Our last day in India (Day 19)

India Day 19

We are spending the last full day of our trip in Varanasi. (That’s the city where the bombing happened.)  We woke at 5 a.m. and headed by bus across the waking city to the banks of the River Ganges to witness the morning cleansing and cremation rituals.  Our leader took us to the water’s edge and we boarded a large row boat.  We paddled along the 7 km Ganges river edge and admired the spectacular “gnats”.  Years ago, many Maharajas (kings of various regions in India) built large castle-like accommodations along the edge of the river.  People believed at that time and still do, that the Ganges is a magical river.  If one dies along side it, the body would be cremated and placed into the river.  The soul would go directly into “heaven”.  As the years passed, these riverside palaces were handed over to the “priests” of the Maharaja’s families.  Today most of them are occupied by seniors and the sick, waiting to die.  Many wealthy families in India donate money to maintain these gnats so that the elderly can stay in them for free during their last days on Earth.

As the sun rose, many other tourists floated along side us.  Some placed candles in the water as an offering, while others just sat in awe!  Local people came to the river’s edge daily all year round to bath, wash clothes, pray, and of course cremate their dead relatives.  We passed large fires where a pile of large logs was placed in a heap, the body was laid on top face up, and finally there was a variety of spices sprinkled over the body (incense).  It would take several hours to burn the person and then the ashes were put in the water.

After about an hour, we came ashore and walked the medieval streets stepping over fecal matter, urine, garbage and people.  Everywhere in India, tourists are always escorted by vendors selling everything imaginable.  We purchased a collection of henna coloured bottles with miniature stamps so that once back home, we can decorate our skin with symbols of India.

Next, our guide took us to two different temples:  the Varanasi University temple where many students we practicing their morning exercises; and, to the famous Monkey Temple which is crowded with monkeys stealing the glasses right off your face.

We left at noon for the airport to begin our journey home.  We fly to Dehli, then to Brussels and finally home to Toronto.  This should take us 16 hours and if the snow doesn’t get in our way, we will be back in Toronto by noon Friday Dec. 10.

Below is a pic of the cremation and the other pic is one last look out the bus window as we drive to the airport.

Gnats at Varanasi on Day 18

Varanasi is a wild and crazy place.  Tomorrow we are leaving for the Ganges River at 5 a.m. to witness the action at the "gnats" along the 7 km stretch of riverside in downtown Varanasi.  I will report back to everyone who is following our adventures and let you know what happens in the morning.

Here we are about to place our good luck flower candles in the Ganges minutes before the bombing.

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What Are 'Ghats'?

These are a very special type of embankments that are actually long flights of wide stone steps leading down to the river where people can take a holy dip. But there are more to these Ghats than just bathing and cremating. Each of the eighty-four Ghats of Varanasi holds some special significance.

Viewing the Ghats from a boat on the Ganges, especially at sunrise, is an unforgettable experience! They offer a panoramic view of the various early morning activities - from ablution to workout - of a multitude of people, for whom the river is the be all and end all of life. It's also a pleasure to walk down the entire stretch of the Ghats along the Ganges. Here people consult the astrologers under their palm leaf parasols, buy offerings for rituals, sell silk apparels and brassware, or just gaze at the faraway horizon where the mighty river meets the heavens.

India Day 17

We woke this morning in the ancient city of Varanasi to discover that one child was killed in last night's bombing down by the River Ganges and 37 people were injured.  We decided to wait until tomorrow to visit the river once again to watch the cremations and the placement of ashes in the Ganges.  Let's hope that the terrorists have all gone away.
Varanasi (Sarnath is 10 kms outside of the city) is also famous worldwide for the location of the first Buddhist monastery where Buddha himself lived, prayed, meditated, and gave his first sermon to his disciples in 500BC.  Mark Twain once wrote, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." We have included a picture of Susan standing in front of the room in ruins where Buddha would meditate.  Tourists from around the world visit this location to mediate, pray, chant, and reflect.  They also make offerings of gold leaves and other things by placing the offering on the red brick walls.
After lunch we visited a family silk manufacturing business where we were given a demo of how this family still makes saris, bedding, wall hangings, and scarves on ancient looms.  You will see in the picture, a young teen and an old man working together on the oldest loom making a bed covering.  It was 60% pure silk and 20 % gold and silver.  (more silver than gold).

