A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey in to someone’s own beliefs. Many religions attach spiritual importance to particular places: the place of birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their “calling” or spiritual awakening, or of their connection (visual or verbal) with the divine. photo taken in New Delhi October 2012 KD
Morning 2: Slept well with a little assistance and feel rather normal despite the 11 1/2 hour time difference. Eating an amazing breakfast overlooking the garden of the hotel with palm trees and a rather orange and smog ridden sky. I am avoiding the Indian breakfast foods and saving it for lunch. No more anxiety about travelling but it’s a very different experience travelling to someplace like this alone. That little thought of being lonely tries to show up but the other parts don’t let her stay for long, because really now, get a grip. You are in a place you’ve waited to come to for 40 years and it already feels familiar. I did learn yesterday after all the visits to the “monuments” that this is not what I am doing for the remainder of the trip. I want to visit and walk in the markets, homes and small places of significance.
One little girl of about five approached me yesterday after doing some acrobatics for money. She was beautiful as they all are. I looked at her in the eyes, bent down to her level and said you need to go to school (knowing the folly of my words) and she stopped and stared at me. She probably had no idea what I was saying and then quietly followed me the remainder of the walk without asking for money. I suppose it was because someone actually looked at her. Isn’t that what we all want, someone to really look at us.
