Break in Goa

Since Ben has seen fit to leave our fair state of Orissa and go back to the United States for no apparent reason (well except the fact he has to be the best man in one of his friend's wedding) we decided it would be fun for him to be able to see some other part of India besides Orissa.  We all figured we could not come to India without visiting Mumbai and we also thought it would be a good idea to see the state of Goa as well, which is known for its white beaches on the Arabian Sea and relaxed lifestyle.

We departed for Goa early in the morning and had a 2 hour layover in Hyderabad, accompanied by some excellent biryani and beer and then arrived in Goa at 4 in the afternoon.  It was very interesting while we were telling everyone that we were planning on going to Goa and that I was so excited I was finally going to get tan that there was probably not going to be any sunshine due to the monsoon.  Lets just say I felt like a fool packing my sun tan lotion.

After a 40 km taxi ride that cost about $10 we arrived at Alcove resort on Little Vagator beach.  For anyone who ever travels to Goa I highly recommend this place.  They gave us 2 rooms for 2,000 rupees per night and had some of the best food and service I have ever experienced.  I will say the only downside was that during the monsoon most of the bars and restaurants around the resort were closed for the season which left us with very little choice in the surrounding areas.

The view from our doorstep, the Arabian Sea in the distance

For the rest of the evening we just relaxed at the restaurant (the hut with the translucent blue wall).  That night we had also inquired as to whether we could rent scooters and they told us they would be available for the entire day at 600 rupees a piece.  I am sure Ben had a good laugh the next morning when Katrina and I were trying to figure out how to balance on the scootys (scooters that you do not have to shift) and not run them into a wall.  When we finally got the hang of it we very gingerly drove into town with Anjuna Beach being our final destination.

Our chariots

I was so surprised how easy it was to rent the scootys.  We did not even have to show our drivers licenses, they did not ask us if we had driven them before nor did they require that we put now a security deposit.  Whenever you rent something in the US it feels like you have to sign your life away and pay so much more than whatever you are renting is even worth.


The drive through Goa was so beautiful I felt as if I was driving through a rain forest.  The traffic was so much less hectic than anywhere else I have been in India and every road was lined with banyan and palm trees.  We also really lucked out with the weather, evidently it had been pouring for a week straight before we came and it seemed like someone turned off a faucet that morning.  It only rained once it was only for 3 or so minutes and luckily we had already reached Anjuna beach at that point.

Anjuna Beach and the Arabian Sea

We walked along the beach for a little while and then went to this restaurant that had some of the best food I have had thus far. I was extremely surprised though when I opened the menu and saw that beef was an option.  This particular area along with the area surrounding Mumbai had been colonized by the Portuguese and the people there are predominantly Christian.  We were still a little leery of the option to eat beef and instead opted for some of their amazing seafood.  We ordered prawns, calamari, and three different types of crab that were equally amazing, and for the price of $20 extremely gluttonous.

Ben after the damage was done

After we finished lunch we scooted around for a while before finding a quiet beach where people would not take a thousand pictures of us so we could go swimming.  I could not believe how strong the riptide was in the Arabian Sea.  It took all of our strength not to be swept away and the water was fairly muddy which was also a result of the monsoon rains.  After being sufficiently exhausted we returned back to the resort for dinner and a night cap.

The next morning it was raining a little bit more but only in spurts so we decided to rent to scootys again.  We had breakfast/lunch at this awesome Mexican themed restaurant that had amazing French Onion soup and phenomenal rice and tortillas.  I still cannot get over how beautiful Goa is even when it is pouring and gray.  The canal systems are reminiscent of Amsterdam with the exception that they are surrounded by rice paddies and palm trees instead of brick buildings and the red light district

Indian Riviera

 One of the canals

After we left the restaurant we headed down to Fort Aguada which was built in the 17th century by the Portuguese and is still pretty well intact today.  I was really surprised that we did not have to pay to get into the fort and also that there were virtually no railings to stop you from falling in.  Furthermore the lack of security was incredible.  There was a group of young guys that I was pretty sure were quite intoxicated crawling all over the place and balancing on the top of the barricades.

