Camel carting in Tordi

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Helen Molloy

Leaving Jaipur, the journey took the group about four hours along a mainly bumpy road. They stopped briefly to see a family of pigs by the roadside. Lewis the Lion thought the piglets were very cute and funny indeed! The journey was worth it as when Lewis the Lion arrived in the small, Rajasthan village of Tordi he felt that he was truly seeing the “true India” or at least that’s how he imagined it to have been. He loved the accommodation which was a former palace of the landowners. Again, Helen was welcomed with a flower garland of yellow and orange carnations and blessed with a bindi placed on her forehead. Lewis the Lion had seen a lot of people in India with this ‘dot’ on their forehead and wanted to know a little bit more. So, Dushyant explained to him that a ‘bindi’ on a woman’s forehead or a ’tilak’ on a man’s forehead, in India, signifies the individual’s spiritual eye. This spiritual eye is also called the ‘third eye.’ Hindus believe that this third eye is used for spiritual sight; that you can see everything with that cannot be seen through the two physical eyes.

The group then went on an orientation walk through the village. Lewis the Lion loved meeting the children and villagers who had never met a cuddly lion before! They were very happy to have their photos taken and Lewis thought that there was a wonderful innocence, unlike when he tried to photograph the villagers in Bolivia who then asked for money!

Lewis the Lion was warmed to the core by the hospitality of these strangers. As they were passing a house, the door was ajar and women were painting each others’ hands with henna (or mehndi as it is called in Hindi) as part of a wedding celebration. They welcomed the guests in to see and then before Helen knew it, they were also decorating her right hand with a beautiful swirling flower: how kind!

The group then saw some traditional crafts at work. A woman was sat on her doorstep spinning cotton and then a potter welcomed the group into the yard where he showed them how he made ceramics on his wheel. Watching some of the others in the group, he realised how difficult it was even though the potter made it look easy!

It was then time for the group to head back to their accommodation where another treat lay in store for them. They were going to go camel carting through the town. As they passed by, excited children chased them and villagers greeted them by saying, “Namaste” and Lewis felt that this was a very friendly place to welcome strangers in this way. The camels stopped at some huge sand dunes. Lewis the Lion then had to take big strides up the sandy hill ready to see the sunset. His friends drank masala tea and played charades – what a wonderful way to spend the evening and watch the sun set over the Tordi countryside.

However, the day wasn’t quite over yet, as Lewis the Lion then joined his friends for dinner up on the roof top and they sat and talked around a campfire. They discussed what their favourite books and films were. Lewis loved a bit of book-talk and really couldn’t decide what his favourite book was or film was, he read and seen so many good ones! Perhaps for books it was the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho because it talked about following your dreams which is what he was doing now.

Do you have a favourite book or film? What is it and why?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lewis is bedazzled by Bollywood

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Helen Molloy

That evening, Lewis the Lion was in for a real Indian treat: he was off to watch a Bollywood movie in one of the best cinema houses in India and certainly the largest cinema in Rajasthan. He was going to the Raj Mandir Movie Theatre to watch one of the latest Bollywood blockbusters, Dabangg 2 staring one of Bollywood’s biggest actors – Salman Khan.

Lewis the Lion learnt that there are two main family dynasties that star in Indian cinema: the Khan family and the Kapoor family and Salman Khan is perhaps the most popular actor of the moment. But what was so special about Bollywood films anyway?

Well first of all, Lewis the Lion discovered that the film he’d be watching that evening would be in the Hindi language. Surely he wouldn’t be able to understand it? Or so he thought! Dushyant joked on that in Bollywood films (which come from Mumbai) the acting is often melodramatic and there are often big dance scenes with hundreds of dancers who make gestures as if they are screwing in a light-bulb and patting a dog at the same time! At any rate, Lewis the Lion was up for being entertained so excitedly entered the huge cinema house.

Inside the foyer of the cinema, Lewis the Lion could see huge chandeliers hanging in domes from the ceiling. There was something very art-deco about the place. It was all very pink and ostentatious but Lewis the Lion loved its glitz and glammer. Furthermore, popcorn and sodas were just so cheap here – a much more reasonable night out compared to cinema prices back home in the UK.

When Lewis the Lion entered the auditorium he realised that it wasn’t just going to be the film that entertained him here but the audience too. Here there was a real energy in the room and people weren’t afraid to shout things as the film ensued, throw popcorn at the screen, applaud at certain scenes or even get up in the aisles and have a dance themselves!

Even though the film was in Hindi, they often mixed it with English words so that Lewis found that he understood rather more than he realised. It was very visual and so he found that he could follow the story quite easily. It had lots of comedy in it and to his surprise the main actor couldn’t just act but he was a formidable dancer too. In fact lots of men were fantastic dancers in this film particularly in the huge dance scenes – Lewis the Lion just loved the choreography of these scenes and wondered if he might learn to dance a bit of Bollywood himself one day? It just looked like so much fun!

