that, if I walk down all the way to the other end of the Paramartha Ashram, I can see two other white Mahadeva (Shiva) statues. I thought, might as well. So I walked in to the ashram in search of the statues, and I didn't see two but many more. They had a few really, really amazing statues of the Mahadeva in various Thandava (dance) postures. They were spectacular. I also saw the two white ones the guys had mentioned and at the end of it all, felt a little better and less disappointed.

By the way, I must also mention that I am really enjoying speaking Hindi here. I had picked up conversational Hindi in college from my future husband and our friends and this is the first time I am really use it left, right and centre. So when I hear new words which I have only learnt in school but never really used before, I feel excited! When the guy was explaining where I would find the Mahadeva statue, he said I had to walk across the "Bageecha" (garden) and I was so amused because the last time I had heard that word was in some story in class five or so! So I did walk through the bageecha and not only find the statues, but also saw a few people scattered across, practicing their yoga in the bageecha. Gosh, I love this place!

Soon I walked back the whole way - through the bageecha, out of the ashram, through the shops and alleys and temples (where there were more aartis happening and prayers and chants and gongs were vibrating all across the area), across the Ram Jhula, up the flight of stairs, finally to an auto rickshaw that was waiting for me. The temperature had dropped significantly and there was a chilly wind blowing, and even as I sat in the rickety auto rickshaw that made it a point to jump over every gutter and pothole (and there were plenty of them), I couldn't feel happier.

By the time I got back to the hotel, I was ready to drop from exhaustion but I first ordered myself some more masala chai and some hot kichdi and then got hooked on to my Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni book again (it's called "Oleander Girl, by the way). I went to bed only past midnight after I successfully finished ready it. I have lapped up three books so far on this trip!

Another wonderful day comes to an end.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Vasishtha Cave, Ganga, German Bakery & Retirement!

After yet another challenging yet refreshing yoga class in the morning, followed by a shower and breakfast, I set out on my first expedition out of Rishikesh - to the Vasishtha cave. The hotel had arranged for a cab to take me there and I loved the drive that was along the Ganges throughout. Every turn in the road offered more and more picturesque views of the mountains and the river cutting through it in a gorge below. The weather was perfect too - the skies were clouded, hiding away the strong sun, and there was a slight drizzle that brought down the temperature significantly.

I also enjoyed reading the various signboards warning against overspeeding of vehicles. There were the usual "Speed thrills but kills" ones, to more innovative "Licence to drive, not fly", to some stuff which I totally didn't get like "I am the mountain serpent (pahadi nagin), be careful with me"?!, to my most favourite one - the very straightforward, the no-nonsense "No need to speed". OK then.

In a way, I didn't want the drive to end but when it did, I was pleased that it was in a remote area with pretty much zero other tourists. I had expected the Vasishtha cave - an auspicious cave which is believed to have been where Sage Vaishtha meditated thousands of years ago - to be crowded. But when the car stopped at the entrance to the ashram which housed the cave, I saw no one else around.

From the main entrance where the car was parked, it was a steep walk downhill, made harder by the rain that persisted. Thankfully the hotel manager had thrusted an umbrella into my hands just as I was about to get into the cab, and even though many of its wires were broken and it looked like some modern artistic sculpture with no identifiable shape, it did help to keep me dry as I walked down.

There was the ashram on one side and a really tiny temple in front, which I realized was the entrance to the cave. I took off my shoes and stepped into pitch darkness. I had been informed that it is about 30 feet deep, so I walked in trying to make my way in the darkness, and was a bit startled when I realized there were fellow humans popping up along the walls of the cave. As my eyes adjusted a bit better to the darkness, I saw about 6-7 people sitting on either sides of the cave meditating. The cave ended in a tiny shrine with a shiva linga. With the help of the little lamp in front of the linga, I found an empty spot on the floor in between a friendly Indian lady who smiled at me and a totally unfriendly Indian uncle who looks terrible annoyed with me.

I sat down on that spot and meditated for a while. The only thing that seemed to break the pin drop of silence of that holy atmosphere was the sound of breathing of the few of us in there. It was just the perfect set up for meditation and I made good use of it. At one point in time, the priest of the temple came by, stood outside the cave but facing in, sang a beautiful prayer and did the puja and walked away. That was a very different experience - usually they are always turned away from you, looking towards the deity as they do the prayers. This was the first time I got to be in that zone between the priest and the deity with the chanting and the glow from the fires of the arati flying by right across me. Wonderful experience!

Once I had my fill of meditation and silent mantra chanting, I walked out and noticed that there was a path from that cave that led to the Ganga just a little distance. So I walked down to the river and just as I stepped outside the compound of the ashram, I was blown away by the beauty around! There was the might Ganga roaring away right in front with a beautiful sandy beach that leads up to it and magnificent hills forming the backdrop. It was continuing to drizzle, but it was my first time at such close quarters with the river - till now I have only been looking at from a distant height - so I took off my shoes and stepped into its chilly waters, cupped a handful of the water considered holy and sprinkled it on my head and for a very long time, just stood there taking in the beauty. The best part was that I was the only there - no fellow camera wielding tourists or pilgrims around. It was just me, the Ganga and the mountains!

After I got back to the hotel, I stepped out again immediately, this time to the market near Lakshman Jhula. I had noticed a few shops with in house tailors and I used the opportunity to get a few pants that were on sale to be re-stitched the way I want them . They were only too happy to oblige and didn't even charge me anything extra! As I waited for the tailors to do their job, I decided to have lunch at the "German Bakery & Cafe". This place is perched on the second floor of a building right next to the lakshman jhula with possible the best view in the area and every time I wanted to go there, it seemed to be over crowded. But this time I was lucky and I got myself a nice "window seat" and read my book as I had my fill of "Chilli Paneer" and Masala Chai. The chai was great and the food was average, but the view was spectacular and the constant din created by the monkeys that played around on the tin sheets right above, added to the experience!

I was exhausted by the time I got back - the yoga followed by the walk up and down to the cave and then again the walk up and down to market really tired me out, and I took a nap before the second yoga class for the day. The second class ended up being a private one for just me, because my two fellow yoginis got caught up somewhere else and couldn't get back on time. I enjoyed the class (as always!) and treated myself to a glass of sweet fresh lime soda and my book right after.

I took the rest of the evening easy - just reading, catching up with the hubby, parents, in laws, film crew etc. via whatsapp and generally giving my sore muscles some rest. I managed to finish my Vikramaditya book which I quite enjoyed (even though I have to say that I am rather annoyed with this nonsense trilogy trend - hate a story being incomplete in one book!) and started on my Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni book, which also looks promising so far!

Thus, yet another day in Rishikesh came to an end and am already at the half way point of this retreat, the thought of which is kinda heartbreaking. The good news is that this place has been shortlisted to be in my "retirement location" options. I have had the good fortune of travelling quite a bit around the world but I think this combination works best for me so far - it is in India and hence affordable, I like the weather so far (even though I need to come back in winter and see how it would be like) and with the thousands of yoga training centres, ashrams and temples there is much to do for a retiree. It is interesting because I had been strangely drawn to Rishikesh even in my first very short visit here, about 20 years ago. We had come on a day's trip from Delhi and covered Rishikesh, Haridwar, Agra and Vrindavan. And Rishikesh was the only place I wanted to go back to. Haridwar is only 27kms from here and I could go there if I wanted to, but I really have no inclination.

So yes, there is something that connects me to this place and I want to come back again, but for now I am happy that I got this opportunity to be right here, right now.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Rains, Books, Headstands!

I woke up to a very different Rishikesh - dark clouds, thunder, frequent showers and cold, gusty wind that was so strong that the hotel staff had to lock their glass doors in front to prevent them from breaking (But I saw a few unfortunate, broken flower pots which couldn't be saved)! It was beautiful and practicing yoga in this weather was right about the most perfect experience!

After the morning class, I headed down to breakfast, with the company of my new book "The Guardians of Halahala" which is the first of the "Vikramidaitya Trilogy". I am enjoying it so far. Today, I helped myself to some upma and vegetable paratha, together with my favourite drink masala chai.

When rain outside took a break, I stepped out to enjoy the wind and wonderful cool weather. I walked around the pool and enjoyed the view of the hills all around. I also met an old Indian uncle from London, who was on his umpteenth post retirement holiday. He had been around pretty much all over India as well as rest of world, and is now in the process of visiting a few that corners that he has missed out (Singapore and Thailand apparently) and revisiting places that he had fallen in love with (including Rishikesh). What I loved about him was that he had a real zest to explore the world and live life to fullest. He must be at least 70 years old, but apparently is just back after white water rafting, even as his wife rested it out in their room! Needless to say, I thought he was awesome.

