Northern India, part II

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I said my goodbyes to the Polish travelers as I left Agra and headed to Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, a reincarnation of Vishnu (Hindu god). Following the advice of the Ukrainians, I went to pay a visit as it fell on Krishna's birthday. I could only imagine the festivities that must arise. The newspaper said that there would be about 500,000 pilgrims visiting Mathura and Vrindavan, a nearby town that housed the center of the festivities. So it was no surprise that I took a shared taxi to Vrindavan. It took me a while to find a vacant room of course, but in the end I found a nice place. Vrindavan is the most sacred place in India for Vaishnavite Hindu, where many of the mythological stories depicting Krishna took place. I dropped my bags at the hotel and went for a stroll around town. The town has an interesting medieval feel to it with narrow passageway and many temples. I paid a visit to the Gobina Der Temple, an impressive tall Raj style temple. It was populated by monkeys that were known to steel/grab eyeglasses and other items from visitors. I was witness to a monkey steeling a pair of glasses from an elderly man. As I left the temple I heard a big crash as the monkey threw the glasses to the floor and they broke in pieces. I next visited Sri Ranganthji, a Dravidian style temple with three giant gopuras over 30 meters high. There is an imposing glass temple inside. You can also visit the showcase museum of car pieces used during the 10 day Rat Festival, which is held in March or April. After that I walked through the town's bazaar, which had the usual colorful feel of Indian markets. The long walk took me through alleys filled with shops selling everything imaginable. As expected, it was packed with people. I reached the Bankebehari Temple, which was the center of the festivities. Outside, people pilgrims were praying and dancing to a rhythmic melody made with drums. I must have spent an hour seeing the beautiful women dressed with colorful saris dancing the night away. Inside, I manage to get a rare glimpse of the Krishna icon, which is unveiled only during Darshan (Krishna's birthday). The rest of the time it lies inside closed doors. I entered just in time to witness the interesting puja ceremonial ritual. It was like going back in time thousands of years ago as the people changed in prayer following the same customs used by their ancestors. As in Hardiwar, the priest lighted a large candle in the shape of a snake or naga. He then passed it around the temple as there where so many people that it would be impossible for him to walk around the place.

The next day, I returned to Mathura to pay a visit to the Sri Krishna Janmabhumi, the temple built where Krishna was born. It is a huge modern complex with ultra tight security. The complex has many new temples. Among them, you can visit the actual birthplace, which is mark by a noticeably old tomb-like cave temple.

I left Mathura later that morning as I boarded a train to Jhansi. There is not much to brag about this town, but you do have to cross through it on your way to Orcha. There are many tempos, which is a large auto-rickshaw packed with over 12 people sharing a ride to Orcha. I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of Orcha. I had been in India for a few months by now and had finally found the one place I could call "my favorite spot" in India and perhaps the whole sub-continent. It is hard to describe what your favorite place is as it is almost impossible not to sound biased. Orcha is a small medieval styled village with an impressive fort palace and various cathedral-sized temples. Unlike other towns I've visited it is not overpopulated. As a result the surrounding areas are clean and beautiful. You could even swim up river if you are up for a cool afternoon activity. The small narrow alleys, especially around the main bazaar, have an illusion that makes you think you are walking in a different century of a long gone era. It is so serene, quiet, and peaceful that you will think you are not in India. Rather, you may feel you are in a medieval town in Italy with the Archways and huge temples that resemble the cathedrals of Europe. It was one of these majestic temples, Chaturbuj Temple that attracted my attention the afternoon I arrived. I had settled on a guesthouse in the bazaar road, near the archway and across the stairs leading to this temple. I walked in just in time as I was one of the last visitors allowed into the complex. I've talked about the cathedral feel this temple had and now I had another reason for it. It had the shape of a cross, which was designed to symbolize the four arms of Krishna. The temple has huge vaulted ceilings with spacious halls, again another similarity to the cathedrals in Europe. I climbed the dilapidated stairs to get a reach the rooftop terrace. Besides the Indian style towers, I could get an impressive view of the region, including the fort nearby. I climbed up one of the towers thru guano infested stairs only to find a dark dead end... argh! I went down the stairs, thru the temple, and back down to town. I returned to the guest house and went up to the rooftop restaurant to chill out and have dinner. I started talking with the fellow guests. First, I was talking with Melissa and her sister from UK; as well as Julia from Italy. Then two guys from Spain joined in on the conversation. Then, to my surprise, the group from Poland came into the restaurant. It turns out the hotel in Fatehpur Sikri had recommended this place to them and so where staying on the same place. Neither they nor I had any idea we were going to the same place! I ended up spending the next week or so traveling on and off with someone from this group.

