V for Varanasi

After a week of working, we decided to get outta town for the weekend and head to Varanasi. A little history on this city...

"The Ganges is not a river, it is an aspect of the divine." -Raghubir Singh

Varanasi claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world. It rose in prominence when Shiva worshiping was established-it is now the City of Shiva (Hindu God)and as a result, it is the Hindu's holiest place on earth. Pilgrims travel to the city to wash away their sins in the Ganges River which is considered to be a river of healing powers. Also along the river, cremation of loved ones are performed constantly. Those who die in Varanasi are liberated by completing the cycle of life. The Lonely Planet book states, "The magical but sometimes overwhelming city is where the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public on the city's ghats. The accessibility to the practices of an ancient but still living religious tradition is what captivates many visitors."

Needless to say, it's a must-see.

We bought our train tickets very last minute and were thankful to be able to score tickets at all. The way there, we rode in a sleeper car with no air conditioning, which was...an experience. Here are some observations that I noted along the way...
1. Again, feeling ripped off and being frustrated by language barriers
2. At the station, people get comfortable on flattened cardboard boxes as flies get comfortable on their faces.
3. Sick dogs roam freely, limping, emaciated and broken.
4. On the train, the sleeper car resembles an old elementary school bus-complete with florescent lights, smells and germs. Don't forget, 3 to a seat!
5. The smells literally make me want to vomit that filter in from outside.
7. I now see real slums-there is a greater population in a much smaller area than in Africa. In the middle of nowhere, a hot pink stucco temple, the size of a couple outhouses sticks out against a dusty composition.
8. As dusk settles, I'm reminded of the semi-sheer curtain used to separate scenes in ballets. It acts as a mere separation(both figuratively and literally) from the world I peer upon.
9. Enormous bulls that are so dark and shiny they look like they were smothered in tar, relax in dirt and look as comfortable as pimps in a hot tub.
10. Mass amounts of trash peek out of streams and rivers.

The journey was over 3 hours delayed (making the total train ride-one way-16 hours) but we finally made it.

When you get out of the train station, there is now way to know where to go, as all signs are in Hindi. We just followed a crowd and miraculously made it out with few hassles. We got into a taxi and it was apparent that we were all eager to make it to our final destination. There was no chitchat with the driver, despite his persistent attempts. We got out of the taxi and wandered down the Ghats and peered into shops until we found our quaint guest-house (Guest-house Ganges View)filled with antiques, relics and personality. Paintings and masks of Hindu Gods lined the walls and flowing curtains framed the large windows that looked out onto the Ganges. Though we expected a room with 2 beds, when we got in there was only 1- which made for a crowded night as we all crammed onto the bed horizontally (our feet dangling off the edge). Despite the discomfort, the room was beautiful with random antique lights and gold trim...and most importantly- AIR CONDITIONING!

Shopping in Varanasi is fantastic! A stones toss from our hotel I got these hippie-chic pants, two scarves, a wrap, a hot pink bed cover and 2 postcards for less than 30 BUCKS!!! SCORE!

At 6:00 pm we took a boat up the river to view the various ghats. I even got to paddle...in the freakin' Ganges! which was a struggle with the makeshift oars. The real master of paddles was our boatman-who was only 15 years old. We made it to Harishchandra Ghat which was were the ritual cremation was being held. We watched a group of men carry one body down to the shore to be drenched in the river, the grandson saying his final goodbye, and other bodies stiff and smoldering in a firepit. As night swept over the sky, bats the size of eagles circled above us. It was eerie and a bit morbid to say the least...as they say though, "when in Rome..."

The next morning we forced ourselves to wake up at 5:00AM (the earliest I've been awake since...?) and watched the sun rise and paint the sky. Devotees bathed in the river, others practiced yoga, Aghori's decorated in white facemasks meditated and chanted...it was unlike anything that I have ever witnessed.

At 7:00AM we took a private yoga class at our guest-house. It felt so good to stretch and exercise again. It ended with a short chanting session-which I surprisingly enjoyed quite a bit! I'm glad that we got to take the class...it was something that I'll look back on and think, "Remember that time I did yoga in Varanasi??"

After an eventful morning, the sun began to roast the city and I felt like I was literally melting into the earth. As we wandered through back alleys, crowded with vendors selling trinkets, silver, fabric, etc etc etc, I zoned out and tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. We got totally lost in our attempt to find a particular temple, gave up, and when we finally made it out, we decided to take a rickshaw to the train station and get out of the heat. It was just too unbearable.

The journey back to Delhi was a dream compared to the first train. We actually scored the A/C car and all of my fantasies of riding the Hogwart Express were fulfilled. People walked by selling juice and treats, and we even got pillows and blankets! We made it home by 11:00AM and as I look back on the weekend, I am filled with a sense of utter ecstasy. My feelings of desire towards some sort of spirituality have been reaffirmed by this mystical, charismatic, lively, Woodstock-meets-God kind of town.

Enough rambling...I'll try to put up some photos soon!
Peace.