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Fort Aguada

 
View from the fort, there was a ship that looked like it had been beached there for a fairly long time

The fort's lighthouse

 Moat around the fort

Field Trip to Kalahandi

A few weeks ago Katrina, Ben and I got to go to the district of Kalahandi to see some of Madhyam's programs there and so that Katrina could do some of her client satisfaction surveys.  This was our first time taking a night train that was a sleeper car.  Our cabin was in the three tier car which essentially meant that each side of the cabin had three rows of beds, one on top of the other, and then another side that had two rows of beds.  It was really cool and there were people walking up and down the aisles selling tiffins of biryani, chai and coffee.  Katrina and I chose top bunk which may have been one of the best ideas due to the fact that there were bars suspending the bed from the roof that held us in every time the train hit its breaks quickly and accelerated. We also decided that the trains were not made for people taller than 5 foot 4 seeing as out feet hung off the edge and we could not sit up fully.

Katrina and me in our bunks

We arrived in Kalahandi at about 4:30 in the morning and then had a 90 km drive to Bhawanipatna.  Along the way we got a flat tire and I swear our driver could work in a NASCAR pit crew.  By the time he had changed the tire I would have just been figuring out where the spare war hidden in the car (this is not representative of my gender, merely my inability to do anything handy).  It was nice that we got to stop because it gave us an opportunity to take pictures of some of the rice paddies and the sunrise over the mountains.  The western part of Orissa is actually quite mountainous and of course lush like any part of the state.

Tire change sunrise

We arrived in Bhawanipatna at around 8 and had to quickly shower and eat breakfast because the place where Madhyam is doing its project is a further 60km from the city.  Due to the fact the roads are in some places not black topped and in poor condition we took these huge SUVs that made me feel as if I was going on a safari in the mountains. 

On our first day we visited one of the fields where Madhyam is helping with increased plant cultivation and diversification and then mobilizes the farmers into a vegetable cooperative.  Three of the guys at the office, Kartik, Gundicha and Chitah came with us.  This project area is where Kartik and Gundicha work, both of whom seem to be experts in horticulture.  There checked up on the vegetable growth, gave the farmers some tips on how to maximize their plant growth, and checked the books of the cooperatives.

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Some of the women who are members of the vegetable co-op

 Vegetable Fields

From the fields we went to a meeting with some of the people from the co-op who had also received micro-finance loans so Katrina could conduct her surveys.  She stayed with Gundicha while Ben and I went with Kartik to another co-op he has been working with so he could check their Livelihood Assistance Cards and collective progress.  We also got to go to one of the stores where they sell their vegetables.

Playing peek-a-boo with me at one of the meetings, not very professional I suppose 

I think perhaps maybe one of my favorite parts of this trip (and I unfortunately have no pictures to show for it) occurred on the second day of our visit.  We were fortunate enough to meet with Mr. Raju Sharma who works for DAPTA (Development Agency for Poor & Tribal Awakening).  This organization is perhaps one of the most progressive and astounding places I have visited in Orissa thus far.  DAPTA takes on a variety of social justice initiatives, from familial counciling to AIDs awareness and prevention to helping the mentally ill.

Initially we met Mr. Sharma at another one of the vegetable co-ops, however while Katrina was conducting her surveys Ben and I began to speak with Mr. Sharma about his organization and what it does.  He first started telling us about how they work with malaria prevention and treatment as well as the psychological help his organization provides to those who are mentally ill. He then started to tell us about his work with transgenders.  In India it seems the term 'transgender' does not have the same connotation that it does in the US, rather it is an umbrella term to cover homosexuals, transgenders, eunuchs, and male sex workers  (MSWs).  Well it turns out DAPTA supports peer counciling for MSWs in its office and works to educate them on the dangers of unprotected sex.

MSWs typically work at truck stops and serve as a form of prostitution of truck drivers but are also sought out by adolescent boys out of curiosity.  This practice has largely contributed to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs in India.  So what DAPTA has done is started a peer mediating class that recruits about 10 or so MSWs and has them discuss the ramifications for unprotected sex and risky behavior.  What I found so fascinating about this was that in a country as conservative as India, an organization is rural Orissa is telling people about condom usage rather than trying to change them.

