Travel, 19 July

Not the best morning for me. Many of us had partied hard the night before, drinking games and charades. My stomach and head were suffering but all seemed to be well for the journey ahead. In the end, Indian driving (weaving, horns, and sudden breaking) and traffic fumes facilitated our driver making a sudden stop so that I could jump out and projectile vomit my breakfast on the ground – much to the delight of several large black ants who hurriedly collected bits of muffin and curd.

We first visited Punjab Agricultural University, located just outside of Ludhiana. A museum has been set up that features information about and articles used in Punjabi villages. There are examples of farming equipment, a Persian well, musical instruments, clothing, vehicles, and homes. We also looked over the private collection of books and manuscripts of M.S. Randhava, an important figure in the preservation and presentation of Punjabi and Sikh art. In fact, it was under his tutelage that the village museum was begun and maintained.





Our next stop, and my favorite community to visit, was with the Namdharis at Bhaini Sahib. On the way there, the monsoon arrived and dumped much rain on us with gale force winds. It was a spectacular drive and I recorded some of it on video.


The Namdharis are a sectarian group within Sikhism who recognize a living guru. They are best known for wearing white homespun cotton (khadi), strict vegetarianism, patronage of traditional musical forms, and beliefs & practices that deviate from mainstream Sikhism and lean toward Hindu practices.



During colonial rule, the Namdharis, then known as Kukas for their cries of devotional ecstasy, were against the modern practices introduced by the British. In reaction to the British law courts, the Namdharis instituted village panchyats (village councils). They also created their own telegraph & postal systems, patronage for indigenous forms of learning, and began the movement for swadeshi (Indian made goods). Gandhi took up the practice of wearing homespun cotton, though little credit has been afforded to the Namdharis. In addition, the clothes I have made in India are of this type of cotton.