INDIAN ART: AVATARS AND DEVIS

I'VE BEEN TO INDIA 8 TIMES...
AND LEARNED TO LOVE INDIAN ART!

HANUMAN (MONKEY GOD)

VISHNU

The Indian Pantheon is very intricate.  The main representations are Krishna, Vishnu and Brahma--and their consorts, in order, Lakshmi, Parvati (and Kali and Durya, depending on the powers needed), and finally Shiva, a name more familiar to Westerners.  These are all "avatars" of God.

Then there are devis that are representations of the avatars that are very powerful entities like Ganesh, Hanuman, Rama, Sita, (the Rama/Sita story is a romantic legend that involves Hanuman--very well known throughout the Hindi cultures) Indra, Agni, Viruna, Soma, Prajapati,  and Mitra.  I think 33 gods altogether, though somehow in history it became 330 million to indicate eternity.  (Are you getting the picture of how confusing this can be?)

Interestingly, the Krishna/Vishnu/Brahma depictions are the main aspects of God. It is called the "Trimurti" or "Tridevi" (like a Godhead?  Trinity?).  ("Tria" means 3 in Greek.)  

Atman is name of the ultimate God--he is at the top. God is believed to be everywhere and in everything.  There are no depictions of the ultimate God that I know of.  I'm not sure, but perhaps it is prohibited to depict God in Hindu religion as it is in Islam?

To add to the complexities of Gods, there are different sects of Hinduism.  I never got it all straight--and I doubt that few Westerners have (maybe even Hindus?!).  (Do you have all your religious  beliefs straight? :0)  

The best way I can describe this pantheon (Greek word, by the way, meaning many gods) is that through the one God, Atman (There's the word "man"; is that anglicized?  Atman--good name for a God.) there are aspects of power and life that are personified by different avatars or entities, like Saraswati who is intelligence, Agni who symbolizes psychological power or the power of the will (my favorite), and Kali, who represents destruction and recreation. (She seems to be pretty popular.) And there are many more... 


Hindus can choose which avatar to worship as their inclination or needs dictate.  (Kind of Catholic, no?)  Lots of icons are used as in Orthodoxy.  They say it helps the people to envision what they are worshiping.  (I think they have a point. Unfortunately, it easily becomes the object that is worshiped, not the entity or idea.)

VISHNU

I find it interesting that many of these names are also Greek words (Agni=pure; Mitra=womb; Soma=body).  Mmmm.  Does anyone know if there is a connection here?

Anyway, fascinating stuff!

VISHNU

                                                                   DURGA

KALI

SHIVA

              GANESH

KRISHNA

                                                                         RAMA

 SURYA BHAGWAN

           GANESH

If these depictions strike you as androgynous, don't feel like the lone ranger.  I think it is like creating an ideal of both sexes--the best of both.  Just my opinion...or the artists were gay...bah, just because they're artists, they're not gay, right?

THE MANY FACES OF BRAHMA 
(The Main Avatar)

Anyway, aren't they beautiful?  Or am I alone?  On one of my trips to India, I made sure to buy postcards replete with Hindi Gods and Goddesses to take home with me--just to look at.

Many times people have told me to write a book because of my travels and experiences.  I don't have the confidence that such a book will be interesting to many people.  So, this blog is the closest I may get!

NAMASTE!

P.S.  If I got any of this information wrong, feel free to correct me.  I don't want to be perpetuating myths about myths!  ;0)

ECONOMIC CONFLICT IN GREECE

GREECE FOR SALE

The current US economic conflict reminds me of the time I worked in Greece.  At first we lived with 20% inflation!  (You might understand how crazy that was.)  However, the money we made went SO much farther than it did many years later when I left.  (When inflation was officially 2-3%-though, in actuality, it was really much higher.)  When change comes too quickly, people rise up.  Change, especially negative change, is difficult to assimilate.

  

The gap between generations in Greece is felt much more than in other Western countries. Advances are moving much more quickly than in other western countries.  