After we left the vegetable co-op we went back to the DAPTA offices where Mr. Sharma was going to provide me with some of his information on the rate of malaria infection in the district.  He took us to the second story of the building where the main offices are pointed out that there was a counciling session going on.  I had assumed it was one of the family counciling sessions but it turns out it was actually one for the MSWs and Mr. Sharma told us we could go and meet with them if we so desired.  I could not believe how open and candid they were about everything.  We went around the room and identified ourselves and when the men began they even told us whether they were HIV positive or not.  I have never been so humbled in my entire life.

We spent about 45 minutes discussing what they do through DAPTA, how they got involved with it, and how their lives have changed.  For the rest of the afternoon I think Katrina, Ben and I were the quietest we have ever been, mulling over everything we had heard.  As we were leaving Mr. Sharma had a surprise for all three of us.  He presented us 3 teak elephants, that weigh about a pound each and are specialties of Kalahandi.  If given the chance I would not think twice about going back and working with DAPTA.  With the exception of Madhyam, it is one of the most impressive and worthwhile non-profits I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. 

The only picture I have of Mr. Sharma due to the fact that we were all too engrossed in our conversation otherwise to take out our cameras.

Have you ever seen a million people?

Yes, yes I know I've been slacking.  It seems I cannot escape procrastination anywhere.

So Katrina and I had to opportunity of a lifetime to go and see Rath Yatra in Puri.  Essentially Rath Yatra is a Hindu festival that celebrates the Lord Jagganath, his brother Balarama, and his sister Subhadra.  The Jagganath Temple in Puri is one of the the most sacred places in Orissa for Hindus and people of certain Hindu sects are required to make a pilgrimage there once in their lifetime.

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Jagganath Temple

Many people live out their entire lives without seeing the car festival but Mrs. Singhdeo surprised Katrina and I the night before and told us her father, Papa Rai, organizes a bus every year to Puri for Rath Yatra typically for people of his generation and asked if we wanted to go we could.  We deliberated for about .2437 seconds and obviously accepted.

We met Papa Rai at 5:45 so we could walk to the bus, where seats are first come first serve.  I have to say I am in awe of the lengths mature people will go to in order to secure a seat for themselves.  Katrina and I both tried several times to get up and offer our seats to others who required them more than us for the two hour ride but as I have heard repeatedly, guest is king.  Ultimately they brought plastic chairs on to the bus and placed them in the aisle so everyone could fit.  I have to say besides the sardine effect, this was one of the most enjoyable bus rides of my life.  Everyone was jubilant, singing songs and chanting, and we were provided copious amounts of Sprite and Thums Up (tastes sort of like Coke but 10 times sweeter).

We arrived outside of Puri, about 8 km, and had to hire an auto-rickshaw to take us into the city because traffic control was so tight.  Once we went as far as the vehicle could take us we had about a 2km walk to the building that we were going to view the festival from.  They streets were insane.  Puri is generally a pretty quiet city but before we got there Papa Rai explained to us that over 10 lakh (1 million) people will be there.

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Approaching Jagganath Temple

Non-Hindus are forbidden to enter the temple save for Rath Yatra.  However, we did not go in due to the sheer amount of people and we also wanted to get to our building before the crowds got too large.  There were hundreds ans hundreds of policemen and volunteers lining the streets to make sure people did not get out of line or too rowdy.  As such, we could not take the direct route to where we were going to spend the day and had to travel around the temple and back out on to the main street.  It was so hot and everywhere I turned someone was shoving me, trying to push past, or sell me something.  Luckily Papa Rai and his elder cousin were with us to shove people trying to take pictures of us out of the way, you could say they were our personal body guards.

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On the walk around the temple

Building opposite of Jagganath Temple

When we finally reached the building we were ushered up to the top floor and given front row seats to watch the chariot procession.  At about 9 am we were given chai and a breakfast of puri (sort of like dense, fried tortillas) and potatoe and lentil masala.  For the next few hours we communicated in broken Oriya and English with the others who had come on the bus with us and watched the masses of people.  It was estimated for the Rath Yatra 15 lakh (1.5 million) people came.  Just standing over the balcony and watching the throngs of people was as if we were truly observing a sea of humanity.

