So, after taking in all of the splendor of Jodphur.....I hoped on a train and went to see Jaipur, the 'Pink City' after the reddish hue of most of the buildings in the old city. Well, my first day in Jaipur was a bit of a waste as the train I was on came in about an hour and a half later than estimated and I scrambled to get the next to last room in the Atithi Hotel. While waiting for the room to open up, I met a french couple and we ended up having dinner together. As it turns out, I would run into them a few days later in Agra as we had similar schedules.
My full day in Jaipur turned out to be a wild day! Let's recap.....on the way to the tourist destinations, I ended up talking about the 2008 presidential election with Vijay, a silver shop owner and gemstone wholesaler (aren't they all) in Jaipur. Figuring that the city palace could wait, I eventually made my way to Vijay's shop, which was not on the main drag and pretty hard to find. After looking at various bits of silver, I finally decided on a ring for my index finger.......one big problem, my ring size is Jimmy Dean! So, after talking with Vijay's brother, we figured out that they could get a ring made for my finger and get it done by that evening, which was critical as my train left later that evening.
So, after talking with Vijay some more, he asked if I wanted to meet his "Guru" who's helped him get his life together. After assuring me that it wouldn't cost me any money (yeah right), I hoped on the back of Vijay's motorcycle and we were off to meet his 'Guru.' After driving a few minutes north of town, we made it to Ajay, the Guru's shop. I met Ajay in a Godfather-esque introduction and had a few minutes of chat time with the Guru. After about a minute or so, the Guru asked for my hand and I skeptically gave it him. He placed his hand over my hand and then closed his eyes. After that, he started telling me things about my life that were all pretty much true. I was truly amazed that this guy knew some of the things that he did......but how? I had no clue. So, after talking to me for a while, he told me that my throat chakra was out of balance and that he could help me get it in balance. I was thinking that this was the big sell and of course, the stone was expensive. I thought, what the heck, and decided to buy it. Besides, it's only money and you can't take it with you when you die.
So, the guru said he would need an hour to make the pendant, then we would do a ceremony and then another ceremony would be done 15 days. So, needing to kill an hour, I turned to Vijay and he suggested that we go to the temple of the Monkey God as it was his holy day and Vijay needed to pray. So, on the motorcycle we hop again and this time we head out into the hills outside of Jaipur. We park at the bottom of a valley and walk up to the temple of the Monkey God, which turns out to be one of the reincarnations of Shiva. So, Vijay goes through room after room in the temple and does his prayers....all the while I'm getting stared at because I am the only non-Indian in this whole temple.
After the prayers, we head back to the Guru, where we perform the ceremony and he gives me instructions for the ceremony in 15 days. I thank him and then Vijay takes me back to my hotel. He met me later that evening to deliver the ring that I bought from him earlier, specially fit for my Jimmy Dean sausage link finger!
What an odd and interesting day in Jaipur!
More later......
Love, peace, and soul.
My full day in Jaipur turned out to be a wild day! Let's recap.....on the way to the tourist destinations, I ended up talking about the 2008 presidential election with Vijay, a silver shop owner and gemstone wholesaler (aren't they all) in Jaipur. Figuring that the city palace could wait, I eventually made my way to Vijay's shop, which was not on the main drag and pretty hard to find. After looking at various bits of silver, I finally decided on a ring for my index finger.......one big problem, my ring size is Jimmy Dean! So, after talking with Vijay's brother, we figured out that they could get a ring made for my finger and get it done by that evening, which was critical as my train left later that evening.
So, after talking with Vijay some more, he asked if I wanted to meet his "Guru" who's helped him get his life together. After assuring me that it wouldn't cost me any money (yeah right), I hoped on the back of Vijay's motorcycle and we were off to meet his 'Guru.' After driving a few minutes north of town, we made it to Ajay, the Guru's shop. I met Ajay in a Godfather-esque introduction and had a few minutes of chat time with the Guru. After about a minute or so, the Guru asked for my hand and I skeptically gave it him. He placed his hand over my hand and then closed his eyes. After that, he started telling me things about my life that were all pretty much true. I was truly amazed that this guy knew some of the things that he did......but how? I had no clue. So, after talking to me for a while, he told me that my throat chakra was out of balance and that he could help me get it in balance. I was thinking that this was the big sell and of course, the stone was expensive. I thought, what the heck, and decided to buy it. Besides, it's only money and you can't take it with you when you die.
So, the guru said he would need an hour to make the pendant, then we would do a ceremony and then another ceremony would be done 15 days. So, needing to kill an hour, I turned to Vijay and he suggested that we go to the temple of the Monkey God as it was his holy day and Vijay needed to pray. So, on the motorcycle we hop again and this time we head out into the hills outside of Jaipur. We park at the bottom of a valley and walk up to the temple of the Monkey God, which turns out to be one of the reincarnations of Shiva. So, Vijay goes through room after room in the temple and does his prayers....all the while I'm getting stared at because I am the only non-Indian in this whole temple.
After the prayers, we head back to the Guru, where we perform the ceremony and he gives me instructions for the ceremony in 15 days. I thank him and then Vijay takes me back to my hotel. He met me later that evening to deliver the ring that I bought from him earlier, specially fit for my Jimmy Dean sausage link finger!
What an odd and interesting day in Jaipur!
More later......
Love, peace, and soul.
1 comment:
Your Jimmy Dean fingers should fit in well with your breadloaf neck.....
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