My afternoon yoga was quite an experience. I did my first ever Sheershasana - yup, The Headstand!!! OK fine, I was assisted by the teacher, who helped me prop my legs up against the wall, but a first is a first is a first and I am extremely thrilled about it!

Feeling on top of the world and wanting to make the most of the weather that continued to be gorgeous, I decided to go for another walk to Lakshman Jhula. This time, I didn't walk on that crowded, rather unsettling bridge. Instead I climbed up a small platform at a height and watched the crowds and bridge and temples and water beneath. I don't know how long I sat there. It was so peaceful... with the distant chanting of mantras in my ears and watching the Ganga flowing smoothly, purposefully, I once again thanked all the stars and all the Gods for giving me the opportunity to be there, just then.

On my way back - two things caught my eye. First, was a humungous grey haired, black faced monkey with a tail that didn't seem to end. It was at least 3 or 4 times the size of any other monkey I had seen so far, it's grey colour was unique from the other yellow ochre monkeys and the tail... wow. It was sitting majestically, on top of a wall, with such a calm, serene expression. I probably should have taken a picture of it, but I couldn't get myself to... it somehow felt like it would have trivialized the presence of that wondrous creature. So I just let it be.

The second thing that caught my eye was a tiny little book shop, the kind you can find only in India, where there are books literally in every inch of space within - all over the walls, all over the floor - stacked and strewn away in the most disorganized manner, some brand new, some yellowing with age, some with edges bitten off by bugs, and some with no price tags. Initially, I was skeptical whether I would find books of my taste - i.e. fiction - because all I could see on the window panel were books about yoga, hinduism and sadhus, but then I realized right in the midst of it all, was also a book called "Bollywood Nights" by Shobha De. OK then. And sure enough, they had everything from yoga, religion and spirituality to cooking, western classical literature and entrepreneurship. It was a little piece of paradise. So I spent some time there as well and picked three books that are sure to be delightful - two by R.K.Narayan and one by Chitra Divakaruni Banerjee, an author whom my mom in law had introduced to me a long time ago - I thought I had read all her works so far, so was delighted to find yet another work of hers!

Back in my room after my little outing and a simple dinner of roti and vegetables, I put all my effort into some storyboarding work. There is much work still left for the film's pre-production and this was one part of it. I made quite some progress, and hope to complete it within the next couple of days. In other news, every time I realize that the shoot is just a week away, I have minor palpitations. Gulp.

Two days and four yoga classes down. Four days and eight more lessons to go.

When I was walking around the Lakshman Jhula today, I noticed a foreign tourist, with his big backpack hanging from his shoulders, gazing melancholically at the river and the view beyond. He seemed to be transfixed to the spot and looked really, really sad. The first thing that occured to me was that maybe it was time for him to leave Rishikesh and he probably doesn't want to. I am certain that I would be feeling the exact same way in a few days' time, because there is something so magnetic about this place. And I am falling in love with it a little bit more every day.

P.S. Today was Singapore's founding father Lee Kwan Yue's funeral. A lot has been said and written about this man, so I won't repeat any of it. But it would not be right if I don't take a moment to thank him. Had he not did what he did for Singapore to become what it is today, I probably would have had a very different life. So from the bottom of my heart, Thank you, Mr. Lee. Rest in peace.

Yoga & Incredible India!

God! I am loving this so much, I have no idea why I didn't do it any earlier!

OK, let's take it from the beginning.

I woke up by 6:30 or so, feeling a lot better than yesterday evening, but still with a running nose. My first class of the retreat was to start at 8am, so I first went down to the restaurant and had my favourite Ginger Honey Lemon tea. As I sipped on the tea, I also finished up that horrible book I had been reading yesterday. The book was bad, but at least I have the satisfaction of actually reading a book end to end!

After tea, I went up to the yoga studio and waited for the class to start. Sharp at 7:55am the teacher, a young Indian guy, walked in, handed over the yoga mats to me and the two other girls who are part of the same retreat as me, and we were all set to start!

