Chai Pilgrimage

“If we are not living an optimistic life, then what is there?”
- Veer Bhadra Mishra

Each morning, while the sun’s predawn glow radiates from below the horizon on the opposite shore of the Ganga, 60,000 bathers purify their souls in the holy river’s water along the ghats (steps to the river) of Benares.  At Tulsi Ghat, where the great poet-saint Tulsidas composed the popular version of the Hindi epic Ramayana 400 years ago, resides the modern-day spiritual warrior Veer Bhadra Mishra.  We joined Mishra in his unembellished room, stationed at the top of the long flight of steep stairs leading up from the river, like a sentinel post above the sacred Ganga. Now in his 60’s, the white-haired, white-clad Mishra, has been the mahant, or spiritual head, of the renowned Sankat Mochan Temple since the age of 14.  In addition to his duties as high priest and administrator of the temple, Mishra is also a hydraulics engineer who served as head of the civil engineering department at the prestigious Benares Hindu University.  These seemingly contrasting roles prepared the impassioned, yet calm and gentle Mishra to take on an even greater responsibility that he told us is “the mission of my life” – to clean up the heavily polluted River Ganga.

Although the Ganga is spiritually pure, endowed with the ability to cleanse sins and liberate souls, she is also exceedingly saturated with raw sewage dumped into the river along the 7-kilometer stretch of Benares. Wastewater and industrial contamination from upstream add the river’s dilemma, as well as animal carcasses and human remains that end up in the river because of families who could not afford wood for a proper cremation.  This noxious combination of toxins breeds a plethora of waterborne diseases including amoebic dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and typhoid.

Professor Mishra told us that despite these health dangers, people continue to bathe because of the centuries-old intimate relationship between traditional Hindu culture and the river, “They cannot live without Ganga as a fish cannot live without water.  For them Ganga is divine, Ganga is Goddess.  Looking at her with devotion, touching her water, submerging our body into her waters and sipping that water will give you Bhukti and Mukhti – will give you well being in this world and salvation after you leave.”  But he also warned, “If they go on using the polluted water, at some point they will die, and with them this culture associated with Ganga.  This tradition and these endangered species of human beings will be over.”

Motivated by immense love and respect for Ganga, in 1982 Mishra spearheaded the formation of the Sankat Mochan Foundation.  Sankat Mochan is a name for the Hindu deity Hanuman and literally means “the reliever of dangers and difficulties.” Their vision is to restore the Ganga by alleviating deteriorating environmental conditions, to promote education and health care programs for the less privileged and to maintain the ancient cultural traditions of Benares. With international support, SMF works with the community to educate everyone from children and boatmen to government officials about environmental concerns affecting the Ganga.  Mishra tells us, this takes an understanding of cultural sensitivities, “If I start talking with the common people and say that ‘Ganga is filthy, dirty, it’s polluted,’ people would say ‘please do not say this, it is unbelievable, this is disrespect to Ganga Ma.’  But if you take them to a point where the sewage is discharging to the river and show them what is happening, they say ‘this must stop.’”

With the help of engineers from UC Berkeley, SMF developed a plan to completely eliminate sewage discharge into the river.  It involves an interceptor line that catches the sewage before it runs into the river and feeds it by gravity to a series of treatment ponds that utilize algae to transform the wastewater into usable water for land irrigation and fishery ponds.  This technological solution is less expensive to build and operate than the current government-installed system that relies on large amounts of regular electricity (a rarity throughout India) and is not suited to clean up the levels of pollution found in the Ganga.  Mishra hopes that once Benares succeeds in transforming their portion of the river, it can be a model for all the cities on the Ganga, all the rivers in India and endangered environments throughout the world.
Although SMF has the support of the residents and the local government for their plan’s implementation, the state and federal government refuses to budge from their failing program.  The greatest obstacle to a clean Ganga in Benares has become the power, ego and selfish financial priorities of India’s mired political system even when “they know in their heart of hearts” they must do the right thing.  “I know that one has to be persistent and one has to be resilient.  So, I’m both,” Mishra tells us, “I’m just not creating any tension for myself and I believe in God and I believe in miracles.  Some day something will happen and we will be able to clean this river.”

Click image to enlarge.

The Ganges River is affectionately referred to as Ganga Ma by Hindus who revere the river as nature’s embodiment of the Divine Mother. It is said she flows from Heaven onto the matted hair of Lord Shiva’s head before descending onto Earth in the Himalayas.