We finished the day by visiting another famous temple called "Mother India".  There we were given a geography lesson on why India is such a great place to be.  India is surrounded by a natural fortress known as mountains (Himilayans), and seas.

India Day 16

Before we left Khajuraho, we went to visit its famous sculptured temples.  Of the 85 original temples which we built around 950 to 1050 AD, 20 remain today.  These large sandstone temples are richly carved with excellent sculptures that are frequently sensual and sometime explicitly sexual.  They were built to explain the Hindu's interpretation of life.  Hindus believe that knowledge will allow you to rise above the physical being and reach nirvanha.

We went to the Khajuraho airport around 3 p.m. and flew for an hour to Varanasi.  After briefly checking into the hotel, we took a rickshaw ride through the city of thousands to the banks of the Ganges River.  Varanasi is the oldest occupied city in the world and is famous for Hindus being cremated on its banks and ashes placed in the river.  Each evening, a variety of rituals are performed on the banks of the Ganges with tens of thousands of people looking on.  We were there tonight with the crowds.  There was bell ringing, chanting, and lights.  People were lighting candles and placing them afloat in the river.

Around 7 p.m. this evening, as we watched this beautiful ceremony, a bomb exploded only meters from us.  One child was killed and 20 people were injured.  The crowds stampeded away from the river bank as we watched stunned!  Our tour guide managed to get us away from the area and back to the hotel safely.  The breaking news reported that India is now on high alert.  We are suppose to leave by plane for Dehli on Thursday at noon and then home to Toronto in the middle of the night Thursday.

We are not sure what will happen to us at this point.
We are glad we are not American.

India day 15

We left early this morning from the Bandhavgarth Tiger Reserve and traveled 8 hours back to the city of Khajuraho.  We are relaxing at the Lalit Hotel and tomorrow we will be visiting the Jain Temples down the street from the hotel.  Sue did take lots of pictures out of the bus window today on route.  We did stop to pee in a very busy town around lunch and met some young men on the street.  Indians always want to know from where we came and what we think of their country.  Then they want their pictures taken with us.  They stand very close and stare very intently.  (Like we just landed from outer space.)
The Indian government recently passed an "access to information act" which allows any citizen to access any information regarding any level of government for a small fee.  The info. will be provided within 72 hours of receiving the question.

India day 14

India day 14

We visited Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve twice today. The first time was early in the morning and the second time was later in the afternoon. We were going on a Tiger hunt and this is what we found in this very large Indian park reserve:

Langoor black faced monkey (extra long tail and great jumper)
Rhesus monkey (red bum)
spotted deer (favourite food of the Tiger)
Barking deer (voice sounds like a dog barking / very timid)
Samba deer (big brown and statuesque)
jackel (wild scavenger dog)
elephant (wore chains on feet and used to flush out the Tiger)
Racket tail bird (two extra long tail feathers)
white throated Kingfisher
common Rose butterfly
dragonfly
Spotted Dove
Lapwing bird
Indian Roller bird (beautiful turquoise blue)
Parakeet (noisy)
Oriental white eyed buzzard
common Hoopoe bird (looks like a jack hammer)
Pippit bird
Indian Grey Hornbill
Wild Boars (hung around in groups / Tiger food)
Egret (large white water bird)
Lesser Adjutant Stork (seems to be dressed in a tuxedo)
Bija Tree (Pterocarpus Marsupium) -used by villagers to make drums
Driver was Gooda and helpers were Lakhan and Lalan. They helped us locate a Tiger. We were thrilled to be able to take a few photos

Later in the evening, we had a demo on how to make dahl, which is a sauce eaten with nan (pita) or rice. We also had a lecture on the Tiger and learned that they are nearly extinct (only 3000 or so left worldwide) because many people around the world are ignorant and will hunt and kill the tiger for a token amount of money. People , especially the Chinese and the Koreans, who are wealthy, are continuing to pay the poor and uneducated to hunt and kill the Tiger to use every part of it. i.e. aphrodisiacs and trophies.

