India Trip: Feb 21-23

From Rev. Abhi Janamanchi:

After traveling to the temple cities of Madurai, Thanjavur, Chidambaram, and Pondicherry, the group made it back to Chennai on time to board a late night train to my native town, Rajahmundry.

The 10 hour train ride through Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh was quite an adventure. We were given berths in three different compartments. Some of the group members shared cabins while others were grouped with total strangers who seemed both amused and surprised that a group of foreigners would choose to travel by train to Rajahmundry, of all places! Little did they know that the travelers had little choice in the matter, that their tour leader had wanted them to experience India in this manner.


The group had a wonderful time on the train (the toilets are another story) and arrived safely in Rajahmundry the next morning. We were received at the train station by my cousin and a couple of friends who loaded us all into three vans and took us to the hotel. The hotel staff gave the group a traditional Indian welcome by garlanding each member, spraying sandalwood, and applying the sacred mark on each person's forehead. Some of the group members were later interviewed by a local reporter.

Later that afternoon, we visited the home of a social reformer who was active in the Brahmo Samaj. He promoted women's education, widow remarriages, and elimination of caste distinctions in the early part of the 20th century. My grandfather was a student of his and later followed in his footsteps by having his sister, a child widow, remarried to his best friend. For this 'blasphemous act,' he was ostracized by his relatives.

The group then spent a lovely afternoon at my uncle's farm which overlooks the river Godavari. They walked through the fields, drank fresh coconut water, and watched a young calf scamper around looking for its mother. Later, we went on a boat ride on the river Godavari and watched the sunset.

In the evening, my mother organized a lovely program at the hotel inviting some of her close friends and family members. We were treated to a wonderful music and dance program by a couple of very talented children. People exchanged information about life in India and the US and found common ground on issues ranging from parenting to health care to the environment.

The next morning, the group stopped to visit my mother at her ancestral home. They walked around the house looking at pictures and met some of the neighbors. One of them even got a relaxing head massage from a local barber!

After saying goodbye to my mother and friends, we left for the airport to board the plane to Hyderabad.