Baromandir ghat

It was in the neighborhood around the vipassana center.



India as we imagine it from our homes. It also really exists. There are not only overstressed, overpolluted and overpopulated cities :-)



It's the Ganga river on the background
















The ghat itself












Neighborhood seen from the rooftop of the vipassana center

Dhamma Ganga meditation center

This is the name of Kolkata's vipassana center. I just spent the last 10 days there.








Welcome to the vipassana prison :-)



Check out the time table



First steps inside






It's an excellent place for ornithology : maybe 20 different species of singers






And also a good place for entomology : lots of different species of mosquitoes :-) Some were really huge.
























I have to confess that I didn't give full justice to the campus because there were some dirty looking corners in the compound.



My couch



On the 10th day the meditators are allowed to talk again









I met Emilia in the dormitory of my hotel. She decided to come along with me. She was so happy on the last day ! She was fulfilling her dream to wear a sari.






The entire group of meditators, on the last day



There were also a few monks

Drawing

Sometimes when I have to wait for long and don't feel like meditating, i try to have a breath awareness while concentrating on a drawing. It comes little by little and it's actually the product of another kind of meditation.


Some indian people asked me whether it is a representation of my god :-)

The beach south Kolkata

I tried to go to that place which name is Bakkhali to relax a little bit, but I got sick and had to come back to Kolkata.


This sight reminded me of Amazonia.

Third vipassana course

These last days haven't been very interesting. After having tried unsuccessfully to retire on the seaside and having got quite sick for a few days, I'm heading today for another vipassana course, "a surgical operation without anesthesia" as says Goenka. I'm going to be out of there on the 24th and on 25th I'll be in the plane to Kathmandu.

Kolkata, the city of joy

I did my last day of volunteering in Kalighat center today. Two patients I had taken care of died during the time I was there. The whole experience has been very strong for me and I don't even try to translate it in words. I think I'll volunteer again later in another city for the sisters.

Ganesh market, center of Kolkata









Corridor leading to vipassana's office in center Kolkata



Same place, or when dirtiness becomes almost beautiful



Volunteers preparing to go to work in front of mother's house



This is the first place where mother Teresa began to work. It used to be a hindu temple.



Inside the place (pictures were hardly allowed)



Tea break on the rooftop



Message making people feel guilty



Posing



Kalighat neighborhood, from the rooftop



The streets are rarely so empty. There was another general strike. Normally there are ten times more people and lots of vehicles everywhere.

People waiting in front of the door. The current sisters refuse new patients when all beds are full, which freaks up old volunteers who used to work with mother Teresa. Actually, most of them work now on their own, because they feel the original spirit is getting lost and replaced by quibbling behaviors. But I have to say that this is the fact of only one or two sisters. The other ones are really awesome.

Empty avenue