Garhwal Village Visits and Diwali Dancing

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lynn and I enjoyed wonderful hospitality in Sainji village as the guests of Kunwar and Lori Chauhan--founders, facilitators and teachers of GEMS School. On Wednesday, they drove us by jeep to visit two other villages--Saurav and Kandi--on the opposite side of the Aglar River. Children come from both villages and board in Sainji so they can attend GEMS. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed warmly. It is clear that Kunwar and Lori are much appreciated for their work.

Here's a slideshow that shows just a little of the natural beauty, the amazing colors of Garhwali life, and the gracious hospitality we enjoyed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The impetus for our invitation to Sainji this week was the celebration of Garhwali Diwali. This occurs approximately one month after the Diwali that is celebrated in most other parts of India. Local traditions are uniquely colorful. For example, in villages with sufficient population, a special rope is created and used in a tug of war in which almost the entire village participates. The Diwali celebrations occurred after dark, so we were unable to get pictures.

I'm sharing one brief video clip that gives at least a taste of the Diwali celebration in Sainji. It shows a delightful Garhwali dance. The only musical accompaniment is from a couple of drums and the singing of the dancers. Notice how the men and the women sing in response to each other.

GEMS Throws a Birthday Party

 

On December 1st, Garwhal English Medium School (GEMS) was four years old, and on Saturday GEMS threw a marvellous birthday bash. Parents were invited, and the children put on a delightful program for them. Students, teachers and parents alike were deservedly proud, not just of what they shared on Saturday, but of their school and all it has come to mean to their community.  

Lynn and I were privileged to be part of the celebration. Lynn took literally hundreds of photos, and I shot video clips. We're sharing just a small portion of what our cameras captured. The pictures and images speak for themselves, and they're worth far more than anything else we might write. So, please enjoy and celebrate with GEMS!

Slide Show

(Please be sure to view the slide show in full screen mode!)

'One Fine Day' and 'Hokey Pokey'

The Far Side of Mussoorie and Sir George Everest

We've been keeping pretty busy recently. In addition to what we'd already been doing, Lynn and I have begun an hour a day of Hindi language study, and I've made several day-long trips to Dehradun--for dental appointments, motorcycle servicing, and such. Since I've been away so much, I promised Lynn I would spend today on an outing with her, and that I'd be happy to go wherever she suggested.

Lynn's suggestion was perfect. She said she'd like us to explore the far side of Mussoorie, which we've seldom visited in the past. So we drove our bike to the far side of Mussoorie and had a wonderful time. One highlight was our first visit ever to the crumbling remains of the "George Everest House". 

Sir George worked as a surveyor in India from 1818, and as the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. His home and "laboratory" was at a remote spot on the far side of Mussoorie. It was situated atop a ridge, with magnificent views. The views were clearly more important to Everest than proximity to neighbors because his home would have been a significant distance from town and from his closest neighbors. (It was the Royal Geographical Society that named the world's highest peak in Everest's honor in 1865. Apparently, Sir George was not entirely onside.)

Here's another slide snow to share a little of what we enjoyed today.