The Ghats

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Woke up around 7 am this morning.. our view is amazing, overlooking the Ghats. Quickly got ready and had breakfast at Hotel Alka.. I had potato paratha and cheese paratha, and a pot of chai (forgot to tell them no sugar.. oh well).. then after we roamed from one end of the ghat to the other.. we saw some funerals in process.. there were a few beggar children that ran up to us, but not as much as I had imagined.. and at times you feel incredibly sorry, and start handing out money.. and other times you get immune to it and just tell them to shoo. Not only are you helping them out with some money, you are in a way giving them money for them to leave you alone and having them stop tugging at you.. One little boy followed us a great distance, crying ( i think they are quite good at faking ).. then the moment Sylvan (1 of the french guys) gave him his remaining coke, it stopped completely and you see them smiling.. its a major tourist attraction so every local is there to get as money out of you as possible.. We had one guy approach us and offer us a free tour, we kept resisting him, he kept saying no money.. he lead us up to a balcony of an ancient building (they are all like this) to see the funeral since we were not allowed to get too close.. he showed us that there were 3 different areas for the burning Ghats.. one for high caste, middle, low.. The high caste from what he said estimates $500 for the wood (sandalwood for higher class.. about 200 pieces of wood).. he said that females are not allowed at the cremation area, because they tend to cry.. and if people cry around the burning Ghat.. the soul will catch that and not be able to be released to Nirvana.. (this is what he told us, so I dont know how accurate it is..) Babies, cows, and some others dont qualify for an actual ceremony so they just toss them out in the river.. We saw a dead cow just floating in the river..

Unfortunately the boats were on strike so we couldn't do a tour.. although it's not completely appetizing to tour through this river for me.. I love the vibe and spirituality of this city.. so ancient, so traditional.. women on one end bathing.. men on the other.. people brushing their teeth, shampooing in the river.. Kids playing Cricket (you see this every where)... This tour guide also pointed us to another building where they take in old people close to death without families to stay at.. On our way out of the building, an old lady asked us for money to donate to the wood.. Of course, everything came with a price.. we gave her some money, they begged for more, we gave more and left. It's very common here.. they push themselves onto you.. push products on to you, saying no charge.. and then afterwards asking for $$.. after our walk, we took a rickshaw for 30 rupees (75 cents) to a monkey temple !!!! On the way to the temple was a quarter mile of path with monkeys just freely flowing around.. many were cleaning each other of flees.. as nurturing as humans.. when we reached the temple, we were not allowed in because we were not Hindu..

We took a bike rickshaw back to the Ghat area.. we went to the Golden Temple, with hundreds of guards there.. we went in a little, and once again werent allowed further ..

Now we are at Sharantha Restaurant on rooftop eating..

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Comments

[Marissa]

Wow!
OMG the cremation stuff is a little creepy! But it all sounds so fascinating! Although I think I would get really cranky, snappy if people kept pushing themselves on me lol! The Monkey temple sounds so amazing and fun!!!! And the Golden Temple very interesting! I seriously cant wait for pictures=)