We kicked the ass of Pune today

What I mean is that we saw SO much stuff today. After consulting with the travel desk at the hotel, we decided to go to the Aga Khan Palace (where Gandhi was imprisioned), Parvati Hill (the highest point in Pune), Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Shaniwar Wada (a historical fort), and the Pataleshwar Cave Temple (a rock cut temple).

But, before I get into the details, let me start from the beginning. Last night I was absolutely spent, so I went to bed at 11PM and slept a glorious 9.5 hours until 8:30AM. I felt so much better. We just caught the tail end of breakfast at 10AM and I had an enormous appetite. As usual, there were many new things as well as variations on old ones. I had shira (a sweet grain dish that I can't seem to find any information about on the Internet), plain uttapam, medu wadas, puri bhaji (deep-fried bread with spicy potato curry on top -- crazy good), idli with green candied fruit (not really a fan -- too sweet), sambhar (a mild, watery, tomato-based lentil soup with vegetables that Marcelo says is for dipping idli into), potato corn croquettes, and a rose pancake that was pink inside and tasted daintily like a rose. Some more elite runners were at the next table. I think they were Russian. They were so young -- must have been teenagers. The six of them couldn't weigh any more than 600 lbs total, but they put away a lot of food. This is the best place to carb load. I do it every day, but without the marathon running.

On our way out, the man who cleans our rooms said hello to us and asked us how the service was. He told me that he's the one who cleans my room every day. Everyone at this hotel is so nice it breaks my heart.

Along the same lines, Pradeep drove us everywhere today and waited for us as we saw things. We weren't sure if we were supposed to call him on the weekend, but he didn't seem bothered by it. We aren't going to call him tomorrow though.

So, today we started at Aga Khan Palace. The palace is where Gandhi was imprisioned by the British in 1942 with his wife and secretary. He was arrested for inspiring Indians to resist their British-imposed participation in World War II due to the fact that they would be fighting for a democracy while being denied one of their own. This famous movement was called Quit India and is beautifully rendered in this painting (note the image of Gandhi in the mountain). The room that he and his wife slept in was on display as well as some of his personal effects.

Gandhi's personal secretary had died of a heart attack just six days after arriving at the palace. On one of the walls of the palace, this is what it said about his death:

Within a week of detention at Aga Khan Palace, Gandhi suffered a grievous bereavement. He lost Mahadev Desai, his faithful and able secretary who had served him nearly thirty-five years without any rest and who had "reduced himself to zero".

On the morning of the 15th of August 1942, he died of heart attack. Gandhi stood by the bedside calling out, "Mahadev, Mahadev". In anguish, Gandhi said, "if he only opens his eyes and looks at me once, he won't go". Mahadev never opened his eyes.

With trembling hands, Gandhi washed the body and annointed it with sandal and decorated it with flowers whispering, "Mahadev, I thought you would do this for me. Now I have to do it for you."

The authorities had brought a lorry with police and Brahmins. They wanted to take away the body and cremate it. But Gandhi would not have it. "No father can hand over the body of his son to strangers", he said. "Mahadev was more than a son to me. I would like to perform his last rites myself. But if the Government cannot take me outside, I am prepared to hand it over to friends, but I won't hand it over to the jail officials."

Gandhi sat thinking for a moment, then he said, "I do not want to make the death of my son into a political issue. If government will not allow me to go out and cremate the body nor hand it over to friends, I will have the cremation here."

Ultimately the Government yielded. In the afternoon a mournful little procession followed Mahadev's bier to a corner of the palace grounds. Gandhi followed the body with a staff in one hand and a pot of fire in the other. After a short religious ceremony, Gandhi lighted the pyre and soon there was a blaze. "Mahadev has lived up to the 'Do or Die' mantra", he asserted. "This sacrifice cannot but hasten the day of India's deliverance."

The gardens and paths around the palace were lovely and quiet. We passed underneath a stone tunnel where some fabrics and snacks were being sold. I bought the most beautiful silk sari for my mom. It is made of pure silk, but it was only 918 rupees ($26 CDN). I took way too many pictures to display in this blog, so I made a Rogers photo album, which you can view here.

Next we went to Paravati Hill, which is a hilltop temple and museum. It is the highest point in Pune (2100 feet above sea level) and has an amazing view of the city. We had no idea it was so big. To get to the top, one must climb 103 steps, which was challenging in the heat. There were lots of goats and kids trotting around the area. We also saw some birds that look like ravens only smaller with iridescent blue feathers. There was an Indian chipmunk that looked much like a Canadian one, but with prettier, more dramatic markings.

