Alright, here is my absolute FAVORITE India quirk. There are freakin' cows everywhere! Traffic has to stop for them. People have to move from them. Bikes have to veer around them. And no one cares. Cows are holy because a)a cow fed Krishna after his birth when his mother died and b)Shiva has a pet cow, Nandi. India believes that everyone has 4 mothers: 1. Your birth Mother 2. Mother India 3. Mother Ganga-ji (the Ganges River) 4. The cow. It's incredible. This picture was taken in Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna and seeing a city bus stop so the cow could leisurely take its time crossing the street is no obscure thing. Don't you love it?
This is Kavita Dweli, an Odissi dancer that absoutely inspired me. She was compelling, specific, and humble. An absolute gift.
Ah, Ganesha... The elephant-headed son of Shiva and Pavarti is my absolute favorite Hindu god. He is the remover of obstacles in your life and a blessing when beginning new things. I am always beginnig new things and for my first dance had to wear an elephant head. It seemed intuitive that I fall in love with Ganesh. To make a long, really magical story short, I spent many hours finding the perfect Ganesh pendant and the one you see around my neck in this pic has been blessed by many holy people and is 100% my prized possession.
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