Bhopal

Jan 29^th & 30^th

We arrived into Bhopal in the late afternoon and found a hotel located on a side street so it was relatively quiet for a bigger city.  After dropping our gear and grabbing a bite to eat, we were out to explore the town.  We found a little beer stall that had the first beers on tap we’d seen in India.  After enjoying one, we jumped on the crowded city bus to visit the New Market shopping area.  On the bus, there were several university students that struck up a conversation with Jeff.  When we arrived into the New Market area, one of the quieter university students paid for our bus fare and asked where we going.  We explained that we just wanted to walk around the market and he decided to join us.  We learned that his name Sourabh and he was studying computer science.  Over several cups of chai at one of the street stands, we learned that his exam week was approaching and his mom came from their village to stay with him and cook meals while he was studying.  He invited us to go back to his room, meet his mom, and have a meal with them.  His room was on our way back to our hotel, so we excepted the invitation.

I was a little apprehensive about just dropping in on his mom.  What would she think of her son bringing home two Americans that he promised a meal too?  We climbed the steps up to the second floor of a large building.  Sourabh’s apartment was a large single room with a smaller attached room that served as a kitchen and a shared bathroom down the hallway.  I didn’t need to worry about his mom accepting strangers for dinner.  The second she saw us her face lit up with a huge beautiful smile and she ran to embrace me into a warm hug saying “Welcome, welcome.”  Sonita, Sourabh’s mom, made a us an amazing meal of aloo gobhi parathas (bread, thicker than a chapatti, stuffed with potatoes and cauliflower).  Over the course of the evening Sonita asked if I had ever worn a sari.  When I said no, arrangements were made to meet the next evening at their apartment and for us to accompany them to the temple with me wearing a sari.

We arrived at their room the next evening and shared our some of our pictures on our laptop from our travels with Sourabh, Sonita, and a few of the neighbors.  Sourabh started to call Jeff ‘Uncle’ and me ‘Auntie.’  He explained that this was a form of respect. Everytime a friend or neighbor was spotted in the hallways or out on the street, Jeff and I were introduced as the auntie and uncle from America  invited.  When Sonita brought me aside and started to show me how to dress in a sari, several of the ladies came to watch, laugh, and giggle with us.  I felt a little bit like a dress up doll, and I loved every minute of it.  The women were full of smiles and were very generous in letting me borrow some of their jewelry (bangles, necklaces, and bindi dots) so I dressed a proper married Indian lady.  They also applied the red powder that went down the middle of my hair part to symbolize that was I married. 

Dressed to the nines (actually it was only three pieces) in the sari, we were off to temple.  Sourabh and his mom were so proud to show us the temple and share their religion (they are devote Hindus) with us.  They patiently explained the gods that the temple was dedicated too and how to perform each of the rituals.  At one point, we stood in line to be blessed by the Braham, the priest, and we held out a cupped hand as he poured water into it.  You are supposed to drink the water placed in your hand, but I took mine and dumped it on my head like a good Catholic.  As the red streak from my hair started to run down my forehead, Sonita helped me get another handful of water and perform the ritual properly.  After prayers and offerings were completed, we enjoyed another wonderful meal at their apartment and shared a cup of chai over that the neighbors room.  Sonita gave me a beautiful purple sari as a gift. 

The next morning, Sourabh meet us at our hotel with two of his friends.  They helped us carry our bags to the bus station where we were catching a bus to go 40 km to a little town called Sanchi.  We had to come back through Bhopal to catch our next train and we promised Sourabh and his mom we would contact them when we came back through town.