India, Day 7: "Because clearly, if there's one thing we don't appear to be, it's tourists..."

India, Day 7.  The last day.

What should you do when you've just lost a really nice hand-knotted rug from India?  Go rug shopping again, of course!  Our trip leader, Kay, knew a few people in the rug business, and a couple of us went over to his showroom to take a look at what he had.  No, I didn't buy another one, I was still holding out hope that my first rug would magically re-appear.  But looking is free, right?

In case you're curious, these rugs are hand-knotted pure silk and cost about $6000, with the same kind of rug in the US costing at least $20,000.  One of the ladies in our group bought three.  (Apparently she just found out that she was moving from Singapore to New Jersey and her consolation was decorating the new place any way she wanted.  The rugs were definitely a good start.)

Here are some workers machining a huge contemporary wool rug, it was being sold to a palace, I think.  Or a hotel.  Or a palace that got turned into a hotel.  Once of the two.

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From rug shopping to the Gandhi Museum in Dehli.  This is the place where Gandhi was gunned down by a religious fanatic in 1948.  Was he really assassinated that long ago?  His words are so timeless...

This is the room where he spent the last 144 days of his life.  Inside is a cot and a chair.  That's it.

On the day he was shot, Gandhi went to the Prayer Meeting through this path.

"I will give you a talisman.  Whenever you are in doubt or the self becomes too much with you apply the following test:  

Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him.  Will he gain anything by it?  Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny?  In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and starving millions?

Then you will find your doubts and yourself melting away."

- M.K. Gandhi

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We hit the shopping markets once more before heading out to dinner.  While waiting for some of the others to load up on pashminas and hand-made shoes, Vikram called me over.  "I have called the hotel in Dehli, I have called the guide from the other group, who had gone to Agra, I have called their hotel in Agra and spoken to the manager there, and... I can tell you we have found your rug."  I couldn't believe it, I really thought it was gone.  I promptly burst into tears and hugged Vikram.  Turns out that the rug had been loaded onto the wrong bus and sat there unclaimed in Agra.  It would be sent on a train back to Dehli and I would have my rug by the time we left for the airport at 6:00am.  Sweet relief.

 My planned conversation with David would now have to change from "I'm sorry, but..." to "You have no idea what I went through with this rug and you'd better love it."  I practically danced my way back to the bus, and not even an hour long monster traffic jam could ruin my good mood.  Vikram was getting a great tip from me.

Last on the agenda was a nice dinner and drinks at our hotel.  (The previous plan of going out to a famous local restaurant nixed because we were way too tired, and the place sounded "too touristy".)  Indian food all around!

And thus ends the India Trip of 2010.  I know it won't take me another 12 years to go back, this is the kind of place that gets in your blood.  Until next time, Namaste!

P.S.  I took my rug (that had now seen more of India than I had) as carry on luggage on the plane, I knew I wouldn't be able to relax if I left it out of my sight again.  And when I got it home, David really did love it.  : )