Art by Shiv-Ram of Ramana’s Garden Orphanage, Rishikesh, India :: Artseva.org

If she were to hit the Earth directly, her intense force would destroy it. Ganga Ma flows through Northern India, traveling over 1500 miles from the Gangotri glacier to the Bay of Bengal, bringing her life-giving waters and compassionate blessings to all along her path. She heals the land, making it fertile as her waters overflow during monsoon season. To touch or even look upon her is believed to be a great blessing. Our friends Deepu and Vijay showed us photos of the flood that spilled into their house when the river rose during heavy monsoons. They enthusiastically told us, “Yes, Mother Ganga came in and blessed our family’s home. We were very happy.”

To bathe in her life-transforming waters removes all sins and can bestow moksha, or eternal liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth. Every Hindu desires to dip into this holy river at least once in their lifetime. It is auspicious to have one’s ashes offered to the Ganga after death to be carried directly to Heaven. As she flows, she gathers both prayers and sins to be sanctified and released into the depths of the ocean. She is liquid grace, unfathomable and eternally giving. She is Mother.

Sweet is a taste that evokes a feeling of nurturing and love. It is interesting to know that the Sanskrit word for sweet, madhu, also means delicious, pleasant, charming and delightful.  Although many tea authorities think that sugar defiles the pure taste of tea, those who make masala chai know that it is a necessary ingredient to bring out the flavor of the spices.  And as far as tastes go, initiating each day with a sweet flavor on the palate, rather than the bitter taste of plain tea, invites a sweetness of experience throughout the day.

Nowadays, there are many options available when choosing your masala chai sweetener.  This is not an exhaustive list, but represents some of the commonly used tea sweeteners in the West.

Refined Cane Sugar – a.k.a. “the white stuff,” is by far the world’s most popular tea sweetener.  The great thing about sugar is that it draws out the flavors of the spices without adding any taste of its own. Although refined sugar is as white as new fallen snow, it is not as sattvic, or divinely pure, as it appears. The unfortunate consequence of the refining process is that virtually everything except highly concentrated sucrose has been stripped away.  Because there is nothing for the body to break down, the sugar immediately enters the blood steam, sending blood sugar levels soaring, typically followed by a sugar crash and burn.  This effect can be easily observed in a child’s temperament after they have eaten some sugary sweet candy.  Overuse is associated with many disorders including hyperactivity, depression, obesity, diabetes, compromised immunity and tooth decay, to name a few.  It is very addictive, so use in moderation and with caution.

Turbinado – Although it is sometimes marketed as a “raw” sugar, there is not much difference between this and the white stuff.  It does retain a trace amount of molasses, giving it its light brown color, but it is not as wholesome as evaporated cane juice, which preserves its molasses and intrinsic nutritional content. Turbinado is produced by taking the crystals from the evaporated juice and spinning them in a centrifuge, or turbine, hence the name turbinado.

Evaporated cane juice – This is the masala chai sweetener we use most often.  Sold under the name Sucanat (sugar cane natural), it is very similar to Indian jaggery.  It is created by extracting the juice from raw cane, heating it to reduce it to a syrup, then stirring it as it dries into dark brown granules.  It still retains its molasses flavor, color and, most importantly, its nutritional integrity, including minerals that naturally help to metabolize the carbohydrates.  Because it breaks down slower in the body, the blood sugar levels remain more stable, with less of the associated emotional roller coaster ride.  It does add some molasses flavor to your chai, but also provides a dark color, giving you a rich, brown chai without having to use as much tea.  This makes it the perfect sweetener for a “chai-less” masala chai, a sweet masala milk without tea leaves.

Honey – Honey has been used for millennia in Ayurveda and other natural healing traditions as a powerful medicinal.  It is utilized to treat cough, sore throat, asthma, bronchitis and ulcer.  Its antiseptic and antibacterial properties make it an indispensable external medicine for burns, wounds and staph infections.  Taken in conjunction with Ayurvedic herbal formulations, it acts as a vehicle to deliver the botanical medicinal properties deeply into the tissues.  It can do all this and sweeten your tea too!  When using honey as a chai sweetener, it should be added at the very end after it has been removed from the heat. Ayurveda teaches that raw, uncooked honey is a healing nectar, but if heated, it transforms and becomes a sticky, toxic substance that clogs the body’s channels. Used in chai, it does add a distinctive honey flavor, which varies depending on the variety of flowers from which the bees collected the pollen.

Maple Syrup – Although uncommon in India, and relatively expensive, pure maple syrup is our favorite masala chai sweetener.  It is produced primarily in Canada and also in the U.S.A.  Maple trees are tapped each year, the sap collected and boiled down into a concentrated syrup.  It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup.  A natural sweetener with only the water removed, it contains manganese, zinc, other trace minerals and B vitamins. It does add a maple flavor to the chai, but oh, it is so delicious.