Rather strangely, there were several intervals during the film to allow people quick toilet or refreshment breaks. Lewis the Lion figured that’s because Bollywood films are often much longer than your standard Western films. It reminded him of how it was back in England many years ago!

Lewis the Lion thought that the film was fantastic: a really great, feel-good movie. It was no wonder then that he discovered that this film which was a sequel to the film Debangg, turned out to be the biggest film opener for a non-holiday Friday in India. It then went on to become a huge financial success, grossing more than US $42 million globally.

Have you ever seen a Bollywood film? What Bollywood dance moves do you know?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Elephants and Pigeons at Amer Fort, Jaipur

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Helen Molloy

After breakfast the next day, Lewis the Lion and his group of travellers set off for the ruined city of Amer (pronounced as Amber), former capital of Jaipur state. He was off to visit a most wonderous fort and palace complex.

However, before he got that far, the coach stopped off at one of the most photographed sites in India after the Taj Mahal – the sprawling Hawa Mahal: the Palace of Winds. Built in 1799, ‘hawa’ means breeze which would come through the windows, keeping the palace cool even on hot days. However, the only thing remaining of this former city-palace today is a vast, five storey, pink-coloured facade which has many small windows (953 to be exact). It was so designed so that the royal ladies behind the screen could observe everyday life on the street below without being seen. Lewis the Lion thought to himself, ‘I don’t want to be seen either!’ as not far from the facade were three snake charmers who were enticing cobras out of their baskets with their exotic music.

As the group got back on the bus after having a quick photo-stop, a woman selling strings of ceramic elephants and postcards wanted to sell her wares. Lewis the Lion rather liked the elephants as he could see their presence all around him and so he asked Helen if she’d mind buying him some? She managed to barter and got a very good deal for Lewis the Lion. He was very happy with this souvenir!

Before long, they were passing by the floating palace again as they headed towards the Amer Fort and Palace which was founded by the Meenas. This was a flourishing settlement back in 967 AD and Lewis the Lion as its scenic beauty and location took his breath away. Set high up overlooking the hills and the lake below, Lewis the Lion thought its tranquil beauty was a sight to behold. Meandering up through the fortress’ steep slopes he could see elephants carrying tourists to the top. They were highly decorated, painted in bright colours. However, after Lewis the Lion’s Thailand experience of elephant riding, he decided that it perhaps wasn’t such a kind thing to do and so decided to walk to the top with Helen instead. One of the elephant’s seemed to appreciate his gesture as it waved its trunk in greeting (a sign of good luck in India!).

On his way up to the top of the fort, he and his friends stopped in a little square to feed the pigeons. He learnt that an India superstition is that if you feed the birds or pigeons, you’ll never be out of money and you will always be approachable. At any rate, his friends had fun running through the mass of pigeons as they quickly swooped off and descended again!

Once at the top, Lewis had a fantastic vantage point overlooking a central courtyard. He found this place was filled with a deep calmness as he looked out over the mountains. They then had a tour of the palace with a tour guide called Mahesh. He told them many interesting facts about the design of the palace/fortress, notably that two fortresses are joined through well guarded secret passageways (Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort) and that the style of the buildings are very unique as they are famous for their mix of Hindu and Muslim architecture.

Lewis the Lion especially liked the room of mirrors in the winter palace and Mahesh took a great photo of the group through a mirror – although it doesn’t look like that! Lewis the Lion learnt that the rulers liked to work out how smart their guests were by showing them cleverly designed marble images.

Did you know that there are 12 different parts of hidden animals in one of those pictures of a marble flower?

For example, rabbit’s ears, a scorpion, a fish, an elephant’s trunk, deer horns, butterflies, etc.

Can you find them all?

Lewis then was led out into another central courtyard. Around it was a hall for both a public and private audience and the rulers also had both a summer and a winter palace. He especially liked the balcony with their grids on the summer palace which would allow the breeze to come through, whilst you could look out without being seen. Looking down onto the moat, Lewis the Lion also learnt how the ruling family were very smart as they had developed special engineering to extract water from the moat, even during the summer months.

The former rulers, the Rajput Maharajas, used to have many wives who lived together (called a ‘harem’) and towards the back of the palace, each wife had a separate room (12 in all). They were inter-connected with secret tunnels so the ruler could move from one room to another without being noticed.

Beside this courtyard was a special herb garden. Lewis discovered a plant called tulsi which is a sacred plant in Hindu belief. He thought it was rather like a basil plant (it is in fact called ‘Holy Basil’) and he learnt that it has both religious and medicinal purposes, particularly to relieve stress and symptoms of fever, colds and infections.

As Lewis the Lion and the group were about to finish their visit to the fort, he spotted a woman in front of him had henna on her ankles that almost looked like she was wearing a pair of socks! He was curious to know more and so Helen asked why she had such beautiful designs on her feet and ankles. They discovered that she was a newly wed and was with her husband in Jaipur to celebrate. She then also showed Lewis the Lion that she had spectacular henna on her hands too. Lewis the Lion wondered if he would see any more of this whilst he was in India? For now, he wished the newly weds every happiness together in their married life.

