Today is Sunday. I plan to attend the 11:30 am English language mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, one of the oldest church buildings in New Delhi. I left the apartment at 10:30 am and took the Metro to Pantel Chowk and planned to walk to the church. By the time I got to Pantel Chowk, it was noon. If I hurry I can still attend some of the mass.
When I walked out of the Metro I asked a man which way to Sacred Heart Church. He pointed down a street and I hurried in that direction looking for any signs that might indicate where it was. The Church should be 300 meters from the Metro station. I walked for a half hour asking different people for directions. Each person did not seem to know Sacred Heart Church. I tried to explain that I was looking for a Big Church.
I finally saw a large Cathedral surrounded by an iron fence. Still no signs telling me which church it was. I walked around the fence until I found an opening. I hurried inside and sat down in a back pew. A bulletin in the Hindi language had English across the bottom that told me it was the Cathedral Church of the Redemption.
The Cathedral has beautifully curved high arches and delicate domes....square with a large dome in the middle. The pews were all full...about 200 people. The service was in the Hindi language. Fortunately people had just finished greeting each other and just sat down. Ushers passed an offering plate.
Then the priest started the Eucharist part of the mass. I followed people in the back pews when they started to walk up to the front for communion. When I got closer to the front, I noticed that they had taken off their shoes at the pews and were walking with bare feet up to the railing along the front of the church. Uh oh. I quickly took my tennis shoes off and put them in a discrete place before I stepped up to the railing and knelt down next to the person in front of me to wait for the priest to give me the Host and then offer the Cup. I did not understand anything that was being said, but I just watched what other people were doing so I would do the correct thing. I got back to my seat, but my shoes were still up front.
More singing and prayers. When mass was over, I slowly walked up to the front along a side aisle and got my shoes. The priest was standing by the front entrance greeting people, so I got a chance to speak to him about where I was from.
People were gathering outside for refreshments. I went over to meet them. I greeted some young people and asked ...Do you speak English? I spoke to a few people and explained that I was trying to find Sacred Heart Church and found their church instead. What a blessing to be able to celebrate communion in the Hindi language with them. I was invited to come back again next Sunday. A nice family gave me a lift to Sacred Heart Cathedral....2 km away.
I was dropped off in front of Sacred Heart Cathedral. It is not far from the Metro station. I just didn't go in the right direction. I went inside the large cathedral and sat at a pew near the front for awhile admiring the architecture. There were other people meditating silently. Back outside, I walked around and waited outside the rectory. A priest came up to me and we chatted. He told me that locals know the church as Gol Dak Khana...post office. There used to be a post office here. I am sorry that I missed the mass here. Maybe next week.
I decided to try to walk back to the Metro. On my way back to the Metro, I passed a place with lots of people coming and going. I decided to go inside to see what was going on there.
I walked further into the area and found crowds of people coming and going in all directions. It is some kind of temple. I knew I needed to wear a covering over my head in order to get inside, so I quickly found a place near the entrance that sold scarves and got a scarf to wear over my head..for only 100 rupies. Then I joined the flow of people going up the steps to the temple. I got to an area where people took off their sandals, checked them at a window, and got a token. So I took off my tennis shoes and socks and put them inside my bag. Up more steps..stone and wet and slippery. Everyone had to walk into a pool of water to cleanse their feet at one of the landings on the way up. Then I followed a queue of people going inside the temple. There were hundreds of people inside.
A man (probably holy Granth Sahib) was reading in Hindi language and it was broadcast over a loud speakers. People were sitting or standing. I found a place along a wall and sat down to watch. Some people were going to an area in the back. There was a holy area with a canopy and a railing around it.... It looked like a bed covered with bright blankets and people were leaving money on it. A man there was giving people the tops of bright orange flowers that looked like marigolds, but larger. I watched for about 30 minutes. Then I went closer to the bed area and then went outside.
I was surprised to find a very large pool with steps going down into the water. Very large goldfish and catfish were swimming in the pool. People were washing their feet and some people were bathing in it for spiritual cleansing...No photos allowed. Others were just walking around the perimeter of the pool. There is a courtyard area with white marble columns around the pool. When I walked to the opposite side of the pool, I could see how magnificent the temple looked with its large golden dome.
I found some literature about the place. It is the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib temple and grounds....the most prominent Sikh gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan. The pond inside its complex, known as the "Sarovar", is considered holy by Sikhs and is known as "Amrit". It was first built as a small temple by Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783, who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in the same year during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. There is a secondary school, museum, library, and a hospital.
Now I wanted to find my way back to the Metro. I walked about a mile and still couldn't find the entrance to the Metro. I finally gave up and had a Tuk Tuk take me there for 30 rupies. I had taken a wrong turn along the way.
After I am dropped off by Eli's place, I stop at La Marche Market next door to get laundry soap, ginger, carrots, potatoes, and lettuce. It is a little heavy.
I eat a quick dinner and get ready to attend a celebration sponsored by the Condominium Owner's Association. I didn't know what to expect, but I was in for quite a surprise.
At 6:30 pm I went over to the lawn area where the celebration was to be held. There was a stage set up with one large Hindu god and a few smaller ones on display... decorated and covered with flowers. See photo. Words can't describe it all. The lawn was covered with cotton mattresses for us to sit down. Chairs were set up around the perimeter for older people to sit. I was welcomed by a woman who was kind enough to explain what was going on. Chanting and singing in Hindi and musicians playing brass instruments and drums and an instrument that reminded me of an accordian..a box with a keyboard and one side is pushed and pulled to force air through it. Booklets with the Hindi words being chanted or read or sung were passed around to help us follow along.
It is the first day of Navratri.....nine nights devoted to mother goddess Maa Durga. All routine chores are put aside. People worship, dance, and sing holy mantras, hymns and prayers to Durga. Some people fast and only eat one meal a day...simple food with no spices, no garlic or onions..only.fruits or juices. Each night is devoted to one aspect of Durga...Goddess of power, prosperity, knowledge. People lined up to get a dab of red substance with barley seeds in it.. put on their forehead as a blessing from Durga. Another person tied red string around a wrist for a good luck. This went on for about three hours. Then we lined up for a free buffet of Indian food...rice, potatoes, lentils, a cookie, and a cup of water. I was glad it was not spicey.
I didn't tell you what Durga looks like....she has ten arms, each hand holds a weapon and she is riding a lion. More about that in the next blog. There is a lot to learn about Hindu beliefs.
I walked up to a man with a baseball cap and asked if he was from America. It turns out he is from Great Britain and he was wearing a golf cap. He was golfing earlier that day.
I got back to the apartment thinking about everything that just happened. Wow, what an evening. What a day....Time for bed. Good night.
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