EXIT PERMIT

I got exit permit yesterday, and left Pyramid Valley International this morning. Special thanks for staff's help in the meditation park. It was only required to get a letter and "C" form from Pyramid Valley International to make registration and get police report. At airport, I was told to go to all nearest police offices from where I have stayed but it turned out that I didn't have to go to other police offices except Harohalli police and FRO Ramanagar.

Read it!!

My Indian visa has "Special Endorsement" written as "POLICE REPORTING REQUIRED" "CHANGE OF PURPOSE NOT ALLOWED" "REGISTRATION WITHIN 14 DAYS OF ARRIVAL IN INDIA", but I didn't read it, didn't make registration and didn't get police report, went to airport immigration check point to take a flight to Bangkok on December 18th, but I couldn't get on the airplane.
Because it was required to make registration and get police reports(with all accommodation certificates) before going out from India.
2 days ago, I applied for "EXIT PERMIT" as police report at Ramanagara SP office which is in same district of Pyramid Valley International where I am staying now(You should go to ordinary hotel or hostel which having registration system for foreigners, because Pyramid Valley International is only for meditation, not for accommodation, maybe they can deny to make certification of your stay). Web application is only allowed at FRO(foreigners registration office), outside PC can't apply to each FRO. I filled up "exit permit" and "registration" application forms with using PC in FRamanagIar. I reported where I stayed and what I did very simply, but policeman looked at once that report and gave back to me immediately. It is very difficult to get all police reports for tourist who stayed at train station etc without any accommodation fee or any receipt for more than 10 days. A staff of Japanese consulate in Chennai said that tourists like as backpackers aren't allowed to stay in India by immigration law. I don't know how the immigration law is, but I heard that Japan also didn't allow foreign backpackers to stay Japan easily. I stayed China for a long time and applied for Indian visa in Laos without go back ticket from India. It only took 3 days without holidays and only costed $26 to get this multiple 180 days tourist visa. Maybe Indian officer thought that I was a Chinese people or would stay longer than visa expired date.

I already paid delayed registration fee(1890 Rs.) at State bank of Mysore in Ramnagar and submit the demand draft sheet to FRO, and I already booked Indigo's go back ticket(to Bangkok on January 7th) at 6308 Rs on December 19th. I hope I can go out from India within the visa expired date and without any punishment from India...

Gajumaru Tree in Gaya

Mountain over there is where Buddha meditated for 6 years before he came to Buddha Gaya.
Buddha rested under this big Gajumaru Tree for 1 day, it is called as Totoro's tree by Japanese cartoon mania.



The master of "Blue Lotus" said that the bomb blasts at Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Temple were made by Indian government, weren't made by any other citizens. He had been selling mascots in front of the Mahabodhi Temple before the blasts, but the Indian government wanted to remove their shops, made the bomb blasts and removed these shops. He didn't want to move and was against to government for a long time, but after the bomb blasts, his shop also must move out from the street. The bomb blasts didn't destroy any valuable things in the temple, only some no worthy things are crushed(and soon repaired) and nobody died because it occurred in early morning about 5 o'clock and not so big blasts, they were only big sounds(4 places blasts in 20 minutes). He said that it was occurred by time bombers because nobody find the criminal, occurred by Indian government!

Now is not off(very hot) season, and a lot of people are visiting to Bodh Gaya. Mahabodhi Temple's open time is 5:00 - 21:00, free to enter but one camera costs 100Rs to bring into the temple. We must have security check before entering the temple so we can't bring dangerous things into the temple. I haven't paid the 100 Rs so I don't have any photos in Mahabodhi Temple yet. A lot of foreign temples in Bodh Gaya were invited by President Nehru. Near these temples, there are a lot of shops selling mascots from 10 Rs especially discounting in front of Chinese temple. Maybe Chinese people are very dry to these shops^^.

Meditation

I attended to 10 days meditation course at Vipassana Meditation Center in Bangalore. A Japanese old student of the Vipassana Meditation introduced about Vipassana and I decided to meditate for 10 days, because all of the accommodation fees and meals are free in the Vipassana Meditation Center.

But the schedule is very hard and we must meditate for 12 hours in a day, we aren't allowed to move during group meditation time(8:00-9:00, 14:30-15:30, 18:00-19:00), we must concentrate to meditate. I have never meditated more than 30 minutes by myself, so I was afraid that I couldn't meditate so long time, but I finished the 10 days course and already became a old student! (Because all of fees are free!) But I think this is very very hard work and I was very tired from meditation. If you want to observe yourself for a long time and find your new and old truth, please apply for this course and see your physical and mental change. First registration can take for over 4 weeks, so please apply over 4 weeks before^^. Having supper is not allowed except the 10th evening but self-service dinning hall allows us to take meals as much as we want in Bangalore, all of the meals are Indian foods but we can use spoon to eat. I considered that about 15 percent of the students are foreigners. We can't speak during meditation but after the 10th afternoon we can talk to other students freely.