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jaipur Jewellery

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Helen Molloy

After such a wonderful orientation walk around Jaipur, Dushyant had one little extra surprise for the group. Jaipur is famous for its jewels and people from all over India and the world often go there for the quality of their gems, gold and silver. Many Indian brides, for example, will only buy their wedding jewellery from here. So Dushyant had organised an appointment for the group to visit the Jewel Emporium, an exquite jewellers right in the heart of Jaipur. Security was very tight as the group entered the shop and warehouse through a heavily locked door.

Here they were taken into the factory itself where they could see how pieces of jewellery were created from their initial inception right through to production. Lewis the Lion was very impressed watching these master craftsmen at work. This was very detailed, patient work and they showed tremendous skill.

At the end of the factory visit, the group were then taken onto the shop floor where they admired some fabulous pieces of jewellery set in gold, silver and platinum. Helen decided that since she had never owned any gold, silver or platinum in her life, this was now her chance, especially as they were offering a special group discount. She opted for a simple, silver sapphire ring with 6 diamonds and some plain sapphire earrings. (The diamonds in the ring would remind her of her brothers and sisters!). She was sure that she would get many years of enjoyment wearing this jewellery and would always be reminded of the special place in which she’d bought them!

Helen buys a sapphire and diamond ring

Helen buys a sapphire and diamond ring

As they left the jewellers, Lewis the Lion noticed some special dolls attached to the wall. He’d seen some dolls like this in some of the shops they had passed by earlier that day and wondered what the story was behind them? He discovered that they were Rajasthani wooden dolls.

Traditional Rajasthani Dolls

Traditional Rajasthani Dolls

What can you find out about Rajasthani dolls?

But now was the time for Lewis the Lion to treat himself. He was feeling very hungry and luckily, Dushyant had one final surprise up his sleeve for the day. He was taking the group to a special Southern Indian restaurant which specialised in dosas – a type of special type of rice-corn pancake with potatoes. So, Lewis the Lion tucked into his first masala dosa and loved it, together with a fiery-hot, local-Rajasthani, lamb curry – Laal Maas. The dosa was perfect for dipping into the curry. In the future, he’d like to travel to the South of India and try some more dosas, that’s for sure!

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Journeying to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Helen Molloy

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After a good buffet breakfast, Lewis the Lion and Helen were back on their travel adventure: this time they were taking a private coach to the city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Lewis the Lion hadn’t really appreciated what a big country India is but the journey took approximately 6 hours, much of which was on a bumpy road. During the trip, he had time to look out of the coach window and watch the world go by. He was intrigued by the trees he saw that were painted with a white circle around their trunk. He never discovered exactly why? But perhaps it was something to do with pest control? Then never in his little life had he seen stationary traffic like it as he reached the tolls for the state border, leaving Delhi and crossing into Rajasthan, as you can see in the picture above.

Whilst in the melee at the toll gates, a man dressed as a lady came and tapped the bus window and doors, putting his hand out and begging for money. Apparently, some Indians believe that these men have special magic powers and that if you don’t give money to them, they will curse you! However, the bus driver certainly wasn’t opening the door to him so Lewis the Lion hoped that he might escape any potential curse!

The bus then passed by many half-finished construction sites and yellow cornflower fields. Statues of the Hindu god Rama appeared in fields and Lewis the Lion could see bales of hay stacked up. Washing lines were strewn up between makeshift lodgings. Lining the roadside were stalls made of corrugated steel, often with no paving, just the dusty ground around it. Groups of men sat on small chairs or on their honkers, also watching the world go by. There seemed to be constant surprises out on the streets from laden camels, to herds of goats. It was as if the animal kingdom was living in complete harmony with man as they both had equal rights to the roads. The cows here definitely seemed to be more chilled out than the cows that Lewis the Lion had met on walks across fields back home!

When the bus stopped so its passengers could grab some lunch and go to the restrooms, Lewis the Lion, enjoyed seeing the English above the doors for the toilets. English was still used in India from British colonial times but Lewis the Lion noted that it wasn’t always quite the same English used in England with ‘He’ used for the Gents and ‘She’ used for the Ladies. He also clocked something else he had noticed a lot in India – mothballs in the sink plug-holes – a way of warding off insects and pests.

Helen had a chocolate craving and so bought a Mars Bar from one of the shops there. However, the chocolate had past its best-before date, was all white and had gone off! Lewis the Lion laughed at her: that would put a stop to her chocolate and sugar cravings for a while!

Nearing Jaipur, the flat landscape of Delhi disappeared and mountains started to appear in their place. En route, they passed by what looked like an incredible fortress: a place Lewis the Lion would be visiting the following day. (Check out his next blog post!). They also passed by one of the former king’s summer palaces which had been built in the middle of a lake in order to avoid the summer heat and the crowds. It was called a ‘floating-palace’ and Lewis the Lion rather liked that description.

