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Published: February 3rd 2017
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I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Varanasi so i figured this would be a good time to check in. So far I've spent just a day and a half in New Delhi and it was not quite my cup of tea. I did love the generous nature of the people who worked at my hostel. They brought me chai tea each morning in the lobby and gave lots of advice about potential places to visit as well as about being a solo female traveler. One man apologized for the amount of unwanted attention that other men would give to me as a foreign woman. I started my day having tea with some Argentinian girls, a Mongolian woman, and the hostel's resident pug "Alisa". The Argentinian girls were very bubbly and friendly. They shared their hometown's tea with the Mongolian girl and myself. It was a very bold mixture as opposed to the sweet Indian chai. After this I got myself a map and ventured out into the city, naively thinking I could make it to all 6-7 tourist attractions on my list. It became obvious that that was a pretty ambitious plan for my first (jet-lagged) day
in India, and once I got out to the main road I realized that the streets were overwhelmingly packed and not super easy to navigate. I also realized that about every 20 steps a different man would approach me. The first man started the conversation with a great opener - " you're from America? Why you like Trump?" To which I swiftly responded that I did not. He recommended 2-3 tourist spots to me before leading me to the tourist information office (I still don't know why). He kept telling me I could get a map, though I already had one. The fourth or fifth man approached me outside of his shop and asked to chat because "not everyone is trying to sell you something and it's good to talk". I humored him for five minutes until he asked me to get a cup of tea with him and would not listen to my repeated answer of no. He then asked for my number to which I said that my phone would not work in India. After this happening too many times, I found that the best method was to simply say no politely once, but if they didn't listen
then it was necessary to end with a loud, assertive NO that drew attention from others. The men seemed to want to avoid embarrassment, so making a little bit of a scene is a strong technique.
I took the metro to find the one attraction I could, "the red fort". The metro is very crowded--it's helpful to note that there are two separate sections of cars. One car is for the general public (almost exclusively filled with men), and one that is only for women. Unless you enjoy being unapologetically stared at by people pressed against you in a crowded car, I would highly recommend taking the female car.
The red fort was the old living quarters of the Mughal Emperors, but now it is a home to many museums. It was a relaxing grassy alternative to the bustling scene of Delhi. Between the unwanted attention, jet lag, and getting lost on my way home, I was exhausted by the end of the day and went to bed early to rest up for my flight to Varanasi.
On the flight to Varanasi, I was seated next to a kind Indian couple who struck
up a conversation with me. As it turns out the couple, Arun and Mumta, had lived in Boston for ten years and were on vacation to the same part of town as me. When we got off the plane they called me their daughter and paid for a shared cab to town. Arun gave me his card and phone number and told me to call if I ran into any trouble. Mumta showed me pictures of a beautiful Indian wedding that she had recently attended and invited me to visit her home in Boston. Arun even stopped the taxi so that I could pet a baby cow. They were a lovely couple who really exemplified the welcoming nature of Varanasi.
Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world, arguably the actual oldest. It is a very holy place for many Hindus and Muslims alike. It is a widely held belief that if you die in Varanasi, you can escape the Hindu cycle of reincarnation and move straight to Nirvana, no matter what kind of person you are. Many people close to death travel to the city to be cremated there and to have their ashes
thrown in the Ganges river. The main attractions of Varanasi are situated next to the river. There are temples, cremation centers, cows, boat rides, lanterns, snake charmers, beggars, religious leaders and more. The cows are everywhere, they lie in the streets, walk around the cremation grounds, hang in front of restaurants. They are considered to be the family of Shiva and are for this reason are very holy. The cows are milked in the morning and are free to roam for the rest of the day.
The burning ghats were a very unique aspect of Varanasi. I've never seen anything quite like it. I had the honor of watching a cremation ceremony yesterday and it was actually very calming and celebrated the cycle of life with less sadness than a western funeral. There are five or six wooden pyres at each burning ghat as well as a central stone pyre. The amount of money you spend determines where your loved one will be cremated. The body is laid on a pile of wood and then sprinkled with different powders by either the oldest son, the youngest son, or the husband. This man is also supposed to shave his head
and wear all white. After this, the man goes into a building and returns with a pile of long reeds which are aflame. He is to walk circularly around the body seven times before lighting the wood and starting the cremation. Each body takes 3-4 hours to burn, and there are over 250 bodies burned every day. This ancient tradition has caused the air in Varanasi to be quite clouded. It was a little unnerving to see the bodies burning once the cloth they are wrapped in were burned away, and the human form was completely visible. Overall I found the ceremony to be very spiritual and almost peaceful. It was very interesting that lambs, cows, buffalo, and dogs roamed the grounds eating flowers and were considered to be a part of the ceremony.
This was only one phenomenon that you can see from the banks or from a boat ride in the river. Many people are bathing, praying, or washing clothes in the holy water every day as well. It is really amazing to watch these ancient traditions.
Today at breakfast we met an Indian man who told us about a Guru who can provide
a reading on your life. I met with him and arranged a reading to be done tomorrow. Though it is expensive, he seems to believe strongly in his work, and he prays equally to the gods of all religions. I cannot disclose the content of my reading, but I will definitely let you know if I found it overall helpful. This man was very hospitable, he offered us tea, coffee, cigarettes and covered our hands in different potent oils. I'm excited to see what he believes is in store for me.
The few parts of Varanasi that have been a bit difficult are the constant and terrifying traffic and the scam artists. For example, many women with babies will ask you to buy milk for them, but when you leave they sell the milk back to the store for a mutual profit. People will also ask for donations that they then pocket, or they will strike up a conversation with you while trying to lead you to their shop. However, I have noticed that every time I have been looking at a map, people go out of their way to help me find what I am looking for. The welcoming nature of the people of Varanasi really cannot be replicated.
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