Before we ran into the herd of camels Sunday, we had the great experience of visiting the Adalaj “stepwell” or vav. This magnificent structure stretches five stories underground, and, frankly, I can’t do justice to it with photos. Built in the 1490s, this exquisitely-carved with a blend of Hindu and Islamic detail structure leads underground to a well (see top photo for some of the detail).
The vav was both utilitarian and ritualistic. People considered the water holy since the water was significantly cooler than surface water, especially in the hot summer months. What I found most interesting was the light wells, which allowed the large structure to be lighted naturally throughout the day.
We then headed for the Shrine of Our Lady of the Camels, where Father Vinayak celebrated a special mass. The shrine has an interesting past. It was a Jesuit mission to the Hindu local camel-based economy, hence the name. It clearly reaches out to other religions with its Hindu-like design and little touches throughout reading out to non-Catholics.
Finally, we ended the day’s sightseeing at a site some would think religious, the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad. It was Gandhi’s residence from 1915 to 1930 when he formalized his philosophy. As I said, the ashram prompted almost religious feelings. I was especially touched by the many Hindu families with parents showing small children around and talking to them about India’s greatest leader.
Pictured is Gandhi’s room with the furniture he used. In it, signs said, he met with leaders from all over India and the world. Every visitor looks through the wire-protected doorway into the simple room.
All in all, it was a great day for sightseeing, but reality struck quickly for the workshop faculty. Bill went off to work on tomorrow’s lesson, Carole to download video the students shot yesterday, and I have to get to work on grading (writing blog items is a great procrastination tactic).
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