Photos from the journey

This photo was taken the evening I spent in Rishikesh, at Parmarth Niketan Ashram. The ceremony was held in the evening along the banks of the Mother Ganga (Ganges) and Swami Chidanand Saraswati is presenting me with a jar of blessed water from the Ganga. It was a particular privilege for me to observe the aarti ceremony that evening.










This is a local fisherman from Village Pannithittu, whom we met while walking along the beach one day after we had taken a lunch break. There were other fishermen out in the sea in their boats, and a few on shore with poles, but this gentleman was holding a simple fishing line and tossing his line out into the water and letting it drift with the current and the waves.

















On Friday, we were needed in some other areas of work, including carrying hods of concrete to the site where it was to be poured into the forms to make the columns of the buildings. When I first donned the "donut" ( a wound up bundle of the plastic concrete bag, flattened out into a cushion to make it easier to carry things on one's head). At first, the young boys were skeptical I could carry the load, but soon were disabused of their doubts.







Every morning, in Delhi, where I was staying with Sanjiv Saran and his family, the local fruit seller came by with his cart, bringing the freshest of produce for his customers. His is a bicycle cart and each morning, his call out into the neighborhood could be distinguished from the calls of other produce vendors.











At the distribution booth in the old section of Delhi, mothers and fathers, as well as older sisters and brothers brought youngsters, under the age of five years, to the site for getting immunized against polio. Following each administration of oral vaccine, the finger marked with gentian violet in order to assure that in the coming week people tracking the NID would know that child had been immunized.








Local woman in Pannithittu Village proudly acknowledging the sign indicating that her home had been constructed as a result of donations from Rotary Clubs in England. Each home has two rooms, consisting of a reception room, where the family would also eat, and a bedroom. Additionally, there is a lavatory and a toilet, along with a covered porch and a rooftop terrace. The villagers were so pleased to finally be able to settle their lives after a year of trauma and uncertainty.







This is Melpo Economou and she has been in India since this past October, working as a volunteer at Balakai Mukti Ashram - a safe place where children who have been rescued from child slavery can live and become rehabilitated. She is the daughter of a friend of Mark Little who is traveling with me from Norwich, England, and has been working hard with us all week. Here, Melpo is showing one of the frilly dresses we purchased at a store in Cuddalore. Last year, we had purchased clothing for some orphans who were victims of the tsunamis, and this year, we spent three hours at this store choosing three outfits of clothing for each of 55 children at the same orphanage.