Agave nectar – Agave nectar is produced from a large, spiky succulent plant found in Mexico. The aquamiel, or “honey water,” as it is called, is the same liquid that is distilled to produce the alcoholic drink tequila. In recent years, it has become a popular substitute for sugar or honey. It obtains its sweetness from fructose, and therefore has a lower glycemic index than sugar or honey. It is sweeter than honey and has a thinner consistency, making it easy to squeeze out of a bottle. The lighter grades of agave nectar have a neutral flavor, so will not alter the taste of your masala chai.

It’s nice to experiment with sweeteners and how they combine with different varieties of teas and spices. What is your preference for sweetening your masala chai?

There are certain places on Earth, call them vortexes or centers of the universe or suns shining with divine light, that attract celestial bodies who are empowered by circling around them.  The 14th century Bodnath stupa in Kathmandu is such a place.  From morning until night, hundreds of Tibetan Buddhists circumambulate the enormous white, dome-shaped shrine to the Buddha’s enlightenment.  Chanting Om Mane Padme Hum in low, resonant tones, they slide worn prayer beads between their fingers and turn prayer wheels built into the wall of the stupa.

As soon as we were in view of the stupa, a heartfelt attraction drew us into the mantra and into orbit. Spinning prayer wheels inscribed with the mantra, we became part of the collective prayer of pure compassion being sent to all sentient beings.  The subtly palpable vibration of the mantra was carried by the ringing bells, the wafting amber incense, the movements of the embodied souls walking clockwise around the stupa and through the stupa itself, like a transmission tower, out into the universe.  Even at night, as worshippers sleep, thousands of colorful prayer flags continue to release the mantra of compassion into the wind, while Buddha’s calm, omniscient eyes stand witness.

Bodnath sits in the heart of Kathmandu’s Tibetan community, making this not only a religious center, but also a social gathering place.  So, after recharging our spiritual batteries and broadcasting our love into the stratosphere, we honored our bodily call for comfort with some masala chai and a chocolate brownie at a stupa-side café.  Who says you can’t sip chai and awaken your Buddha nature at the same time?

English: Cinnamon

Botanical: Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Sanskrit: Tvak

Hindi/Nepali: Dalchini

Cinnamon is called tvak in Sanskrit, which literally means “skin,” because it is obtained by peeling off the sweet inner bark, or skin, of the tree. Like many other chai spices, cinnamon’s warming nature aids digestion and is traditionally used for a variety of stomach and intestinal imbalances such as indigestion, nausea, gas, vomiting and diarrhea. As a home remedy, it can be made into a tea or added to food to improve circulation, thus warming cold hands and feet and relieving a general feeling of coldness. It can also alleviate menstrual pain, abdominal cramping and muscle spasms. The oil is used for toothache and dental infections.

Cinnamon warms the internal body, and is used medicinally in Ayurveda as a tonic for the organs and to increase vitality. It warms the kidneys, strengthens the adrenals and the heart and purifies the blood. Acting as an expectorant on the lungs, it is useful for coughs, congestion and asthma. Cinnamon is considered an aphrodisiac and is indicated for male sexual debility.

When adding cinnamon to chai, it is better to use the stick rather than the powder. This will give your chai a richer taste as well as preventing your chai from becoming “muddy” from fine cinnamon powder that does not thoroughly strain out. The flavor of cinnamon can be overpowering and easily dominate a masala chai if too much is used. Using just a little as an accent adds a wonderfully sweet taste.

English: Cardamom

Botanical: Elettaria cardamomum

Sanskrit: Ela

Hindi: Elaichi

Nepali : Alaichi

Cardamom is equal in standing to ginger as a classic masala chai spice. In fact, if you use only these two spices in your chai, you can create a tasty, well-balanced brew. Medicinally, it is used to improve one’s taste sensation. Added to your masala, it can open your taste buds, allowing you to truly appreciate a yummy batch of chai. It also counteracts the mucus-forming properties of dairy, making it a healthy supplement to a milky chai. It has the additional benefit of freshening the breath.

For the lungs, cardamom is useful for those suffering from asthma, breathlessness or bronchitis. It is used to alleviate colds and cough and as an expectorant to expel phlegm. Cardamom is also indicated as an herbal remedy for many symptoms of digestive upset including indigestion, nausea, vomiting, belching, flatulence, bloating, colic and acid reflux.

For the best tasting masala chai, use whole, plump, green cardamom pods. Thoroughly grind the pod, and the brownish seeds within, with a mortar and pestle or a spice/coffee grinder. If you cannot find the whole pods, the decorticated (pod removed) seeds can be used, but will lack the fresh flavor of the full pod. It is not worth buying the powder because it oxidizes quickly after being ground and has already lost its potency and flavor on the shelf. I have found it is best not to boil the cardamom, but to add it to the masala after turning off the heat and let it steep. The volatile oils, and with them the flavor and medicinal value, are diminished with boiling.