  Under the canopy on the top of the building

 Fire trucks cooling off the masses

After we were given our lunch the chariots began to make their way down the street.  Both policemen and devotees help to pull the chariots that are about 45 feet high, each chariot carrying the three separate deities, with Lord Jagganath bringing up the rear.  The chariots are ornately decorated with bright canopies and many people ride on the chariots who, from what I could see, were usually young boys to middle aged men.  While the chariots were being pulled down the street people were chanting, singing and dancing in the Bada Danda or the Grand Avenue.  The chariots were pulled about 2 km and stopped at Gundicha Temple where their Aunt lives.  After 9 days the chariots are then pulled back to their temple.

One of the chariots being pulled down Bada Danda

Just a glimpse at how many people were there


If we thought getting into Puri was difficult it was about 10 times harder trying to find an auto-rickshaw out.  It had also started pouring during the pulling of the Jagganath temple so the streets were getting water-logged and everything was soaked.  When we finally found a rickshaw the driver tried to cheat us but Papa Rai set him straight.  Evidently, and understandably, all of the vendors, hotel and rickshaw drivers jack up their prices during the festival so as to take advantage of all the incoming devotees.  We finally made it back to the bus where we had a much needed rest and pleasant drive back to Bhubaneswar. 

Although it is extremely sad but also surprising, only one person died at Rath Yatra this year in Puri due to stampeding.  I think Katrina and I both were expecting that there might be a few more casualties just because of the sheer number of people present for the event.  Also an interesting side note, evidently there are Rath Yatras held all over the world in hundreds of different cities including New York City, London, and Antwerp.  I am surprised that I have only heard of this festival since my first visit to Orissa.

"Education is a Right, Not a Privilege"

If you are able to read this blog, you are already more fortunate that about 50% of the women we met at Gandamunda.  In a state that has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the county, 47% of the people live below the poverty line, and around 80% are considered poor, people have to fight for everything if they want anything.

Madhyam set up a trip for Ben, Katrina and me to go to Sambalpur, which is a fairly rural city in western Orissa.  While there we went to the village of Gandamunda to meet with one of the women's self help groups (SHGs).  We were fortunate enough to be accompanied by Apurba (one of the guys that works in the office with us), Pradeep (who also works with Madhyam but is based in Sambalpur) and two older gentlemen who are also from Sambalpur.

 Apurba and Ben on the train

Katrina and me

One of the millions of pictures I took on the ride to Sambalpur

The premise of out trip to Sambalpur was for Katrina to get information for her project.  She is doing a client satisfaction survey on people who have received loans from MFIs.  Although her research is quite interesting I do not envy her in the sense a lot of her data will be obtained from surveys taken from people who speak only Oriya.  I have to say it is really debilitating not being able to understand the native language of the place in which you live and on a professional it is downright crippling.  Fortunately for us we had our leader and translator extraordinaire Apurba to lead the conversation in the self help group and help translate the survey for Katrina.  You could tell that these women were more used to be talked at rather than talked to so we were very grateful to have Apurba who was wonderful at engaging the women and connecting with them so they felt free to speak.

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Us receiving flowers from the women at the SHG


I do have to say one uncomfortable part of the day (besides waking up at 4 in the morning to catch out 6 o'clock train was when they gave us the flowers.  In India to show respect they touch your feet and it is extremely awkward to have someone who is 20 years your senior that has been through so much more than I could probably even fathom touch my feet.

Apurba and Katrina with the self help group

Seeing as I have never conducted a client satisfaction survey and completely useless at Oriya I left the room while they were conducting the survey and went outside to talk to the 2 older men that came along with us and of course play with the children.

One of the men that came with us had been an educator his entire life and had retired and the principal of a school.  He was explaining to me the education system of Gadamunda, where there are about 250 households.  By decree of the constitution of India it is to be free and compulsory for children to have primary education and 60 some-odd years after independence it is finally being made a reality.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of children going to school in Ganamunda was the promise of a hearty meal.  Malnutrition has plagued this village for years and initially in the schools children were only fed dry food.  However a couple of years ago one of the education ministers made it a law that government run schools are to provide hot food and in the subsequent years there has been a significant decrease in malnutrition.  From what I saw there were no distended bellies and all the kids seemed to be in pretty high spirits.