It wasn’t long before they had reached the walls of the so-called ‘Pink City’ itself. Lewis the Lion thought it should have been renamed to the ‘Orange City’ as the buildings seemed more orange than pink. The city was founded in 1782 to welcome the King George III from England who called it the ‘Pink City.’ Lewis the Lion wondered if he had in fact been colour blind?! What makes Jaipur special though, apart from the wonderful glow from the buildings is that it is unlike any other pre-modern Indian city because the entire town was planned according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory. Its form is of a nine-part mandala known as the Pithapada and it makes its wide streets feel unusually airy. It was just as well really, as Lewis the Lion’s coach had already passed by several camels and elephants on the street!

After the travellers had dropped their luggage off at their hotel for the evening, (welcomed naturally in the entrance lobby by a statue of the Hindu god – Ganesh, together with paintings of peacocks), Dushyant led them on an orientation walk of the city. Lewis the Lion noticed that the tuk-tuks here in Jaipur weren’t like the ones in New Delhi as they were black with a yellow stripe: like bumble-bees buzzing around. There was indeed a constant buzzing noise on the streets as people went about their day-to-day business.

One of the first things that Lewis the Lion was enthralled at was all of the colours he could see in the market stalls and in the shops selling spices. It was simply wonderful! Dushyant also got the group to try some special Indian sweets that contained silver! It reminded Lewis the Lion of silver ball bearings cake decorations from when he was a lion cub.

The air had a warmnth to it and twilight was approaching with its pink hue. Lewis looked up in the sky above him and was delighted to see kites flying from the top of buildings. He could see that some of the kites had not fared so well as many of them were caught up in a huge tree on one of Jaipur’s wide avenues. He learnt that like cricket, kite-flying is a popular past-time for Indian children.

Dushyant led the group up some steps so that they could have a view of the city from above near a temple dedicated to Rama (The seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu). Below were flower sellers with garlands of carnations and inside the temple itself, Lewis could hear the strains of a beating drum from inside and rhythmical chanting. What a view it was! Lewis the Lion watched out on wonder as the noise of the crazy traffic below filled the air. Together with the pink light that twilight had cast on the city and the smells of incense from the temple, Lewis the Lion thought that this was indeed another magical moment from his travels. He felt a glow of contentment and gratitude from the inside and was again reminded of what a wonderful opportunity it was to be able to travel like this!

What is the best type of kite to fly? How can you make a kite stay up in the air for as long as possible? Do you know any special techniques?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lewis learns about inspirational leadership through the Indian currency

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Helen Molloy

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Mahatma Gandhi

The last currency that Lewis the Lion would encounter on his around-the-world trip was the Indian rupee. On the back of the bank notes he discovered some images he rather liked; those of Indian tigers and elephants.

The reverse side of the Indian notes

The reverse side of the Indian notes: tigers and elephants on the 10 Rupee note

He also liked the fact that this money had both Hindi script and English writing – that would make it easier for him at any rate when trying to work out the conversions. He ended up rounding in his head to convert this currency as 100 rupees was approximately one British pound.

The Indian notes have both Hindi and English writing on them

The Indian notes have both Hindi and English writing on them

Unlike many currencies that he had met along his way, the Indian currency did not display the image of a current president, queen or head of state but rather of one of the most inspirational freedom fighters in the history of mankind: Mahatma Gandhi who lived between 1869 and 1948.

Mahatma Gandhi is represented on all of the rupee notes

Mahatma Gandhi is represented on all of the rupee notes

So important and dear is Gandhi to the Indian people, that he is called the `Father of the Nation’ and  his image appears on the front of all of the rupee notes.

The ten to five hundred rupee notes

The ten to five hundred rupee notes

Lewis the Lion felt compelled to find out more and he had so many questions in his head:


Why is Gandhi still remembered with such affection by the Indian people?

How did Gandhi change history through his actions?

What made him such a great leader?

Are there leaders like that in today’s world?

What leaders do we need in our world today?

 

Lewis the Lion wonders if you can come up with some of the answers to his questions?!

You can click on this link to help you or you may wish to do your own research.

One thing is for certain though, Lewis the Lion loved one of the most famous quotes of this special man, which you can see at the top of this blog post. Lewis agreed wholeheartedly: if you want to change things for the better in the world, you must always start with yourself and be the best person that you can possibly be!

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Mughals’ Magic in India’s capital city

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Helen Molloy

Lewis the Lion stood perplexed looking onto Connaught Place in the heart of New Delhi. How on earth was he going to cross to the other side? The traffic was simply crazy as it whizzed and pounded around this giant circle, with roads radiating out of it like spokes from a wheel. He could tell that the British Empire had clearly left its mark on India (for better or worse) as this was clearly Victorian architecture, modelled on the Royal Crescent in Bath, England. Eventually, Lewis the Lion’s clever friends managed to flag down a tuk-tuk which took him to one of India’s world heritage sites: Humayan’s Tomb. The ride in itself was an adventure but he will tell you more about the Indian traffic in another blog!