Try to keep this in mind when trying to understand how they are responding politically.  They are responding in the traditional democratic way, a way they are very proud they initiated!  Evidence:  the regular and frequent demonstrations held in Greece. In this effort they seem united.

It is easy to blame Greeks for the economic problems; they are generally disorganized.  (But then they are not Germans!)  Tax evasion has been joked about as being the national sport.  There are very understandable reasons for this, however. 

These economical problems were a long time coming from outside of Greece, from the European Union and banks, and from shortsightedness on their economic. 

Now their backs are really against the wall.  Most Greeks did not want to be a part of the European Union.  And now they are paying the price.

Greeks are not naive.  They are aware of the rampant corruption in government and big business.  Small business is being driven out.  (And small business is a strong tradition in Greece!)

Greeks feel they are slaves to the current system!  Their attitude is:  why should I pay taxes when most of it goes into the pockets of corrupt politicians and business owners?! Time and time again, Greeks have been proven that they are correct in this assumption.


Greeks are a very proud people and have no compunction in doing whatever it takes to survive.  And more power to them!

Some Greeks are still holding on to a beautiful lifestyle with money earned during times of prosperity. However, as usual, the middle and lower economic classes are suffering--really suffering.


This level of this poverty is difficult to imagine for a European.  The primitive level of living in some areas, especially in small villages, can be shocking to the average U.S. citizen.  The positive side is that those poorer people living in the far off places in Greece know how to survive!  (I doubt that many of us know those skills.) 

This is a culture that does not often censor their thoughts.  They are passionate and vocal.  As it fits my character, I admire those national characteristics.

Greeks fight back.  They want to be free.  They may not know very well how to fight, but they are not cowards.  They have the small country mentality of fighting to survive, knowing that they are essentially alone.  That is why their sympathy extends to other small countries, like Palestine, a country they support.  Being an "underdog", they know what it is like.

What is their Achilles heel?  Their individualism is so strong that organization and teamwork becomes very difficult.

I say, Bravo to the Greeks!  They lived under a veritable system of slavery for over 400 yrs. under the Turks and were only relatively recently “liberated” in 1922--and they don't forget. The country was only formed as it is now as late as 1957.  Their memories are relatively fresh regarding how they suffered slavery.


I have never known a country to be more obsessed with freedom, at almost any cost.  They may not always understand the best way to go about keeping it, yet I respect and admire them for their drive and ideals. 

Being under the thumb of Turkish domination has affected the Greek culture immensely.  Being at war in WWII and later in the civil war, the older people have not forgotten their trials and have passed on their memories of war horror to younger generations.

Now Greece has a strong youth culture that is in rebellion against outside forces that are threatening to ruin their lovely laid-back lifestyles.  A beautiful lifestyle.  A healthy, happy lifestyle.  It grieves me that they may lose it!

They may not be as strategically important to the U.S. as Turkey or other countries, but it would be a great mistake on the part of the U.S. not to value and preserve what Greece has to offer!

HELLAS, HELLAS, HELLAS!!!

THE BEAUTY OF INDIA

 
TAJ MAHAL

 PALACE AT JAIPUR

THE HAREMI WOULD LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOWS ONTO THE WORLD

 

INDIAN ELEPHANTS

  INDIAN TIGER (PROTECTED SPECIES)

COLORS OF INDIA

SPICE SELLER

BALI, INDONESIA

One of my favorite destinations for travel and business was Bali.  Where is Bali?  You've probably heard the name, no?  It is in Indonesia.  What is Indonesia?

TERRACED RICE PADDIES

There are over 300 tribal-ethnic groups living on 6,000 islands. The remaining 11,000 islands are uninhabited.  If you are European or American, I am sure it is difficult to imagine that kind of country.  (The Greek word for islands is "nisia."  I wonder how that word became part of the name of these magical islands?)