Man, have I told you guys that I love this town! I had a much needed hair cut and shave this morning. It's always a pleasure in India as its dirt cheap. They always use new razors so there is no need to worry. The barbers here use some exotic herbal soaps and lotions. In the end, they usually give you a relaxing head massage. Let me tell you, the hair-dressers back home should learn from their Indian counterparts! Anyway, I headed to the Orcha Fort after the haircut. The fort was built on the 1,500's. It's worth noticing the well preserved medieval Bundela-Rajput architecture. I entered the palace and came across the Raj Mahal, an impressive set of courtyard that served as a place to conduct public Audiences and private audiences. They are surrounded by the palace compounds. Both the Queen and King room has a series of well preserved paintings depicting Rama, Sita, and Hanuman as well as various scenes depicting royals on elephants (these are usually locked, but the guard will open it for a small tip). I spend about an hour or so getting lost in the many levels of the fortress palace. The view from atop holds commanding views of the region with beautiful green fields on every direction and a river cutting through them. I then visited the Jahangir Mahal, a beautiful palace nearby with two imposing elephants guarding the south gate. It has dome towers on each corner on top. You can climb to the top thru a narrow staircase and corridor. Again, you are mesmerized by a great view of the region. It is such a great view that I almost didn't notice the inside, which has delicate jali screens, towering arches, and intricate chhattris. As you walk around the top floor, you can see the attractive blue tiles used in the exteriors of the building. The camel stables nearby are now populated by a mad group of stray dogs. I then walked past the Haamam and to the Raj Praveen Mahal, which boasts a beautiful garden outside and an interesting collection of murals depicting women and men on horses located on the top floor. I then left the fort through the Royal gate that has a road leading to interesting temples located on overgrown fields. Among them, I came across the Panchnukhi Mahadevi with interesting Hindu carvings. I kept on walking until I reached the river. As I made my way back, I came across a group of cows gracing in one of the fields. I wanted to take a picture of one of them so I approached it with care. It didn't like my moves and I was quickly scared as it came rushing towards me. It was a close call as I almost got horned. Fortunately, it was tied down and was forced to stop a meter or so from where I was standing. So much for the peaceful, serenity character of the cows in India 😊.

I met up with Melissa and her sister, Loretta later that afternoon. Together, we walked a kilometer or so to visit Lakshminarayan Temple. The temple is situated on top of a nearby hill. It has a triangular shape outside, yet the inner courtyard is shaped as a square. The temple features some of the best preserved paintings of that era. We got together and paid for a guide to explain us about the paintings. Among the scenes, you can make out scenes from the Ramayana, including the famous characters - Rama, Sita, and Hanuman. There is another mural filled with legends depicting Krishna, his wife, and his one thousand girlfriends (talk about a busy man)! A series of paintings grabbed my attention as they depicted Europeans. Based on the dress code and hats, I'd venture to say they where probably French, rather then English. The day was quite warm and so we where getting really hot. We went back to the hotel and met up with Julia and the Polish group. We then went walking along the edge of the river for a km or so until the water was clean enough to go swimming. We made it back into town just in time to change and go see the evening Puja at the Ram Raja Temple. It was quite moving with songs and chants. At the end we received a sprinkle of holly water and candy.

