Hello all! Has it been a memorable week! Leaving Deer Park and its peaceful atmosphere was quite a shock as we stumbled onto an eight hour public bus to Amritsar at four in the morning. Needless to say this was a journey in itself. But once we all arrived at the Golden Temple, where we would be staying for two days, it was clear to see that although hectic, it held its own magnificence and splendor beyond compare.
The actual Golden Temple itself was quite small compared to the large white marble complex that surrounded it. This did not prevent swarms of religious pilgrims from all around the world to flock to it like moths to a candle. Their devotion and deep belief in their religion was heart warming. Everyone from old woman to two year olds just beginning to walk knelt to kiss the ground or bow nearly every few steps. Never had I experienced such a rich and vivid expression of one´s faith.
Something none of us expected was the infectious kindness and warmth everyone held for each other but especially for Westerners. Every few minutes groups of locals would plead to take a “snap” with us and some even handed us their babies to hold in their pictures. Their curiosity and slight obsession with us was a big change from the other harsh and unforgiving places in India we had been.
The biggest surprise of all came in the form of the temple´s food system. Around 80,000 people were fed free meals each day. The service and assembly lines to make this seamless process possible relied on all selfless volunteers. As we were handed plates and silverware we were filed into a large decorated hall where we sat on the ground in rows. Hundreds of people sat together to share their meal. People would come by to hand out dal, rice, chapati, and potatoes and vegetables. It was astounding to see such a successful service based off the sole kindness of others. Not to mention all the food was absolutely delicious!
My first night there, after dinner I asked if I could help volunteer. An old man with a permanent smile in his eyes pointed to stand and take plates from people. Taking people´s dirty plates was not glamorous any way you looked at it but the extreme joy I got from it is unforgettable. As I took each plate I smiled and bowed to each and every man woman and child. As their faces lit up there was a moment shared between us. For that hour of extremely satisfying work I was not a foreigner looking into an exotic culture but someone fully in it helping the whole. By the end my cheeks were sore and my heart was full. I was astounded by all of the amazingly kind people I had encountered. One old woman sticks in my mind in particular as she patted my back and looked into my eyes and told me I was doing a great thing. Something as small as taking people´s dishes really affected people.
That night as I sat across from the lit up Golden Temple it was hard to believe I was in such a beautiful place surrounded by some of the happiest and nicest people I had ever met. This enriching experience is one that will stick in my memory forever.