Is everything perfect there?  Of course, not.  No where is perfect!  But Bali could be considered a Hindu paradise.

Bali changed me as a person.  (How can travel NOT change you?)  I was very impressed by the craftsmanship of these people.  Whole cities, families, were devoted to creating separate arts:  jewelry, sculpture, carving, stone carving, etc.  SUCH AN AMAZING PLACE IN THIS WORLD!

The people are beautiful--really beautiful--and kind and gentle.  Other islanders in Indonesia even have jokes about the Balinese and their passive ways.  

The countryside is rippled with terraces of rice paddies, with bamboo forests and mountains in the background mist.  You can often see people walking along the roadsides with giant banana leaves over their heads to avoid the frequent rain (in the rainy season which is when I always went).

When I traveled there, the people were always hospitable, always a joy to be with.  I admired their arts and crafts very much!  Many expatriates settled there due to a law allowing them to buy land and houses with Balinese partners.

Kuta, on the south coast, is a typical tourist destination and replete with all the nastiness of tourism.  Yet, it still is beautiful!  

Denpasar is the capitol city.  The crowds and traffic create a congested and crazy atmosphere.  And yet, even Denpasar, lacking any sign of island paradise, is so very interesting to Westerners.

I didn't like the water around Bali.  I find that interesting because even the Balinese have a fear and prejudice against the ocean, preferring the volcanic mountains.  After being used to the waters of the Mediterranean, the ocean seemed ominous and fearful to me.  But I didn't go to Bali for surfing as many do, or for partying, as many Australians do, but for business, as many others do.  (I had tourist shops in Greece.)

The business angle created stress.  The islanders didn't seem to understand the added stress we suffered from trying to make business decisions in the constant heat of the day.

As we passed along the roads, we saw delightful scenes like women washing their tremendously long hair in the streams, and children playing in them, always smiling, laughing. 

Who can know what they really thought of Western tourists?  Probably not much good, really.  Except that we brought money and prosperity to the island.  Yet, there were many other times when we could not mistake the Balinese sincerity and goodwill, especially among young students.

Stone carved temples dot the landscape; there are often processions of Balinese in their finery with decorated offerings of food stacked on their heads, on their way to the temples.

My one regret:  bargaining down the prices of their artwork.  Having lived in Greece and traveled in other countries where is was normal to bargain, I saw that in Bali, over time, the quality of merchandise went down--and I'm sure it is due to the competition to sell.  How could they sell quality merchandise at the prices we were asking?

MAP OF INDONESIA

I probably will never again return to Bali since I've left Greece and my tourist business behind.  I haven't been on Bali since 1994. Maybe it has changed very much since then; but my memories never will.

SEE POST:  INDONESIA

MYSTERIOUS INDIA

TAJ MAHAL

It is the romantic in me that is inspired by India.  I was not blind to the poverty, the discomfort, the inconvenience, the challenges of the country; however, because I've been 8 times to India, mostly for business, I always regretted not having more time and fortitude to explore more of the country.

I just watched a one hour old documentary on India and felt so inspired to write a post about India.  When I think about my experiences in India, I am confused.  I experienced the very good and the very bad.  It was disturbing, but also inspiring. 

SILHOUETTE OF THE MOGUL EMPIRE

It is too bad I was so ignorant about the country and the culture on my first trip to India.  I tried to study about it before I went there, but my resources were so limited in Greece.  So, I experienced India, more or less "blind", except for some horror stories told by expats who had traveled there.  (And they did not exaggerate, as my experiences there were a testament to theirs.)

India was not my favorite country.  I was afraid of it.  I was afraid of the discomfort, the chance of disease, the crowds, the stress.  (I contracted hepatitis there.)  

I was tired of being stared at with my partner.  We were both tall and large white people. The Indians giggled and pointed as we passed them by. I didn't like feeling like a "freak show".

After I contracted hepatitis, I packed our backpacks full of food.  When the food ran out, so did we!  India was the first country I've been to east of Turkey.  The stress and discomfort, however, sapped my inspiration during our business trips.