The following morning, we said our good byes to Melissa and her sister as we all took a Tempo to Jhansi. Julia, the four Poles, and I where headed to Khajuraho. The bus from Jhansi was deluxe, which in Hindi means a bus with a "very little" bit of more space and comfort then the regular buses. Hubert and I got a sit on the back of the bus. As the roads where so bumpy, we soon felt what I like to call the "ruler effect." Take a long ruler, hold it from one end and bend the other. You will soon see the other side springing back and forth like crazy. In a same way, the farther back you are in a bus, the more you will shake after each bump the driver passes. It's one of the joys of travel you soon get used to when you travel in third-world countries.

Khajuraho is famous for the erotic sculptures on its various ancient temples in town. I knew it was a popular destination, but I was shocked to see how touristy it was. I didn't like it too much, but perhaps it was because I had just left the idealistic paradise of Orcha. We left our bags at our guesthouse and went for a walk around town. We walked around a street bazaar filled with tons of souvenir shops and stalls. We then had dinner at a Nepali place in town. We returned to the hotel to chill out in the rooftop terrace. It was a pleasant evening as we got to see the temples lighted from afar and the star-light sky above. We ended up talking until the early morning.

I met up with Julia the following morning to tour around the town. It turns out that she was studying Sanskrit and Indian History so she was an archeological buff like me. We started off by visiting the Western Temple Group, which are the most famous of the temple compounds in town. These temples were built by worshipers of Hinduism. We entered the main grounds and headed to the Varaha Temple, which is made out of granite. Varaha is the reincarnation of Vishnu as a boar. As such, you can see a huge boar statue inside the temple. We then walked to the Lakshmana Temple, which has some of the best carvings in town. It has an interesting collection detailed carvings inside including Vishnu, Lakshmi with Brahma, and various other deities. The usual lotus motif is ever present in the temple. What calls your attention is the erotic nature of the statues in this and the other temples in town. You come across naked women and men, even the revered gods of Hinduism. What's even more shocking is the way they are depicted. You come across a pair making love, a women offering oral sex to a guy, or perhaps a group engaging on a big sexual orgy. Believe me folks; I have at least one picture for every scene I just mentioned! It's like a visual representation of the Kama Sutra! If they ever come up with a parental rating system for archeological sites this will definitely be an "X" rated one! It goes to show you how times have changed in the Indian society. Who knows, perhaps the conservative qualities of the modern Indian society comes from the influence and legacy left by the Muslim conquerors. Obviously, the Hindus where more adapt on showing off their skin in the past, then they lend themselves on today. It will be unheard off to do so today, even in the most modern cities. Going back to talking about the Lakshmana Temple... as I was mentioning, the outside facade is covered with detailed erotic sculptures of lovers, often depicting deities and their partners in the different types of sexual intercourse. The elaborate sculptures around the base of the platform are more subdued, showing a wide range of non-erotic day to day scenes including hunting and army battalions. On the left side, there is a famous sculpture of a camel depicting an error in workmanship as it was sculpted wrongfully as one of its legs has the knee/joint of a horse. I had no idea that camels had different style of joints then horses! We next visited the Kandariya Mahadeva, the largest temple in the Western Group. It is dedicated to Shiva. I thought I had seen it all on the last temple, but I'd have to say this one has some of the most erotic scenes on the outside facade! The intricate and elaborate workmanship makes them the best sculptures in Khajuraho. There are several guarding Sardula (mythical lions) statues on top of the platform, all of which has a girl in the front offering herself to the beast. Next up was the Jagadambi Temple, with an amazing statue rendering of Parvati inside the sanctuary. We then visited the Chitragupta Temple, which is dedicated to Surya (sun god). Afterwards we went to the Vishvanatha Temple, which is also dedicated to Shiva. This temple boasts a huge Nandi bull on the outside pavilion. There is a lovely rendition of Krishna and inside that is easily recognized by the flute that he is holding. You can also see several statues of Shiva and Parvati. Outside of the Western Group, we came across the Matangesvara Temple, which is a newer looking temple with a large linga inside. We encounter a group of Sadhus doing a puja inside so we sat and listen to their songs and chants.