Lewis finds the tuk-tuk ride a bit hairy!

Lewis finds the tuk-tuk ride a bit hairy!

Lewis visits one of India's historical monuments

Lewis visits one of India’s historical monuments

After proceeding through the pay-booth, where Lewis the Lion paid 250 rupees to enter, he could see that behind the tall gates lay a beautiful garden with carefully manicured walkways.

Reading more about Humayan's Tomb

Reading more about Humayan’s Tomb

He wasn’t really sure where he was if he were honest, as it had been his friends that were the ones to instigate the trip so he was eager to learn more from the panel at the entrance. He discovered that Humayun’s Tomb was the first tomb garden in India and was built in memory of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun by his wife.

Lewis at Humayun's Tomb

Lewis at Humayun’s Tomb

It was designed by a Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas in 1562 and was completed three years later. Lewis the Lion simply loved the symmetry of the place! He discovered that this tomb established a standard for all later Mughal monuments which followed its design, including the famous Taj Mahal in Agra. (He will tell you more about that too in one of his later blogs!).

Mughal symmetry

Mughal symmetry

Not only did the garden and the tomb itself seem to be perfectly symmetrical, but Lewis the Lion loved the way the design incorporated a further reflection in still planes of water as you can see in this photo.

Climbing up to get a vantage point over the garden

Climbing up to get a vantage point over the garden

His adventurous ways took him into the tomb itself which had beautifully ornate decorations in marble. From here he was able to climb some steps that gave him a wonderful view out over the geometrically arranged Char Bagh Garden.

Lewis admires the geometry of the Char Bagh Garden

Lewis admires the geometry of the Char Bagh Garden

“Yes,” he thought to himself, “this is very pleasing on the eye!”

The garden itself is divided into four parts, based on the Islamic concept of paradise. Lewis the Lion absorbed the tranquillity of the place and agreed that it really was a little bit of heaven here on earth. It seemed to him that the Mughals really had conjured up some kind of magic through this symmetrical design!

Watching squirrels scampering up trees

Watching squirrels scampering up trees

In addition, he laughed his little laugh as he delighted in seeing squirrels scamper up the trees in the garden. They certainly were funny the way they ran in jerky movements around the garden!

If you were to design a symmetrical garden or building, what would it look like? What features would you include?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lewis goes shopping – Old Dehli style

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Helen Molloy

Travelling around New Delhi was certainly an adventure: the throng of people, the traffic, the animals, the smells, the colours – it was true sensory overload. It is where India’s rich history blends with the vibrant present as it is India’s largest metropolis, as well as having the second largest population. On Lewis the Lion’s first day of exploring this incredible city, he got to board a metro but it was quite unlike any other metro system he had ever been on before. Here it was more like going through an airport as both you and your bags had to be scanned. There was a queue for the men and a queue for the ladies. Lewis the Lion would have liked to have taken a photo of this experience but there were signs up saying that it was forbidden – a bit like the security at an airport, he thought.

Boarding the metros in New Delhi

Boarding the metros in New Delhi

When he got to the metro platform, he was reminded of his time in Malaysia as here also there was separate carriages on the metro for men and women. Big signs told you where to stand and wait, according to your gender. Aboard the metro itself, it was efficient with maps above the doors which lit up to tell you which station your were at or were headed towards. On one side of the carriage the map was in English and on the other side, it was in Hindi script. The metro itself was very busy. Lewis the Lion felt like it was definitely one of the busiest places he had ever encountered in his little life: it almost felt like being part of an ant colony! On exiting the metro system, he was catapulted out onto streets, not far from one of Delhi’s oldest market: Chandni Chowk. The whole place seemed to be chaotic, including what looked like a spontaneous mount of rubbish that had formed. People just seemed to walk past it nonchalantly, not batting an eyelid, as if this were quite normal.

Rubbish on New Delhi streets

Rubbish on the New Delhi streets

On walking into the narrow market streets, Lewis the Lion thought it was rather like a Dickensian England. Or perhaps it reminded of another place he had seen on his travels: Rocinha – the favela or shanty town he had visited in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil? That was because of the mass of swirling electricity cables dangling just above his head, joining one building to the next. Like Rocinha, the place teemed with life and Lewis the Lion felt like he couldn’t turn his head quickly enough to capture all that was going on around him.

Entering the Chandni Chowk

Entering the Chandni Chowk

Indeed, Lewis the Lion learnt that not only is Chandni Chowk one of India’s oldest markets but it is one of its busiest markets too.

Lewis experiences an Indian market

Lewis experiences an Indian market

Originally, it was inhabited by the well-to-do families of the Mughals and Lewis stopped to admire some of the house frontages hidden among the back streets of the market itself.

