First Indian Festival!

Janmashtami- or as we westerners know it, the human pyramid festival.

Not to turn into a total teen, but, O... M.... G..... All I can say is, if my mother had been here she would have been a little nervous watching those little kids climb to the top! The long of the short of it is, teams from all around the city travel from spot to spot, trying to earn prize money (or just some glory). The goal is to reach a very high clay pot that is filled with gee (clarified butter) and honey, as well as marigolds and other special things, and the top person is to break the pot, spilling the contents on the team and surrounding people. The background is that is a celebration of Krishna, as a child, stole some of the honey and butter that was being exported away, none being left for the towns people. The moral is to not forget to partake in the sweet things in life.

It was a WONDERFUL first Indian festival experience for me. The teams were BEYOND excited to see us there, I took so many photos and had so many taken of me as well. The crowds were fun, polite, energetic, and eager to talk to us and make sure we were loving Mumbai. I have to admit I was a little concerned about the "grabbing" possibility, as I've been told that especially blonds tend to get either the front or back side grabbed by these rowdy groups of boys, but, not a single hand or pinching. Just amazingly fun exchanges between so many different groups of people. We saw 6 or so pyramids go up, and myself and two other girlfriends from ASB and I were invited to help in the girls pyramid we saw (totally amazing- the girl made it to the top, broke the pot and we were showered with the contents. No words to describe the exhilaration). The last, and largest group we saw, the boy cracked the pot, but then the men below him started to fall, and hung there, 4 stories high for about 30 seconds while they reestablished the pyramid to catch him. No one around us seemed worried at all, they just cheered him on louder, and of course, it was fine. Craziness.

I could go on forever, and I'm sure Reid will have a few of his own personal moments to share. The pictures really tell more...
Rachel