As we had time on our side, we proceeded to the Eastern Group. It has a more secluded, peaceful setting. These are Jain temples. Yet, they still have the same erotic scenes in them. We first visited the Santinatha temple, which has recently been renovated and painted all white. This serves as the focus point for Jain worship in the area. I was really impressed by the imposing statue of the deity Adinatha that stands at over 4 meters high. Then we came across the Parsvanatha Temple, which is dedicated to the deity of the same name, Parsvanatha. It has superb sculptures that are way better then the Hindu ones in the western group. They have a rich erotic and non-erotic feel to them. You can see intricate carved elephants, lions, and other Jain mythological figures. The last temple in the group is the Adinatha Temple, which is quite deteriorated compared to the rest. We still had some time on our side so we walked to the Southern Group. There we visited the Duladeo Temple, which is set in an open field where tons of cows graze.

One of the drawbacks of Khajuraho is that it is not connected by train as it lacks a railway station. There is an office in town, but it proved to be not as helpful as we thought and so we where unable to buy tickets. We had no other choice but to grab an old-beaten bus to Varanasi. So, Julia and I had to endure what would be one of the roughest bus rides I've ever taken. The 18 hour bus ride was thru a bumpy gravel road that went thru the towns of Rewa and Satan.

The chaotic city of Varanasi is India's holiest city as millions of pilgrims visit it each year to bath on the sacred waters of the Ganga River. Millions more bring their departed family members and throw their remains in the river during a ceremonial procedure. I was to soak on the atmosphere of this place for a few days. Julia and I where given a full blown welcome when we took this cycle rickshaw (which is a man powered tricycle). The guy was driving like crazy! First he spent about 5 minutes arguing with a man riding a slow horse-drawn chariot. Apparently, he was too slow and we had been trying to pass him for a while, but he refused to go to the side. Then, our driver purposely crashed against the side of another cycle rickshaw to make room to pass a slow moped! We had enough so we decided to take an auto-rickshaw instead (3 wheel motor vehicle, often called tuk-tuks in Thailand). The driver was driving like crazy as it went across town at exorbitant speeds. I have no idea how he didn't hit anything, but I must say he had many near misses with cars and walls.

As I already mentioned, the Ganga River, the holiest river in India, crosses thru the heart of Varanasi. As such, you can expect it to be the focus of interest, of your visit. The old heart of town lies in the vicinity of the river. It is an area full off old buildings with narrow alleyways that are best seen by foot. Do not be discouraged by the mess though as this is a very dirty town. Travelers that have been to India shouldn't be surprised at all, but for a new visitor it may be quite a shock to the system (too much for some). You can expect to see the holly cows and their shit all over the place. The colors and aromas of the bazaar and shops though will sure win your heart over. As soon as we found a guest house, Julia and I took of on a self-guided tour of the city. We started off at Assi Ghat, located on south. From there, we would walk along the Ghats or via the side streets making our way north along the river. At this time of the year, in September, the floods from the rainy season haven't quite yet subsided so it is impossible to walk along the shore of the river. Thus, you are forced to walk along the back alleys to make your way to each Ghat. If you arrive at a later day, say late October or November, you could walk along the edge of the river, thru the Ghats. I experienced this city on both seasons as I would later return a few months down the line. For now, let me talk about my experiences in September. We could still see the piled up mud from the last monsoon. Apparently, the water rises several meters in the rainy season. As a result, sediments and mud pile up on the stone floors and steps that make up the Ghats. We saw a worker that was clearing the mud at the Tulsi Ghat with a water pressure gun similar to those used in a carwash. So as to respect the river, he used the same water to clear the mud. It is holly for them so it will be most inappropriate to clear it by any other means then to flush it all down river with the same water. Next up was the Shivala Ghat, which was a bit hard to find as we had to cut thru the back alleys. We didn't stay long in here as an obnoxious kid threw a rock on my head! Ouch, how rude!