Outside a traditional Old Delhi doorway

Outside a traditional Old Delhi doorway

Dushyant led the group quickly and efficiently through the dark, winding, cobbled streets, past all sorts of shops which seemed to have goods that sparkled to entice the passers-by. Lewis the Lion discovered that this market is famous nowadays for its textiles, electronic goods and watches including gold and silver items. He seemed to see numerous dress shops which displayed beautifully sequined and coloured saris and fabrics.

Beads in the texile market

Beads in the textile market

He had to watch his step, as cycle rickshaws hurtled past, not to mention all the different animals.

Animals regularly pass by on the streets

Animals regularly pass by on the streets

He was happy to see that there were lots of Indian flags flying because in a few days’ time, India would be celebrating their independence from the British Empire – Republic Day on 26th January. He wondered where he’d be by that stage in his adventure?

Indian flags are flying

Indian flags are flying

The smells of incense and food also flooded the air as there were numerous street-food options. However, Lewis the Lion remembered what Dushyant had told the group right from the start that better that they were avoided if they didn’t want to risk getting an upset tummy whilst on the trip.

There was all sorts of life to see in the market and Lewis the Lion would perhaps just have liked to have sat and pondered the world around him but their schedule was jam-packed for today: there was no time to rest. One of the things that did fascinate him on his journey was the fact that there were even people sat having their shoes and their ears cleaned out! This bazaar really did seem to have everything!

Ear cleaners on the street

Ear cleaners on the street

Lewis the Lion’s mind boggled when he saw the scaffolding out on the street. ‘Health and safety’ seemed to be a very definite foreign concept out on these Indian streets and Lewis wondered if there were many accidents?

Scary scaffolding on the streets of Delhi

Scary scaffolding on the streets of Delhi

Nonetheless, Lewis the Lion couldn’t help but fall in love with the vibrancy and chaos of this place. He felt like India was well and truly getting under his skin!

Which place have you visited in your life that you have truly loved? What was so special about it?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lewis learns about India’s spiritual heritage in New Delhi

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Helen Molloy

One thing that you couldn’t miss in New Delhi was the very present spiritual heritage of the place. Four of the world’s main religions live harmoniously side by side in this vast nation: Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam. Temples, gurdwaras, churches, mosques and shrines can be found on every street corner. Flower sellers also line the streets as passers-by pick up garlands of carnations as offerings at shrines and temples.

Flower sellers outside the temple

Flower sellers outside the temple

The smell of incense often permeates the air as it wafts through the open doors of these places of worship.

A Hindu Shrine

A Hindu Shrine

On Lewis the Lion’s first morning of exploration through New Delhi, he was mesmerised by the colour and vibrancy these spiritual practices brought to the city. First of all there were the huge paintings and statues adorning the city streets. He recognised one straight away. It was a portrait of Mother Teresa as he looked over the road network from a metro station bridge.

Lewis sees a portrait of Mother Teresa

Lewis sees a portrait of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was a Christian nun who gave up everything to look after the homeless of Calcutta and inspired many people the world over for her humility.

What else can you find out about this inspirational person?

He then past by brightly coloured paintings of some of the Hindu gods and goddesses.

Lewis loves the brightly coloured Hindu artwork

Lewis loves the brightly coloured Hindu artwork

Lewis passes by a Hindu temple

Lewis passes by a Hindu temple

Hinduism is perhaps one of the world’s oldest religions and Lewis the Lion was fascinated by some of the stories associated with it. The image that stuck out for him was that of the elephant god, Lord Ganesh. He’s noticed his image around the city and notably in statue form in many of the hotel lobbies. This is because he represents wealth and prosperity, especially if you rub his fat belly!

Lord Ganesh - the elephant god

Lord Ganesh – the elephant god

Weaving through the back streets of Old Delhi, through Chandni Chowk (one of India’s oldest and busiest markets), Lewis the Lion was then delighted to come across the imposing Masjid-i-Jahan Numa (meaning “mosque commanding a view of the world”). It is more commonly called the Jama Masjid (referring to its Friday congregation) or the Great Mosque and is a special place of worship for Muslims. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656. Indeed it is the most well-known and largest mosque in India and its courtyard alone can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers!

Lewis visits the Jama Masjid

Lewis visits the Jama Masjid

The first thing that Helen had to do on entering the mosque was to take off her shoes and replace them with some slippers and wear a full-length tunic so as to completely cover up, in spite of already being covered from head to toe! However, seeing as they were entering a holy place she felt that it was only respectful to follow the rules.

Helen dresses to enter the mosque

Helen dresses to enter the mosque

Lewis the Lion learnt that this mosque houses several relics, including a priceless copy of the Qur’an written on deer skin. However, more than anything, he simply enjoyed wandering around the courtyard taking in the magnificent view of the architecture around him as well as the sunshine. This was a very peaceful place and he enjoyed watching people sit by the fountains in the middle of the courtyard.

Lewis at the Great Mosque in New Delhi

Lewis at the Great Mosque in New Delhi

Next on the group’s itinerary for the day was to visit another place of worship, only this time it was a much more practical, hands-on experience as they headed to the Gurdwara SisGanj – the Sikh temple.

