Nalanda Journey: An Adventurous Day

Saturday, 12 March 2011

My days here in Nalanda are always an adventure. Today, I had the thought that I’d buy a new outfit (salwar suit) and some toilet bowl cleaner! After reading with some monk-students, having breakfast, and doing some work in the office building, I decided to start my day of shopping. It was already 11:30 am and hot out.

The first shop I went to said they didn’t have the toilet bowl cleaner and that I should go to Bihar Sharif. Bihar Sharif is half an hour away and I’ve only passed through that town. After this first disappointment, I realized I didn’t have time to go looking for clothes or anything else because my lunch was being prepared. So, I decided to ride my bicycle back to the Tatia guesthouse. When I got there my lunch was ready for me and I ate a meal of chawal (rice), sabzi (vegetables), and aloo (potatoes).

Since it was hot and I was full of my lunch, I decided to go back to my guesthouse. I took a nap, did some stitchwork, and watched part of a Bollywood DVD that I’ve seen many times but I was using it to learn some Hindi. At 4pm, it was cool enough to start my shopping!

I rode to a sari shop that I’ve passed many times. I had stopped there once to ask the price of a salwar suit hanging out front but didn’t have money at the time. I told them I’d come back. So today was the day. I had meant to bring my dictionary with me but unfortunately I forgot! So I went in and said “salwar suit.” He brought out several pretty fabrics between 400 and 600 rupees. I was particularly interested in a spring green color, which I tried my hardest to convey to the man. Finally, I found the word “green” in another book that I had brought with me. He brought out many pretty olive colored green fabrics but not the brightly colored “spring green” I was hoping for. It is possible that the spring green color isn’t made in cotton because he showed me some very lovely tourquoise, light blue, and pink in synthetic fabrics. Some of the suits were of the same colors that I already owned, so I thanked the man and told him “not today.”

I then decided to ride towards old Nalanda and see if there were anymore such shops. But on my way, I saw the carpenter shop next to Praval’s farm. My friend in California had made a small little shelf which worked perfectly as a laptop table. So before I returned to India, I took pictures of it thinking that I might get one made here in Nalanda. Since I didn’t have my laptop with me at the carpenter shop, I hastily sketched a picture. Then I said to the men “you make” “table” “small”? They brought out a furniture book and thought I wanted a coffee table. When I picked up some small pieces of wood to show them, one man said he’d call Praval. Praval came and told me to get my laptop to show the real pictures. I rode back to my guesthouse and got my laptop. Back at the carpenter shop, I showed them the pictures and we estimated the length, width, and height of the small “bench.” One man pulled some plywood from a shelf. I said that would be fine to use (otherwise the rough cut pine or other wood would be too heavy). Immediately the top and side pieces were cut with a hand saw. Then the pieces were glued together and 8 nails were expertly pounded in. I had told them that the decorative front piece was not needed, but before I knew, it it was made. To do so, they quickly hand cut a small piece of pine, nailed it in place, and then with a worn piece of sand paper the whole thing was sanded. The corners were hacked off to make rounded edges. Then I watched as a man created a paste from some white powder and a little water. With his finger, he put this sticky paste around all the edges (to cover up the plywood holes). The whole thing took about 20 minutes to make. Praval talked the price down from 200 rupees to 150 rupees. They placed it on the back of my bicycle and away I went with my new laptop table!

small shelf made by Rich B in California

decorative front piece of Rich's shelf

Laptop table - Handmade in Nalanda, India!!!

Carpenter Shop - the men who made my laptop table

Dropping the small table and my laptop off at my guesthouse, I rode to a hardware store to finish my shopping. At the hardware store I bought some toilet bowl cleaner (Rs. 54) and laundry detergent (Rs. 20).

As I was getting ready to leave, I heard drums and saw people dancing. As they were coming my way, I decided to stay put until they passed. But when they saw me, the women motioned for me to come with them and dance. I tried to ride back to Praval’s farm to drop my bag and bicycle but the women said no and insisted I go with them just for 5 minutes. So I locked my bicycle and threw my bag with my recent purchases over my shoulder. They took my bag from me, which I didn’t want to get to far from as it had my money in it. Then they grabbed me and we danced briefly in the street. After that the whole procession started moving. At this point, I told them I needed to call someone. I took my bag back and called Praval and let him know I was with the wedding party. Then I kept my bag and followed them to someone’s house where they were going to have khana (food). They sat me in a plastic chair outside and I took out my camera and took some video and pictures. They wanted me to dance with them, which I briefly did again. Then true to their word, they told me it was time to go. On the way back, a man with a female dancer said something to me. A drummer beat his drum and the dancer danced. Then the man said something which I didn’t understand. As we walked past them the women and girls I was with said he wanted 6 rupees. My small change was at the bottom of my bag and since the women didn’t press me to contribute, I didn't stop there and look for any rupees. The women and girls then took me all the way back to my bicycle, as promised!