Had a good last weekend here. Took the department out for dinner last night. Even some of the consultants came and it was good fun.
Today I accomplished the task I had set myself on my very first day here...that of clinbing the hill overlooking Vellore. Rayaz accompanied me and we left as the cockrels were announcing an imminent dawn. Had to pass through some of the slums of Vellore, where people were rising for another day. The church was blaring out sunday morning songs (at such full volume, it seemed the locals had quite a threshod to get them out of bed and into the arms of god). The hindu temples emitted their own devotional tunes that screeched and moaned as reminder that the tapes had been overplayed.. A few minutes later, from the mosque, the azaan slowly rose up to join the symphony of religious callings. Children, their sleepy eyes and disorderly hair revealing a recent awakening from slumber, were being put through the morning ablutions. A little girl squatted over the drain, devoid any water and performed her morning obligatory pre-breakfast bowel duties. Adults were coming down the hill from another side road, the satisfaction of a succesful evacutation gleaming on their fresh faces. We frayed our way up the boulder-strewn paths with overgrown with lush green grass after the recent rains. The 300m climb was pleasant with a light mist in the fresh morning air, and with terrific views of Vellore and the surrounding countryside. At the top, there was a fort, built by Tippu Sultan's forces, then later occupied by the British. It was a great location for watching out for potential invaders from the north and sides, the south being naturally protected by several rolling hills and mountains ranges. One of the watching post still stood intact with its mmorish outline and we sought shelter here from the sun's rays that were building up in strength even at this early hour, enjoying the views. The heat was soothed by a cooling breeze and we could not resist a nap. Soon, it was miday and we took the way downhill. The cold shower was welcoming and I quickly fell asleep after this. I was woken up by knocks at my door- some guy had come to see the flat, and was looking for accommodation whilst his mum was undergoing treatment at CMC. My landlord came a little later and invited me to join him to the Jain GuruDev Mandir for Sunday prayers. I had accompanied him a couple of weeks before and had enjoyed the calm and peaceful grounds of the Jain ashram, about 20 minutes outside Vellore,on the way to Chennai. This time one of the local devotional singer had come, sparing the use of the radiocassette player. The altar was decorated with flowers picked from the gardens around the building. The live songs were beautiful and I enjoyed the philosophical readings that followed, calling for a life of simplicity and honesty. We then went to for tea and fritters at a local roadside stall, before heading back to Vellore.
Today I accomplished the task I had set myself on my very first day here...that of clinbing the hill overlooking Vellore. Rayaz accompanied me and we left as the cockrels were announcing an imminent dawn. Had to pass through some of the slums of Vellore, where people were rising for another day. The church was blaring out sunday morning songs (at such full volume, it seemed the locals had quite a threshod to get them out of bed and into the arms of god). The hindu temples emitted their own devotional tunes that screeched and moaned as reminder that the tapes had been overplayed.. A few minutes later, from the mosque, the azaan slowly rose up to join the symphony of religious callings. Children, their sleepy eyes and disorderly hair revealing a recent awakening from slumber, were being put through the morning ablutions. A little girl squatted over the drain, devoid any water and performed her morning obligatory pre-breakfast bowel duties. Adults were coming down the hill from another side road, the satisfaction of a succesful evacutation gleaming on their fresh faces. We frayed our way up the boulder-strewn paths with overgrown with lush green grass after the recent rains. The 300m climb was pleasant with a light mist in the fresh morning air, and with terrific views of Vellore and the surrounding countryside. At the top, there was a fort, built by Tippu Sultan's forces, then later occupied by the British. It was a great location for watching out for potential invaders from the north and sides, the south being naturally protected by several rolling hills and mountains ranges. One of the watching post still stood intact with its mmorish outline and we sought shelter here from the sun's rays that were building up in strength even at this early hour, enjoying the views. The heat was soothed by a cooling breeze and we could not resist a nap. Soon, it was miday and we took the way downhill. The cold shower was welcoming and I quickly fell asleep after this. I was woken up by knocks at my door- some guy had come to see the flat, and was looking for accommodation whilst his mum was undergoing treatment at CMC. My landlord came a little later and invited me to join him to the Jain GuruDev Mandir for Sunday prayers. I had accompanied him a couple of weeks before and had enjoyed the calm and peaceful grounds of the Jain ashram, about 20 minutes outside Vellore,on the way to Chennai. This time one of the local devotional singer had come, sparing the use of the radiocassette player. The altar was decorated with flowers picked from the gardens around the building. The live songs were beautiful and I enjoyed the philosophical readings that followed, calling for a life of simplicity and honesty. We then went to for tea and fritters at a local roadside stall, before heading back to Vellore.
posted by sajir at 9:14 AM
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