All Soul's Day

I've probably said this a lot throughout my journal entries, but I'll say it again. Living with an Indian woman rather than in a dorm, my own apartment or school housing has lead me to have so many wonderful experiences. If I had lived in a dorm or in any other housing while in India without living with a local family or person, I wouldn't have been able to have conversations about elections, Indian traditions, Penelope Cruz, Bollywood like I have been able to have. I haven't been able to meet too many people while I've been here, but the rich experiences and quality of the experiences has certainly given me a whole different perspective on life. And for that, I am so grateful.

One of these experiences that I've been able to have with Blanche, the woman that I'm staying with, is the holiday of All Soul's Day. All Soul's Day falls right after Halloween, on November 2nd. In India on All Souls' Day, many families go to the cemetery to pay their respects to their loved ones that have passed. I wasn't doing anything on Sunday, when the holiday fell so Blanche invited me to go with her to the cemetery. When we got to the cemetery, I couldn't believe my eyes. I don't think I have ever seen that many people at one cemetery at a time. There were hundreds of families celebrating and mourning their loved ones that had died.

Despite the pollution and layer of dirt that surrounds India, you can't help but to also see the beauty and color as well. As families came to pay their respects to their loved ones, they would bring flowers and candles to decorate the grave. Where the person was buried and where the coffin was, they would cover that area in flowers. Every little square inch of that area was covered in beautiful colors of yellow, orange, pink and red flowers. Similar to rongoli, some people made designs with the flowers, such as a cross or other symbols.

It was a sad day for everyone that came to the cemetery but at the same time, you couldn't help but to smile at all the beautiful decorations and candles surrounding each grave. India is truly a country of color in more ways than one.