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Published: December 4th 2014
Current Mood: Overwhelmed.
From the Train of Doom to a River of Belief Varanasi was as every bit shocking as I had imagined it to be. It was also one of the most colourful places in the world that I have ever been.
After wobbling from the train with extreme exhaustion and poor Casey following in the worst condition anybody could be, we finally got a rickshaw to drop us at the Ganges and it wasn’t long before we had searched and found a room at Hotel Ganges View just south of Assi Ghat on the Ganges River.
Slightly above our budget (as we were in need of some pampering) we paid up the room for 6 nights for 9000 rupees and decided to sit tight with a little view for my birthday week. Unfortunately everybody was sick so on my own I took a shower, fixed Casey’s broken sunnies and went for a mosey of the streets in search of goodies for when the better half came good. After a few beeping horns and a great cheeky Chai I decided to head back to the room to take advantage of our satellite TV and comfy bed. Waking
in the morning Casey was feeling much better so we decided to take a little stroll down the river to check out a few of the main sights here on one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
In case you aren’t aware of why thousands of people visit Varanasi on the Ganges river here it is. Amongst Hindu beliefs one of them is that Varanasi is the Holiest place to die. Expiring in Varanasi offers Moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) and is quoted to make Varanasi ‘the Beating heart of the Hindu Universe’. On our stroll from the south you begin by passing small lanes filled with dust that is created from the traffic and dried out cow dung that I have to say doesn’t make most of the streets in Varanasi comfortable to walk around.
Once you have left the clouds of poo particles, you eventually come upon a path running alongside the Holy Ganges River where one of the first Ghats you see is that of Assi Ghat. Now I had been reading about the on goings around these waterways and you often read of the rubbish and pollution, but
luckily for us the prime minister had visited a few days ago so in a matter of hours India was sparkling clean by Indian standards anyway. The Ganges almost looked clean enough to swim in. Do not do this. You can read on google about how over 200 untreated open sewers run into the river all day every day. The levels of faecal coliform bacteria found are 35 times the maximum permissible figure set by the National River Conservation Directorate, which is 175 times the desirable level and 440 times the maximum level recommended for swimming in the US before water is treated. You never want to get a mouth full of this…. GLUG GLUG!!
The difference between walking through the streets to walking alongside the river is the calmness you can feel whilst at the water’s edge. This felt unbelievable in India. Near Assi Ghat where the Assi River meets the Ganges, Beneath a Peepul tree, you will see Pilgrims here to worship a Shiva Lingam, which is a Phallic image of Shiva. Worshipers and tourists will sit here all day and night to see the changes from the hot, but quiet calm of the day to the
hustle and bustle of hawkers, and pedlars at night gathering all across the massive concrete area that lays before the river and at the foot of Assi Ghat. Over our six days we began to really like this area of the river. Just out of the dust and just before the relentless boat offerings.
Further North you quickly see the day to day activities of Varanasi locals and amongst them you will see beautifully dressed women and half nude men all washing themselves and the households laundry in the heavily polluted river. The ceremony of washing the body is as basic as it is in the shower. Get wet, lather up and wash it off, but bathers of the Ganges are not in the shower. They get wet?! (yes) They lather up?! (yes) They also add three dips, fully submerged under the water followed by a big swig and spit of the unbelievably tasty water. Did you read the figures of faecal coliform?????? Uuuuuuurgh!! You can see people washing Laundry near piles of collected rubbish and even further north, the river holds a completely different type of pollution.
Harishchandra Ghat which is a cremation ghat, is smaller than
that of Manikarnika but is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi. The main burning ghat, Manikarnika is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as
doms, and are carried through the alleyways of the old city to the holy Ganges on a bamboo stretcher swathed in cloth. If you sit in a lonely planet recommended stall, Blue Lassi, which has the ‘Best lassi in all Varanasi’, whilst you are slurping on the refreshing goodness you will see the beginnings of the ceremony pass you by at a rate of about 3 every 20 minutes. On arrival at the river’s edge the corpse is doused in the Ganges prior to cremation. Huge piles of firewood are stacked along the top of the ghat; every log is carefully weighed on giant scales so that the price of cremation can be calculated. Each type of wood has its own price, sandalwood being the most expensive. There is an art to using just enough wood to completely incinerate a corpse. You can watch cremations but always show reverence by behaving respectfully. Photography is strictly prohibited though if you ask the owner of the
ghat, as a tourist of course, there is a fee you can pay to take as many pictures as you like. I took 2 from a distance and for free. I couldn’t bare the corruptness anymore. In my book you either can or you can’t!! The strangest thing about witnessing the cremations is after the first bonfire you pass, that has a leg sticking out of the end swelling due to the heat you find yourself becoming numb to the experience. Once The Body has been fully cremated any remains are then wrapped in cloth and cast into the river. The real sad thing is some families cannot afford the wood for the cremation so instead of Burning the body, the body is weighted down and sunk to the bed of the river. Frighteningly funny, a taxi driver, that I asked if he swims in the river, explained that four years prior to the now he used to swim but he had a very unfortunate incident. In an Indian accent the whole story was shocking but hilarious. As he did every day he would go down to the river for his bathing ceremony. Dip dip dip, glug glug spit, then
he would add a running dive and swim for his daily exercise. You have all seen signs at swimming spots for submerged rocks hahaha… the poor bastard dived in and got caught by a dead body and on realising what it was, he flew from the water in shock and ended up in hospital for four days. When he came out of his trance he vowed never to swim in the river again. Over the next few days I would pass without as much as a raise of my hand to shield me from the heat whilst eating a mars bar or drinking a coke. The first time all you can see is the burning body. But on the 2
nd and 3
rd you begin to notice how the locals are conducting themselves. I wish I could have took the picture but in a single frame I was watching a Bollywood movie in a shed with a couple of hysterical Indian men and to the left, a Dom thwacking the knee joint of a body with a bamboo pole to break the leg so he could flick the remains into the fire. Absolute madness.
