7 Days To Nirvana

or How I Achieved Eternal Bliss in an Ashram in India Reading Eat, Pray, Love


by Tom
Varanasi, India

When John, Paul, George, and Ringo came to Rishikesh at the foot of the Himalayas in northern India in 1968, they were so inspired with the creative energy that poured out of them that the result was the epic, sprawling double album commonly referred to as The White Album.  When Julia and Tom came to Rishikesh 42 years later, the creative energy that poured out of them resulted in this epic, sprawling double blog post.  We'll let history decide who made the greater contribution to art.

A large Hindu temple on the banks of the Ganges

Rishikesh is the self-proclaimed yoga capital of the world.  It is where the sacred Ganges River comes tumbling out of the Himalayas, with ashrams and temples lining both banks.  People from all over the world come to practice yoga, meditate, or just hang out by the Ganges and find their chi.  The Indians dress like westerners (at least the men do, with slim-fit pants and button down shirts) and the westerners dress in traditional Indian garb, ironically trying to fit in.  Sacred cows (not just an idiom) shuffle along the sidewalk, searching for food and spreading sacred cow manure in their wake.  Swamis, gurus, yogis, sadhus, and Brahman priests line the sidewalks, bestowing blessings, smoking ganga, or just clanking small metal pots asking for alms.   Tribes of monkeys hang out on the footbridges connecting the sides of the river, begging for snacks.  If the monkeys could purchase the metal pots, they'd probably lounge on the sidewalk next to the sadhus, clanking their change at passer-bys.

Hindu sadhus wearing the traditional bright orange clothing

Monkeys scramble for some nuts dropped by a tourist

While a week at an ashram was probably not enough time for us to achieve Nirvana, we did manage to limber up a bit before we head higher in the Himalayas and start doing some treks.  We also managed to catch an amazing performance of Indian classical music; a performance that combined sitar, tabla drums, and Indian flute.  Our time in Rishikesh allowed us to escape the noise and pollution of the big cities and enjoy a side of India we haven't yet experienced: the peaceful calm of a mountain town.  Finding ourselves in this setting so familiar, we were able to open up and appreciate the beautiful scenery and incredible mix of culture that India has to offer.  I also used some free time to follow along with Elizabeth Gilbert's spiritual journey as a woman.  So misunderstood!  She just wanted someone to love her.  To appreciate her beautiful, gentle nature.  And oh, that David.  Typical man!  I'm sorry ... I can't go on...

A performance of a traditional Indian raga

 Julia (or Angelina Jolie) being asked to pose with an Indian family in front of a shrine to the god Vishnu

You're not fooling anyone with that rug, cow!