Siva Rathri

March 5, 2008

So we will celebrate Siva Rathri tonight. It is a celebration across India for Lord Siva connected to birth and death. For any one who may not know my grandmother died today. I am told it is a very auspicious day to die. I am glad that I will be experiencing this time here and that she choose this day to pass on. I think all my prayers for her in the temple have effected her in someway. I also had a puja done for her at the ashram. We are going to celebrate Siva Rathri at a fire on the beach tonight and maybe visit a temple.

We have spent to last week staying with new friends in . They stay at the ashram a lot and rent a gorgeous home here not far from the ocean. We swam everyday and just discovered the most delicious chocolate pancakes in the world. Amazing that they are here in India. Our new friends have a 2 month old baby named Anjali. We have really enjoyed holding her and playing with her. She quite amazing. I will miss having a baby around as we are leaving here tomorrow.

India is very magical and amazing. Shawn and I slept on the roof for a while last night. As we were just lying down we heard these amazing drums getting closer and closer. Finally through the tree I could see a procession of some kind. We ran out to the main road and there was a procession with drums, a cool horn, and a statue of Vishnu. They were stopping at each house with an alter with offerings of food flowers and candles. Shawn used his sound recorder and the band stopped to play for him. Also a little friend we meet the day before named Sri Lakshmi came running over. She is a very sweet 10 or 11 year old who had a whole lot to talk about. We meet her younger brother Sri Hari. He gave me some of the prashad (offering) which I thought was food. After I got it in my mouth I realized it was funeral ash (auspicious). We all had a good giggle then the children spread ash all over my forehead. Magical Indeed!!!

I am getting attacked by mosquitoes as its sunset and we will go soon.

Love Tonya