Before going into the temple area we had to check in our shoes, so we walked around the temple and museum in sock feet. Our soft, white soles got some splinters in them, but we got them all out before heading back. The temple was very beautiful, but I don't think we were supposed to take pictures of it -- a monk caught Marcelo and he got scolded.

The museum was interesting -- lots of artifacts like silver jewelry, wooden and copper utensils, and ancient coins. I was amazed to see ancient versions of what we think is a Swiss Army knife. I think the Swiss stole the patent on that one. The guard was super friendly and he turned on the overhead fans just for us -- I guess we must have been sweating a lot. I don't have any pictures inside the museum because after getting yelled at by the monk, we weren't sure if it was allowed. For the few pictures I did get (mostly goats), see here.

Next we went to the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, which is a huge museum housing the private collection of the museum's namesake. We had that problem that occurs at the Louvre where there is so much to see, you start breezing by a lot of really amazing things. As with the temple museum, there were many everyday living things like coins, utensils, combs, furniture, fabrics, clothes, lamps, and vessels. They also had beautiful, ornate dark wooden doors and windows. All items regardless of type had intricate decorative detail. Most artifacts were from the 18th and 19th century, but some stone statues were as old as the 9th century. I don't have any pictures at all because photography was 'strictly prohibited'. Poo. I bought some catalagues though.

By this time we had run out of cash (my fault for buying the sari and catalogues). We wanted to go to a bank, but Pradeep thought we should go to Shaniwar Wada first. It cost 100 rupees to get in, so we couldn't afford to enter, but we walked around the perimeter. Shaniwar Wada is a palace fort built in 1732AD that served as the seat of the Peshwa rulers. There were lots of Indian tourists and people relaxing around the grounds (picknicking, playing cricket). For more pictures, see here. Our tour around the perimeter was the first time we actually walked in the streets in Pune (we've been carted around everywhere so far). We thought it would be scary due to all the traffic and lack of sidewalks, but it wasn't. There's lots of people walking and the traffic moved pretty slow.

We stopped at Citibank to get a wad of rupees. The bank machine gave us our balances in rupees so it looked like we're loaded! Bank machines are a little hard to come by in the city. Or perhaps, we can't identify them because we can't read the script.

Lastly we went to the Pataleshwar Cave Temple. Apparently, it was carved out of a single enormous stone. There are stairs leading down to a sort of gazebo where university students hang out and study. Further in is a dark enclave with several altars. I saw one man praying in stages -- first ringing a brass bell, kneeling, and repeating this as he moved further into the darkness. It was a very quiet and peaceful place. The stone must absorb a lot of the noise because as soon as we left, the traffic sounds were deafening. For more pictures, see here.

Once back at the hotel we relaxed for a few hours. The runners were all trickling back to the hotel after picking up their race kits (they all had really low numbers, so they must be good!). I had sent my laundry out this morning and checked the 'Tomorrow' box (btw, the options are Today, Tomorrow, and Express), but it was ready this evening. I don't know what they do, but my clothes smell fresh, but not of detergent, and they look like new! I'll say again that I'm so spoiled. I wish I could send my laundry out at home.

For some reason, the managers wanted to treat us to a complimentary dinner at the restaurant where we usually have breakfast. I think today is the last day of the Oriental Food Festival that has been going on since we arrived. Tonight we had the usual starters (fried peanuts, pappadum) as well as some other appetizers (fried mackerel, deep-fried potatoes in spicy honey sauce, and baby corn sates). For our main course, we had the buffet (prawns in oyster sauce, deep-fried vegetarian balls, eight jeweled fried rice -- jewels are candied fruit, potato and corn mix, chile mushroom, chili chicken, and fried okra with red chili paste). Tonight one of the cooks, Shahbaz, introduced himself to me and showed me all the food, including the vegetable/fruit sculptures. What I had though was a bouquet of flowers was actually carved from zucchini with green onions as stems and a papaya as the pot. He also showed me some watermelons sliced with curvy vertical cuts. We exchanged email addresses and he promised to send me pictures every day of the sculptures they do.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM, the gun goes off for the start of the 21st Pune International Marathon. We are going to go to the start line and watch them go and then travel to the finish line at Nehru Stadium. I'm am so excited. Goodnight everyone.