Yesterday night Ramona and I arrived in Cochin. This morning we had a nice breakfast and after that decided to go out and see the town. When we asked the receptionist for some information, she was very friendly and handed us a map of Ernakulam and Cochin, the two cities that seem to be so close by each other that it does not make much difference which one you are in. We asked her to mark the sights and there she went: you can see this church, that temple, this basilica and this synagogue. There is also a mosque but that this a little bit smaller. And apart form that the Dutch Palace. With some more information about markets, restaurants and the marine drive along the water, we thanked her and left.
Once on the road Ramona and I looked at each other and smiled. Good that we only have this one day in Cochin because there is not really a lot for us to do. We are not religious people and this is why we are not interested to see neither a church nor a temple nor a synagogue or mosque. We don’t go there for worship, why do we need to go there for tourism?
Is this really what these places, these houses of God have been made for? So that people stand in front of them, say ‘Oh, what a nice building’, take a picture and leave again? Pilgrimages are, at least in India, already big business. There you can see the future of religion. Only business and making money. How sad when a place of love and worship merely becomes a place to show off or a place to look at.
In many South Indian Hindu temples foreigners are not allowed and Indians have to pay entry fees to look at the statue of God and worship. In London, too, if you want to see Westminster Abbey from inside, you have to pay. I anyway say I don’t need any temple, my God is in my heart and that is enough. Maybe this all is also a good sign that all those churches and temples are slowly turning into museums. Then you can go to Notre Dame in Paris only to look at the beautiful architecture and visit so many other temples, mosques, synagogues or churches only to learn about their history and maybe learn that we all are not Hindu, Christian, Muslim or Jews but just human. In this way we will finally understand that we don’t need a separate house for God because he lives in our hearts.
So we did some sightseeing and walked through the markets of Cochin and enjoyed the differences of the South of India. We had a beautiful time without looking at any houses of worship and will now go for dinner.
Tomorrow we will move on from Cochin to Allepey and write my Sunday’s diary for you from a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala.
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Sounds like you two are having a great time!
I don’t know why historical tourism or monument hopping is one of the most mainstream forms of tourism in the world. It has never interested me. I have always thought that people settle for feeling mentally stimulated instead of happy. They aren’t sure how to be happy. They can’t just be lost in a market. That would not be interesting enough for the mind and it wouldn’t give the ego anything to add to itself. I am not saying I’m right about this and I can guess that it is different for everyone. Just a thought.
I loved Alleppey! My friend and I explored the backwaters. We took a government boat and got off at a stop near a big field of rice patties. We met a man who owned a canoe and we rented it from him. We didn’t speak the same language but we could tell he was a great guy. It didn’t cost much and the man came with us. We paddled for a few hours, taking turns, until our arms were tired and then went to a cluster of houses on the edge of the water with acres and acres of patty field behind them. One of the houses belonged to our new friend. We ate dinner with his family and were showed around by the children. We spent the night in the very little “village” on the floor of our new friend’s very small house. In the morning we took a boat taxi the rest of the way to Kottayam. We had a great adventure there!
I hope it is as warm as it looks, where you are.
I think anything you do while traveling can be a beautiful experience. If you are going to temples and museums, walking through crowded streets and markets, sitting in a park and talking to a stranger…If you do it well, you are having a valuable experience. I like to look at every moment of my life as a time of traveling, noticing that things are constantly changing, that the things around me are new.
How do you find the food in Kerala? That is all I want to know!
You look beautiful Ramona! Glad to hear you are enjoying your first vacation in 2 years!
Even in the backwaters of Kerala you are going to make sure you post in your diary. That makes your readers very very happy.
“Is this really what these places, these houses of god have been made for? So that people stand in front of them, say 18Oh, what a nice building 19, take a picture and leave again?” Haha, when you put it that way Swami Ji, it does sound rather strange.
What you said about entry fees reminds me of the feeling I get when I visit NY. The only thing you seem to be able to d without paying is walk on a public sidewalk. You cannot stand for long or you will get a ticket. That is loitering. Even if you want to sit down you will have to find a restaurant and by something. If you want to use a toilet you have to pay. I start to get the sense that the whole world is roped off. If I have the urge to, climb a mountain let’s say, It feels natural to do it without having to sign permits or pay money. I want to be able to roam without having to pay for it! What about the people that can’t afford these things! In NY I imagine them boarded up in their homes, not having a reason to leave them. Yuck. This world belongs to none of us and we are all here so we should share the space.
