I warmed to Rishikesh a little as I found my way around. While the main places are swarming with people and noisy with Jeeps and scooters those who have been here a while can point you to the quieter spots. It's not really a spot to pass through you need to look around and consider things and find what's right for you - it's probably here somewhere you just need to spend the time looking.
That's not what I'm doing this time though - I haven't been to any Yoga classes , didn't investigate if Reiki or Magnets could cure my bung knee and didn't let the man on the corner analyse my birth chart. Though actually given a couple more weeks I'm sure I would have and would have found it interesting and uplifting.
I had a long breakfast with an English couple whom I found most pleasant and interesting to talk to. She had studied Human Biology and Psychology, he had done Journalism and was focussing on propoganda and the media. I found their opinions fascinating.
In the afternoon I took a walk from where I am staying in Lachsman Juhla back towards Shwarg Ashram - this time stopping at the "beach" (river bank) of the Ganges where I sat for some hours reading and watching the various people swimming, lazing and meditating. For a while there was a man playing a lilting melody on a flute that took me away with it somewhere.
This close to its source the Ganges is quite clean - It was comparatively peaceful although a group of Indian teenage boys came down and acted like teenage boys do everywhere in the world, running, laughing, wrestling each other. They were making human pyramids in the sand, doing hand stands and posing for photos in various poses and combinations. (Like they would at Glenelg or Brighton Beaches I would imagine).
In the evening I was lucky enough to come across a free music & dance concert which was the launch for a new music school opening in a month.
It was a very crowded little theatre - we sat on the floor on cushions, which might have been fine for the long term yoga practitioners, but was a bit uncomfortable for me - though having said that it was a fantasic event.
The first act was an older man playing flute with a tabla, next a man played a longer drum which is played horizontally hitting both ends accompanied by a small keyboard instrument with a back panel that is moved like an accordian (with more time I can find out what these instruments were).
Next was a dancer in a traditional North India style (something like Katka - again I will find out the real name). She was a very beautiful , petite woman who danced in a very precise and exact manner with various twirls and postures. Her English was perfect with and I imagine she has studied or worked in an English speaking company. There was no doubt she was technically perfect but to my eye she seemed a little too rigid and exact - that may make her very good, but to me it didn't have "heart".
Finally (the highlight) was a Sitar player accompanied by a tabla player. This was really something special I got lost in the mood. I had to be careful not to try and turn everything he played in my mind into a George Harrison song , because these are the only familiar tunes I know of with this instrument (partilarly "Within You and Without You").
Afterwards I went to a Chai shop with some foreigners and two local men and talked about music and travel and "life" - it was one of the rare late nights I've had, getting back to my room just after 11:00.
