God and Gross

So today was our Bangalore-tour, and after this morning, I feel considerably more orientated within the city. 

Because Christ University is (surprise!) a Christian school, Jacob started off our tour by taking us to a big catholic church in the town.  The church looked like any big mega catholic or episcopal church in the US, with a few bright exceptions.  New neon LED lights were all over everything, and I didn’t know quite how to handle an experience that made me think simultaneously of both the Cathedral and the Carousel, all in one breath. The juxtaposition of a big familiar building, crowded by brightly colored and bindi wearing Indians was really striking.   Previously on this trip I had been kind of offended by most of the depictions of Christ I had seen here, because they all featured a pretty cheesy looking, pale-blue eyed Jesus staring piously off into heaven. They bothered me because I didn’t see how that version of Jesus could have anything to do with the local people, and was probably just an example of cultural arrogance on the part of some well-intentioned Europeans or Americans.  But at the church they did have a statue of extra-white Mary- wrapped in a gloriously colored sari.  It hit me that even my understanding of Indian understanding  of Christianity was wrong- they didn’t need the Indian-flavor Jesus, they had no trouble worshiping ultra-white Jesus, but within the confines of Indian culture. I’ll be honest, the church this morning, watching people a hundred times more devote than myself light candles and sing hymns was the first time on this trip that I really felt some deeper connection to any of the people here. 

After the church, we went a little more traditionally Indian by visiting Iskon, a huge Hindu temple celebrating Lord Krishna on the outskirts of the city.  Before going on, we were asked to remove our shoes.  I know the official reason was because of cleanliness, but in Bangalore, shoes are the biggest way that I am able to tell someone’s social standing, because otherwise most people dress very similar.  For my appreciation at least, it was a good social equalizer to all enter barefoot.  Inside and outside the temple, there was more gold than I have probably ever seen in my life, all of it intricately carved and decorated.  The inside was absolutely incredible.  Huge, huge celling’s with elaborate and bright depictions of Krishna, smiling in his blue-skinned serenity.  There was even a life like/sized statues of one of the original founders of the temple containing his bones, seated on a gorgeously carved wooden pedestal.  Women in yellow saris sang chants to Krishna, and vendors were everywhere with offerings of fruit and candy.  On the way out of the temple, some of our group got pretty pissed that there were so many souvenir vendors, but really, it’s the same thing at any historic megachurch.  At least here, all the money goes directly back to the temples various programs, which seek to educate and feed the community. 

After the temple and unfortunately before lunch, we went to the farmers market, which was both educational and terrifying.  The market was stretched along either side of an overcroweded and hot dusty street.  Cars would try to run you over while you were looking at mangoes, and may actually have succeeded should you have been dumb enough to stop for the fish.  

The fruit and vegetable carts were pretty typical of what you would expect overseas, but the meat market was something else.  Live chickens were beaten and kicked into cages, in a way that makes the infamous chicken prank at my highschool seem like an advertisement for PETA.  Dead chickens, goats, and whatever else hung from hooks skinned and dripping with flies.  The visual was terrible, but the smell was even worse and the odds of my ever consuming meat again have dropped drastically. 

Ironically, at the end of the meat section of the market, Jacob also showed us what a pet store is like in India.  I used to think Puppy Zone was the highest form of depression, but that was until I saw crowded cages, in direct sunlight of howling animals.  I think a good percentage of the kittens I saw were actually dead, their bodies used as footholds by their breather to press their tiny noses to the cage and howl in discomfort.  I am not normally an animal person, but I couldn’t stay in that place very long. 

The market was followed by a brief interlude at a local craft fair, which was amazing.  I got some gorgeous handmade jewelry and beautifully embroidered shirts, all totally about twenty bucks.  After the fair, we had dinner at a traditional Rajistant restaurant.  Most of the food here is served family style, and almost all is supposed to be eaten with fingers and dosa, which leaves one with a very sticky yet satisfying dinning experience. 

Tommorow we are visiting a huge local waterfall, that has some great temples is the surrounding area.  I am excited to see India outside of the big city, which as of yet is all I have experienced.