He started off with a little bit of meditation, a few prayers, some simple warm up and then went straight ahead into the yoga postures. And man, it was AWESOME! I have a little bit of experience with yoga and this was only the first class, but I found it pretty challenging and exciting! It makes such a difference practicing with a real master! He was slow and deliberate and made small corrections that made a world of difference, and I really enjoyed every bit of it! The session ended with two rounds of surya namaskar. Again, I am familiar with suryanamaskars... but mainly via Youtube videos. The way he taught it was incredible! It was pretty challenging as he made us hold on to every posture until we were trembling, and by the end of it I felt pretty enlightened... I thought, "Oh, so this is suryanamaskar!"

Post the class, I went for the buffet breakfast and helped myself to some poha, vegetable paratha and some masala chai and felt pretty satisfied with it all. During breakfast, different people from the hotel - starting with its owners, the general manager and others, came up to me, introduced themselves, asked me how everything was and generally made me feel pretty good. Really, their service is too good! I also learnt that there are three retreats happening in the hotel right now - one that I am attending, another with a bigger group that started a few days earlier, and yet another, even bigger one which is a teacher training group from the US. On top of this, there are a few guests who are not on a "retreat" but have the option of taking one free yoga lesson every morning.

Sure enough, over the last 24 hours, I have noticed that where I turn, there are people practicing yoga - in the studio, on the terrace, in the garden, near the pool - it was like a little community of hardcore yoga enthusiasts! So inspiring!

After breakfast, I took a shower, worked on the film script/storyboard for a while and then took some rest to give that cold of mine a break. Lunch was ala carte, but still part of the package I had taken. I ordered myself a dish that seemed like mixed vegetable manchurian (even though that wasn't the name on the menu) and a couple of tawa rotis. Post lunch, I did what anyone would do in such a situation. I slept off.

Soon it was 4pm - time for the second class of the day. The teacher once again started off with the same meditation, prayers and warm up but the postures in round 2 were slightly modified, more advanced stages of what we did in the morning. Even the surya namaskars at the end were modified slightly to make them more challenging. I really liked the progressive approach but was also pretty certain that tomorrow I would be just a heap of sore muscles.

Post the class, I set out to actually see a bit of Rishikesh. I had been confined to my hotel ever since I got here yesterday, thanks to the darn cold, and it was high time that I stepped out. So I walked out to the point of interest closest to my hotel - the Lakshman Jhula, or one of the two main hanging bridges of Rishikesh, across the mighty Ganges. I walked down a steep downhill path - first a very narrow alley that went by tiny yoga ashrams and tinier temples with chanting echoing through its walls, and then later on the main road that led to the bridge - again, plenty of temples, plenty of shops, vehicles, tourists, sadhus, cows and what not.

The bridge itself was an epitome for "exotic" India - you know the India that is completely stereotyped since the British Raj and currently in wester media? Yeah, the bridge was making that stereotype come completely alive.

Within those few meters of that extremely narrow bridge which has just enough space for two rows of pedestrians, there were pedestrians of course, and also scooters, prams, monkeys, dogs, cows (I actually bumped into one after expertly avoiding a dog) - there were vendors, tourists, locals, foreigners, youngest ones wrapped and bound to their mother's chests to oldest ones craning on to walking sticks, vibhuthi, tattoos, piercings, "Om" symbols, blacks, whites, colours, plains, prints, long hair, short hair, matted hair, shaved heads - all of it crammed on to that one all consuming bridge. Phew!

It was Incredible India compressed into that tiny space. And sure enough, it was absolute chaos as everyone was trying to take pictures of it standing right there.

I somehow got off on the other end, and went right into a tiny temple which was empty and quiet and exuded peace as if unaware of the chaos outside. I spent some time there, and then walked back through the bridge once again, shopped around a bit, went to another serene temple - this one was actually the historic Lakshman Jhula temple but not soul was in it, and then walked back to the hotel, this time taking the steep uphill path.

I was super tired by the time I got back - from the cold, the two yoga classes, the walk. So I immediately freshened up, had my dinner - rotis and a platter of tandoor vegetables, and hit the bed early with my second book for the trip in hand.

Everything felt so perfect - the solo travel that's giving me so much time to myself to sleep, read, relax, doing a lot of good quality yoga, and being in an atmosphere that is so spiritually vibrant. Feeling so grateful!

Yoga & Incredible India!

God! I am loving this so much, I have no idea why I didn't do it any earlier!

OK, let's take it from the beginning.

It was Incredible India compressed into that tiny space. And sure enough, it was absolute chaos as everyone was trying to take pictures of it standing right there.