Last Days in Delhi

It seemed as if we had meeting upon meeting with the General Secretary of CNI to discuss our future mission involvement in India. Finally it was agreed that we would continue to work with the partners with whom we have historical relationships in the Etah area. We were assured that we should require reciept of information regarding use of funds, financial recordsn mission statements, etc prior to releasing any funds.

On Tues., our first full day back in Delhi, Lois and I went to visit Birjees Kidwai, a good family friend who lives in Delhi. She and my mother were close friends from their Isabella Thoburn College days in Lucknow. Her daughter, Shaanza Mehta and I are also good friends. The feelings of warmth and closeness with one another and with my mother were palpable. Lois and I got to see family pictures and learn more about the family history. Birjees' grandfather did not allow his daughters to be kept in Purdah and ensured they were well educated. Her father also treated his daughters that way so that each one grew to be a well educated and distinguished person in her own right. She took us to lunch at the Indian International Club, which was a treat. Lois and I would never have known such a lovely place existed without her.

Our friend Santosh George who had arranged for our cell phones arranged a tour for us of the Sikh Gurudwallah in Delhi. At last I have a sense of Sikhism and what it is all about. Besides going into the temple we were able to visit the kitchens where they prepare lunch for thousands of people every day. We were there in time to watch part of the serving, and decided not to stay for lunch but to go and do other things.

On two mornings we got out early enough to actually walk. We visited the Nehru Gardens and Lodi Gardens, both beautiful in their own right. Lodi is graced with beautiful old buildings in addition to more elaborate plantings. There were quite a few folks out in both places jogging and walking and meditating.

Through a friend of Lois we visited the American School where she and her husband Andy worked. What a haven of loveliness and order. I wished I had a more privileged birth so I could have enjoyed going to school in such a place. And they have a cafe with real coffee, a little gift shop and free WiFi. Obama will be visiting there this week.

Denise, the friend of the friend, accompanied us to the orphanage operated by Mother Theresa's Sisters of Mercy. The children are well cared for and enjoy plenty of interaction with their caregivers. The first group of little ones we met burst into tears at the sight of so many strange white faces. According to Denise it is important for them to see new faces even if they get upset. Most of the children with the help of staff were subsequently able to overcome their fears and interact with us.

Sushma Ramishwamy, Communications Director for CNI whom Jimmy and I had met on our last visit, invited us to dinner for our last night together. We all hit it off immediately; she and Margaret bonded over Sushma's connections with Bollywood movie stars. We went to Karem's; very famous and listed in all the guide books. It is in Old Delhi, crowded and exciting at night as it is in the day time. Only with more of an air of mystery. Dinner was a meatfest starring goat in several forms. Very yummy and kheer for dessert. Afterward she took us to a shop to get some rose water and then a stop at a sweet shop and finally a stop for paan. I was the only one game enough to try it. It was in a form that was sweet and fibrous and I did have a few little tastes of it. Not enough to feel any effects; clearly an acquired taste.

India, too, is an acquired taste. One that is well worth the effort. I am already thinking about the next trip in October 2011 and hope many friends old and new will be able to join me.

On our very last day we visited the B'hai Lotus Temple. It is an architectural wonder, shaped like a lotus blossom which looks an awful lot like an artichoke. But of course it is the lotus that has meaning in India. The temple is designed to express the B'hai belief in the oneness of all religions and is visited by throngs of people every day. The crowds are managed well, even to the storage and return of shoes. And again, learning took place.

Our last "tourist" stop was one of the most meaningful to me. Birla House where Ghandi spent his last days is now a musuem dedicated to him. It is well cared for and thoughtfully displays art in his memory along with the room he stayed in. His last steps to the garden prayer meeting before he was assassinated are laid out and the story of his life and the birth of an independent nations are well told.