India day 13

It is Sat. Dec. 4, and we have a full days drive ahead of us.  The Lalit hotel in Khajuraho packed us a very unhealthy box lunch to take along the route.  We are heading to Bandhavgar National Park with its steep cliffs, rocky hills and dense bamboo forests to find the Tigers of India.  

Along the route, we passed through many small towns and villages.  Every one of them was overcrowded.  People, animals, garbage, and vehicles continue to be everywhere.  The average age in India is 37.  We stopped around noon for a washroom break in a busy town.  We went into a store and purchased some deodorant and then had an opportunity to speak with several young men who were in their early 20’s.  We took pictures of them.  The first 3 questions Indians always ask are ....1.  Where are you from?  2.  Where are you going?  3.  How old are you?  Indian men and boys like to stand very close to you and they like to touch you.  They always smile and want you to take their picture.  Some of them even want to exchange emails.

Later in the afternoon, we came upon about 20 people walking down the middle of the road carrying a flag and doing something very strange.  One of the males would lie on the road, place a stone in front of himself, do a front roll moving the stone a body length.  Then another man would continue to do the same.  They took turns to move the stone along.  They were parading their way to the temple which might have been more than 10 km.  They did this ritual if they had prayed for something and a god answered their prayers.

After leaving this morning around 8 a.m., we finally arrived at the Tiger park lodge around 5 p.m.  The road was so bad leading into the park, that the jeeps had to come and save us and our luggage for the last 4 km.  Each of us got our own tree house for accommodations.  Early tomorrow morning, we begin our search for the elusive Tiger.

India Day 12

Today we traveled to a medieval town called Orchha, situated on the Betwa River.  The small town of Orchha was founded in the 16th Century and occupied by an ambitious group of people known as the Bundelas.  These people created a spectacular complex which included a yellow palace containing beautiful Bundela art, and many cenotaphs that resemble large churches.  The vista of spires from the graceful cenotaphs spread across the town.  How impressive it is!!

Each ruler of this kingdom over time, built his own cenotaph, where he was cremated.  Even though all the cenotaphs look very similar, they are each unique to a particular king.  The ashes of each king were then put in the river to return to nature.  The Queens got no such treatment.  They were cremated without ceremony and a cenotaph.  

We spent the rest of the day on the crazy road dodging cows, trucks and people.  We are now in a luxury hotel in a place called Khajuraho.  We just returned from a classical Indian Dance Show.  This is "Ballywood" at its best.  Susan was jiving in her seat and I was sleeping.

Tomorrow we are headed for the Tiger park.  

India Day 11

Just outside of the city of Bhopal, there is a small community called Sanchi.  Between the 3rd Century BC and the 12th Century AD, a complex of Buddhist monuments (burial mounds) were constructed here.  Most of these structures are "stupas" and the best and largest preserved on the site today is "stupa #1".  I have included a picture below.  The weather was perfect for this famous location.  It poured rain and we all got soaked.  This Buddhist architecture symbolizes "the Buddha".  Around the 3rd Century BC,  a mother had a dream about her son becoming a very famous man who would spread his word of non-violence throughout the world.  Many of the sculptures on "stupa #1" tell this Buddha's story.  This form of Hindu religion still exists throughout the world today.  We briefly toured the local museum to view some of the Buddhas dug up on the site over the years.  I discovered that my Buddha at home is not a Buddha but really a Bodhisvattva!  I met Jitean, Satyam, and Salman at the hotel tonight.

We traveled from Sanchi to the train station where we experienced once again "the real India".  While waiting for the train, thousands of Indian travelers put on quite a show for us.  There were beggars, families, and many men staring at us.  We had two young college students come up to us and ask our country of origin.  They were very articulate in English and we even exchanged emails.  They thought that only old people lived in Canada.  Another young girl brought her old grandfather over to introduce him to us.  They wanted to exchange photos with us and were also very kind and happy to meet us.  We were like celebrities finally.  The train took us to a place called Jhansi.

India day 8

We are in the city of Agra which is located in the central northern India.  This is where the Taj Mahal and Fort Agra are located.  The Taj is one of the wonders of the world as you all know.  We woke this morning at 5 a.m. and were taken to the Taj Mahal for the sunrise at 6:30 a.m. when it opens.  This giant white marble mausoleum is all about the "light".  As the sun travels its daily journey across the sky, the Taj changes colours.  Many semi precious stones were carved into the marble structure to help with colour and light such as jade (green), jasper (beige), onyx (black), malicite (green), lapis lazuli (blue), mother of pearl (white), cornelean (orange) and red coral.

