We took the train to Varanasi on Friday night without any difficulties. Shalini and I were in 2AC class, which meant that we were in a compartment with 2-tiered bunks and excessive air conditioning. The train itself was quite an experience. At every stop, venders would get on and walk through the train selling snacks and beverages. Thus, there was a constant chorus of "chai chai chai chai" and "cofi cofi cofi cofi" throughout the journey. Jonathon, Shalini, and I played cards to pass the time, especially Egyptian Ratscrew, a fast-paced game which the object is to be the first to slap the pile of cards. I assure you that what it lacks in intellectual sophistication, we made up for in enthusiasm (or in Shalini's case, outright violence).The train, which was supposed to be 12 hours, was mercifully only an hour late...all in all, enormously successful by Indian standards.
After we checking into our hotel, we freshened up and headed into Varanasi. We walked around the town and saw the ghats, but due to the blistering heat, which at about 120 F even put Delhi to shame, soon headed to the restaurant where we had arranged to met Felix. After a much-needed refreshment of lassis and mango juice, Shalini and I said good-bye to the boys and headed back to our hotel for some R&R. They met up with us later for a dip in the pool before Felix caught a train back to Delhi.
That evening, Jon, Shal, and I took a night tour of the Ganges. This involved going out in a little boat with our guide Raju, who explained all the ins and outs of the river, like who could be cremated on the banks and what all the buildings we passed were. There were several cremations going on at this time, and we also saw a dead body floating in the water, which made the final decision for us as to whether we were going to take a dip in the water (fun fact: for water to be "safe," the concentration of a certain kind of bacteria should be <50/ mL; in the Ganges, it is more than 1 million). We rowed to the main ghat downstream where the evening ceremonies, involving a colorful display of lights and costumes and drums and chanting, were taking place. We watched them from the water, along with many other boats, and each lit an offering of lotus flowers in small wooden dishes, and set them out on the river. The whole spectacle was truly spectacular.
Hi Shalini,I've just had a few moments of reprieve to read up on your fascinating experiences. I can "hear" amazement and enthusiasm as you write, and I fully appreciate the detailed descriptions which invite us to live the adventure with you.
ReplyDeleteQuestions: Is there any talk of trying to clean the Ganges? ( think of efforts to purify the harbour here..) Is clean drinking water available to some, most or all?
I enjoy the pictures! Keep it up!
Janine Hagerman
Hello Mrs. Hagerman,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you've enjoyed reading our blog thus far. In reference to your question about the water, the simple answer is no. The inhabitants of this area devote their lives to Hindu spirituality, and the result is immense poverty. There are also power outtages in the power parts of Varanasi. What we've begun to notice, is that the poor of this country are very often left behind by any government policies to remediate environmental conditions. This holds true in the slums in the same way that it applies to the Ganges. Moreover, this water is thought to be one of the holiest places in the Hindu religion, and thus any efforts to "clean" it might almost be conceived as ridiculous. Also, the sort of infrastructure to clean water isn't as readily available in this country as it would be in say, the Halifax harbour.
Clean drinking water is a huge problem, especially in the slum. The main problem is that there is no real waste disposal system in this country, and thus water is often mixed with refuse and bodily waste. Asha, the NGO we are working for, works hard to ensure that clean drinking water is provided to slum dwellers.
I hope this answers your questions!
Shalini