We eventually made our way to Harishchandra Ghat, which is one of the most sacred cremation ghats in Varanasi. It allows the cremation of Hindu and non-Hindu so it's not too uncommon to see foreigners cremated here. We stopped for a while as we saw a cremation taking place. Women are cremated in red saris and men are cremated with white cloths. As it is a taboo in Hinduism to touch dead bodies, only the untouchables handle the wood, the fire, and the ashes. The Bhramin priest performs the last rights and ceremony over a course of 24 hours. In this most revered ceremony, it came as quite a surprise to see a group of stray dogs banging each other right besides the priest. Then, along the steps of the Ghats, I could see a goat eating the floral arrangements right in front of the relatives of the deceased! Oh, please do keep in mind that the locals do not like tourists that take pictures of the cremation ceremony. It is not unheard off for a tourist to be thrown stones on and to lose a camera over such an incident. I'm glad someone warned me about it ahead of time. Also, make sure you do not fall for the common scam in wish a friendly onlooker takes you to the side where you get a better angle for your picture. Then, unbeknown to you, the scammer threatens to yell you out to the family for taking pictures of the ceremony. If you don't pay up, you will lose your camera!

We continued walking north along the Ganga River and the back alleys nearby. Our next stop was at the Dasasvamedha Ghat, which is the one that is typically portrayed in the books and post cards. It had lots of locals who where bathing to purify themselves. We then ventured inland to visit the Annapurna Mandir (Temple). It is heavily guarded with a tight security that screens visitors. Inside, there are shrines of Shiva, Ganesh, Hanuman, and Surya. Nearby, we visited the Visvanath Mandir (Golden Temple), which is sadly closed for non-hindus. These two temples lie right in the heart of the old town, in the bazaar. It is a colorful, religious place filled with shops, people, and cows.

We returned to Dasasvamedha Ghat later that evening to witness the evening Arati ceremony. I highly recommend this event as it exemplifies the spiritual character of the Hindus. The sacred ceremony comes with all kinds of chants, clapping, and more. There were five holly men, Brahmas, performing an ornate ceremony in the dark. Their only light was that of the candles holders they lit. They had two different kinds of candles though, one with a Christmas tree shape and another one shaped like a snake. They also waved a set of peacock feathered fans as well as a device that looks like a long duster. They wave each of these four items at different times along the ceremony. The ceremony ends with throwing flowers on the Ghat and at the same time the pilgrims will raise their hands and chant in some ancient tongue in honor of the Ganga River.

Julia and I met early today to enjoy a sunrise boat ride along the Ganga River. It is one of the things you must do when you visit Varanasi. If you are lucky as we were then you will get a clear day where the bright red sun will shine and reflect of the buildings along the Ghats. But let's hold on for a second before I get to that. See, at dawn, all is black and dark with silhouettes of the Ghats, people, and boats. As the beautiful day awakes you notice the red sun appearing out of the horizon. We were just around the Dasasvamedha Ghat to see the morning puja (ceremony), which is similar to the one we saw last night. The boat man kept on taking us along the Ghats so we can admire life. We saw people bathing in the Ganga River welcoming a new day. We even saw a tourist or two that braved one of the most polluted waters in the planet to experience the same. I wasn't crazy enough to do it so I'm content with the dip I had a week or so ago in Rishikesh 😊. What caught my attention the most were the impressive fortress-like palaces and steps of the Ghats that sit there overlooking the river as a testament of the magnificence of Hinduism.

Well, no rickshaw ride goes uneventful in Varanasi as drivers go at hair rising speeds. We took one this morning in hopes of taking a day trip to Sarnath. We never reached the bus on time as the rickshaw crashed en route. We were unhurt though, it was just a small bump to another rickshaw, but it was enough to slow us down. We decided to go back to the Ghats to spend the day people watching and relaxing. Later that evening, we took an evening train to Delhi with Julia, Marcel and Juan (the two Spaniards that I met in Khajuraho), another Spaniard, and an Italian couple. We were all spread all over the train, but it was nice to know you where traveling with friends. The train itself got delayed for a while as there was a lose cow on the tracks! Bet you will never see that in a city back home!

