Pilgrimage

Thursday 19 February, 2015.

When one embarks on a pilgrimage there are a number of principles which pertain:

The proclaimed reason for going is never the true reason and the outcome has very little association with the stated reason.

The pilgrim steps out into uncertainty, risking the necessary operation well out of their comfort zone.

There are always difficulties to be overcome and the pilgrim must face these setbacks which threaten to turn him/her back without achieving the destination.

It always costs much more financially and emotionally than the pilgrim was intending to invest.

These and other principles apply to my trip to Amritsar. I set out with an eager anticipation early Monday morning. My flight from Delhi was also a metaphor in that I fled as well as flew. Delhi airport was where my journey took a turn for the better. Feeling sorry for myself rather than accepting my responsibility for what had happened about the trains and the day in Delhi, I felt much better once I had checked in and started to mingle with the people, mostly Sikhs, heading for the Punjab. They came from all over the place and there was a shared ownership. Even seating on the plane was unrestricted. You just found yourself a seat and sat in it.

The flight took no more than an hour on the Air India 777 and there was hardly time to distribute the obligatory snack. The surrounds of Amritsar are green and flat with a snaking network of villages surrounded by clean looking fields. It is a clean city with pockets of filth.

After baggage collection, because we were domestic, I was able to get out early and caught a taxi to the hotel which would be 4½ stars in Australia. A bar and dining room also in plush comfort. I spent an enjoyable solitary evening with Fosters “light” they called it (domestically made and 5.8% alcohol) and delightful chicken meal. With hundreds of channels to watch on TV there was not much on.

The next morning was breakfast in the plush dining room and then a hotel car to the Golden Temple. I will write separately about this experience and suffice it to say that it was one of the most wonderful experiences I have had in India. It was as if I had ten thousands close friends all in this sacred space on a fervent but relaxed purpose.

Afterward a few hours there I wandered the streets and had a meal in a veg café then caught an auto home in the late afternoon with sore feet and a weary sense of accomplishment.

Then I enjoyed an afternoon of self cleaning (including my laundry returned neatly folded) and resting. A wonderful Skype with Jenni and Michelle was lovely.

After a good rest I face the final challenge of Delhi and then Kochi. These should work out well as all the steps are booked and paid for but on a pilgrimage one can never be sure.

This trip has cost a lot of money and been quite stressful at times but these

add to the story that can be told.

All the principles of pilgrimage apply to this trip. It has been fantastic!