Day 11: Wearing a dhoti and visiting the Swamiji

We had planned on spending a lazy day shopping on MG Road for gifts for people back home when we got a call from the Math (pronounced Mutt.) One of the aides to the Swamiji, who is the religious head of our particular sect, wanted to talk with Ma about a possible visit by the Swamiji to the US. So Ma wanted us to go along and get his blessings. Now, I have never been very religious, but the chance to see the Swamiji was like an audience with the Pope. Supposedly, the rule is that men cannot wear clothes that are stitched so Ma and I dashed off to Girija Silks on 8th Cross to get some dhotis. Dhotis are like sarongs and, in their simplest fashion, are wrapped around the waist. We got long pieces of cloth called angavastras to cover our upper torsos.
So there we were, Doodle and I, probably two of the most non-religious Amchi's draped in dhotis and angavastras trying to climb out of Fats' car at the Math. It was a great experience. We got in line and when we reached the Swamiji and got the tirth (pronounced teerth, which is sort of a holy water-like mixture of camphor and other ingredients) he made small talk with us. He said, in Konkani, "what do you do in Washington? And I said, in horribly butchered Konkani, "I work for Metro." And that was that. All I could say to the religious head of my sect is "I work for Metro"!!!! ROFL. We got his blessings and moved on.

Dressed in our Swamiji audience finery. Becky pointed out that the whole world could see my A&F moose boxers through the outfit!!!

We got home, got dressed and went shopping. I bought some scarves and rosewood elephants at Cauvery Emporium. If you are ever in Bangalore and you want authentic Mysore Silk and sandalwood products you have to shop at Cauvery. At the intersection of MG Road and Brigade road, it is one-stop shopping for all things Karnataka.

I couldn't leave Bangalore without RR Biriyani. RR restaurant on Church Street specializes in Hyderabadi biriyani. I had the lamb biriyani and the mutton fry and it was as good as I remember.

Ma and I then went to Cottons and I took some pictures. Bishop Cottons Boys' School is a Hogwarts-style grand old school (sometimes called the Eton of the East) in Bangalore complete with five houses (four in my time.) Each boy belongs to a house (like Gryffindor in the Potter books.) I was in Pope house and our colors were yellow and white. The other houses were Packenham-Walsh (purple and red), Elphick (blue and gray), Pettigrew (green and black) and, added recently, Thomas, (red and green.)

Standing in front of the Cottons gate brought back many memories of my school days there. I saw the First Elevens' Field, around which I was made to duck-walk (walking on my haunches for a mile) by the Prefects for being late once. The pain of duck walking a mile and the bamboo caning I got in 1985 made sure that I was on time for the rest of my time at Cottons!

I went to Gangaram's, a bookstore, and bought Kautilya's Arthashastra, published by Penguin. I also bought the Amar Chitra Katha Mahabharata.