I have to recommend the hostel. The owner could be the most helpful person I've ever met. Letters of thanks cover a wall. Everything you ever want can be organised by Raj.
Today he took me and four others to a temple he's been worshipping at for two years. It's one hour out of the city in the hills. There are Baba's (Sadhu's) living here. They give up their lives to reach the next stage of holiness. Some even attend their own funeral (!?) We sit in the dusty front porch to his dwelling. Monkeys bounding on the roof and pictures of previous Baba's all around. He pulls out a paper wrap of Marijuana and loads a chillum. He wears orange robes, has long grey hair and smiling eyes. He pulls huge puffs of smoke down and slowly exhales clouds. I wish i could get my camera out at this point. He passes the chill-em over to us and we all take a drag. It's extremely smooth, like breathing fresh air. After 30 seconds everything relaxes. This seems like a nice life, living in the sunny mountains with the monkeys, smoking weed and drinking chai! I recall Raj's story of a childs grandmother being eaten by a cheetah here, three months back, and snap to reality.
After some exploring of a dry waterfall Raj calls us "come come". There's a lot of fuss and villagers run up to another Baba and begin to worship him. He walks through them, and down to the temple. They all follow in silent awe. "This Baba rarely comes" Raj explains, wide-eyed. It's a rare sight to see him.
Today he took me and four others to a temple he's been worshipping at for two years. It's one hour out of the city in the hills. There are Baba's (Sadhu's) living here. They give up their lives to reach the next stage of holiness. Some even attend their own funeral (!?) We sit in the dusty front porch to his dwelling. Monkeys bounding on the roof and pictures of previous Baba's all around. He pulls out a paper wrap of Marijuana and loads a chillum. He wears orange robes, has long grey hair and smiling eyes. He pulls huge puffs of smoke down and slowly exhales clouds. I wish i could get my camera out at this point. He passes the chill-em over to us and we all take a drag. It's extremely smooth, like breathing fresh air. After 30 seconds everything relaxes. This seems like a nice life, living in the sunny mountains with the monkeys, smoking weed and drinking chai! I recall Raj's story of a childs grandmother being eaten by a cheetah here, three months back, and snap to reality.
After some exploring of a dry waterfall Raj calls us "come come". There's a lot of fuss and villagers run up to another Baba and begin to worship him. He walks through them, and down to the temple. They all follow in silent awe. "This Baba rarely comes" Raj explains, wide-eyed. It's a rare sight to see him.
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