Back in 1631, the Mughal emperor of India, Shah Jahah Mahal, was a very liberal thinker living in a very prosperous time.   He and his 3rd wife, Mumtaz, were very much in love.  When Mumtaz died giving birth to their 14th child,  Shah Jahah, promised her to never take another wife and to build her a fantastic extravagant grave site.  A year after her death, Jaha gathered close to 80,000 people to construct the Taj Mahal.  It took 22 years to complete the mausoleum with many surrounding buildings and gardens.  Jahah believed that all visitors who came to the Taj Mahal would be cleansed of their sins.

Across the river from the Taj Mahal, lies Fort Agra.  This massive complex was the home of Shah Mahal's parents and grandparents.  It also is very beautiful and steeped in many interesting stories.  If you wish to hear a juicy tidbit about those who resided in Fort Agra, just ask Sue.

India Day 10

Before we left the hotel in Gwalior, we had a tour of the chef's garden at the hotel.  His name was Rakesh and he showed us his herb garden and various trees such as the Rock tree and the Curry tree.  After breakfast, we took the coach down to the train station.  That was a wild and crazy spot.  Tons of people, beggars, 5 year olds busking, and many many people crossing the busy rail tracks trying to jump onto a moving train.  One woman dressed in a colourful sari almost fell under the train.  I video taped her.  Anyway, we boarded the train and set out for our new destination of Bhopal.  Bhopal is a city surrounded by lakes and is famous for the largest Muslim mosque in the Middle East.  As our group toured the mosque, many Muslim men and boys stared at us.  Our strange clothing, white skin, and overweight bodies amused them very much.  We also stopped at a Hindu temple and checked out the "gods" (there are thousands of Hindu gods).  Every Hindu seems to have their own i.e. Vishnu is the supreme god and perserver of the universe.  We made one last stop at the Veethi Sankul museum to learn about ancient Indian groups.  One interesting old tradition was when all the towns people met in the town square once a month for 5 eligible bachelors to chose their new brides.  A 20 foot high pole was situated in the centre of the town square with 5 coconuts at the top.  The 5 men would try to climb the pole all at the same time and reach the coconuts.  The order in which they retrieved the coconuts was the order they got to selected one of the 5 fair maidens.  Of course the 5 ladies would wack the 5 men with sticks as they climbed the poles hoping that their favourite guy would get to the top first.
Our favourite photo of the day was this scary man was watching us at the train station and the biggest  Mosque in the Middle East would have 10,000 men all praying at the same time.  The Muslim women never came to the mosque.  They prayed at home.

India Day 9

Today we drove by bus from Agra to Gwalior.  Gwalior is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh.  We checked into a palace hotel called, "Usha Karan Palace".  That is exactly what it is.  Elegant plus!!!  The hotel is part of the prime minister's palace complex.  Tourists don't come here because this place is so far away from everything.  This province is the agricultural hub of northern India.   The very rich Indian people stay in this hotel when they wish to hob nob with the prime minister of this state.  We visited his giant palace today high up on a cliff overlooking Gwalior.  We went there to see  a)  the biggest chandelier in India that weighs almost 4 tons.  They had 6 elephants stand on the roof of the palace to see if the ceiling could hold the chandelier...  b)  We went to the palace to check out the prime minister's silver train that traveled around his 100 foot long dining table carrying wine and cigars for his guests ...  c)  We went to see the carving in the cliff walls along the roadway up to the palace.  These naked carvings depicted the tirthankaras.  Look that one up on the Net.  I have included a giant penis and a picture of some of us downtown Gwalior at a pharmacy on Main St. where we purchased malaria cream for $1.25.  You can buy any drug you wish in India without a prescription.  Today we are going to crash a wedding at the Palace Hotel after diner.  We are looking through our thrift clothes for something to wear.

Tomorrow we are off on a train somewhere.

