The Punjab region of India is know for its extremes; extreme love, extreme flavors, and spirituality. One of my life goals was to see the Golden Temple---aka the Vatican of the Seik religion. The Golden Temple itself houses the main book which guides it's followers. Upon arriving to the temple, we were met by hundreds of people lying on the marble floor outside of the temple. When we got in, there were even more people lying on the ground inside. Since this spot is a pilgrimage for many Seik followers, many stay at the temple all night as a form of devotion. I sat with our driver as he explained the significance of the temple. As I expressed the impressive nature of the temple be proclaimed, "sit here, taking a moment to enjoy the beauty and then I hope the temple calls you back." Although India is a very spiritually rich country, the temple appeared to be the apex of spiritual devotion.
The richness of the Punjabi culture continued to convey itself as we traveled to the boarder ceremony. This ceremony takes place at the boarder between Pakistan and India. As spectators fill the stands for the event, their is a huge sense of Indian nationalism. The crowd sings, dances, and cheers in preparation for the ceremony. The ceremony itself resembles a carefully choreographed dance between the two countries, filled with heightened emotions. As the soldiers approach one another, their interaction parallels a fraternal bond in which love and rivalry exist side by side. As a foreigner, I walked away from the event feeling a bit confused by the portrayal of the Indian-Pakistani relationship. I wonder what a boarder ceremony between Mexico and the U.S. would look like.....