Smells Like Masala

Sunday, I struck out with some Israeli friends I met at our guesthouse.

After eating Japanese in McLeod, we trekked up to Bhagsu. There, I was privileged to watch and take part in some sort of ruckus sunset ceremony.

The Japanese restaurant (a couple of weeks ago):

Taking place inside a colorful temple, the general aim of the observance, as explained by a fellow onlooker, was to make noise.

Bells of every timber cascaded off of the granite walls and floors of the temple. Ringing, banging and clanging the bells were a small group of children and an Indian man.

The temple itself was a two-story building with two stairwells which went into a fake cave filled with statues of Hindu gods. The stairwells were made to look like those who entered were walking into, or out of a lions mouth.

Inside inside the dentured gate the walls of the stairs became a cave a-la Disney or Casa Bonita. Accompanied by the man and two small girls, one of which attempted to jump out and scare us, my friend Shae and I were forced to crawl at one point inside the cavern.

Still ringing bells the man paused before each idol bathing them in pungent incense smoke.

After finishing this ritual he and the children sat to sing and chant.

Overall an interesting experience.

Here’s a photo Tristan took today.

Visit his blog for more.