Mangalore, Dharmastala Temple 14 - 16, November 2008

In this town I stay for three more days and till the day I left I didn't met any
western or found someone who can speak english...

On the way to Dharmastala Temple a festival of the colors took place.

I visited Dharmastala temple, two and a half hours from Mangalore after an exhausting trip by
bus. It was an old bus without windows, the road was made only for Jeep cars or maybe camels, the air was full of dust and during the trip I was jumping on my seat like an "egg in boiled water"...

but finally when I get at the temple, I had a great time as I met there three huge domestic elephants whose blessing people with their big noses touching the top of our heads! westerns are not allowed to get into the temple but after a very big negotiation with the authorities and the hindu priests finally they gave me a permission to go in, but without my camera!

From the moment I gave him a caddy he was follow me everywhere. When I get at the office to ask for permission for entrance at the temple he try to get in the room to catch me but I get scared! then he was waiting outside for me and when he saw me he make a bow! The people there told me that they haven't see something similar in their lives...

The Temple at weekends can feed 7,000 of pilgrims daily! in huge rooms. At the photo above there are huge quantities of boiled rise enough to feed all the visitors and also at the last photo above is a banana leaf - my plate - with a delicious hindi food, m...

During my trip I used to eat by hands. Spoons, knives, forks and napkins were a luxury.

In India everybody is interested in reading the news.

On 16th of November I packed my things and I took the "first" class train for Kannur, the meeting point for me and the other volunteers from the group. It was a four hour trip and a lot of time to think how they look like...