February 22, 2006

The gentle massage of the jostling train didn’t help any of us sleep and the bus ride’s climb didn’t offer any respite from the feeling of being in constant motion. It took only thirteen hours to reach our train stop whereupon the Brahma Kumaris Organization provided the transportation to their Mt. Abu Hospital. When we did stop it was at a beautiful mountainside hotel with a quaint garden just downhill from the hospital. The facilities are the prettiest I’ve seen in India so far. Their hospital in Mumbai beat the competition when it came to cleanliness and in its proximity to Western standards; Mt. Abu makes the Mumbai facility look cheap. It’s size is remarkable, much larger than would be expected in this small rural area. We met the director and some of the other staff as well as received an orientation on the B.K. Organization at their headquarters. This was all yesterday.

The Brahma Kumaris, from what I can understand, is an universalist theology incorporating aspects and iconography of different religions especially that of Hinduism. They have gained popularity in some quarters with their message of peace and outreach facilities. They charge those with the ability to pay and give care to those who can’t afford otherwise. So it only made sense when they told us how the headquarters runs on solar power. Everyday we eat with other esteemed guests and higher officials. Overall the experience has been nice, albeit a little lacking in medicine so far. We did accompany a traveling clinic to some of the small villages closeby. When I say "traveling clinic" I mean a doctor and an assistant in a van with a wide array of drugs on hand, and when I say "closeby" I mean at least an hour away.

Rajasthan is only testament as to how diverse India is. Mumbai is a dirty city. The trees, the cars, the buildings, and, when in a rickshaw, the people are covered in dirt. Not the dirt you dig in but the grime that is attributed by cars and pollution. You breath it and wear it as a mask every day. Rajasthan is dirty as well but in a clean way. What you see in this part of Rajasthan is dust that comes from soil. The majority of people in the area are farmers and herders and so the dirt has a more earthy feel to it. It’s the kind you don’t mind walking in or getting on your clothes. The people are different in subtle ways. A different color here, a new type of head wrap there. The language is different and among the poorer sector Hindi is spoken far less. The open spaces and beautiful vistas are drawn in surreal lines and colors.