Varanasi
My guesthouse-Varanasi
Varanasi
Wood vendor near Manikarnka ghat (burning ghat) - Varanasi
Varanasi
Varanasi. It's one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth, the city of Shiva, and the center of the hindu universe. It's an impossible place to describe to someone who hasn't experienced India. Cows, dogs, monkeys, people, bicycles and motorbikes share the narrow maze of twisting alley ways of the old city. Ancient trees grow literally into and out of the walls of ancient buildings. People are publicly burned at the cremation ghats on the banks of the Ganges. It's full power India. Despite the absurdity and craziness (to western eyes) of various activities that occur here, I've found the general atmosphere to be quite subdued, especially while wandering the ghats (giant staircases descending into the Ganges.) Apart from an unpleasant exchange with an aggressive scam artist near the burning ghats, and the usual offers of drugs, trinkets and boatrides "very cheap! you first customer today, I give good price!" I've been left very much to my own devices to discover the city.
Laxmanjhula Bridge over the Ganges - Rishikesh
Rishikesh
Hanuman(the bodybuilder monkey) and Rama (Blue), two important hindu gods. - Rishikesh
Lightning in Rishikesh
Rishikesh was.... ummmm... ok, I'll admit it. Rishikesh was a bit of a disappointment. It sounds great to hear it described: a town tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas along a clean and beautiful stretch of the Ganges where yoga is offered just about everywhere.
To me, it felt like a giant new-age shopping mall, full of western cafe latte wannabe yogis, hippy clothing shops, and broadband internet cafes. I did some yoga, but the market is so flooded with instructors (virtualy every hotel offers a class) that it is difficult to know where to start looking. The classes that I attended in Rishikesh did not begin to approach the quality of instruction I recieved in Arambol.
I went to a consultation with an ayurvedic doctor and got myself analysed. Apparently I'm batha-pitha (composed of fire and air.....) Interesting. I watched a crazy lightning storm and went for some walks up the Ganges.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice. It just wasn't that nice.
Rishikesh
Hanuman(the bodybuilder monkey) and Rama (Blue), two important hindu gods. - Rishikesh
Lightning in Rishikesh
Rishikesh was.... ummmm... ok, I'll admit it. Rishikesh was a bit of a disappointment. It sounds great to hear it described: a town tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas along a clean and beautiful stretch of the Ganges where yoga is offered just about everywhere.
To me, it felt like a giant new-age shopping mall, full of western cafe latte wannabe yogis, hippy clothing shops, and broadband internet cafes. I did some yoga, but the market is so flooded with instructors (virtualy every hotel offers a class) that it is difficult to know where to start looking. The classes that I attended in Rishikesh did not begin to approach the quality of instruction I recieved in Arambol.
I went to a consultation with an ayurvedic doctor and got myself analysed. Apparently I'm batha-pitha (composed of fire and air.....) Interesting. I watched a crazy lightning storm and went for some walks up the Ganges.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice. It just wasn't that nice.
Sarnath
There's always something interesting to look at while traveling by train in India.
Tomorrow morning I will explore Sarnath (10km north of Varanasi), the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon. In the evening I board a train for Calcutta. Next stop, city of joy!
Tomorrow morning I will explore Sarnath (10km north of Varanasi), the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon. In the evening I board a train for Calcutta. Next stop, city of joy!
1 comment:
Hey Matt! When I took a Hinduism course at Augustana last year, Jack Waschenfelder probably talked about Varanasi every single day and how amazing it was...I've wanted to experience it ever since..I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of it!
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