December 21st is my birthday and I received the most exquisite gift this year. His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche agreed to be my retreat guide for the next section of study and practice in the Tara Tantra I have been working within. Robin and I were able to attend teachings with His Eminence on the 21 Taras. Then we visited one of my favorite architectural monuments in Delhi, bought saris for the Kauai Taras and caught the train to Bodhgaya to partake of the Kagyu Monlam.
India Fulfills a Wish
His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche
Robin was the perfect traveling companion. She took some beautiful footage of His Eminence speaking about the Tara Dance and giving advice to the Kauai Dharma Center.
The Jantar Mantar consists of a collection of architectural astronomy instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1724.
These instruments can predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.
They can predict eclipses, track stars in their orbits, ascertain the declinations of planets, and determine the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides.
Now a national monument, visitors can learn to read the instruments, or just walk on, around and in them, appreciating the beauty of their angles and curves.
They were on such a massive scale it felt like we were tiny ants in some kind of celestial clock
Here you can see the calibration
The instruments are built on a large scale so that accuracy of readings can be obtained. The sundial can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about half a second.
Can you see the two young lovers...a perfect spot to get away
The workers appreciated being noticed.
Do you see the bird above Robin. What a picture!!!
Our auto rickshaw driver dropped us at a tourist trap. There were some nice statues....Lord Shiva - Nataraj - Lord of the dance
Dancing Ganesha
Durga, Mother of the Universe, Tara is one of her many names.
Hunger is no problem shopping in the old town. Buying saris is hungry work.
From the train, we whizzed through many tiny stations like this....slow enough to catch a picture
We wonder if this is a special toilet for Devas (Goddesses)
The Indian countryside.
Rice fields, shallow ponds, a bare hill. the plains of India.
