Om Diary

Let's start by finding a definition for these two words,  Namaste  and  Baba,  so we are all on the same page.  And i am also adding a  disclaimer  that in no way whatsoever i am writing about the specific people you see featured in this blog.  Expect for one... A ccording to  Wikipedia " Namaste  नमस्ते  - sometimes spoken as  Namaskar  or  Namaskaram  - is a respectful form of greeting in Hindu custom... by saying  Namaste  one means "I bow to the divine in you". Namaste  is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest... the greeting may also be spoken without the gesture, or the gesture performed wordlessly, carrying the same meaning".  i have heard and seen many " Namastes "  at the beginning/end of a yoga class, mainly in the West; in fact this term is hardly e...

Maybe the fact that i saw my first dead body floating in the Ganga today prompted me to write this. He was all curled up, face down, left leg missing from the knee down. Sadhu's orange clothes bundled up, back showing. His floating had come to a stop, the river's current being slow and we helped him going his way moving the water with our cupped hands to create waves. My first thought was to take a picture, and the second 'how insensitive of me to even think that'. i mean, it's not like i need a photo to remember the feelings, emotions, and thoughts this event brought up. It's an image i will never forget. Also possibly the fact that i was attacked by two stray cats in two days, in two separate occasions made me think about death and the brevity of human life. It is quite frightening, let me tell you! Without notice the cat shape-shifts into this crazy fast ball that you think is going to attack your hair or something. In both instances the mother cat was...

There are four main pilgrimage sites for Hindus:  Badrinath is one of them. And i promise not to make this a boring post about facts, dates, and such, because you can find all that on Wikipedia.  I write about my journey there, now -in May- although the actual trip took place in September when the weather is cold and crispy. The mountain road - with no guardrail - from Mossoorie to Badrinath is long, winding, and super trafficked; sometimes the flow of cars comes to a halt because of the many pilgrims reaching this site before it closes for the winter. Often devotees and/or sadhus reach Badrinath  on foot (sometimes with bare feet), making it a pilgrimage. It can take months to reach and all sorts of events can take place on the way: imagine being on the road for 60/90 days and more! with only a small bag containing your scarce belongings, possibly a blanket (the temperature drops very quickly), no certainty if you will eat or not, not knowing where you wil...