India Day 7

Our destination today is to travel to the ancient city of Agra which will take us about 7 hours.  Before leaving Jaipur, we stopped at a Fast Food Sweet Shop.  It is the equivalent of a Tim Horton's except it is just sweets.  They specialize in "jalepies" and they wrap some sweets in silver and gold leaf which is eaten along with the cakes.  Many Indians eat sweets like this for breakfast on their way to work.
As we traveled along the highway to Agra, our guide talked with us about marriages, beggars, and the Indian economy.  We learned much but here are 3 highlights ... 1.  They are pre arranged favouring men.  2.  Beggars are mainly illegal immigrants from Bangledesh  3.  Indians are a "saved" economy and they believe that they should be buying gold and property to get rich.
The main attraction on our way to Agra is "Fatchpur Sikri", the deserted city, built by Mughal emperor Akbar the Great in 1569.  He married three times in order to father a male child.  He was very liberal in his outlook on life but not too educated.  His three wives were Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.  Each wife had her own special apartment palace within his fort complex.  The entire deserted city was made from stone and marble.  Fatchpur Sikri included many palaces, temples, treasury, a mosque, and open courtyards.  The Hindu/ Mughal architecture was predominant but there was even a 5 level building constructed in Pagoda architecture style.  The place was grand and awe inspiring.  Akbar the Great also had 500 concubines.
We finally arrived in Agra, home of the world famous Taj Mahal, are 8 p.m. just in time for dinner.

This building was at Fatchpur Sikri and was used by the emperor to discuss religion.  It was special because those who were inside with Akbar the Great sat off the ground.  Ask us about that sometime.  It was amazing!

India Day 6

Today we begin our adventures in the pink (lucky) city of Jaipur.  We traveled up the access road to the gates of the Amber Fort, once the ancient capital of the State.  This fort was purely magnificient situated on top of a very large hill glowing in all its amber colours.  We sat aboard the back of an elephant and road for about 30 minutes following a caravan of many elephants to the top of the hill.  Inside the fort, we learned about the Maharaja and his secret passageways to his 12 Queens.  The Hall of Mirrors inside this lavish palace with its frescoes and marble glows, was a photo from any angle.  The geometry of the place and the artificial lake blended nicely with the Mughal gardens to impress us at every turn.
We traveled through the city to the Royal Observatory to learn the meaning of time and how astrology rules the lives of Hindus.
Sometime in the late afternoon, we were entertained in a carpet factory and jewellery establishment.  Both offered their skills to us and much opportunity to purchase things.
This city is a conglomeration of beggars, elephants, cows, scooters, buses, cars and people all doing their own things at the same time.  The Hindu people of India are friendly and free.  There is no crime to speak of and even though it is very crowded and very dirty place, everyone seemed to have a mission with lots of determination.
We dodged the busy streets in the late evening filled with many wedding parties and parades, to get to a restaurant featuring a puppet show and some ballywood dancers.

We finished the day around 11 p.m. after purchasing a new house in Kitchener!  The internet is very helpful sometimes.

India Day 5

We left our Fort accommodations around 8 a.m. to tour the city of Jodhpur.  Our first stop was at Fort Mehrangarh atop a sandstone hill overlooking the indigo coloured city below.  This fort is the largest in India.  It is made of of many palaces and apartments because it was built in 1458 for the Brahmins who were the important scholars and priests of the time.  The Mehrangarh Maharaja would sit and discuss life with these important people in his pearl palace room.  This room had walls made from shells, gold filigree ceilings, oil lamps glittering, and stained glass windows.  His queens would hide behind lattice screens high above the floor and eavesdrop on the conversations.  My favourite place in the Fort was the Palace of Flowers.  This was a very exotic room with candles, poets, musicians, dancers, paintings, and mirrors.  The maharaja would take all his lady friends there for much pleasure.  (use your imagination).  After lunch at the Rockhut restaurant in the city, we began our long journey across country for 8 hours passing many decorated trucks, tons of families all riding without helmets on one scooter, and hundreds of cows meandering down the middle of the roadway.  We arrived at our new destination of Jaipur, the pink city.  Tomorrow we ride the elephant so stay tuned.

