Dawn over the Ganges
The next day, having spent another magical sunrise on the holy river, and then spent an afternoon getting lost in the streets and alleys of the city, I started to understand the attraction of Varanasi. It really IS the most unique and enchanting places I have ever been. I think its something about the light..... The atmosphere is heavy with noise and smells - horns, bells, singing, chanting, cow pats, insense, burning (bodies, rubbish and cowpats...again) there is no peace whatsover, but here, above all, I have felt most deeply...well....at peace! very strange seeing as im usually so insensitive to spiritualism (take my experiences with the Guru's for example!)
When you cruise down the river, you can see seething humanity crowding every ghat, men and children soap themselves up to the extreme covering thier whole faces and bodies with foam, and then plunge into the brown water. Kids are gaily splashing around with plastic bottles attached to them with bits of rag - these are Indian floatation devices of course. Ladies are swimming fully dressed, and combining personal cleansing with washing the weeks clothes. They will then stretch out yards and yards of beautiful saree's along the banks of the river to dry. The Swami's are preying in thier particular Gange way (chest deep in the water, swooping the water up in thier hands and then pouring it back into the river, then plunging into the river wholesale). The colour and smell and activity is just overwealming.
In the backstreets, every corner you turn, there is another decaying beautiful temple, shrine or shop. Its the perfect imaginary Indian town - streets flocking with dirty children, holy men, beautiful women in saree's and men on pushbikes. The air is smoky and so everything takes on this etherial feeling...like a fairytale. Magic.
Next day, I am escorted on a days sightseeing by one of the boys from the guest house. In the season he works as a guide for one of the posh hotels, but as its low season, he is kicking his heels a bit, and has time to show me around. Nice! We tour all the main temple sites of Varanasi, including the Golden temple (which is beautiful, but a total rip off, because you are not allowed in, and you pay USD15 to go and look at the outside from a neighbouring rooftop...it is gold, but BIG WOW...), the Monkey temple (very pretty, but has recently been bombed by terrorists, so its security is stricter than that at the airport) The Durga temple (Durga is one of the female Hindu gods, and she kicks ass) and finally, the big Shiva temple in the Varanasi University grounds. Of course, Varanasi IS Shiva (it is the place that the Hindu main man came down from Heaven with his newlywed bride Parvati and landed for thier honeymoon). The Shiva temple consists of a huge Shiva Lingham (willy shaped thing) and also a cool sculpture of a cow, which is of course, Shiva's vehicle (hence why cows are sacred in India)
Last of all, we visited my guide's wedding astrologer - he had to check something with his alignment for his upcoming wedding. We walked and walked through the tiny smoky alleys until we came to a small blue door in a house at a dead end...it was all very mystical. We were then shown into a room where the Baba was - an ancient Indian man with grey hair, stubble, and thick as you like Indian national health glasses. He (the guru) then proceeded to consult several ancient almanac's, poring over the numbers and symbols in them, and answered my guides questions! It was like a personal visit with the (spiritual) alchemist. Of course, I just HAD to ask him to "do me" as well - he spent ages working out my "chart" and ended up by telling me that I was going to have a great future...details will be told to my nearest and dearest, but suffice to say, it was all good!
My experiences in Varanasi have ensured that I shall be returning - its such a magical place. I was very sad to have to leave.....
When you cruise down the river, you can see seething humanity crowding every ghat, men and children soap themselves up to the extreme covering thier whole faces and bodies with foam, and then plunge into the brown water. Kids are gaily splashing around with plastic bottles attached to them with bits of rag - these are Indian floatation devices of course. Ladies are swimming fully dressed, and combining personal cleansing with washing the weeks clothes. They will then stretch out yards and yards of beautiful saree's along the banks of the river to dry. The Swami's are preying in thier particular Gange way (chest deep in the water, swooping the water up in thier hands and then pouring it back into the river, then plunging into the river wholesale). The colour and smell and activity is just overwealming.
In the backstreets, every corner you turn, there is another decaying beautiful temple, shrine or shop. Its the perfect imaginary Indian town - streets flocking with dirty children, holy men, beautiful women in saree's and men on pushbikes. The air is smoky and so everything takes on this etherial feeling...like a fairytale. Magic.
Next day, I am escorted on a days sightseeing by one of the boys from the guest house. In the season he works as a guide for one of the posh hotels, but as its low season, he is kicking his heels a bit, and has time to show me around. Nice! We tour all the main temple sites of Varanasi, including the Golden temple (which is beautiful, but a total rip off, because you are not allowed in, and you pay USD15 to go and look at the outside from a neighbouring rooftop...it is gold, but BIG WOW...), the Monkey temple (very pretty, but has recently been bombed by terrorists, so its security is stricter than that at the airport) The Durga temple (Durga is one of the female Hindu gods, and she kicks ass) and finally, the big Shiva temple in the Varanasi University grounds. Of course, Varanasi IS Shiva (it is the place that the Hindu main man came down from Heaven with his newlywed bride Parvati and landed for thier honeymoon). The Shiva temple consists of a huge Shiva Lingham (willy shaped thing) and also a cool sculpture of a cow, which is of course, Shiva's vehicle (hence why cows are sacred in India)
Last of all, we visited my guide's wedding astrologer - he had to check something with his alignment for his upcoming wedding. We walked and walked through the tiny smoky alleys until we came to a small blue door in a house at a dead end...it was all very mystical. We were then shown into a room where the Baba was - an ancient Indian man with grey hair, stubble, and thick as you like Indian national health glasses. He (the guru) then proceeded to consult several ancient almanac's, poring over the numbers and symbols in them, and answered my guides questions! It was like a personal visit with the (spiritual) alchemist. Of course, I just HAD to ask him to "do me" as well - he spent ages working out my "chart" and ended up by telling me that I was going to have a great future...details will be told to my nearest and dearest, but suffice to say, it was all good!
My experiences in Varanasi have ensured that I shall be returning - its such a magical place. I was very sad to have to leave.....
posted by Abster at 9:55 am
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