Upon hopping off the train, with my bright floral luggage in hand and purple backpack strapped on my back, the sounds of the city of Varanasi were blaring, greeting us with its unique version of “Namaste” amidst a light rain in the overcast sky. Our tour manager placed us in pairs in rickshaws, and off we went to our hotel. Again, culture shock hit me hard as we drove through the streets lined with cattle and stray dogs, a sight that is normal to all but us Westerners; we are the different ones! We checked into our tiny hotel nestled in a dirt road alley way, took cold but clean showers, and after breakfast we were on our way to explore the city. After an extended stop for tea and coffee (things in India seem to take much more time than in the West) and a bathroom mishap that led to toilet water squirting in my face (which also happened to another girl in my tour group; Indian practical joke?!? LOL), we walked to the Holy Ganges River, one of the most sacred rivers to Hindus, lined with cows, hand-made boats, and people everywhere. It was just unreal. All around were people bathing, drinking, fishing, praying, selling, harassing, all the while cattle were roaming around and monkeys were flinging from buildings and trees. I was just moving forward, gazing in awe of all the sights of phenomena I’ve seen on documentaries, snapping lots of pictures, feeling like I was walking into a living National Geographic magazine. As I moved, I kept my head facing forward, trying to avoid eye contact so as to diminish some of the intense attention I’ve been getting from men, many of whom stare intently, follow me long distances, or try engaging in conversation. And as I had my gaze fixed ahead, I stepped in a large pile of cow dung, and soon thereafter was nearly mauled by a cow that came charging at me for no apparent reason. Serious craziness! After more walking, we came across some particularly sketchy portions of the stretch along the river, warned that the area was a high drug use and selling area; a man approached me and told me he’d buy my hair for a million dollars, terrifying me, to say the least! We eventually came to a portion on the Ganges where funeral services were taking place; bodies hauled out on hand-made, decorated stretchers were blessed, anointed with coconut oils and other treatments, and burned into ash. Gray smoke flowed through the air, while people sang and sat watching on nearby stairs. I stood from a distance respectfully, close enough where taking pictures felt inappropriate, but remained far enough away so as to not obstruct the view from family members. I have never seen anything like it; it was just mind-blowing to witness and a true honor to have permission to be present. After we made our way through the river, we walked through the streets of Varanasi, loaded with a variety of individuals of all ages, some decorated in an orange color called saffron in honor of the Hindu god, Shiva. We scrambled along amidst the crazy traffic of pedestrians, rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, cattle, and dogs, all trying to move through the same tiny spaces, fighting for the right of way. It felt like a holiday, but apparently this is just a normal Thursday night in Varanasi! We made a visit to a silk shop, tucked in a tiny alley way, where we learned all about the science of silk, and some in my group made purchases. I stuck with the affordable synthetics, LOL, but loved drinking the complimentary masala chai while learning about the silk making and authenticity chemical testing process. As we continued our walk through Varnasi, in the land which is heart of the Hindu religion, my eye caught St. Thomas’ Church; I’m always so heart-warmed by the diversity in India. I nearly got hit by all the movement in the street, but felt compelled to get a picture of the Church before we moved on. St. Thomas is one of the 12 apostles who is thought to have brought Christianity to India, something I knew but didn’t make the connection to until doing more research back at the hotel. I also learned that he is said to have arrived into India in the state of Kerala through the Arabian Sea, and I was there just a few weeks ago! Serendipitous! I do not believe in coincidences, so I write this with tears of joy, feeling in my heart more confirmation that this trip is a part of God’s plan for me; I am so blessed and I don’t know why! We concluded the day with a delicious Indian meal, a rickshaw ride home, and a cold shower (getting used to those!) in preparation for our early day to come in just a matter of hours, 4:30 a.m., with hopes of catching the sunrise morning rituals along the Holy Ganges. Due to some rain, we delayed our departure until 5:00 a.m. when the weather started to clear. As soon as it stopped, I threw on my rain gear, hopped on a rickshaw with some of my fellow travelers, and back to the Ganges River we went! As we approached, we witnessed the influx of people moving inward, the cattle still fast asleep, and as we continued getting closer to the river, the scene seemed much different than the afternoon before. It was peaceful, with beautiful music playing and words in Hindi sang, with small flower candles being placed in the water of which many individuals were joyfully wading and cleansing themselves in the highly revered water. It was so special! We then took a boat ride on the river, getting an experience that words and pictures simply can’t do justice. We saw more funerals along the way, as well as some people lathering up in soap, some brushing their teeth, some praying, some just joyfully drifting; it was just incredible knowing how momentous this is to those who are here, some Hindus traveling far distances from various villages throughout India. We then went to a cute coffee shop, enjoying a late breakfast (late in comparison to when we woke up, at least), again slow in service, during which I was able to work on this post in between chatting with my fellow travelers, maximizing the time lag; you’ve got to adapt where you go, but you can never leave who you are behind! LOL! We then had the afternoon to do as we pleased, which included a walk to check out a local shopping mall, an extremely dangerous wander with the chaotic, non-pedestrian friendly traffic, but we somehow made it! Tonight, we are going to see the Ganges at night so we can see the floating flower candles in the dark. We will be taking another boat ride, but will have classical Indian music along for the ride and a local dinner to follow. Tomorrow, we are going to venture out of Varanasi a bit for some extra exploration before taking another overnight bus to Agra. With each day that has passed over these past three weeks, India keeps proving to me that there’s a lot left for me to learn about this beautiful country, and so the adventure continues! More to come soon!
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Mary Patricia PavicicAurora High School Science Teacher and IREX Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow 2017-2018. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |