Date: Sun Apr 15, 2001
Subject: Last Days in Varanasi - Sankat Mochan Jhalsa

Hi folks,

After 8 months in Varanasi during the last year, my time here is coming to an end. The heat is becoming far too intense - it's been regularly over 40deg lately. On the 20th I will catch a train bound for Rishikesh to relax for a few days before my last few days in Delhi.

I've been incredibly busy lately, finishing off all the errands I put off until after Navratri. Right now the Sankat Mochan Jhalsa is underway - tonight is the 4th night and I'll be off to see U Shrinivas play his Carnatic style electric mandolin, and later Budhaditya Mukherjee will play sitar incredibly fast, I'm sure. Tomorrow night we'll be seeing Guru Kelucharan (Odissi dance guru in his 70s, along with his students), Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on guitar, Pandit Jasraj singing in the dawn, among others. All very inspiring, but my excitement is damped by the heat, tiredness and my preparations to go.

One of the best things I've been doing lately is taking lessons in tabla repairs from my tabla maker Anwar. After all these years of tolerating dodgy old skins I'll now be able to restore my tabla to full open sounds again.

Love to all,
Shen
Aum Mani Padme Hum