All new things start with Ganesh so the return journey starts with a collection of Ganesh from all over India. Last night at Indore was spent with Tapan and family , thats where I found the treasure of the Ganesh collection. Ganesh is the only GOD that gives liberty to depict him in any form one likes, he is playful , forgiving and gives his blessings to anyone who remembers him.
Indore airport has been renovated within last one month and looks nice. Relatives and friends came to see us off. It is a ritual in India unlike other places where you get dropped off at the airport curb. Jagdish has many close friends in Indore and it was hard for him to leave. I, myself had a wonderful time but also am ready to come back home to USA. My stomach is ready to be back :)
Flight to Bombay was one hour and was uneventful. My niece was waiting to receive us at the airport. The Bombay airport is also new and nice. You do not see hordes of shouting men right outside the baggage claim area any more. Speaking of which , I realized that if you just notice the people on the streets, in offices and just around , you will think India has more than 80% men ;) You find young men hanging around at every corner.
Coming back from Indore ,Bombay seems clean and organised ( good lesson in relativity) but the slums are still there. At home, my brother and kids were waiting with warm welcome and lunch. We gossiped all afternoon, filling them with the latest from Indore The picture is me , my niece and her niece and her son.
Today is the 37th anniversary of my brother and sister in law. They decided to celebrate it at home with kids and grand kids. There was a very happy chaos with three little kids and eight adults and four house maids. The grand kids blew the candles on the anniversary cake and made a huge mess which got cleaned by the maids very efficiently.
My brother with three grand kids. He really relishes the grand kids and spoils big time.
This time I left behind many fond memories of friends and family at Indore but I know I will be back soon to see them again. I reconnected with many of them (,thanks to the internet) promising myself to stay in touch more often. With the work with SEWA as well as Explorabox and other volunteer stuff, I hope to have more frequent interactions with the home I was born in and the home I chose to make my own . In many ways these are two different worlds but in other ways the needs of the people are same and I feel very fortunate to receive love from both. It was nice ot be able to stay in my childhood home even though the places have changed completely , the memories and glimpses of past are still there.
So, everyone is sleeping now. Bombay is hot ( 93 F) and humid but the house is comfortable. I feel the tiredness of the Mahayatra already and am looking forward to coming back to USA ( but not the 15 hours flight from Dubai to San Francisco) We need to come up with a better way to travel.
Good night....
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