www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGiEtV2BBHg

The music is from a song David Brunn recorded back in 1996 titled “Wonder”. I have also mixed in some vocal chanting of Shiv Raj Giri in the background. We met Shiv Raj Giri at Haridwar, and David got a recording of him singing and chanting.

The original purpose of this video was to combine my camera video footage and David’s Google phone video footage together in one place.

Some of the footage is from David, and some is mine. I think the video gives a certain flavor that we experienced there in India this trip.

I hope you enjoy this reminiscence of our trip to the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in Feb and Mar of 2010.

Namaste,
Alex

David’s video will be screened at the Seattle International Film Festival. It will show on Memorial Day, May 31st at McCaw Hall in the Seattle Center. The video placed in the top finalists among all videos.

The Journey INDIA 2010 -- “Lovely India Journey to the Epic Largest Gathering of Humans on Earth, the Kumbha Mela.” By David Brunn.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwAE5JqCxDM

Take a look and let us know what you think -- and please pass on and share this video with anyone you know who might be interested.

Namaste,
Alex

Alex in the 4th Dimension

Alex

Shiv Raj Giri

that whole thing about Shiv Raj asking for his “mobile number” was kind of strange – after he got the number Shiv Raj pulled alexs head down and whispered something, some chanting or something into each ear, first one side and then the other.

Giving "Mobile Number" to Shiv Raj Giri

after that happened alex got a phone call late one night in our hotel room. he went into the bathroom to talk for quite a while, and when he came out he wouldn’t tell me what it was all about.

in fact he left suddenly and didn’t return until the next morning.

i didn’t realize it at the time, but after thinking about it, i think this is when the strange behaviour started

if anyone hears anything from him please let me know.

i know he is supposed to be in Delhi to return home, but last I saw him he was in Varanasi – some people told me he had gone back to Haridwar, but i am not really sure where he is now.

one time i could have sworn i saw him down a street in delhi, but when i looked back he was gone.

i am sure he is ok, but it is a little strange at this point.
david

I took this photo shortly before i saw him go off with a group of sadhus in varanasi. i hope he comes back, but he mentioned going to haridwar again, and was very vague about his plans.

we all wish him well on his journey here in india – he has made a transformation possible only here in this amazing place. i will let you know if i hear from him again, and let me now if he contacts any of you here.
david

Baba Alex Giri

I got “Shiva Blessing” and did puja (offering of appreciation to the Ganga) with a “priest” who had a little platform under an umbrella on the Ghats. He put a cooling, brownish, yellowish substance on our foreheads, said some blessings and chants… then put some other substance on our wrists to cool down.

He was a very pleasant and good spirited man, with a nice shine in his eyes.

After that he put a bunch of flower petals into my hands and took me down to the Ganga and said some “prayers” and I tossed the flowers into the Ganga for thanks.

We saw many interesting things along the way… we were asked if we wanted a “boat” (someone to row us down the river, a “boat man”) at least 50 to 100 different times… every few steps basically.

It has been 95 degrees the last few days, and I have been sweating like crazy in the hot sun.

Varanasi is a magical city… a “Holy City” in India, purportedly the oldest continually inhabited city on earth. It is a city of Shiva… our friend “Shiva” told us Shiva made Varanasi for his “pleasure”, and for his wife Parvati.

I will try to load up some photos I took, but my camera takes high resolution photos so often they don’t load up because of the slow connection, and limitations on how large of a file I can upload.

More soon!

(Note: This entry was finished a on the 6th March, but started on the 4th. I was writing the entry and the power went out, in one of the frequent power outages…so  I could not post it until now.)

Alex

Ghats Night Scene

Another scene at night on the Ghats:

Forgotten Boat

I don’t think I loaded this one up yet:

Boy in Varanasi

Hope to have more soon.. Namaste from Varanasi!

Alex

First, I mean no disrespect to Indian tradition and culture by my remarks in this blog. I have great respect for Indian culture, and love India! I am only reporting my observations and trying to put things together to make some sense for me.

After we left the Internet station last time, and I wrote about Holi, we met an Australian man (“Ian”) who told us his hotel was “locked down” until two o’clock in the afternoon that day. Some of the people were looking over the balcony of the hotel, and some drunken celebrants threw “excrement” on them from below…. one woman was hit in the leg and shoulder with the “waste”.  It was unclear exactly what happened, but Ian said people were not very happy about it, and taken by surprise.

So, anything is possible on Holi here in India… and it is best for women to stay inside.

At night, after dark, the “dancing” started… VERY loud music blasting from everywhere, and lots of noise.

It was fairly quiet the next day… a few people and kids still throwing some “colors” around, but mostly quiet. I think people were tired and burned out from all of the celebration.

More on India soon!

Alex

Doorway to Varanasi Magic

This was another shot on Holi Eve while walking down the Ghats… it was strangely quiet and deserted down there.

Varanasi Ghats at Night

Next Photo: We can’t explain this, but I can tell you for sure that this is not what we saw with the naked eye – and this photo has not be altered in any way.

Spirit World Near Burning Ghats

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