Whilst In Varanasi I turned 33
and to celebrate it I chose to not swim in the river and opt for some westernised Varanasi food. For breakfast we ate at a restaurant called open Hand which is a set up that employs people in need that ranges from the homeless to victims of Aids in an attempt to normalise a small part of their lives. They sell great garments and souvenirs but most importantly they sell a great club sandwich. After this I walked around to a chai stall named Kashi Café, where the daily service from Lakhan is perfect. In the picture of him and I it is a little unclear whether he is saying peace or piss off!! Either way the chai here was awesome. For the week I reckon I had 30 cups easy. Ask for the 10 rupee cup instead of the 7. Its worth it!! For early lunch on my birthday and for breakfast the following day we ate at Aums Café located in the alleyway just behind Assi Ghat. If you are in Varanasi be sure to visit Aum as she has a lot to say about the Indian way of life in this sacred city. You will be well
informed for sure.
The week flew by in Varanasi and we only had a few days left before we would leave India. We decided to take a train and pay a little more for an aircon express from a station a little way out of town to Kolkatta where we took night to rest in a basic room before saying goodbye to our mates Joe and Annie. After a flight to Bangkok, a three hour wait on KohSan rd, a 9 hour train and a two hour boat we arrived on Koh tao where we would collect our bags that we left. After a nice few days of relaxing with great mates on one of my favourite islands in the world we would board another boat, take a bus, jump two flights and after 24 hours of travel land back in Australia.
I am currently trying to find Work in Byron Bay but will be heading up to Cairns for the Christmas time to help out on my old boat with Sunlover Reef Cruises (if you are in Cairns and you want me to take you for a dive come say hi). Look out for the next blogs
but please be patient as they may be fewer and farther between. I really hope you have enjoyed this last trip over the last 10 or so blogs. Thank you to all of the new readers and if you need any help or advice or just want to keep in touch search Niki Maguire on Facebook and I will happily message you back. If any of you know of any work in Byron bay that is outdoorsy and cool, to fit in with the lifestyle here please let me know. You will be rewarded with drinks of your choice (within reason) and a very helpful friend.
Love to everybody at home
Brummy Niki Maguire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi Varanasi (वाराणसी) (Hindustani pronunciation:
(
listen)), also known as
بنارس,
Benares,
Banaras (
Banāras (
listen)) or
Kashi (
Kāśī (
listen)), is an
Indian city on the banks of the
Ganga in
Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) south-east of the state capital,
Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (
Sapta Puri) in
Hinduism, and
Jainism, and played an important role in the development of
Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings
salvation.
It is one
of the
oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity
Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the
Rigveda that this city in older times was known as
Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".
The
Kashi Naresh (
Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi, and an essential part of all religious celebrations.
The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the
Ganges. The city has been a cultural centre of
North India for several thousand years, and has a history that is older than most of the major world religions. The
Benares Gharana form of
Hindustani classical music was developed in Varanasi, and many prominent
Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in Varanasi.
Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at
Sarnath, located near Varanasi.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India. It is often referred to as "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of
Shiva", and "the city of learning". Scholarly books have been written in the city, including the
Ramcharitmanas of
Tulsidas. Today, there is a temple of his namesake in the city, the
Tulsi Manas Mandir. The current temples and religious institutions in the city are
dated to the 18th century.
One of the largest residential universities of Asia, the
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is located here.
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littlewing
Cindy
Great blog and good luck in Byron
I have to admit to normally skipping over India blogs but your title caught my eye - great read thanks a lot. Best of luck in Byron Bay - big bubbles!