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Published: November 2nd 2017
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We left lovely Udaipur yesterday bound for Varanasi vie Delhi. Well, we managed the first part... The flight to Delhi was delayed and as we only had an hour between flights we didn't make the Varanasi one. However our travel agency Periplus showed great initiative. The agent recognised another travel agent who was on our flight and asked him to look after us. He was fantastic, did his best to get us on another flight and when that didn't work made sure we, our bags and the local Delhi agent all ended up in the same place.
So, we had an unscheduled night in Delhi. I wasn't able to get a ticket to the cricket but the hotel did put the English version up in the big screen in the lobby for us. Shame about the result...Anyway, we were up before 5am and off to the airport, arriving safely in Varanasi this time with no impact to our schedule. We are at the other end of the scale - still right in the thick of things but this means walking about 10 minutes through the heaving crowds and
narrow streets to get to our 3 star hotel.
But location wins, we are right on the river and can walk out the door down to the ghats. Not the cremations ones, I am pleased to say but there are people everywhere bathing in the river, offering prayers, playing cricket and selling postcards. It is one month after Diwali and that means another festival. There is live music playing at full noise which sounds great - it finishes at 10pm (ish) which is also great!
Our guide refers to the various holy men we have seen as hermits. However I did notice that they weren't adverse to hanging out together, having a cup of tea and reading the paper. I have decided the collective noun for a group of hermits is a 'contradiction'. I am sure at least one of you will take the time to research the proper terms for me...
We toured to the Deer Park today, the site where Buddha preached his first sermon to his five disciples. Some of the ruins there date back to 300BC. There was a Jain temple in the same grounds. Oddly enough, it reminded me of going to
the killing fields in Cambodia. The history could,n't be more different, perhaps it was the peaceful green park environment with excavations though it, kind of weird.
The interesting thing about Varanasi, and India in general, is that all the religions seem to co-exist quite happily with temples, shrines, mosques and churches all on top of each other. However history shows that is often not the case.
The visit to the silk weaving place was fascinating - I will bore those who might be interested at a later date - however I managed to refrain from buying anything.
Tonight we did a tour in the river in a row boat. We did go to one of the cremation ghats. There were a surprising number of pyres there. To be cremated in the banks of the Ganges at Varanasi is something very special for Hindus and so there are many bodies cremated here. It didn't feel creepy or weird, everyone was just going about it in quite a matter of fact way. Hence why I have included a photo.
Tomorrow is our last day, we have another early start to go out on the river and then by
the end of the day we will be heading homeward.
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