Haha, I never bring a camera when I travel. It is really distracting to me because when I have one I interrupt my favorite moments or the most beautiful scenes to pause and take a picture! I also have friends who see even more beauty through the view of a camera lens. It brings my friend Dani into the moment and pushes me right out of it! Have a great time.
What do you do when your traveling? In what kind of place would there be a lot for you to do?
Imagining myself or someone else travel to a temple and say “oh what a nice building,” take a picture and leave is really making me laugh. That is exactly what I do! hahaha. It seems silly.
As a lover of art, I must see the most magificent buildings wherever I go, and often the religious buildings are among the most magnificent. Though I don’t belong to any church, I have several favorite churches where I live where I go to enjoy the wondrous architecture, and also to sit and meditate in their beautiful atmospheres. I’m all for preserving the beautiful churches, and giving them landmark status to prevent their demolition, because in many neighborhoods, they are the only break from the standardized condo and office building architecture, and they make neighborhoods beautiful. Unless one goes places just to socialize with friends, one of the main reasons to go anywhere is to see the best sights there, so why skip the magnificent buildings that are often products of the highest human inspiration? To me that would be like refusing to listen to certain music or refusing to look at certain art, because the music or art was first composed or made for religious devotion. That would exclude lots of great music and art. But if someone doesn’t enjoy or appreciate art, then I would understand why they would not be interested to see works of great architecture or art. I’ve noticed that people often go places as tourists just to eat or buy things. That seems pretty pointless to me, and doesn’t seem to show any intellectual curiosity. So I must disagree with your dismissal of religious architecture here. Even if the religions that inspire them have many faults, the buildings themselves often remain great objects of beauty, and great sources of inspiration.
I agree! Unless the temples is like… a few thousand years old and also abandonned- can’t hardly stand going and being harassed there.
Cochin? Excellent! My birthplace.
Typical! Religion is a best=seller everywhere.
What a pretty dress Ramona! Good color for you.
I get what you’re saying deinz, and that is why I will always go to the very culturally significant, ancient temples. But… most temples are just hack jobs with a picture of Krishna or Sai baba papier-mached to the wall above an offering plate. It’s those places I won’t go to, unfortunately those make up the majority of temples. PS have you been to Petra in Jordan? I bet you would really love it.
True words. True.
Well I hate museums AND temples. So there.
Exactly. God is in your heart. And I am so blessed that he is there for me to worship without needing a building or sacraments.
Hi Rachel, No, I haven’t been to Petra, but it looks like the kind of magnificent building I’m talking about, captured so wonderfully also in 19th century Orientalist style painting. If what you say is correct, which I have no reason to doubt, that many “temples” in India are so pathetic, especially if they have pictures up of of false gurus, I would absolutely understand not going. I wouldn’t bother at all with such places either. Even in NYC where I live, my standards are very high, and I wouldn’t bother spending any time at humdrum run-of-the-mill churches. It’s the magificent and awesome ones I go for, the one’s that fill me with wonder.
0E:))) great one …remind me on my little nephew 3 years asked me about the difference of a Catolic Church and a Evangelin Chrch… I told him I do not know , then I told him that people believe God lifes in a church , temples, mosques… and he was looking at me with big eye. I went on ..but do you know where GOD truly life … he said” noooo where ???” I pointed at his Heart and told “him there” and I pointed at my Heart ” and here and in every heart also in the tomy cat” :))) He gave me the sweetest Smile and then he asked me if there are Widows in the heart too … :))))) that was so sweet and pure …filled my heart with so much love and joy :DWishing you both a wonderful time in Kerela ..Love to you and a big hug :)))
..we are the living temple of God , God is in all ! I bow to you Swami Balendu!
All temples are inside of us. A big hug.
i HAVE TO GO SOON In your ashram and if God wants it I will meet you and be more ME.
On the one hand, the earth would be cultureally poorer, if architecture wouldn’t have developed the way it did. On the other hand, most buildings in humanities common cultural heritage have been built on the bones and lives of many thousand unnamed workers, just for the glory of the ruler in that time and area. I thought about that last when I visited the Taj Mahal 3 weks ago with Yashendu. Amazement in one way, refelctiveness on its creation in another way.
That makes me think really, how you say that you don’t go to these temples and mosques for worship so why would you go there for tourism? I guess I had never thought about it in these ways I just always thought of it as experiencing something new and from a different perspective…but to be honest I don’t go to those places for worship either do why would I go there for tourism too…