Monday, June 22, 2009

Day 105 - June 21 - In Varanasi

June21 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community

Up by 5 am. Its now getting easier to get out of the bed but the cramps in the calf muscles take some walking before it loosens up. The helpful hotelier sent out his assistant to get me a boat. Its Raju the gentleboatman. Its not really cool in early morning but pleasant enough. All the ghats are peaceful and hardly any activity. The real estate is pretty occupied. some private ghat for hotel, some for an association etc etc. There was even a ghat for Karnataka state! Came to know that the length of the ghats was like 7 KMs and can be walked all the way. Passed Harishchandra Ghat where they cremate the bodies. Then on i see some activity. Lot of it near Dasasvamedha Ghat and Rajendraprasad ghat. These two are supposed to be main ghats and lot of people there in the temples. The boat ride was like a recce and now i know where the huge aarthi ceremony happens every evening. So have to be here in the evening. sail ahead to till the Manikaran Ghat. Which had lot more bodies being burnt. This is where we turn back. There was some more ghats ahead, but not significant it seems. Plus the sun was gaining so it was nice to be done with soon. Row back lil closed to the ghats this time cos it was against the current now and its easier for the boatman near the shore than a lil in the water. The 1.5 hour boat ride for just 150 bux. Money surely has a lot of value here.

By now i am hungry. Wanted to treat myself with some Idlis!! Yeah... the last i had was in Darjeeling. Common a south indian always craves for idlis especially when stomach is not doing well. Hop on my bike and brave the heat in search of kerala cafe. Find it though. The lazy waiter really picking on me taking his own time. Finally i have a plate of idly in front of me. I am so happy :D Not really as good as at home but still i hog on it. That was nice. Thought of visiting Kashivishvanath temple before heading to room. But i was led only deep into the chaos and the heat was building. Found a narrow entrance and the cops wanted to check the panniers in detail. Now not really in mood of spreading out the things there in that chaos and heat, told them will come back by rickshaw. No parking for bike there as well, even if i did find i guess cops would have security concerns about the contents. So headed back to the room. By now the hotelier had arranged for a cooler for my room. The noisy ones popular in Delhi homes. Its great the living is so much easy now. With the peak heat i ended up indoors most of the day.

For lunch i was tempted to find a south Indian thaali. Why am i mentioning this chore? well i had to brave the heat for that. Got onto a cycle rickshaw. And boy was it hot. The hot air kinda burns the skin. Even the eyes need more moisture. It was 46 the previous day not sure today. But it was damn hot. Of all the things i carry, i dont have a thermometer! Again the food of somewhere else adopted by local people does not really taste good.

By 5pm i have some work to do. I leave almost every thing at the room and just go with a few rupees. Cos i heard it was pretty strict at the temple. It was another long cycle rickshaw ride. They have their own way of gaining momentum, energy saving and wild maneuvers to get ahead without wasting the pedle energy they have already invested. The slow speed, races, overtakings, cuts etc were all real but just slow. Lot of activities on either side of the road. Lot of shops, pans, desi junk food etc etc. Get dropped off to the temple. All this work and i was charged 15 bux! I couldn't really accept the 5 rs back and went ahead. Get into the galli for the temple. There is a whole labyrinth in there, bustling with people. It was hot as well. Wish i had my camera to capture that. One guy stopped me and said chappal not allowed ahead and leave it at the shop. Ok thats fine they every had small lockers for keeping mobile phones and watches and stuff. But cant simply walk, i am thrusted with a small box and some offering to the god!! Ohh man its all a business process and i know cant back out now. Can only but pay up for that. I walk into every closing in contours. More and more frisking, my pen gets taken away! Glad they left the rooms keys alone! Then a guy puts a packet on top of my hands and was pretty forceful of buying that. Well 20 bux was received with thanks. So guys when you go there keep your hands down even if carrying something else stuff will be put on ur hands and u have to pay!!

After some Q saw the golden tower and then the Vishvanath Linga pretty much on the floor level with just top visible emerging out of all the flowers, devotees had put. Then i am out. Now i have to hurry back to the lodge to get my cam and the plan is to get a boat till the main ghats to catch the Arthis that happen in the evenings. By the time i am at the lodge its like 7.15 and now i am told to hurry up. Boat will be very slow. Auto would be nice but hard to find. Then i find this young rickshaw to get me there soon. That gets him pumped and it was a wild ride till the temple. wondered any other mode would be faster than this in all the chaos. After getting dropped off its a long walk through the millions of people till the ghats and i dont miss it. Aarthi still happening. Get to a vantage point to witness it. See lot of people on boats also gathered to witness it. But i felt this is bettor point to view it. Took some pix too. No place to put tripod. Just hoped to hold the hand steady and click. Even used a pole, just to hold cam with it to reduce some vibrations. The Aarthi mainly happens on the Dasaswamedha and Rajendraprasad Ghats. Got pix to my content. Now just witnessed the ceremony. There were like thousands of people. At the end of it did not really want to walk and have another bumpy rickshaw ride. So found myself a boat to sail back. Was a bit expensive at 250 but was peaceful. Just sail to the front of the happening ghats and back towards Assi ghat where i stay. It was a pleasant sail, but i was kinda worried as well. Many places it was isolated and hardly any light. As i have heard of lot of mugging around here. But ended up with a honest boatman, who did tell me how hard he is working to support his family of two kids! Reach Assi ghat and i am on my own feet now. Looks like i am done here. There are quite some places to see, but the heat is really discouraging. Time to move on.

Morning on Ganga...


The boatman!


Holy rituals...


That's Raju the boatman...


Sailing on Ganga...


Ghats next to each other...


The holy dip...


Me...


Fort like ghat...


Water level had gone as high as the markings in yellow on the top left of the image. Been highest in 1978 till the balcony. In rains the river is as wide as 4 KMs says the boatman..


There is a Karnataka State ghat as well!!


Harishchandra Ghat, where bodies are burnt. Can see electric crematorium in the background to the left.


One in flames...


Some people at Kedarnath Ghat. It seems if one cannot go all the way to Kedarnath, coming here is treated as equivalent!


A Baba permorning morning pooja...


Cricket Ghat???


People going to the other side of the river for a bath...


The main Ghat in Varanasi, the Dasaswamedha Ghat..


Lot of people there...


People who have been cleansed of their sins....


Rajendra Prasad Ghat...


Manikaran Ghat... another place where also last righs are performed...


Lots of wood stocked...


May the soul rest in peace.


Have to turn back...


Fishermen...


Dhobhi Ghat???


Idli's YES!! :D


Near Kashi Vishwanath temple...


The big cooler for my room...


Evening nearing the Main ghat by road...


Aarthi ceremony happening...


People gathered on boats to witness it...





There is one more Aarthi ceremony happening at RajendraPrasad Ghat...


People there as well...


Back at Dasaswamedha Ghat.... Main Aaarthi being performed...














Try to click from a different view point...


Me there ....





Get a boat for my return... and some shaky clicks on the way back...








This boatman's name is also Raju!!


At Harishchandra Ghat...


Get to Assi Ghat and there is some drama happening, played by kids....


Yeah a marriage caravan... People had enough eneregy to dance even in this heat....

4 comments:

manikandaanr said...

HOLY COW!!! ur turning into spiritual person or wat?
anyways it was nice reading abt Varnasi & some pic r missing

manikandaanr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Arun said...

Very nice details!
By having visited Kasi & Rameshwaram, you are entitled to Holy Maha Gooba! :)

Praveen said...

Mani: Not really, went there purely on curiosity and observation :D

Arun: Hehe, but you have also visited no ;)