Namaste! I am now staying at an Ashram in Kerala. After almost two weeks on the sandy beaches of Goa I decided to go on new adventures. I tried to buy a train ticket for the journey, but it turned out to be a lot of hassle with no luck at all.
So last Monday I packed my backpack once again and checked out of my little room. It turned out that Leon and a couple of his friends were going to Hampi the same day, so we all shared a taxi to the nearest town, Mapsa. We set of right before sunset and drove past some beautiful views on the way. We drove past fields of the greenest green you can imagine and the colours of the sunset sky reflected in the patches of water in the fields. A flock of white birds took flight and flew towards the deep red sun hanging low in the sky.
We drove up on a hill and a valley stretched out to one side of the road. There was mist rising in smoky wisps from the endless palm trees of the valley. Hundreds of big black birds were circling above the treetops with the warm colours of the darkening dusk on the horizon.
We got to Mapsa right before my friends bus was leaving, so I said my goodbyes and then went in a tuktuk to the train station. The roads were pretty bad, so it was one of those bumpy rides, but I arrived safely at the station.
I got myself a general class ticket and sat down to wait. It was nearly midnight when the train finally arrived and I was exhausted. With my general class ticket I didn't have a seat, so I just went to the women's carriage right at the back of the long, long train. There were not so many people in the carriage, but enough to be crowded if you wanted to have a space to lie down. The Indian women curled up in their seats and started snoring softly while I sat there trying to find a comfortable enough position to be able to sleep. I was exhausted but couldn't sleep. In the end I climbed up onto the luggage rack and stretched out there above all the sleeping women below me. It was hard and crammed to lie up there, but I got a small pillow and my sleeping bag and managed to doze off into a uneasy sleep. Just when I'd fallen asleep we stopped at a station and I got brutally woken by a crowd of loudly chattering young women streaming into the carriage. The previously quiet, sleepy carriage was suddenly crowded, colourful and laud. Everyone settled down after a while though and we all resumed our restless sleep.
When I woke up in the morning I saw that the space below me had become even more crowded while I slept and I felt a little bit selfish lying up there occupying the whole roof rack. But at the same time I was very glad I had climbed up there in the first place. I had my own little space and had an awesome view of everyone below me. The women would sometimes shoot me suspicious and curious glances, but with a smile and a little wag of my head they would smile back and wag their heads happily.
The Indians have an fantastic way of wagging their head, this could mean yes or no or maybe or basically anything else. It was very confusing at first, but I've come to love it and keep doing it all the time now. You wag your head as a friendly hello, or you give a little wag when you've agreed on a price after bargaining or simply to say thank you. It's a lovely little gesture that you can use for pretty much anything.
So I sat there on the luggage rack peering down at the women below me and wagged and smiled.
Finally I had to abandon my safe spot to use the toilet and the last two hours of the train ride I sat down on a seat by the window and looked at the endless greenery flashing past. I saw cows going about their leisurely lives, I saw locals working in their fields with their butts up in the air and their body folded in half in the impossible working position all the Indians seem to use, I saw forests of palm trees and smokey fires between the leaves and I saw the small houses and the people going about their daily rituals.
The train ride was long, on most of the stations it would stop for 10-15 minutes and there would be men selling chai tea and different foods on the platform. They were walking up and down the length of the train sticking their heads through the windows and shouting "Chai, chai, chai, masala chai!!".
And at some stretches the train was moving so slowly it felt as though we were standing still. Nevertheless I got to my destination, just a few hours late and got a tuktuk to the Ashram. It was once again a bumpy ride and I couldn't help but smile to myself from my place behind the drivers seat as I got shaken about. This is India. And it's sure going to be a bumpy ride.
I got dropped off and had to walk the last bit over the pedestrian bridge to the other side of the backwaters. I could see the high, pink buildings of the Ashram towering high above the wide river.
It is Mother Amma's Ashram, called Mata Amritanandamayi Math and it can reside thousands of people. Many are permanent residents, Indian as well as foreigners and also many people come to stay for a shorter period of time. Amma is known for the many charities she is involved in but most of all she is known for her hugging. She will sit for hours and hours hugging people, one after an other tirelessly spreading the endless love flowing from her big heart. She has been doing this since she was a small girl and that's were the name Amma (Mother) comes from and she refers to all the people as her children. She has embraced more than 30 million people so far in her 60 years of life and she will keep embracing the world as long as there is enough strength to reach out to those who come to her.
The huge Ashram is built in the place where Amma was born and is the headquarters for her spiritual and humanitarian organisation.
Amma often goes travelling and on tour, but the Ashram is her home and she will stay there offering her darshan (embrace) to the people staying there and lead the devotional singing that is part of her practice.
I managed to get there right before she was leaving on tour and she did a short darshan giving a hug to all the newcomers. I didn't really know much about the darshan when I was standing there in the long queue of people, but I finally got to the front. Many people wearing white clothes were standing close to Amma assisting her. Their hands ushered me forward and asked where I was from. I said Sweden and they gently pushed me into Amma's open arms. The embrace lasted a few long seconds and was filled with so much comfort and love that I felt a bit dazed when she let me go again. She said something to me and later I realised she had said "Min dattu, min dattu, min dattu" which was supposed to be "Min dotter" and means "My daughter" in Swedish.
I sat down to watch her for a while and felt tears rolling down my face. I can't explain it, but she has got a very strong presence and that short embrace brought a lot of emotions up to the surface.
Many people went with Amma on her tour, so the Ashram is a lot more quiet now and her presence is missed. But the everyday life goes on as usual with meditations, mantra singing and the selfless work everybody are asked to participate in, called Seva. My Seva is helping out with the laundry, so every day I climb all the many stairs to the 12th floor of my building and then stand up on the roof hanging sheets with an amazing view of the surroundings.
Today is my birthday and my roomie had managed to find me a birthday cake and sang for me in the morning. I really hadn't expected it so it was a very sweet and nice surprise. I shared my birthday cake with some people at breakfast and then went to do my Seva. At lunch I started talking to a few people who all turned out to be old Waldorf school kids. I felt some kind of connection or belonging the first time I saw then, so I wasn't really surprised when they told me. Some people you are just destined to meet and it feels like you have known each other for ever because you have the same background.
I spoke to my parents and my boyfriend on the phone and even though I'm a long way from home I have had a beautiful day so far.
I will probably be staying at the ashram for one more week.
Happy valentines day to you all!<3