I forgot to write that Anil Ambani was a very nice man. He spoke with all of us peasant guests. So now I can say I met the 5th richest guy in the world. His entourage was not so friendly.
The drive to Varanasi from Bandhavgar took about 4 1//2 hours. Again our driver weaved in and out of the onslaught of cars, dogs, cows, goats, people, bikes, trucks, buses, motorcycles, rickshaws, and the occasional pig while the rhythmic beeping of the horns kept the constant pace. Along the way, our driver Bagwooandas shared pictures of his wife and 4 children with us. He is from Khajuraho and we talked about how his family will be happy to see him upon his return.
We arrived at our hotel, The Lalit Temple View. It was a lovely hotel, but the service is uneven at times. It was New Year’s Eve and the hotel had a huge party planned. Our guide Mr. Jalil, imagine the Irish actor Pete Postlethwaite as an Indian with thick black hair, met us at the hotel and suggested we attend an evening of folk dances before the hotel party. We did and the performances and live music were terrific. There were two male dancers who really gave it their all; they seemed to twirl a little faster or emote a little more through their gestures than the others. Afterwards we went back to the hotel for the celebration. The hotel had hired some folk dancers to perform. They tried to get some of the hotel guests to join them in the dancing, but no one would oblige.
Once the folk dancing ended, a DJ took over the party spinning the evening into an homage to 80s disco. The best part was his smooth transitions between songs: abruptly stop in the middle of one song to switch to another that he hoped would be a crowd pleaser. A few of the guests responded shaking it up on the dance floor. At midnight, the hotel set of fireworks. Lots of fun and good food.
The next morning, we were met by our guide Anup. He took us to the famous erotic temples and I believe one of the only examples of true Hindu architecture. The temples are absolutely stunning. They were built by the Raiput dynasties of India during from the 10th-12th centuries. The carvings were done with such intricate detail and humor. Every inch of the exterior is covered with carvings and images of virile men and voluptuous women often engaging in simple to acrobatic type sexual positions. Often times being watched by elephants and monkeys. A few of the carvings are of warriors engaging in sex with their horses. These temples honored the Hindu gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. We visited the East and West Temples. Anup was very funny and liked to pepper his descriptions with jokes about married life: married women smile and are identified by rings on toes and red powder in part; married men never smile and you will not be able to tell if a man is married until you ask him, and then maybe not. I was lucky to witness an actual Hindu ceremony to celebrate the New Year in the Eastern Temples. The worshipers wore bright orange and sang while preparing their offerings of rice, coconut, and dried fruit.
While walking around I noticed the police station/tourist center. It was a tiny concrete shoebox of a building. I would say not more than 10ft x 10ft. Anup laughed and said small station…small crimes.
After viewing the temples, we were driven to the airport to fly to Varanasi (also known as Banaras), the holiest of all cities for Hindus; it is their religious capital. The city is 5000 years old and Hindus come to bathe in the Ganges for purification and also to cremate their loved ones. It is where life and death meet enlightenment. The Varuna and the Nasi Rivers meet here, hence the name Varanasi. The city is just one crazy ball of energy and beeping horns. Hordes or people, cows, and dogs move through the tiny ancient streets. It’s funny to walk through skinny winding alleyways of ancient buildings only to happen upon a sign for an Internet café.
During the evening we met our guide Dinesh and took a boat ride on the river to witness the crematorium, which is open 24 hours. Right next to it are apartment buildings bustling with life. There is no smell except for that of burning wood. It is believed that there is no smell because the fire used is sacred as well as the city. Mostly males attend to the cremation of loved ones. It is rare for women or children to attend. The chief mourner, usually the son of the deceased or next closest male relative leads the cremation. He dresses in white and shaves his head. The body is carried on a bamboo ladder and is wrapped in white sheets and colored sheets on top. Flowers also adorn the bodies. The colored sheets vary. For example a married woman will have a red sheet or a very old man may have a multi-colored sheet to show he had a rich life.
The crematorium has about five levels where the bodies are burned. At the top is the temple with the eternal flame that is constantly burning and tended by the priests. From the water, I could only see a thick circle of grey ash on the floor of the temple and the flame flickering above. This is the sacred flame used to start each pyre. Each family buys the wood on the spot (at least 30 kilos). There are huge piles of wood everywhere – at least 6-feet high. Rich and poor end their lives the same way. The wrapped bodies on the ladders are first brought down the ghats (steps) to the river and then dunked and washed in the Ganges. They are then carried and placed on top of the pyre of wood. The wood is ignited with a torch of flames from the sacred eternal fire. To fully ignite the wood, sandalwood powder and ghee are tossed into the flame. Within 10-15 minutes the fire is roaring, which is amazing given the damp and open conditions. The fires light even during monsoon season when it is pouring. The bodies burn within 3-4 hours. The chief mourner then takes some of the ashes and pours them into the Ganges. The remainder of the ash, soot, and any body parts that did not completely burn from all the day’s and night’s cremations are gathered by the attendants of the temple and then thrown into the Ganges. What’s really quite remarkable is how life bustles on around the events. Cows circle the pyres eating the flowers that drop from the bodies. It does not matter whether the deceased is rich or poor; all are treated the same way in death. It’s quite beautiful in a way; everyone is equal in death.
During the evenings seven Brahmin priests offer a ceremony to honor the MaGanga (Mother Ganges). They offer prayer in the form of song and sound from the conch shell. The young priests perform 4 rites: burn incense for cleansing; sandalwood powder for purification; offer fire from ghee lamps, and finally burn camphor to close the ceremony. Only the young priests perform the ceremony because the lamps are very heavy and they are waved overhead. The Ganges is the source of life and it is honored every evening.
In the mornings, the devout followers rise before dawn and walk to the river beating drums and singing to perform ablutions. They bathe in the Ganges while praying to god asking for purification. The bathers remove their clothes and leave them near the Brahmin priest and then descend the ghat and enter the river dunking themselves while reciting their mantras. Some use the devotion to also get in their morning exercise. They swim across to the other side, which is a sand beach. There they rest before swimming back. After each person bathes, he or she goes to the priest for a blessing. I decided to join in. I did not dunk myself completely, as it is not necessary. Hinduism is a very flexible religion. I rolled up my pants and removed my sandals to descend the ghat to the river. I stood at the bottom and washed my feet and hands, poured the water on my head face and neck and then shook droplets on my clothed body. I chanted “oohm” before I started because all prayer must begin with “oohm.” My guide Dinesh recited the mantra in Hindi for me. After I cleansed, I sat before the priest and he blessed me. I had to recite Hindi words that he told me. I only hope I did not mangle them too badly. Afterwards, I gave him an offering in the form of rupees. I felt quite blessed to partake in the event. We then got on a boat and rowed up and down the river watching the morning’s activities.
After ablutions, Dinesh took us on a tour of the old city, a series of connecting skinny alleyways full of people and cow dung. We saw the Golden Temple (or at least the top of the dome), which is made of pure gold. Next to it is a mosque. Security is very tight because of a recent bombing. At a certain point when you are close to the temple and mosque, all visitors are required to check all pens, cameras, cell phones, matches, etc. at a local store for safe keeping. Then you are ushered through a metal detector and then frisked and searched. No one except locals with passes are allowed into the mosque or the temple. All tourists must stand on some steps and peak at the tops of the buildings, which are protected by a security wall.
Later we went to a local shop and purchased Rudrachha beads, which are small brown seeds strung on string into a necklace. These beads are worn for good luck and health. We also got to ride around in rickshaws, both the pedal kind and the motorized. That was a rickety fun ride.
Now we journey to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.