Unfortunately in these government schools it is not all sunshine and rainbows.  Apparently in April, the government failed to deliver the textbooks and workbooks for the students, with a promise they would get them at the beginning of the next school year.

Some of the schoolgirls

This really makes you think about our education system.   So many times you hear complaints that our school textbooks are outdated and that they need new ones every one to two years.  God forbid they look up the new material on the internet (sorry Mom).  Children here are going to classes in one room school houses, in some cases with dirt floors, with no fans in the sweltering 100+ degree heat, and textbooks that just don't show up.

What is even more sickening is that fact that one year of college at a university in the U.S. is more than a vast majority of people in India will make in their entire lifetime.  There is this great sign in downtown Bhubaneswar with a plain green background and white lettering that states, "Education is a Right, Not a Privilege." No one should be restricted from receiving an education because they were born into a lowly caste, or that their parents need them to work or beg for a few rupees a day, or even if they or their parents do not make a small fortune each year in order to go college.

6th Annual Public Interaction Day "Emerging Challenges in the Non-profit Sector"

To celebrate the establishment of the Madhyam Foundation, the staff organized a public interaction day where influential and leaders of the non-profit sector were invited to discuss the some of the emerging challenges of the non-profit sector.  Typically when a place celebrates its founding, it is a time where people sit around, eat and drink, and congratulate themselves on all they have accomplished throughout the year, but not at the Madhyam Foundation.  They found a way to include people from different walks of life to still  do something productive and meaningful.  Although we were served an excellent lunch and the traditional onslaught of chai and biscuits, it really showed that Madhyam (which incidentally means medium) is more than a typical non-profit.

Subrat speaking at the event

There was a panel of speakers, that ranged from a former Indian Ambassador to a reporter for the Times of India, invited to give their insight on what some of the key issues facing the non-profit sector today.  The general tone of the day was that of skepticism.  So many times when you hear the word non-profit, altruism comes to mind but that is not always the case.  The facts of life are that money corrupts, profiteering and greed are ever-present and the goal is to be socially responsible, whether you are a non-profit or a multi-million dollar corporation.

Another problem that came up was the fact that non-profits are also taken for granted as well as having a great deal of autonomy because of the nature of their work.  The Ambassador said it best, the non-profit sector is not a social good, it is a necessity.  The attitude of the population needs to change for what is socially needed and there should be no distinction made between the profit and the non-profit sector.  Everyone should be help accountable for their actions, and there seems to be a lack of regulation in the non-profit sector.  Micro-finance institutions (MFIs) and non-profits are making gross amounts of money and in the meantime farmers are committing suicide because they are being hounded day and night by collectors to repay their loans.  Too often institutions lose sight of their original mandates and do much more harm than good.

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Audience at the 6th Annual Public Interaction Day

All in all it was an excellent day for the Madhyam Foundation.  There were about 50 attendees (although only 4 of whom were female including Mrs. Singhdeo, Katrina and me) and many great ideas were thrown around and discussed.  Madhyam is the archetype of how a non-profit should operate.  It involves the community and shares what needs to be accomplished in a manner that is informative as well as entertaining.

Wedding Season

Since I have been in India I feel as if I have been going non-stop, and I am not complaining...  Last night we were fortunate enough to attend the wedding feast of our colleague Kartik's two younger brothers.  The weddings here are a three day affair where over 1,000 people we invited and in attendance.  While we did not observe the actual ceremony the dinner was just as interesting.  Kartik's village was roughly 50 km. outside of Bhubaneswar but took almost 2 hours to get to due to one-land back roads and a lack of GPS.

Sunset on the way to the village

Over the past few days we have driven by numerous wedding celebrations.  Evidently some of the summer months have very auspicious days for couples to get married.  They are usually accompanied by a caravan of trucks and cars decked out in lights and flowers with people dancing in the street, blasting music and shooting off fire crackers.

Once we arrived in the village we were greeted by an exuberant Kartik, still glowing with pride from the marriages of his little brothers.  Kartik introduced us to all of his family, which is quite large due to the fact they lived in a joint-family home where both his father's family and his uncle's family resided.  There were massive tarps tied to the roof to protect the party-goers from the monsoon rains.  After meeting most of the family we were presented to the brides and bridegrooms, who were essentially put on display for people to take pictures with and congratulate them.  The room had a huge spot light in it and felt like it was about 110 degrees.  I did not envy them having to stand there in their suits and saris.

Kartik, me, Mrs. Singhdeo, Ben, Katrina, with the brides and bridegrooms

We were then ushered out of the room and taken around the back of the house where a spot was cleared for us in the banquet hall.  The elder brother and family members were carrying around pails of food and filling out plates with rice, mushrooms, paneer, and all different types of curries.  After declining many offers of second and third helping we were given kheer, which is a rice pudding seasoned with cardamon and cashews but almost has the consistency of tapioca pudding.

The banquet hall

 The firepit and massive pots used to cook for the thousands of guests

We have noticed that once you are finished eating people do not sit around and chat, usually this is done before the meal and immediately after they leave the home.  We said our goodbyes thanking the family for inviting us and thought we were heading home.  However Apurba, one of the other men that works in the office took us to his village or "native place" and we were introduced to his wonderful mother who he is almost the spitting image of.

Our schedule for the rest of this week is going to be quite full with the celebration of Madhyam's founding on the 8th and the our departure for Sambalpur (a district in North-Western Orissa) where we will get to see what life is like in a more rural setting and some exposure to some of the Scheduled Tribes.

4th of July, Indian style

While it wasn't a traditional Independence Day celebration, it was still a great day nonetheless.  Originally our plan was to go to the store, try and find whatever "American" type food we could and make a 4th of July feast while sitting out on the terrace.  However, when we came downstairs in the morning Subrat and Mrs. Singhdeo surprised us with a trip to Puri, which is a beautiful sea-side city right on the Bay of Bengal and roughly 50 km. from Bhubaneswar.

After Katrina, Ben and I went to this huge department store called Big Bazaar to get clothes for the wedding we are supposed to attend today and had some lunch at a Chinese restaurant (very American I know...), we departed for Puri.  The road from Bhubaneswar to Puri has to have some of the most beautiful greenery in all of Orissa.  The sides of this road are decorated with rice paddies, palm and banyan trees, cows, farms, and even little watering holes where villagers bathe and wash their clothes.  

 On the way to Puri

 One of the watering holes/ponds

Evidently it is tradition for Subrat whenever he makes this trip stop at one of the roadside coconut vendors for a water break.  These men on the side of the road climb up the trees and bring down hundreds of coconuts which they sell.  First they cut off just the top with a machete and give you straw to drink the water.  After you finish they cut the coconut in two and dig out the meat of the plant to eat, a refreshing treat on such a hot day.  People also collect the fibers of some of the coconuts to stuff in mattresses or make brooms out of.

Katrina, Ben and I with the coconut vendor.

Bushels of coconuts

It was such a nice break from the city once we reached Puri.  The beach was packed with people and we found a really nice spot on the beach  and Subrat and Mrs. Singhdeo got us some peanuts, coffee and this really good mixture or puffed rice, peanuts, corn and masala from these guys that just walk up and down the beach.

 People swimming on the beach, notice what the women are wearing

Children riding the camels, you can also get rides on horses.

We watched the sun set and then the Singhdeos took us to the Puri Club where Subrat is a life member.  I would equate to something like a country club, there were tennis courts and a beautiful club house.  People in India tend to eat dinner around 10 at night so when we arrived at 7:15 we were literally the only people there besides the security guard and attendants.  We had a wonderful meal of pakora, American sauteed corn, a chicken roll, and of course a beer to toast the 4th.  It was the perfect end to a great day.

 Mrs. Singhdeo at the club

There is something really interesting going on throughout India as well.  The party in power opted to take away the petrol subsidy so there is a nation-wide strike led by the opposition party and people are not even supposed to drive their cars.  Last night some government workers decided to work through the night so that they would not miss any work and as a result when they were leaving the office they had clashes with mobs and several people were taken to the hospital.  As such the strike today does not seem that bad but typically strikers barricade the road with tires and trees and sometimes will even throw rocks at the cars.  On our way to work today we had to stick to the back roads and the front gates of the office are locked shut as well as the front door.  We are supposed to go to the wedding feast tonight but will not be able to leave until 5:30 once the strike is officially over.