we left our hotel in khajuraho at around 12.30 to embark on what we thought would be an easy 40minute plane ride to varanasi, the holy city. we coudn't haev been more wrong. we had in fact set off for an odissey. our plane had been parked too close to the airport and coulnd't turn (and this guy was supposed to be our pilot!! ahhh!). after a 3 hour delay we were told that our flight was finally cancelled and we were escorted to a hotel where we woud spend the night waiting for a flight the next day.
the hotel was pretty awesome, clean towels, real toilet paper and even a pool - no need to say, we were quite happy spending an extra day in friendly khajuraho!
however, no more than 20 minutes later we were called back to the airport for the plane had finally managed to turn....boohoo!
we arrived in varanasi at 9, made our way to a much shabbier hotel and after refusing the first few rooms, settled for a pretty decent, spacious and clean one.
two backpackers we'd met in agra were also staying here so we ended up having dinner with them and sharing some travel experience. they'd already been in varanasi two days and so gave us one peice of advice: 'leave! its scarier dirtier and busier than delhi and the others'. we thought they probably weren't streetwise enough and shrugged off their advice and happily went to bed feeling exhausted but excited under our cosy mosquito net (officially my new anti-gecho bestfriend!).
the following morning, beseiged by the hotel, we gave in to the offer of Mr. Buddha's bear-like, sheepish looking, red-toothed (pan - chewing tobacco) tuctuc driver. we went to sarnath - the buddhist town north of varanasi and the train station - to book our next stop.
although supposedly very spiritual, the people of varanasi seem to have forgotten that sacred or not, their city is not immune to dirt and disease. we saw a lot of dirt, a lot of pigs eating the rubbish infested streets and a lot of poverty and disease.
at sarnath we met a small group of children. although adorable they could not stop their eyes darting back and forth to the zipper pockets of our day bags. a moment of deep melancholy hit me when i realised that i was watching seven year olds as i would thieves. in the end we bought a little boy a coke, but i dont think him or us felt particularly greatful.
today we woke up at 4.45am to go down to the ganges, or ganga as people call it here, to watch sunrise from a small rowing boat.
the temples in varanasi are all built on the ganga so morning prayer - puja - is carried out directly on the ghats in the shallows of the riverfront. we sat there mesmerized, watching thousands of people, families, rich and poor, Brahmins and beggars bathing, cleansing and praying in this murky, slimy sacred water.
grandmother carries out a ritual cleansing whilst grandfather covers himself in soap on the steps. father swims a few laps whilst mother is trying to grab hold of the splashing and squealing youngsters.
monkeys are of course also part of the scene, chasing each other up and down the steps until eventually one of the smaller ones slips into the water.
there are numerous ghats each used with a particular purpose and each have a historical past belonging to a different maharaja around india.
there are also two burning ghats used for the public cremation of bodies. wood is considered the most sacred burning fuel but it is expensive and those who cant afford it use electrical furnaces.
it is an incredible sight, so different to my idea of a funeral. the larger ghat hosts 5 bodies and their respective generations.
after the boat trip we went to the two main hindu temples.the first, hanuman temple (also known as varanasi's monkey temple for the millions of monkeys who live there) and the second, the durga temple.
in the ramayana, hanuman is the monkey god who he helped rama when he was stuck in the forest, he is highly revered for his devotion and bravery. durga is the mother god, the mother of everyone.
in each temple we experienced a different religious rite. in the hanuman temple - a very dirty, smelly but colourful and lively place! it was so vibrant with different things going on in each corner. outside the temple congregations of people and monkeys loitered about chatting and eating. inside the temples weer a number of shrines where people were praying or walking around in meditation. in one corner, there were a group of devotees singing and playing the tambla and cymbals (small handheld ones). i asked one of the men the signifance of this song and he explained that it was a form of communal prayer to call god. as i was amused by all this we were invited to sit with them on the carpet and take part. i was passed a pair of cymbals so i too joined the music! it was so much fun and i was really into it. at first the music was very rhythmic and was guided by the drone of the tabla,. but near the end, everyone was banging on their instruments, clapping their hands and stamping their feet!
after this we headed to the durga temple where we were gievn a necklace of string for good luck and protection on behalf of the mother god. we were also painted a bindi on our foreheads in sign of respect. i much appreciated this though we were both shocked when we were asked for money in exchange for the blessing. we soon learnt our lesson - blessings aren't free!
our teddy driver then drove us to varanasi university, apparently the third biggest in the country. here we also walked around a temple where beautiful offerings of flower garlands were laid down to the gods.
our last stop, and a much unnecessary one, was at the Maharaja's fort on the other side of the ganga. a one hour bumpy ride on an ancient tuctuc later, we arrived at a decadent 17th century mansion. all its past glory must have been washed away by monsoons, for little awe factor was left.
the local visitors seemed very impressed by the small haphazard museum which evoked all the wealth and opulence of varanasi's maharaja. the number of cars, carriages and intricate weaponry seemed to bear witness to the american dream which still prevails in india. a deep irony seeped through to us when outside the gates of an opulent palace all we could see was hunger and poverty.
for dinner we went to a family run nepalese where we ate a much needed buffalo steak. with our energies replenished we settled down to a well deserved nights sleep.
