A very special Christmas at the Hindu temple
Trip Start
Oct 08, 2007
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34
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Trip End
Dec 16, 2008
Hampi,
India
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
From Hospet we took a tuk-tuk to Hampi where Jean, a travel friend from Tibet was already waiting for us. Ish (also a friend from Tibet) was the last gay to join the group the following morning. These would be my travel bunch for the next week - Ish from Australia, Jean from France and Sean from the States. After Hampi was mostly party, so don't expect any amazing photography in my next blog entry.
Now back to Hampi. It is a small town surrounded by rocky hills and archeological sites, which we almost covered in a two day sight seeing spree. On Christmas day the old town temple was all lit up for a Hindu festival celebrating the engagement of Shiva and Parvati
X-mass sunrise
. It was a really special night at the temple, full of candle lights, drums, and friendly people. We, the foreigners, were welcomed warmly by the Indians. We walked around the deities with the locals, drank some holly water and received a blessing from the priests. We marked our foreheads with red colored powder. The girls were giving me peanuts, coconuts and sweets as a welcome gesture. I noticed several girls secretly touching me and then touching their forehead. I guess they liked meJ Everyone wanted to have their picture taken. That night at the temple was like taking a sneak pick into the real India. It was my best experience in this country and one I'll remember for life. Here, at the Hindu temple, I've experienced my most unusual and special Christmas.***
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Hugs & Kisses, Vik