My room mate introduced Pyramid Valley International, so I went there on the Day 11. Bus going to Majestic & KR market left meditation center at 7:30am(free). I took a red bus to go to Pyramid Valley at KR market, it is a little bit difficult to find a red bus to go to Harohalli(about 2km from Kebbedoddi, when you go buck to city center with big luggage, you should go to Harohalli bus stop and take a seat). The red bus stops in front of No.215 bus but a little bit far from other bus stop. It costs 35 Rs to go to Pyramid Valley bus stop from KR market. Pyramid Valley is 25minutes walk from KebbeDoddi(Pyramid Valley) bus stop, one bed in dorm costs 150 Rs/24 hours with free meals. There isn't internet cafe near Pyramid Valley but I found a good cyber cafe in "Art of Living" ashram, it costs 15 Rs per hour. You don't have to meditate in the Pyramid Valley, a lot of families visit there to take a rest(actually only meditater can enter the big park). If you want to meditate, you can go to ashram "art of living" with beautiful hall. Accommodation in the ashram is not available except who finished first meditation course, the first course is very expensive but meditation hall is very luxury and all of us can meditate in the beautiful hall.


Pyramid Valley's restaurant provides free meals. Everyone visiting to Pyramid Valley can eat these free meals. Lunch time 12:30-14:00, Dinner time 19:00-20:00, the big park's entering time is 9:00-18:00. Break fast and snacks are provided at cafeteria, cost 30 Rs. Cafeteria has spoons, but there isn't spoon in restaurant. If you want to use, please take a spoon to restaurant.



It is required to take off shoes before entering to meditation hall. Pyramid Valley is in countryside of Bangalore, about 30km from city center. There are Buddhism arts in Pyramid Valley but a lot of people visiting there are Hindu. (Photoed from near KebbeDoddi bus stop)

I wasn't interested in meditation in Japan, but in India, a lot of people meditate and enjoy it, there are a lot of ways of meditation. Meditation can give you a peaceful mind and concentration. You can ask Hindu shrine's stuff to teach you how to meditate, there are a lot of meditation instructors in India.


Art of Living

Taj mini lodge

Photoed from Taj mini lodge, back side of RTC new bus stand in Kurnool


I moved to Taj mini lodge but the lodging staffs were afraid that I'm a dangerous people (Maybe they considered that I'm different person from passport owner because my photo on passport is very different from my own face.^^), called policeman. Policemen came to Taj mini lodge after 22 o'clock and told me to go to police office with policemen immediately.

They also looked for something from my luggage, but there isn't any illegal drugs or any other dangerous things in my bags. I think that maybe they were disappointed that they cannot tell me to go out from India. Indian people dislike foreign tourists who don't have any occupation or obvious purpose and reliable contact person in India. They fear that tourists want to do something bad in India or may get in touch with dangerous things or dangerous people, because India is very dangerous place in itself. They think that foreigners also do bad things as same as Indian people.

Photoes

Looking for something from my luggage.



Gents in Kurnool is more shy than in Bangalore. They are not so proud of their things in Kurnool. But everywhere is TOILET as Bangalore or Mysore city.


Kitchen and Toilet

TO LET

I am staying with 69 years old lady who also lives alone. I saw a card written as "TO LET" from road("I" is not missing from between O and L. I saw a lot of TOLET and tried to find public toilet around the TOLET^^, it means FOR RENT!), I asked people who lives in the building, she allowed me to stay her room(top floor) at 2500Rs/month. I use her kitchen every day and she teaches me how to cook Indian foods. She can't speak English and I can't speak Telugu, people who live around the building must help us to communicate each other.

A policeman lives with his wife and son at the ground floor in the same building, the wife comes up to 3rd floor(the top floor) to dry their clothes every day. The policeman's father's brother has 14 years old daughter and she comes my room frequently, teaches me English and Telugu languages.



It is very difficult to find cheaper hostels or rooms for one lady alone. Indian people think that ladies shouldn't go out alone and people shouldn't allow ladies go out or stay alone (usually gents go shopping instead of ladies), so a lot of hostels or rooms for rent are not allowed for ladies who want to live alone. Indian parents don't allow their daughters to make any boyfriends before marriage, daughters must marry whoever parents decided. Girls shouldn't talk to gents alone and shouldn't meet gents alone. It is better not to let gents know their voices or faces, Indian girls always say "NO" to gents whenever they must contact with gents. There is no bars or cafes or discos or any other places to find boy or girlfriends in India. It is strictly prohibited that boys meat girls anywhere before their parents permit it and girls mustn't make any stimulus for boys, mustn't let them have any curiosity, so many people can't allow ladies go out or stay alone.

But some people allow us ladies to stay alone. Master of SAI DELUXE DORMITORY in Kurnool allowed me stay their hostel, he can speak English and his twin daughters clean the hostel every morning, they are welcoming ladies & foreign guests.