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| Letter from India: holy waters | Letter from India: holy waters |
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| Little more than a bazaar, a few narrow lanes and an island said to be shaped like the om symbol, the Hindu pilgrimage town of Omkareshwar, in India's central province of Madhya Pradesh, is in a state of flux. As cows with painted horns lumber through town, a woman in a yellow sari pushes through a crowd of pilgrims, balancing a clay water jug on her head with one hand, while pressing a mobile phone to her ear with the other. A sadhu, or Hindu ascetic, tears around her on a stuttering moped, matted dreadlocks and orange and white robes flowing behind. | Little more than a bazaar, a few narrow lanes and an island said to be shaped like the om symbol, the Hindu pilgrimage town of Omkareshwar, in India's central province of Madhya Pradesh, is in a state of flux. As cows with painted horns lumber through town, a woman in a yellow sari pushes through a crowd of pilgrims, balancing a clay water jug on her head with one hand, while pressing a mobile phone to her ear with the other. A sadhu, or Hindu ascetic, tears around her on a stuttering moped, matted dreadlocks and orange and white robes flowing behind. |
| Pilgrims from across the country walk a circuit of the island, pausing to pray and make offerings at the temples en route. In between, they unthinkingly throw biscuit wrappers and plastic bottles into the ravines and ditches. When the rains come, the waste is washed down into the holy river. | Pilgrims from across the country walk a circuit of the island, pausing to pray and make offerings at the temples en route. In between, they unthinkingly throw biscuit wrappers and plastic bottles into the ravines and ditches. When the rains come, the waste is washed down into the holy river. |
| The main bazaar street in town is lined with near-identical stalls offering strings of Bodhi seeds, conical piles of brightly coloured tikka powder, brass idols from the Hindu pantheon and empty plastic jugs to be filled with holy water from the Narmada river. But tourist rather than just pilgrim trinkets are starting to appear. | The main bazaar street in town is lined with near-identical stalls offering strings of Bodhi seeds, conical piles of brightly coloured tikka powder, brass idols from the Hindu pantheon and empty plastic jugs to be filled with holy water from the Narmada river. But tourist rather than just pilgrim trinkets are starting to appear. |
| Two footbridges high above the river connect the bazaar with many temples that perch on the island's hillside. Below the temples at the river's edge, pilgrims send small baskets filled with flower blossoms, a coconut and a few coins into the river. But before the river consumes the offerings, they float aimlessly across without a consistent current to carry them downriver. | Two footbridges high above the river connect the bazaar with many temples that perch on the island's hillside. Below the temples at the river's edge, pilgrims send small baskets filled with flower blossoms, a coconut and a few coins into the river. But before the river consumes the offerings, they float aimlessly across without a consistent current to carry them downriver. |
| Upstream, a colossal dam looms over pilgrims bathing along the ghats, or steps, down to the river. The dam provides power for many towns and cities in the state, but on the far side, the rising water level has forced people to relinquish their homes near the riverbanks. "The dam uses the water to make power, but it can't take all the power from the river," says Sunil, a Hindu priest at the main Omkareshwar temple on the island. "All we need is a trickle." | Upstream, a colossal dam looms over pilgrims bathing along the ghats, or steps, down to the river. The dam provides power for many towns and cities in the state, but on the far side, the rising water level has forced people to relinquish their homes near the riverbanks. "The dam uses the water to make power, but it can't take all the power from the river," says Sunil, a Hindu priest at the main Omkareshwar temple on the island. "All we need is a trickle." |
| Throughout the day, bells and chants echo between temples on both sides of the river, and each morning a siren sounds over the town announcing a release of water from the dam. As the sun rises, but before the river swells, a man in a rowboat drags a magnet across the river's bottom collecting the coins from the previous day's offerings. | Throughout the day, bells and chants echo between temples on both sides of the river, and each morning a siren sounds over the town announcing a release of water from the dam. As the sun rises, but before the river swells, a man in a rowboat drags a magnet across the river's bottom collecting the coins from the previous day's offerings. |
| Leaving Omkareshwar, the bus passes families picking cotton and chillies before crossing a bridge over the Narmada. It screeches to a halt halfway across, blocking traffic and sending a cloud of black exhaust into the air. Ignoring honks from other drivers, the conductor calmly steps down and hurls a garland of marigold flowers and bay leaves into the river. He lights incense and whispers a few words to the river, then re-enters the bus. "Chalo!" he yells. Let's go! | Leaving Omkareshwar, the bus passes families picking cotton and chillies before crossing a bridge over the Narmada. It screeches to a halt halfway across, blocking traffic and sending a cloud of black exhaust into the air. Ignoring honks from other drivers, the conductor calmly steps down and hurls a garland of marigold flowers and bay leaves into the river. He lights incense and whispers a few words to the river, then re-enters the bus. "Chalo!" he yells. Let's go! |
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