Our first real experience of India was a visit to the Gandhi memorial. We rode our bus from our hotel into the center of New Delhi. As we drove through the somewhat crowded but relatively clean downtown streets, I was somewhat disappointed. Where was the infamous horn-beeping, rickshaw smashing, “good heart-good brakes-good horn” chaos of indian driving we had heard so much about?

We soon arrived at the Gandhi Memorial. After respectfully removing our shoes in an arched tunnel we walked to Gandhi’s memorial stone. Gandhi’s ashes are stored in a polished black marble tomb with an eternal flame. Next to the tomb, three men were kneeling and chanting Hindu prayers.

We recognized one chant from the Ramayana. It was touching to see how devoted these men were to the founder of their country.

Noah Limbach