It felt like we left a chaos for another as we got into Delhi the following day. We left the New Delhi train station and walked across the street into Pahar Ganj, the tourist ghetto in town. It is a convenient place though and definitely not as tacky as Kao San Road. I'm not sure how long the bazaar like feeling of this place will continue, but for now it's the best place for someone on a budget to stay. You not only find cheap hotels and restaurants, but also cheap souvenir stores selling products from all over India at a reasonable price (as always, bargain hard). We all got a room in the same guesthouse. As soon as I had freshened up, I went to the other side of town to fix the dates on my plane tickets at the Thai Air office. I met up my friends - Julia and the three Spaniards - for dinner later that evening. Afterwards, we went to see a cheesy Bollywood movie at a nearby Theater. You go into these movies not so much to see the movie itself, but to see the crowd of locals going wild with emotion as the movie unfolds. Especially when there is an error with the film crew and some scenes get cut in the most awkward times. As usual, the film involved a love story.

I had to take care of some more business today so I took a cab to the Myanmar Embassy to drop my passport as I was applying for a visa. It went smoothly and so I returned to Pahar Ganj to take care of some Christmas shopping. Bargaining is the game as anywhere in India and Asia. I met up with Julia later that afternoon and together went to visit the Baha'i Temple (better known as the Lotus Temple). Built in the 1980's, the Lotus Temple has a superb modern design with the contours of the Sydney Opera House, but in the shape of a lotus flower. The Lotus Temple was built by the followers of the Baha'i faith. They believe that the world and all of the religions should unite in harmony and as such everyone is welcome to visit the temple and its museum. The museum has an interesting set of exhibits describing the history of the Baha'i faith. It was founded in Persia during the 1800's. I had never heard of this religion so it was quite an interesting and insightful experience. Later that evening, I met up with my friend Anshu, a local from Delhi. He showed me around town on his scooter. The highlight was driving thru the famous India Gate at night, shinning by bright lights.

The following morning, I walked to the nearby Connaught Place, which is located a few km from Pahar Ganj. It has a wide range of decent, clean, restaurants and shops. I then walked down Janpath Road, which is full of souvenir shops with good bargains (some actually cheaper then Pahar Ganj). There is a street full of incense shops. Then you come across little Tibet with all the Tibetan shops. Then I saw this side street full of bed sheets vendors. Eventually, I walked all the way to the National Museum. It houses an extraordinary collection of Indian Archeological exhibits ranging from the early civilizations around 4,000 BC to the present. This museum is not to be missed by history/archeology buffs! After taking in all that history, I was ready for some more fresh air so I went to see the Indian parliament and government buildings nearby. From there, I walk to the India Gate to see it by day. It is a war memorial of sorts that you will see in every postcard collection from Delhi.

My feet where about done by now so I took a cab to pick my passport at the Myanmar embassy. I returned to chill out at Pahar Ganj. I was strolling along the ghetto and ran across Brian and Susana, whom I've met in Diu and later on Pushkar. What a small world! I had lost track of them and this would have been the last place I'd ever thought of running up with them! It was good to se the where still going strong on their trip in India, despite being over a year on the road. We later met up for dinner and a couple of beers.

I met up with Brian and Susana for breakfast the next day. After breakfast, I paid a visit to the post office to send a parcel back home, my first package from India. It's a complicated process. First you have to get the box/contents inside a cloth bag that is stitched up. Make sure to add extra cushion to the package as the handling of packages in India is rough to say the least. Then you have to go thru endless paperwork in the Post Office. Finally you pay the fee, which in my case 10 kilos came to about $20 by sending it with a combination of sea, air, and land).

I spent the better part of today exploring the back alleys of Old Delhi. I started at Ajmer Gate. I walked across the bazaar area and entered the working alleys filled with all sort of shops. I came across a Muslim restaurant that was packed and smelled good. It's always a good sign so I went in for lunch. I had mutton, two Nan bread and a drink for less then $0.40 USD! I then went into Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. The picky guards at one of the gate was demanding a hefty ransom to take pictures inside so I refused telling him I wasn't going to take any inside. He was adamant, insisting that I purchase a camera ticket. So, I left the gate and went back outside. I then hid my camera deep inside my daypack and entered through a different gate without their noticing it. Why must I pay if I won't take pictures inside?!? The mosque is impressive indeed, but not quite so as the one I had recently seen in Fetapur Sikri. I did enjoy the time spent inside, particularly a conversation I had with a Muslim pilgrim from Bangladesh.