We were always on guard of being cheated and trying our best to maneuver through the cultural expectations and communicate with Indians.  Many times we failed.  We were so brash and harsh compared to their expectations.  Especially coming from Greece, we had to try very much to tone down our voices and our aggressiveness learned in another culture.

SOUTH INDIA

Yet, there was something enchanting about India that I could not forget.  So much mystery--so many unanswered questions.  If only I wasn't so cautious.

I had a spiritual experience in a Jain Temple.  I explained it to myself like this:  when a group of people come together with good intentions and worship a higher being, they create a spiritual atmosphere.  That is the closest I can resolve myself to understanding and believing in this spiritual experience.

India's ancient history of religion, of Hinduism that may well be the oldest religion in the world, fascinates me.  I have the feeling that understanding the religion of this country will help me understand the roots and courses of other religions that have evolved since then.

Yes, I can identify the religious, spiritual, and philosophical world of India as being enthralling to me.  (Although, I wonder how people can live in a world believing that everything is an illusion...!)

I found Indians to be very polite, but hard to "read".  How foreign this culture was for us!  

I found Indians to be very dishonest in business dealings, but having no apparent compunction about deceit.  So, how is that different than any other country?  It is business.

COLORS OF INDIA

The Indians reminded me of the politeness of the English.  I have no idea about which way the influences flowed.  Since I've stopped visiting India, I have found myself intrigued by every movie, documentary, and show about this country.  I don't quite understand why.

I saw many horrible things in India, more than any other country I visited.  I wondered at the kindness of strangers and the apparent succumbing to the status of the poverty-stricken.  I did not understand this country--and I still do not understand it.  Perhaps I never will. But then, that's what makes it mysterious...?

India has been conquered by the Afghans, the Moguls, and then the British.  Independence was only achieved in 1947, many thanks to the bravery and commitment of its citizens, often led by the great Mahatma (Mohandas) Gandhi.  

GOA, SOUTH INDIA

Is India better for it?  Not for me to say. However--If I were asked whether I would rather be living in a more convenient modern state, but ruled by another country...I think I would rather be independent.  That much I can agree with and understand!

Indian is so large, so populous, so diverse.  One post can never do justice to this marvelous country--neither one book, nor one set of volumes of books!  

COLORS FOR "HOLI"

I find myself yearning to revisit India, but my fear of becoming sick holding me back.  (Every time I visited, I developed dysentery.  NOT fun.)  And being older now, less strong and adventurous, leaves me less courageous.  I'm not the risk-taker I used to be!

Yet, there is so much I want to relate about my past experiences traveling to that land...and I may, in due time.

SEE POST:  THE BEAUTY OF INDIA AND INDIAN ART:  AVATARS AND DEVIS

LOST IN ROME

GETTING LOST IN ROME

I’m continuing a thread of one of my blogger friends.  He asked the question:  WHAT WAS THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU WHILE TRAVELING?

Some responses related very drastic, dangerous experiences such as being robbed, threatened with bodily harm, and kidnapped(?). (Never did get the full story on that one, though I don’t doubt it’s a hazard for young women in particular.)

Yikes!!! Some people really suffered for their love of travel.

My experience pales in comparison, but here I go...

When I was in Rome with my husband, he left me in the car (we were double parked) while searching for a hotel.  (There was a long line of us double parked from the beginning to the end of that street!  A common sight in Rome, by the way.  Hey, when in Rome…right?)  At the end of that street was the great and amazing Colosseum, lit up in the darkness of the evening.  However, I had trouble enjoying the view.

After 5 minutes, I saw a police officer writing tickets for cars that were double-parked.  I waited anxiously for my husband to return before the police officer got to our car.  Closer and closer, he moved up the street with his pad and pen, writing vigorously.  However, he took longer than I expected to reach me.