Lewis the Lion simply loved this place and his experience there. He felt like there was a true sense of community as anyone off the street could go in there and enjoy a meal. For many of the poor people in India, Lewis the Lion realised what an important gesture that was.

Singing in the Sikh Gurdwara

Singing in the Sikh Gurdwara

First things first, the group had to remove their shoes and cover their head with an orange cloth before entering the Gurdwara itself.

Orange headscarves

Orange headscarves

Lewis the Lion learnt that this site was a holy place for Sikhs as it’s where the ninth Sikh Guru (spiritual leader), Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded in 1675 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to accept Islam. His son, Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last Sikh Guru.

Lewis learns about the Gurus

Lewis learns about the Sikh Gurus

A picture of a Sikh Guru

A picture of a Sikh Guru

The group first entered into a room where prayer were being said and hymns were being sung above the former dwelling place of Guru Tegh Bahadur. They then filed past this holy room on the way to the community kitchen. There was great reverence for this from his worshippers.

Donations of food are offered to the Gurdwara

Donations of food are offered to the Gurdwara

As the group entered the community kitchen they could see that many people come to offer food and money donations to the temple so that all can enjoy a meal.

But people do not only just give the food to the temple, they also help in its preparation and so Lewis the Lion and his friends also got stuck in with helping to prepare food. They started off by rolling out dough balls into rotis using rolling pins, before they were then baked.

The dough balls are rolled out into disc shapes

The dough balls are rolled out into disc shapes

Helen rolls out some rotis

Helen rolls out some rotis

The community kitchen at the Sikh Gurudwara: rolling out rotis

The community kitchen at the Sikh Gurdwara: rolling out rotis

Lewis the Lion could see huge vats of dhal (lentils) which would be served to the masses.

Huge copper pots of dhal

Huge copper pots of dhal

There were many people in the temple, each involved with preparing something different to go towards the communal meal. Eventually, the group entered the dining area where they sat in rows on the floor.

Lewis sees people lining up for lunch

Lewis sees people lining up for lunch

Many people are fed at the Gurdwara

Many people are fed at the Gurdwara

They were then given a silver tray and various helpers in the temple came and served them a great variety of food: chapatis, rotis, dhal curries, vegetables and so on.

Lewis the Lion's tray starts to be filled up!

Lewis the Lion’s tray starts to be filled up!

They could eat as much as they wanted as seconds were served. Nobody would leave hungry, that’s for sure!

Having a community lunch in the Sikh Gurudwara, New Delhi

Having a community lunch in the Sikh Gurdwara, New Delhi

Lewis the Lion was deeply touched by this experience of communal generosity. He felt that here, people were truly living out their faith and he felt very privileged to have been a part of that on that afternoon in New Delhi. A proverb came into his head, “Many hands make light work,” and he realised what a huge contribution everybody at the gurdwara was making to the benefit of everybody in New Delhi.

Which faiths do you regularly encounter in your life?

How do you show generosity to your fellow-man?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lewis’ first impressions on his first day in India

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Helen Molloy

Lewis the Lion took an instant shine to India the moment he arrived: it was just so alive and bustling, like a beating heart with blood pulsating through its veins. He’d noticed it right from that first drive in the taxi from New Delhi airport. Here, noise seemed to be positively encouraged as horns on the roads weren’t used sparingly, when and as needed, but rather all the time when overtaking, emitting a constant drone. In fact emblazoned on the back of many of brightly coloured trucks and lorries that he saw, were the words, ‘Horn please!’ or ‘Blow horn!’

Horn please!

Horn please!

That first morning, feeling a little bewildered, perhaps even a little nervous at meeting a new group of people in the hotel lobby, he quickly realised that he had nothing to worry about: he was in safe hands. For he was greeted by their tall and elegant group leader, Dushyant, who presented him with a garland of yellow and orange carnations. What a warm and friendly welcome!

A warm welcome to India

A warm welcome to India

Dushyant bowed slightly and said the word ‘Namasté,’ the Hindi word for ‘Hello.’ However, Lewis the Lion discovered that it meant a bit more than just hello. More specifically it meant ‘the spirit within me, greets the spirit that is within you.’ Lewis just loved the idea that we are all connected to each other and that the divine lives within each and every one of us.

Dushyant celebrates his birthday a few days later

Dushyant celebrates his birthday a few days later

Lewis the Lion quickly made friends with his new group of fellow travellers. He and Helen were sharing a room with another English girl, Seetal (but who was of Indian origins – with a surname like Gandi, there was no mistaking it!). Then like so many other times on his journey, he found himself with people from all over the world: America, Norway, Switzerland, England and New Zealand. Including Dushyant and Lewis the Lion, there were 16 of them altogether. What a wonderful adventure this would be as they would be spending the next 15 days together on a trip called Essential India. This would take in places like the Old Delhi Spice markets, the Taj Mahal, Jaipur Fort and the River Ganges. Whatever was likely to happen in the next few weeks here in India, Dushyant’s words rang out in Lewis’ the Lion’s mind: “Be prepared for the unexpected!”