My next stop today was at the Red Fort. It served as the impressive palace for the Moguls who once ruled the city and much of India. You enter it thru the Lahore Gate. You then walk thru the Bazaar. Sadly, it lacks the historical echo of the one that resided here in years past, providing the goods of the royalty and nobles. The new counterpart is filled with expensive souvenir shops. Next is the Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audience). It is followed by a beautiful garden with palaces and mosque. Sadly, the three museums (War Museum, Mogul History Museum, and Indian Independence Museum) in the premises are small, boiling hot, and unattractive. I left the Red Fort and walked to the modern Diagambar Jain Temple, which is actually a Hindu temple full of several attractive sanctuaries with statues of Hanuman, Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and many more deities. Then, in true Indian fashion, as I was walking down Chandi Chowk, traffic came to a stand still as a wedding parade came dashing thru with musicians and the ladies dancing behind them. It was an interesting site. I kept on going though and eventually came across the Fatehpuri Masjid. Near it lies the Spice market. Among the products available are dried fruits, died vegetables, nuts, tea, and spices of course. You cannot help but notice the fragrant smell that comes off this corner of town. For some it may be too strong to bear. I walk across the railroad tracks as I made my way back to Pahar Ganj. I made it just in time to meet Brian and Susana for dinner and some more beer. It was a quick meeting as I was taking a late overnight train out of Delhi.

The overnight train ride was pleasant. I arrived at Faizabad the following day at 2 PM. There is not much to brag about this town, except its close location to Ayodhya. Today though was special as there was a political party rallying in the streets. The campaign looked more like a festival to me so I joined in for a bit 😊. I then chilled out the remainder of the day recovering from the train ride. Trains are comfortable in India, but at times I still find it hard to sleep on a moving vehicle.

I left to Ayodhya the following morning. It is one of the seven holly cities in Hinduism for it is the birthplace of Rama, one of the most charismatic heroes in the Hindu religion and mythology. He is believed to be an avatar, reincarnation, of Vishnu. If you are ever interested in reading a true Indian epic, read the Ramayana, depicting Rama and his adventures. The story is full of all the qualities of a classic myth. It has passion, love, anger, war, envy, treason, submission, and many more qualities. As the story, the town of Ayodhya has gone thru a tragic history. In 1992, a Hindu militia destroyed the deserted Babri mosque proclaiming that it was built atop a much older Hindu temple marking the exact birthplace of Rama. A Muslim militia retaliated by setting killing over a thousand pilgrims who where on board a train that was set on fire as it was making its way back to Gujarat. Ramajanambhumi, the name of the temple that marks the birthplace of Rama feels more like a prisoners-of-war camp. You go thru a strict airport like checking process in which you are not allowed to take anything inside. They even look at pilgrims' offerings and may deny their entrance. As there is still much debate on what to do with the remains of the mosque, the only thing that you will see is an impromptu shrine on the grounds. Apparently, the government is scared to authorize the construction of a Hindu temple as they fear it will stir up the Muslim activists. I left the somber remains of what must have once been a great temple and decided to go for a walk around town. I stumble across the Hunamangarh Temple, which is dedicated to Hanuman (friend of Rama). Later, I visited another temple dedicated to Sita (wife of Rama).

Later that afternoon, I took a long 14 hour train to Gorakhpur. I enjoyed the passing hours of the day seeing the beautiful green fields outside and later on a torrential rain that fell unexpectedly. There is nothing worth writing about Gorakhpur, except that it has the closest railway station to the border with Nepal. I was shocked at the dirty, unattractive, and expensive hotels in the city. I made up my mind right there and then to go out to Kushinagar, a nearby village known and celebrated as the place where Buddha died and was cremated. The bus over there took a few hours. I ended up spending the night at a guestroom in the Chinese Temple. I had dinner down the road at the tasty Yama cafe.