Well, after over an hour had passed, I got really worried.  Where was my husband?  Did something bad happen to him?  And when I wasn’t afraid, I was thinking, “Grrrr....if he cared about me, he wouldn’t leave me this long!”—conveniently ignoring the fact that my husband was Greek.  (Weak ironic smile...)  ;0)

Finally, I saw the police officer approaching our car!  I squeezed myself from the back seat to the front in a teeny, tiny European car, sweating with anxiety (and the strain of maneuvering myself over the stick shift to the steering wheel. 

I rammed the car into gear and took off, slowly, hoping that I could find another space on that street.  No luck.  Then I thought I'd just go around the block and see what my chances were...however, I kept running into "Sensa Unico” one-way streets and "No Turns" signs. 

Very quickly, I got lost.  I drove around for what seemed like an hour, trying to keep within sight of the Colosseum, so I wouldn't be too far away.  However, the streets in Rome are often like, well, if you took a handful of spaghetti and threw it on the table, that is kind of representative.  I drove through the streets, weaving, turning, going slowly, looking for ways back, with Italians honking their irritation at me.

As I drove, thoughts of "what if" plagued me.  What if my husband came back to the place we parked and found me gone?  What would he do?  Would he be upset?  Would he leave to look for me?  Then how would I find him.  And what if I couldn't find my way back?  What would I do?  Where would I go?  I was frantic!

I started to envision myself being stranded in Italy, probably going to someone police officer screaming “Aiuto!” for help.  Then what?  Go to the police station?  And do what?  He had all the money with him.  The thought of being alone, separated like that in a foreign country, scared the heck out of me.

Eventually, I pulled the car over, parked, and began to cry.  I told myself, “Pull it together!”  Through my tears, I looked at a map from the glove compartment and tried to find streets I had made a mental note of.  More spaghetti!  But I tried to memorize some main streets.  Then I prayed.  I calmed down and started the search once more.

This time I followed my instincts instead of the traffic signs.  I must have broken 20 traffic laws working my way back to the street I had left.  My saving grace was that, although I didn't remember the name of the street, I remembered seeing a "Hoover" store on that street.  So I looked everywhere for a Hoover store.

There I was, between a crossroads and the Colosseum, wondering which road to take; what seemed familiar?  I recognized one street name; and then I went with my gut by crossing 3 streets illegally with Italians shouting obscenities at me.  But I didn't care--I was in survival mode!

Suddenly I saw it!  The "HOOVER" store!

I went up that Sensa Unico street, trying to smile back at faces giving me dirty looks.   Just as I pulled up, I saw my husband walking toward the car.  He hadn't even missed me; he had just arrived from his search, with no idea what I just went through.  So, I surprised him by breaking down in hysterical tears, choking out an explanation of what just happened to me.


I was surprised at myself!  After my many travels and adventures, I was struck with some very primitive emotions.  Fear, abandonment, isolation, loss, desperation…

I felt so stupid that I had not prepared myself for this possibility.  I vowed in future to agree with my companion(s) on a meeting place before separating, in case something like this ever happened again!

If only we had cell phones then... :0(

SUNSET IN BALI, INDONESIA

BALINESE TEMPLE, INDONESIA

SUNSET IN BALI, INDONESIA

I have been to Bali at least 7 times and have loved it. 

Bali was always beautiful, tranquil, and generally a happy place to be.  (I stayed in Ubud, not Kuta!).  

I love the Balinese people who seemed very peaceful, calm, and smiling.  They showed much patience and kindness to me and other tourists, in general.

I treasure every memory I have of the many times I have visited.  I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

TERIMAKASI!

HANIA, ONCE MY HOME

I once lived 20 meters from this Venetian port in the city of Hania, Crete, Greece. 

Stous filous mou stin Ellada--eftixia kai ygeia!  

A PEACEFUL SCENE

Often after being particularly stressed, I went to my favorite beach with my dogs and floated for hours in the sublime Mediterranean...my way of reestablishing equilibrium.