Day 4 India

We stopped at a famous garden in Udaipur which is dedicated to a great warrior, Maharana Pratap and his horse, Chetak.  The story of a famous battle between the Hindus/Muslims and Mugals is told throughout the garden on many monuments.  After a brief garden history lesson, we began a long journey north and west through the mountains toward the desert on the other side.
Around lunchtime, we stopped at a Unesco World Heritage Site called the Jain Temple.  This is located in the Aravali valley.  This temple is a marble monumental masterpiece intricately carved and assembled without the help of any substance.  There were over 1000 columns in a perfect balancing act.  Tons of spires, columns, and levels were built by many architectural laborers.  It took 60 years to build beginning in 1439.
From this spectacular Buddhist meditative creation, we began a 4 hour drive on a truck route from hell watching many trucks, buses, cows, people on scooters, wild boars, dogs, and monkeys dodge each other on a very narrow muddy piece of old bumpy tarmack.  We did arrive in a place called Luni at our accommodation for one night, Fort Chanwa. We dined by candlelight and watch an Indian puppet show before bed.

Day 3 India

We woke today to rain and fog.  The temperature is around 18 degrees C.  We are in a town in the lake country call Udaipur.  Our first stop was the CITY PALACE.  It was built by the Maharana Singh in 1559 on the east bank of Lake Pichola.  There are several palaces within its complex.  This flamboyant combination of Rajasthani and Mughaland architecture is considered the largest palace in the province of Rajasthan.  It was like a maze of rooms and tunnels set high on a hill filled with marble, mirrors, and mosaics.  The women could peer through lattice windows without anyone noticing them.  We next stopped at the GARDENS OF THE MAIDS OF HONOUR.  This garden was a peaceful retreat just outside of Udaipur built for 48 girls given to Maharana Singh in 1710 as part of his dowry.  This ancient water park had a white marble chhatris fountain in the centre and black fountains at the corners.   After a boat ride around lake Pichola with a stop at the PLEASURE PALACE, which was built in the centre of the lake on an island for special parties, we walked down through the streets of Udaipur dodging taxis, sacred cows and beggars to visit the JAGDISH MANDIR TEMPLE.  The bell ringer was calling everyone to prayer.  We climbed many marble stairs to reach this ancient stone temple atop a hill in the middle of a very congested neighbourhood.  We removed our footwear and entered the sanctuary to sniff the incense and witness the local people in prayer.  WOW!  You wouldn't believe it.

India Day 2

We were up early today to tour Delhi....both Old and New!  The new part of the city is the part build under  British influence since 1947.
This city of 13 million, was the site of the Commonwealth Games recently, and is still undergoing construction at every turn in the road.  Delhi is a city of many cities.  They say that to be able to handle the chaos of this place, you have to let your self go.  Just be part of it, otherwise, you would go stir-crazy.  The people, being mainly Hindu and then lots of Muslims, have some strange beliefs.  It is ok to "piss" in public but not ok to "kiss".  The crime rate is very low, not because of the laws, but because of religion.  The populace believe in reincarnation.  Your behaviour in this life determines what you will come back as in the next life.  If you are bad, you might come back as a fly or maybe a mosquito.  Yikes!

The highlights of the day were Qutub Minar which is a victory tower and as a minorette to the adjacent mosque.  It is 72.5 meters high as is the highest stone tower in India.  It is adorned with elaborate carvings and inscriptions from the Koran.  The wild green parrots love it as much as the people.

We removed our schools and dressed in flowered nightgowns and entered the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India.  It hosts 85000 people for Friday prayer in temperatures of 45 degrees C.  It took 60 years to complete by 1650 A.D. and the smell of marble and royalty is everywhere.  A Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan had it built.  People pray quotes from the Koran.  Young boys, hand in hand as friends, pray on tourists.

As the bus jockied through the streets, competing with all forms of transportation, the division between the rich and poor was so evident.  People will do anything for a rupee.  Thanks to the roundabouts otherwise we would still be in the traffic.

We ended the day by flying from Delhi to Udaipur.

India Day 1

Today is Sunday Nov. 21, 2010, and we are at Pearson airport waiting for Jet Airways to sweep us off our feet and whisk us away to India.  We were first in line at the checkin so that we could get the best seats possible for this 16 hour journey.  We managed to park our car at Sky Park close to the airport for 3 weeks at a total cost (taxes included) of $89.  Our first stop is Brussels and then on to Delhi.  India has a population of 1.6 billion people.