I spent the following day exploring the sites at Kushinagar. My first stop was at the Myanmar Temple, which has a typical tall golden Burmese Stuppa (a stuppa is a shrine shaped like a bell, in the Burmese style it typically has a long narrow body) with two lions guarding the gate. I then visited the Para Nirvana temple; an old ancient site with ruins and a Sri Lanka style stuppa (wider, more like a semi sphere then a bell). The sanctuary houses an ancient six meter long Buddha statue that is lying down in the death pose, as opposed to the standing or sitting Buddha. Next I went to Matha-Kuar Shrine, which has a large black Buddha with gold sheets. It is built to mark the spot where Buddha last drank water. Nearby lies the Rama Janaki Temple, a Hindu temple with statues depicting Rama, Sita, and Hanuman. Across the street is the Tibetan Gompa (temple). If you walk a bit further you come across the Japanese-Sri Lankan Temple, which has a large round Sri-Lankan style stuppa with a Golden Japanese Buddha statue inside. Sadly, I missed the museum as it is closed on Mondays 😞. I kept on walking to pay the Korean Temple a visit, but it was closed as it was under construction. So I kept going to the Thai Temple nearby, which has peaceful garden and temple. Inside the sanctuary you can see a Thai style golden Buddha. The Ramabahar Stuppa nearby was built to house the relics of Buddha after he was cremated. Before leaving town, I paid a visit to the Chinese temple again as it was one of my favorite. The main compounds where still being built in traditional Chinese decor.

That afternoon, I took a bus back to Gorakhpur, where I ended up staying the night at a roach infested hotel, argh! To make matters worse, there was a festival filled with music in the nearby Hindu temple. It was nice for a few hours, but not at 3 in the morning when you are trying to get a good night's sleep. I woke up late the following morning with my mind set up to find a decent hotel. I looked around town for a good bargain and was surprise to find it just across the train station! And so I moved in immediately to the Sunrise Hotel. I relaxed the rest of the day as I was waiting for my friend Kristof to arrive later that evening. I picked him up at the train station as he was expecting to find me at the other hotel. We ended up eating at one of the only good restaurant in town called Mitras, situated near the United Talkies Cinema. If you are ever stuck in this town this is the place to eat!

We woke up early the next morning (around 4) to head to Sonali, a town in the Nepalese border. We knew better then going by bus so we ended up paying a bit more to go by jeep. As it turned out we ended up on the newspaper delivery jeep. The guys were quite friendly. It was interesting to see their day unfold. Any time they ran into trouble, they would bribe their way out by providing the official with a newspaper. They continue the delivery all the way to the border. The scenery en route was spectacular with a beautiful sunrise climbing above the green lush fields. The sky above it light up with all the colors you would expect to come of an artists' palette. It is now as I leave India that I realize how different life evolves around here. We drove past several groups of Indians sitting and laying on the road like dogs and cows with no particular care of what may happen. They where sleeping or relaxing with no worries what so ever. Some where even taking a crap/dump by the side of the road without even thinking about how many passerbies will see them. I look back at that scene now and realize that they are truly enjoying life in the moment, enjoying it and following the nature way of life, versus the modern artificial life western society has grown around itself. Its small things like this that truly makes India wonderful. Where else would you see it?

I guess this is a good point to stop for now. The next update will cover Nepal and the many adventures I had with my good friend Kristof from Belgium

Saludos,
Fernando

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Photos

Mad cow, Orcha
Pic of the mad cow who nearly killed me as I walked on the interesting temples located on overgrown fields outside the Royal gate

A statue of Varaha, Khajuraho
Julia poses at a statue of Varaha, the third reincarnation of Vishnu

Sculpture of a camel with a horse
A famous sculpture of a camel depicting an error in workmanship as it was sculpted wrongfully as one of its legs has the knee/joint of a horse (error present in the left-most camel)

Statue of Sarduyla, Khajuraho
Sardula is a mythical lion in hindu mythology

Comments

[araby]

really incredible pics and info
... and thanks for your input in a forum reply in VT... that's how I found out about your blog... ... best regards ....... araby

[Jenny]

Wow! Amazing pictures and a lot of information. Thanks!

[manjunath bc]

just awesome
wonderful description and high quality superp photographs. it gives a real tour of north india. spendid job.