Before the group left to go anywhere, Dushyant, a Hindu, would get them to repeat the phrase: ‘Om Namaha Shivaya’ – a prayer to the god Shiva to ward off any harm for the day’s adventure. (Lewis the Lion will tell you more about the main religions of India in one of his next blogs).

Naturally, the noisiness and the hustle and bustle outside made Lewis the Lion feel a little bit on edge as they left the safe confines of the hotel. He felt that he would have to keep his wits about him today. However, he felt that with Dushyant leading the way, a native Indian with a love and a superb knowledge of India, as long as he followed what he said then he would be fine. For now for instance, there would be no eating any street food! Dushyant had warned them that whilst being an Indian you might have a higher immunity to some of the bugs in the food, as a foreigner it was best to avoid certain places if you wanted to avoid being ill for the duration of your trip and not to get the infamous ‘Delhi-Belly!’ Dushyant promised the group therefore that he would only take them to safe and clean places to eat along their way.

Walking on the roads is better than the pavements!

Walking on the roads is better than the pavements!

Stepping out on to the street, the traffic seemed to be a free for all. Even though there were traffic lanes, people seemed to pay no heed to them and Lewis the Lion found that he needed to keep a constant 360 degrees perspective whenever he crossed the roads. There just seemed to be a throng of everything: from heavily laden bicycles, to tuk-tuks, from cars to motorbikes, from rickshaws to cows.

Cows can commonly be seen on the roads

Cows can commonly be seen on the roads

Rickshaws fight for space on the busy roads

Rickshaws fight for space on the busy roads

The noise of beeping flooded the streets all day long. Often the pavements were so badly maintained that people would also prefer to walk on the road to add to the mêlée. What was utterly amazing was that there weren’t more accidents: cars frequently seemed to miss each other by a whisker. Lewis the Lion held his breath a few times whilst sat in the back of a Delhi yellow and green tuk-tuk, that’s for sure!

Lewis rides in a New Delhi tuk-tuk

Lewis rides in a New Delhi tuk-tuk

New Delhi is a huge, sprawling city with approximately 22 million inhabitants (almost 3 times the amount of people living in London!). Lewis the Lion learnt that there are 1.237 billion people living in India so naturally it is densely populated and you’re bound to be caught up in the constant buzz of activity. (It is the second most populous country in the world after China). He felt that this energy out on the streets was almost tangible. Sadly though, Lewis the Lion also learnt that 70% of the population in India live beneath the poverty line. In other words approximately 875 million people live in poverty! His little mind found it difficult to comprehend such a huge number or to understand how this was even possible in this day and age when he had already seen such wealth in the world?

A child begs as the tuk-tuk stops

A child begs as the tuk-tuk stops

Is it any wonder therefore that Lewis the Lion encountered people begging on the streets and in particular children? He wondered why they weren’t at school during the day. He discovered that whilst education is offered to all Indians, it is not compulsory and so many children do not attend. Schools provide uniforms, equipment and even a free lunch to attract children to them. For a lion who loved to learn, Lewis the Lion thought that this was heart-breaking. He knew that a good education is your passport to life, after all.

Regardless, Dushyant told his tour group not to give to beggars, an idea which did not sit comfortably with Lewis the Lion whose natural instinct was to help others less fortunate around him. Dushyant told the tourists that India was a country on the point of transition: its economy was now booming and that the Indian government no longer wanted to receive foreign subsidies to maintain it. India was self-sufficient in 2013 and was capable of providing free food, health care and education for all. Dushyant was insistent that there was no longer the need for begging on the streets of India and that by giving money to the beggars, you were just perpetuating the cycle of dependency.

One thing that Lewis the Lion did notice though, apart from the weather not being as warm as he had anticipated (It was only a mere 12 degrees when he arrived in New Delhi – quite a change from the mid-30s plus he’d encountered in Thailand!) was the fact that people dressed much more conservatively. Shoulders and knees had to be covered at all times. (Helen made a point of picking up some additional silk scarves ready to cover her head and shoulders. She was grateful for them against the Indian winter too!). He also noticed that the men in particular seemed to huddle together more. Men holding hands on the streets here seemed to be very normal in India.

This Indian boy proudly shows Lewis the Lion his cricket bat

This Indian boy proudly shows Lewis the Lion his cricket bat

The other thing that excited Lewis the Lion as he had landed in India was that he’d arrived when the English cricket team were on a tour of India. The Indians just seemed to go crazy for cricket; that’s because it’s their national sport with millions upon millions of fans. Lewis the Lion wondered if he’d get a chance to experience a game himself during his trip? He hoped so!

Of some of the things that Lewis the Lion experienced on his first day in India, what interests you the most and why?

Posted in Lewis' Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment