MY TRIP TO INDIA 2006

I got off the plane and went through customs. The airport was everything I would expect and Indian airport to be. People with brown skin milling around. Eyes looking up to see the newcomers. After I found my bag I started heading over to a long line of people holding up signs in every language. The signs had the person's name on it that they were waiting for. I was anxious to find the people who were waiting for me. It was a long flight. I had begin this trip two days before starting from Seattle. I flew first to San Francisco, then Tokyo, and then onto Singapore where I stayed one night. Now I was finally in India. It had been a dream of my life to go there. I wanted to familiarize myself with the religions and the culture of the people in this part of the world. I figured the best way to satisfy my curiosity was to go there personally and see for myself the way these people lived and what made them tick.

On my way over to the line of people I was stopped by security. They they wanted to x-ray my bag. After they x-rayed it they wanted to know what was in it. I told them just the usual stuff one would take on a trip. They had me open it and found only my clothes and nothing else, so they let me proceed.

I went over to the line and started looking at the names on the cards people held up. Finally toward the end I saw my name. I walked toward the guy holding the sign. I was very glad to see him and he was glad to see me. I don't know how long he had been waiting. I hope not too long. After our initial greeting he had me follow him and we zig-zagged our way through the crowds out of the main terminal building to a waiting car in the parking lot. Before I got in the car the TCI agent opened the trunk and took out a scented garland with orange flowers and put it around my neck and welcomed me to India. I thanked him.

They put my bags in the trunk and I got in the back seat. The driver made his way out of the airport and onto a road that would take us to the part of Dehli where the hotel was. The guide said it would be about a forty minute drive. It was dark and the air was muggy and warm. It was after midnight but there were lots of people walking along the side of the road and sitting in the dirt in front of their houses. I could hear them talking and laughing. Some of them seemed to be high on something or drunk. There were quite a few cars out too and alot of honking. Every once in a while we would pass an oxen drawn cart. It was surreal. It felt like I was in a dream. I was in India where the ancient is mixed with the modern. I loved it.

We got to the Sunstar Hotel on the other side of town. I checked in and the bellhop picked up my suitcase and took me to my room. When he saw that I had American money he offered to get them changed into ruppees. I gave him some US money and he came back with some ruppees. The atmosphere of the hotel was richly dark and mysterious. I knew I was far away from the United States. I sat on the bed and was thinking, "Wow, I survived all those airplanes and now I'm here'! I never really let myself believe things until I'm actually doing it. I was having one of those moments. I'm really here.

The furniture in the hotel was interesting. There were two little, low stuffed chairs. I had never seen that syle before. That night I washed my traveling clothes in the bath tub, took a shower and shaved. I was to meet the guide the next morning in the lobby at 10 where I would begin this trip by touring places in Old and New Dehli. I set my alarm for 7am. I would be staying in this hotel for two nights.

NEXT MORNING

I got up to the sound of horns honking and the noise in the street below. I found out where the resturant was and then walked up the five floors to the roof where it was located. They had an elevator but I thought I would take the stairs because I needed the excersize. I was very out of shape. It was warm and muggy. I found a table with an umbrella on it and sat down. I was the only customer there. A waiter quickly appreared from the kitchen door and handed me a menu. I looked over the selections and decided to have the American breakfast.

I don't know what I was really expecting. In the states an American breakfast consists of sausage or bacon, hash browns, eggs and toast plus jam and coffee or some kind of juice.

While I was waiting for breakfast to come I observed some of the birds that were flying around in the early morning sunshine. There were some shaggy looking crows. They made the familiar sound of crows but they were gray and black instead of just plain black. They didn't seem to be too filled out like the ones I see all the time in the states. They could use a little fattening up, but I guess food is scarce there. These crows would fly in flocks from building to building scavening anything they could.

Then there was a multi-colored bird that landed on the roof. It was black and brown with a little white on the wings. The song it sang was very melodious. It stayed there for a few minutes and then flew off. After that a very small hawk flew by.

Breakfast finally came and it consisted of; mango juice, one two sided egg, toast, butter, jam and coffee. I forgot that most people in India are vegetarian. That was the reason for no sausage or bacon. They also don't eat alot, so maybe that's why there were no hash browns.

American Breakfast?



I sat with my back to the sun in the hazy and sultry weather. The street in front of the hotel was a little more then the size of an alley way. Even on the fifth floor I could hear the noise going on at street level.

After breakfast I went to the lobby and waited for the guide and the driver. After awhile I went outside and sat on the steps by the front door. Everybody looked at me when they went by. I was a westerner and different from them. A few richshaw drivers came by and asked if I wanted a ride.

Lobby of the Hotel



I told them that I had a ride. A shoe shine boy came around and asked if I wanted my shoes shined. My shoes didn't need it but I let him shine them anyway. He went immediately to work. Like an expert he first applied the polish to the first shoe and then brushed it. Then he added wax and buffed it. He was a hard worker. He looked up at me and smiled and

Cycle Rickshaw



worked on the second shoe. The doorman came over and told the boy to charge me 100 ruppees for the shine. I'm sitting there wondering if this doorman knows that I speak English and understand it very well and know what he just said. I was noticing a religious charm around the boys neck on a string when my ride came, so I quickly paid the boy for the shine and walk over to the car.

We drove passed all the people and the shops on the street that is like an alley way and we got on the main thoroughfare. The guide points up to where they are building a new metro system. It is being built all over the city. I notice there are little shacks built all over on the side of the streets. "This is where migrant people live" the guide said. People in the rural areas come to the city looking for work. There is no place for them to rent so the government of India lets them build little shacks on sidewalks an on the road sides of anything they can find. Whole families live like this. Suddenly the car stops. Now we are in a traffic jam. There is a cow laying in the middle of the road. Cows are sacred in India so no one will bother it. The Indian people try to exercise patience. Drivers continue on their way gingerly driving around the animal careful not to hit it.

OLD DEHLI

After awhile we come to the gate of Old Dehli and go through it. The traffic is better there, but still heavy. After a short drive we arrived at the Red Fort, a very famous tourist site in Old Dehli. Since there was no place to park the driver pulled over to the side of the road and let the guide and I off at the front of the fort. The driver would go somewhere and when we needed him the guide would call on his cell phone and he would come to pick us up.

Hindu Temple - Old Dehli



As we walked toward the fort made of red sandstone the guide immediately started telling me about the history of Red Fort. It is one of the most important monuments in Dehli. It is a very vast structure and its grandeur reflects Mugal architecture at its best.

The seat of government was moved from Agra to this location in 1648. The outside of the fort was built of red sandstone and the interior where the palaces are were lavishly built of white marble. There are two gateways to the fort. The ceremonial gate is used the most and it is on the west side. I didn't find out where the other gate it.

Red Fort in Old Dehli



There are several prominent buildings in the fort. Concealed within the outer fortified walls are the most magnificent palaces ever built. This is where the ruler and his harems lived. The marble in each building is decorated with inlaid precious and semi precious stones.

We spent a little while walking around inside the fort and palaces while the guide explained everything to me. On the way out I bought some post cards from two boys who were selling them on the street. The guide called the driver and in a few minutes he arrived and we proceeded to the next point of interest.

JAMA MOSQUE

Jama Mosque was built in the 17th century and is the largest mosque in India. The courtyard in front of it can hold ten thousand people at a time. The driver let us off on the side of the building and we had to climb a steep flight of stairs. At the top we had to take off our shoes then walk on the hot sandstones that make up the plaza. The mosque sits on a high platform and has three onion shaped domes made of red sandstone and inlaid with marble. There is a mineret on each corner of the holy sight.

Jama Mosque



Inside I noticed that the decoration is very plain. This is because Islamic artists are prohibited from using the images of any living thing. That is why most Islamic buildings and mosques use only pure geometric designs in them. On rare occassions you will see a mosque with a floral design.

Muslim Worshippers



There were a few pilgrims praying infront of an indentation in the wall. They are facing in the direction of Mecca, one of the most holy places in that religion. We looked around for a little bit and then the guide called the driver on his cell phone and we went out the same way we went in and got our shoes, then waited for the driver to get there.

By this time the traffic was extremely heavy, but the driver clawed his way through the throng of people, automobibles and animals and made it to the bottom of the stairs. We made our way to the car while people were pushing their wares in front of our faces. We got safely in the car and made our way out to the main road.

After this we went to Gandhi's Memorial. It is in a huge park where there are the memorials of many famous and many not so famous people. After Gandhi was assasinated he was creatated on the shores of the Ganges River. Later a memorial was made in his honor in Old Dehli. The guide and I took the long walk in the hot sun to the site where we stayed for a few minutes and then left. By then I was getting exhausted. Like I said, I was very out of shape. When we got back to the car we went to get some water. After that we proceeded and the guide asked me if I would like some tea. I said "sure".

The next thing I knew we pulled up to a handsome building that had a statue of Krishna in front. I went with the guide inside and we were greeted like old friends by some people. I was ushered into a room where many rugs were rolled up stacked all over the place. I didn't know what was going on. A nicely dressed man came in and asked me what kind of tea I would like. I said black tea. I was very tired and glad to be able to sit down and enjoy this cup of tea and rest. The tea came and the nicely dressed man started to try to sell me rugs. His crew came in and started rolling out rugs before me while the man described the texture, color, fabric and quality of the intricate design and on and on. Finally I told them that I was not prepared to buy a $4.000 rug while I was in India.

HUMAYON'S TOMB

When we arrived at Humyon's Tomb the guide and I got out of the car and started the long walk to the outer gate of the tomb which was at least three quarters of a mile away through a garden like park setting. We got there it was another half mile, it seemed. It was torture walking in the sufficating, and humid sun hot sun. The guide and I were both sweating profusely. We both took our handkerchiefs out and were wiping our faces with them. I was having a hard time keeping up with this twenty-three year old guide and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. I finally asked him to slow down. In fact if I can recall corredtly I asked him a few times to slow down. When we got to the tomb we sat down and rested for awhile til I caught my breath.

Akbar built this tomb. Humayon was his father. It took fifteen years to finish and it was built with Persian, Indian and Mugal influences. The Taj Mahal was modeled after this gigantic structure. The tomb was finished on the outside, but the inside was left unfinished. There is a large arch on each side of the building, and at each arch there is a door that leads to a small room. The center is where the stone coffin of Humayon lays. The monument is crowned with a large onion shaped dome.

Akbar built the Tomb of Humayon



After learning all about this tomb we made it back to the car and started heading for a different part of town. It was nice in the car because it had air-conditioning which felt very good. Then I told the guide had to use a restroom. The driver started to head in one direction where he knew where one was. The traffic at that time of day was still heavy and it is hard to get through, especially in the heat even if there was air-conditioning since there are many obstacles in the street. He continues to fight his way through the traffic and comes to a pay toilet, but it was closed. There is a resturant close by. So we go over. I go in and use their bathroom and am quite relieved.

Humayon's Tomb



I come out of the bathroom and the guide meets me at the door and suggests that I sit down and buy something to drink or eat since I used their bathroom. Now I owe them something for this favor. I sat down at a table and a waiter came by and I order a lime soda. After it came I took a drink of it. The guide asks me how it is. I told him it was different. It was quite different then anything I had ever tasted. The way they make it; they squeeze lime juice into soda water.

SNAKE CHARMER

We left the resturant and as I was walking along I spotted a snake charmer on the other side of the courtyard sitting against a wall. I went over. I wanted to see what he was doing and also get my picture sitting next to him while he was charming his snakes. The guide took my camera. The snake charmer had a couple different kinds of snakes in baskets around him. He had a couple cobras and a yellow snake. The snake charmer motioned for me to sit down next to him. When I sat down he tired to put his yellow snake on me. I wouldn't let him. He wanted to wrap it around my arm, but I told him I didn't want a snake on me. He couldn't understand English. He seemed confused. He didn't realize I just wanted to have my picture taken. The whole time the guide was taking pictures of me with this snake charmer. I gave him some money for his trouble and then left.

When we got back to the car the guide left for a few minutes. I think he had to use the bathroom. While he was gone the driver started talking to me for the first time. I found out his name was Subhash. He started telling me about what is going to happen the next day. He said that he was going to drive me to my next destination which was the city of Jaipur. He would take me there where I would spend one day and then drive me to Agra, where I would see the Taj Mahal and then he would take me to the train station where I would catch a train to Varanasi, and from there a different driver would take me to the rest of the places on this trip. Subhash seemed to be a sociable type person. I liked him right away.

Just then the guide came back and we were off to see the parliment building, the president's palace and a Hindu Temple.

We went passed the India Gate. The arch was built to commemerate the Indian soldiers who fought in World War I. As we passed the guide asked if I would like to go over and see it. I saw that it would be another long walk in the blazing, hot sun so I declined. Taking pictures out the window was good enough for me. We came to a road and went up a hill

Arch of India



On both sides of the street there were government buildings. One of them was the parliment building. At the end of the road there was a domed building that was once the home of the British Prime Minister when Britian ruled the country. The present head of government has a residence somewhere else that isn't so opulent and pretentious.

Government Building in New Dehli



The temple below is called the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Temple. It was dedicated by Gandi in the 1950's. He declared that it would be open to all people no matter if they were Hindu or not. It is usually forbidden for a non-Hindu person to enter into one of their temples.

At the entrance of the temple we had to go through security and I had to surrender my camera because no one is allowed to take pictures of "the gods". Once we got in we found out that we wouldn't be able to see the gods until after 2:30 in the afternoon. I think we had to wait about a half an hour or forty-five minutes. The guide joked a few times that the gods had to take a siesta during the middle of the day.

Hindu Temple in New Dehli



While we were waiting the guide took me around the temple and showed me some artwork on the walls of several gods from the Indian pantheon of gods and goddesses. There were pictures of Shiva, Vishnu, Krisna and many others.

He showed me two altars of Krishna that were open. We went in and he showed me around a little. I noticed that when some of the people were finished praying to Krishna they got up

Krishna



and walked backwards out of the chapel so they wouldn't turn their back to the god. When we were getting ready to leave I asked the guide if it was alright to turn your back to the god. He thought nothing of it and we turned our backs to Krishna and left. He said that this was his religion but he didn't practice it.

There was a small crowd of people waiting to see the gods. Finally the doors were opened and we were able to look at them. There were three doors. Each statue was carved out of marble. The following gods are in the main sanctuary of this temple; Vishnu and his wife Durga and Shiva and his wife Kali. There are pictures of Vishnu and Durga else where in this blog so they are not included here. Shiva and Kali are below.


Shiva, a very powerful god in India



Kali, Wife of Shiva and Mother of Ganesh



India is a country of temples and shrines. Where ever you travel in India the Hindu gods are ever present. The concept of the Hindu temple is symbolically a miniature representation of the cosmos. The sanctuary in the center is where the gods are. The lesser gods are farther away from the sanctuary.

Outside there were a few shrines. One was to Ganesh, the elephant headed son of Shiva and Kali. The other one was the monkey god Hanuman, a devotee of Rama.

Ganesh - Beloved god of the Hindus



The Monkey god Hanuman



All the gods in this temple are some of the highest gods in the Hindu religion. There are millions more besides these.

As we were walking out of the temple the guide asked me why I wasn't culture shocked? I had to pause for a minute. I told him that many years ago when I was a soldier fighting in a war I once lived in a small country in Indochina among people who were Buddhist and also held many Hindu beliefs. Coming to India had brought back many memories of that country. Maybe that was why I didn't go through culture shock. Maybe if I was going to live in India for awhile, maybe it would be different.

BACK AT THE HOTEL

I was exhausted when I got back to the hotel. I was making my way to my room when one of the bellhops asked if I was hungry. I said "no" and went into my room and went to bed. Several hours when I woke up I was starving so I went up to the resturant and ordered a toasted cheese sandwich, vegetables with curry sauce and tea. This was sent to my room. After that I went down to the lobby and got on the internet and wrote in my blog for awhile. I went back to my room and fell asleep with the television on and woke up around 2am. I turned it off and then slept til 0830.

THE ROAD TO JAIPUR

I got up and got all my stuff together and ready to leave then went to the front desk and changed some US money to ruppees. What a rip off! The clerk stole from me. It was raining and everyone on the street had thier umbrellas. I went back to my room and picked up the phone and ordered a Continental breakfast. After that I brought all my luggage to the lobby and waited for Subhash.

Later while Subhash was winding his way out of the jungle of New Dehli traffic I was looking out the car window at the scenery passing by. After we got out of the city and into the rural areas there was mostly fields of maize here and there and people out working on their land and walking to and fro on the side of the road. Some were leading donkeys or herding sheep and other animals. We passed quite a few Hindu temples and I took pictures of them everytime I saw one.

Common sight on the Road to Jaipur



The usual pattern was we would drive through vast countryside, then come upon a village.
This was the way it was most of the way. After a few miles we came to a sign that said we were entering into the state of Rajasthan. It is an arid desert land with few fertile areas that was once inhabited by nomadic tribes. After awhile these tribes turned into kingdoms who were constantly warring against each other. Today there are still kings, but they are not as powerful as they used to be. But there is a culture still there that is vibrant and going strong.


The Hindu swastika has been around for 30,000 years and has alway has been a symbol of peace, but the Nazi's turned it into a emblem of hate. How long will it take for the origional meaning of this symbol to be recognised? Maybe a few more generations.



We stopped at a little cafe/gift shop after a few hours of driving. I went into the resturant part while Subhash went to visit someone he knew in the gift shop. The place was almost empty. I sat down at a table and was given a menu. I ordered a cheese nan and tea. I was given a fork and a spoon to eat this with. It quickly came to me how I was going to uses these utinsils. The spoon would be used as a knife. You stab the nan with the fork and pull it apart with the spoon. This is how I believe the Indian people saw the British do it. The people of India don't use silver ware. They eat with their hands. Or, I might say, they eat with their right hand. Their left hand never touches the food that goes into their mouths. They use the left hand to clean themselves after they take a shit.

After this small meal I went into the gift shop and found some miniature Mugal paintings that I bought. I also found a few DVD's of Indian music and a few other things.

I had been sitting in the front seat most of the way. During this time Subhash and I were having a conversation about many things. He told me that he spend alot of time with holy men and listens to what they have to say. Most of these holy men are devotees to Shiva. India has a different system then we do. When men get older they leave their homes and forsake all their possessions and become wanderers and go to live in forests and meditate and live by whateve hand out they can get. They do this until they die. I could tell that Subhash had this on his mind and that was something he would have to do when he got older. I think these holy men give him advice.

Hindu Temple



Subhash was from the country of Cashmere which is northwest of India. It is a very beautiful country. Subhash built a house there and has a wife and two children. He works in New Dehli and sends money to his family. His wife works on some handicraft at home and sells her wares to tourists. Subhash goes home whenever he can, but his work keeps him in India.

While we were talking and driving along Subhash asked if he could look at my right hand. I showed it to him and I could see he was intensely studying it. He was reading my palm. He didn't immediately share with me what he was looking at so intensley. I asked him to recommend a book that I could read about his religion. He recommended the Bhagava Gita.
This is the book that he reads and gets his religion from.

JAIPUR

Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan. It was founded in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who was the ruler of Amber. He had lived in Amber Fort for a long time and felt cramped in the palaces there. In time he had a larger palace built to the south of Amber. Soon a city grew around this new palace and it was named Jaipur. Now it is a city of bazaars, gardens, great architecture and is a major destination.

As we entered Jaipur suddenly we got into a traffic jam. There were hundreds of cycle rickshaws. It must have been rush hour. We inched our way along the city roads and came upon Amber Fort which is a well fortified fortress built on the ridge of a small mountain range. It is a place where I would visit the next day.

Example of Mugal Art - found everywhere in northern India

The women of Jaipur wear colorful scarves and sarongs as they do in most of India I noticed. Men wear white robes and red, yellow, orange and maroon turbans.

Palace of the Wind; Hawa Mahal



The Hawa Mahal is a landmark in Jaipur. It is a five story structure built in 1799. It is a facade that has 953 latticed windows, perforated screens, projecting balconies and honeycombed walls designed as a privacy screen for the royal harems of the time. The royal ladies of the court could come and enjoy the cool breezes that flowed through the opened rooms while watching ordinary people go about their daily activities in the markets and streets below without themselves being observed.

Temple on the way to Hotel



When these roads to Jaipur were built there were temples all along the route. It was a sacrelige to tear down these sacred sites so the roads were built on either side of them. Down every side street there was a mass of activity. We passed tea shops with people sitting around in plasitc chairs watching the maze of humanity go by.

We finally got to the Shahpura House which is located in what seemed to be a neighborhood on the other side of town. It was a very beautiful place. The furniture and decor were of the Mugal style, and I believe it is owned by the royal family. When I checked in and got in my room I found that it was filled with antiques and expensive rugs and also a canopy bed. The first thing I did was take a shower and change my clothes.

Lobby at Jaipur Hotel



That night Subhash wanted to show me a resturant that he goes to everytime he comes to Jaipur where there are some exotic women dancers who balance bowls on their head. When we got there I noticed quite a few Americans and European people there along with alot of Indian people. After changing tables a few times we finally got a table on the stage in front facing the majority of the people who were enjoying their meal and watching these dancing ladies.

For dinner we had curry chicken, rice, stuffed tomatoes, hot peppers and tea. It was all good, and not too expensive.

After awhile the dancers went on a break and a group of musicians sitting on the floor started playing their insturments and one of Subhash's friends started singing. There were drums, and an accoridan-like instrument and a few other instruments. It was the first time I had ever heard Rajasthan music played live. I fell in love with it immediately. I was never one to be too interested in Indian music until I came to the country and listened to it in person. Later I complimented Subhash's friend on his great singing. I mentioned to him that he could make a lot of money doing this professionally. He said that he did it for the love of it. Later when I was thinking about it he was telling me that the people of India don't always put money in the equation with whatever they do. He knew I was an American and probably a capitolist and he was just letting me know that money isn't everything. He didn't know it, but I totally agree.

I found out in Jaipur the people don't speak as good as English as they do in New Dehli. The doorman didn't seem to understand English, and either did any of the room boys.

The next morning I got up and went down to the buffet breakfast. The dining room was full of people from Spain. I didn't have much of an appetite since it was so hot. The menu was written on a little sign board. This was written on it in English;

potato bol
apple pancakes
sliced pears
red fruit
tea

I was the only American there that I knew of. While all the Spanish people were chatting away to each other I finished eating and then went to the lobby to wait for Subhash and the guide that would tell me a little about Amber Fort which was the first thing I would see that day. All the hotel stewards were busy dusting, sweeping the floors and arranging the flowers in the many rooms of the downstairs part of this establishment.


Amber Fort



Amber Fort is about eleven kilometers north of the city of Jaipur. It is a yellowish rose color and sits like a jewel on the ridge of an ancient desert mountain range. In ancient times whenever anyone wanted to visit the fort they had to come by elephant. So today is no different. The sun was promising to be very hot that day to I decided to buy a hat while I was there. There was a guy nearby that was selling baseball hats, so I got one. While I was there someone came up that was selling Mugal art. The price was pretty good so I dicided to pick up a few. Near the road you come to a stand and get on an elephant that takes you to the courtyards of the palace.

I had never heard of this place in my life and I don't think I had done any reading on it before I came on the trip but as soon as we got to the palace area the guide proceeded in telling me every detail of everything about the place. I listened as attentively as I could trying to take it all in. I knew I could go home and read about it, but this is what I got from his talk. First we went through the outer court. This is a room on the outside which consists of columns. The emporer would hold audiences here. It was outside because it was more tolerable then inside in a stuffy room since the weather is mostly hot there.

After this we went into the Ganesh entrance and went through the various rooms. Here the guide explained to me the very ingenius ventelation system that captures the winds that came over the mountain behind this place and cooled the inside of the palace. At night the people would go out on the roof of the palace where it was cool.

The palace is a mixture of Rajput and Mugal artwork. Usually the emporer was of the Muslim religion. His wives would be Hindu,Christian or Muslim and their palaces were built in the architecture of those religions.

Elephant Ride to Fort



The bedroom of the emporer has tiny mirrors inlaid in the walls of it and at night when you light a candle and set it in the middle of the room the light from the candle reflects off the mirrors and gives off a unique effect.

View from Palace at Amber Fort



After going through most of the palaces we walked down the path where the elephants walk for a little bit and then found a path that took us down the hill where Subhash was waiting. There were hawkers every few feet. Some of them had some very good things to sell.

Snake Charmer



We got to the parking lot and found Subhash. We got in the car and started toward the city. We passed the winter palace. It sits in the middle of a lake.

Then we drove down the street for about a mile or so and came to a gate. The guide didn't tell me what this was. We got out of the car and I saw some old women and men working at various looms and primitive machines that make thread. I was invited in. I was asked if I would like to see how rugs are made. Of course I was curious and said yes.

Working With Thread



At this point I thought it was a demonstration but soon realized that I was put in a situation where I would be given a sales pitch like in New Delhi. I decided to play along but I had no intention of buying anything. The little man took me to a table and showed me how a pattern was made on some muslim by using a block print and ink. He showed me the whole process of how they weave a rug step by step. After the rug is woven, then it is burned and washed, and then cut.

Then he took me into a room with young men standing all around and introduced me to a salesman. I was invited to sit down and they offered me tea. I told them up front that I wasn't prepared to buy a rug. The salesman was of course persistent and suggested that I could charge it on my credit card and I could even take it home with me on the plane. I let them show me some rugs and then I told them I didn't want to waste their time anymore and then I got up to leave. The salesman then tried to apply some pressure. I told him that I didn't need a rug since I had plenty where I lived. I took his business card and then left. I made my way back to the car.

We proceeded toward the city center again. Having had a taste of refreshing tea I asked the driver if we could stop and get some more. I was tired from going from one place to another without a break and they were willing to do anything I wanted. I thought that I would buy them some tea too and we could all sit at the tabel together and have a rest. As soon as I got to the entrance of the resturant I was immediately ushered inside by a doorman. The guide and the driver did not come in with me. Then I began to get the picture, they kept a distance while I did what I wanted.

I was taken to a table where I sat down. There were many other Americans and Europeans and Indian people there. I first ordered a pot of tea. Then as I was drinking it I decided to get something to eat. I wasn't too hungry so I ordered some hot and sour soup. After that I felt very rested so I went out to the car and we proceeded to the City Palace.

City Palace, Jaipur



When we got there the guide went though the usual formality of buying tickets and then we entered through the eastern gate. The first place the guide took me was to a large room where arts and crafts are made and sold. Knowing that I was interested in Mugal paintings he took me to a booth of an artist who specializes in this form of art. We sat down in front of him and he began to explain his art to me. He demonstrated to me how he paints with a brush made of the hair of a squirrel's tail. Among other things he told me that everyday when he gets up in the morning he goes outside and looks directly into the sun. He said this keeps his eye sight sharp. Of course he expected me to buy some of his art since he gave me a demonstration but I looked at his prices, and they were quite high so I had to decline. I had already bought some earlier in the day that were of pretty good quality for a much cheaper price so I didn't feel obligated to buy any of his.

After this we went to some of the museums that are on the property. The first one was a collection of photographs, paintings and other things the royal family had put on display. Then there was a museum of all kind of weopanry the royal family has used down through the centuries. There were swords, daggars etc: Then the last museum was of the clothing that the royal family had worn through the ages.

In the courtyard there is a building that houses a couple silver urns that hold about 1,800gallons of water each. They were used to hold water from the Ganges River for drinking when one of the royal family went to live in Britian in 1900. Also in the courtyard there were several cannons and also a garage where they stored quite a few coaches that the royal family used centuries ago.

Some of the royal family still live in the palace in the picture above. It has seven floors and each one is decorated in a different style. Enclosed in these quarters is a sprawling complex of formal gardens, glassworks and figurines that are not opened to the public.

The Royal Observatory



The Royal Observatory is a park next to the palace complex where the movement of the stars and planets were observed in centuries passed. It is a place where time was also calculated. All the instruments are made of stone and marble. There is a huge sun dial that was used to measure the distance, altitude and diameter of the sun. There is also an instrument that records the sun's passage through the sky and another one that tracks the signs of the zodiac. The ancient people then as well in this present age were fascinated with astonomy and astrology.

Boys Begging



After this I was taken to a famous baazar. I looked around for awhile but didn't find anything that I would want to buy. There were many things that I knew I could buy in the States if I wanted them. What I really wanted was some water. I was very thirty. I found a place that sold some around the corner so I bought some.

That evening I had dinner in my room. I ordered spaghetti with vegatables, custard and English tea. I noticed a sign that said they had laundry service so I called them up. I was told that if I brought my laundry in today it would be ready by the next evening. I was leaving the next morning so that wouldn't work out. So I spent the next several hours washing my clothes in the bathtub. I drapped all my wet clothes in the bathroom and opened the window to let all the hot air in. After that I was exhausted and fell asleep for about three hours. The next morning I would be leaving for Agra.

THE ROAD TO AGRA and the Taj Mahal

The next morning I got up at 0530. I quickly packed my suitcase. Most of the clothes I washed the evening before were dry. I went down to the dining hall and had breakfast and then got someone to help me haul my suitcase down to the lobby. I had a little bit of time before Subhash was going to be there so I tried to use the internet service in a side room off the lobby but had no luck. I checked out of the hotel and went out in front to wait for Subhash. One of the bellhops stayed with me to put my bags in the car. The hotel workers at this hotel were especially nice and helpful. There were quite a few of them standing around infront of the hotel waiting for people to arrive. They insisted that I sit down in a chair in the shade of a nearby tree while I waited for my ride.

At 0900 Subhash arrived and we were off in the direction of Agra. It was going to be a several hour drive. It was all the way across the northern part the the country. This only meant that I was going to get a good look at the country side like I did on the way to Jaipur from New Dehli.

Truck with Men



You see alot of swastikas in India painted on trucks like the one above and on Buddhist statues and other places. It is an ancient symbol that means peace,harmony and good luck. In the western world there is still a stigma attached to this emblem. It is engraved in our minds of the hatred of the German military under Hitler when they tried to exterminate a race from off the face of the earth.

On the way out of Jaipur Subhash pointed out some ruins of some old buildings that were quite famous in their time. In olden times this was a resort for the people associated with the palace court in Jaipur. They came there to rest and relax in a different environment for a while.

After a few hours of driving we stopped at a resturant/gift shop. Again, because of the heat I wasn't too hungry so I had a small bowl of mushroom soup and some tea. Since we were away from everything Subhash sat at the same table with me and had lunch. He ordered regular Indian food and ate it with relish. We had a little conversation about various customs in this part of the world.

After this quick bite to eat I went into the gift shop and looked over some of the Mugal paintings that were there. There was quite a large collection of them. I spent quite a little time looking through them trying to find a few that weren't too expensive. I found a few that I purchased. After that we left.

Singing Sage at the Front Door of the Resturant



Most of the landscape we were driving through was farm country. The houses were grass huts probably with a dirt floor. It was harvest time and some of the fields had stacks of corn or millet in them. There was cattle in many places. Mostly cows walking in a line down the side of the road. Every once in a while we would come to a village where people were more consentrated and there were a few stores. And of course we passed many Hindu temples.

Hindu Temple



The people out here in the rural areas collect the dung of their animals and store it in little buildings made of grass. After the dung is dried out they use it for cooking fuel.

The Real India



As we were driving along their was a girl walking along the side of the road with a couple of pots balanced on her head. "Quick, take a picture", Subhash exclaimed. "That's the real India". I agreed and got the picture.

There was one place we went through, a lady was throwing some of her grass under the wheels of cars as they passed. I guess she was using a natural resource to help thresh whatever it was these thick stalks were. Nobody seemed to mind. Subhash thought it was amusing and was quick to point it out.

Old Temple on the side of the Road



Before arriving at Agra we were schedualed to stop at an abandoned fort that was built by Akbar several hundreds of years ago. While we were driving along Subhash's cell phone started to ring. He answered it. It was the guide we were to be meeting when we got to the outskirts of Agra. He wanted to know what was taking us so long. He was anxious for us to pick him up so he could show me the old fort. We had stayed too long at the gift shop. That's why we were late. After this Subhash started driving a little faster. That was ok with me since I had confidence in him that he knew what he was doing. After a little while we came to a little store. We stopped and picked up the guide. Not far down the road we got to Fatehpur Sikri.

The Abandoned Fort of Fatehpur Silri



Fatehpur Silri is located forty-three kilometers from Agra. It is the best example of architectural achievement during Akbar's reign. In other words this was the best fort he had built in his lifetime. Most of the buildings were built in the Persian style. There are some that are built in other styles such as; a palace built in the Hindu temple design, and another was built after the pattern of a Buddhist Vihara.

Construction began in 1569 AD and was completed in 1584 AD. It was intended to be the capitol of the district with public buildings, schools, palaces, mosques, terraces and gardens. Akbar was known for his broadmindedness concerning religion and during his lifetime he attempted to unite the prominent religions in India at the time; Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Buddhism.

The sandstone fort was built in gratitude of a local saint. Shortly after it was built it had to be abandoned because there wasn't enough water in the area to sustain the people living there. There is an inscription on one of the portals of a mosque there called Baland Durwaza. It reads; "So said Jesus on whom be peace; the world is a bridge; pass over, but build no house on it".

After spending what seemed like hours there and the guide explaining every detail about it we left and started toward the city of Agra.

Man and his Monkey



AGRA

I checked into the Amar Agra Hotel and was shown my room which was one floor below the lobby. It was nice though because there were windows and a good view of a nearby river. After I was there for a little while there was a knock on the door. I answered it. It was the guy who showed me the room earlier. He wanted to let me know that they had hot water twenty-four hours now. He said this in a very excited way, his voice raised a few octives and he had a prepetual smile on his face. Then he left. I started putting my stuff away then he came back to let me know that breakfast would start at 6 AM. I told him I had to leave at 6 AM. This made him grin wider.

THE TAJ MAHAL

The next morning I got up around 4 AM and gathered all my clothes that I had hanging everywhere around the room and threw them in my suitcase. I had let the fan run all night hoping they would all be dry by morning. Most of them were.

Subhash and the guide came at 6. By this time I found out that the guide's name was Bilal. The early morning air was a little crisp but it was still warm. Traffice wasn't too bad. We made it to the entrance of the Taj Mahal where we had to go through security as is usual at most major landmarks around the world. It was very crowded. finally after a little wait we started walking toward an enormous gate that is the entrance to the Taj Mahal. After that we walked half the distance of a football field and came to another gate. We went inside and then through the door at the other end of a room. I got my first glimps of the great Mahal. It was beautiful. I stepped out the door and took a long look at it.

Man Selling Cucumbers




The Taj Mahal is made of pure white marble of fine texture and was brought over from Rajisthan. It is a structure where all its parts are in perfect proportion. It's design is square. The central dome has the appearance of an inverted lotus. There is a mineret slightly slanted on the four corners of the tomb and is surrounded by gardens pools and fountains. The interior and exterior of the main building are decorated with screens, calligraphy and in-lay work of semi-precious stones. Inside are octagonal chambers connected to each other by diagonal passages. It took 22 years to complete this almost perfect structure. The pattern of the building is similar to Humayun's tomb in New Delhi but is complete both inside and out.

Taj Mahal



The guide and I spent some time first walking along the outside of the building. He was explaining to me the calligraphy that is written all over the outside which are passages taken out of the Koran. There is a mosque built on either side of the Taj. One of them was only partially finished. Two of them were built so that there would be a sense of simitry to the over all design of the complex. Two mosques were not needed, but are there for looks only.

After this we went inside and looked around a little bit, then came out and walked around the grounds a bit and then left.

RUG SELLERS

After this I was taken to a place where they try to sell you rugs. I told them from the start that I wasn't interested in buying a rug, but I went through their sales pitch anyway and drank tea while young dudes brought out rug after rug and spread them out before me to examine while they were telling me of their magnificent quality and handmade craftmanship and the skill that went into making them. I agreed with them that their product was great. I just had no desire to buy any of them. I went through this charade for awhile till it became ridicules and then left.

RED FORT

Next stop was the Red Fort a little way from the Taj Mahal. It was here that I found out that this Red Fort was very much like the one in New Dehli. Even though they were much alike, there were alot of differences between the two. The country used to be ruled from this place but the capitol was moved to New Dehli.

Once you get passed the fort-like exterior you enter the palace area; the living quarters of the emperor and his family. As we were walking through, the mosque to the left with it's white domes gleaming in the sun caught my attention. I tried to imagine how the people lived in a place like this. We walked straight through to the windows on the other end. Bilal explained to me how the screens over the windows are made of stone. In the olden days the workmen took a slab of stone and carved it out and made it into a screen using a special tool and special techniques. If a workman made a mistake and broke the stone he would have to start over.

Looking out over the palace grounds and across the river is the Taj Mahal. With the early morning haze still surrounding it, it looked like a mirage floating in the distance.

Taj Mahal from Red Fort



We went through the various courtyards of the palaces where the wives of the emperor lived. Bilal pointed out the different styles of architecture of each building which was a blend of Muslim, Hindu or Christian depending on what religion each wife was.

Red Fort in Agra



After the Red Fort I came back to the hotel to get something to eat and rest alittle for a couple of hours then the guide came again and took me to what is called the BABY TAJ. It is a tomb built in the general style of the Taj Mahal in that it is completely decorated both inside and out with the inlaid semi precious stones. The outer style is different from the Taj and it is alot smaller. It is the burial place of some former Muslim emperors and their wives and children.

Bilal The Guide



Bilal was a nice little guy. He was quite short but I noticed that he had gigantic feet. Toward the end of the tour I put my foot next to his and asked him if he was going to grow any more. With feet that big I thought he was going to shoot up to six foot five in a few months. He smile and told me that to make himself taller he used these big shoes and put something in them to make himself a couple inches taller.

Bilal has been a guide for a few years now. His father and also many of his relatives do this kind of work. He recently graduated from college and usually takes Japanese people on tours since he speak their language fluently. In the off season he takes English speakers on tours.

Akbar's Tomb



One of the last things I did was to see Akbar's Tomb. Akbar's bones are not in the coffin that is on display. They are in a coffin one floor below this one for security reasons. One of Akbar's sons built the Taj Mahal and Humayon was his father, whose tomb I saw in New Dehli.

After this I went back to the hotel again and rested for awhile. Then brought all my stuff to the lobby and checked out and waited for Subhash. He arrived about fifteen minutes later. Subhash knew of a good resturant so he took me to it. He didn't come in with me which I thought was unusual. I went in alone and ordered Chinese style chicken fried rice. After it came and I was eating it, the waiter came by and asked if I would like some curd with it. I said "sure", so he brought some over. I liked the combination. While I was in the resturant Subhash spent his time visiting other drivers who he has known for many years. They would be sitting outside the resturant in a little group waiting for their clients to come out.

After I got back in the car we still had quite a few hours before the train would arrive so I expressed some interest in going to a store to see if I could find some good music from India and maybe buy a book. He took me to a book store where they also sells CD's and other things.

Going into a store like this is quite a different experience then what we do in the States. The usual custom is to go in and sit down and talk to the proprietor a little and then he offers you tea. We talked alittle inbetween him attending other customers. I asked about buying a CD. I wanted to get some good music but I knew nothing about their music. He started playing some of his favorite music on CD. It was all good but then I asked Subhash to recommend something. I wanted to include him because I didn't like the cast system, so I asked for his advice. He suggested some Rajasthani folk music called NIMBUDA NIMBUDA sung by Bunda Khan & party. The proprietor put the CD on and played the first track. I liked it. He played the second track all the way to the last track. I liked every track so I wanted to buy it. It is music that comes from the desert around Jaipur. Today that CD is still one of my favorite in Indian music. This particular groups plays their instruments and sings from the heart.

While we were there I wanted to buy a book or two so I went to the back of the store where their book cases were and scanned the books to see what I could come up with. I found a book called, JESUS LIVED IN INDIA By Holger Kersten: Penquin Book, and then I found a book called, THE HOLY VEDAS, which is some of the holy scriptures of the Hindu religion. I thought I would get that and see what it was all about.

Man Making Betelnut



It was starting to get dark so I purchased these thing and we walked out the door. Across the street their was a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. There were a bunch of people worshipping inside, but there was alot of commotion going on inside and spilling out onto the street. We got in the car and proceeded down the street. We still had several hours to go before I had to be at the train station so Subhash wanted to take me to a friend of his place where we could sit and talk to them for awhile. It was ok with me but I wanted to try some betelnut that I had read about before coming to India. Many years ago while serving in the military for my country I had tried some in the southeast Asian country where I was stationed for a year. At that time I was young and as I recall I didn't like it. I thought being in India I would try it again now that I was much older to see what it was like. So Subhash took me to a place on the street where we could get some. He told the guy what we wanted and the vendor put a bunch of stuff inside the betel-nut leaf and gave it to us. Subhash rolled his up and I did the same. Then he put it in the back of his mouth like you would chewing tobacco. I followed suit. He said you are supposed to chew it lightly and slowly so it would last awhile. I asked him if we had to spit out the juice. He said to swallow it. It had quite a good flavor. I chewed on that the whole night and spit it out when it was down to nothing.

We got in the car and Subhash drove to his friend's store in the central district of Agra. His friend owns a store where they carve things out of stone. They carve many things such as Buddhist statues and other things. He pulled up infront of the store and found a place to park and we went in. There were some workers sitting on the floor outside the front door. They were cutting stone with some kind of a tool and cooling the blade with water which was flowing onto the pavement.

Once inside the store I was introduced to his friend who was tending the store. I shook his hand and then was ushered to a side room and was shown a couch to sit on. There was an old man sitting on the other side of the room. He looked to be around eighty years old. For a few minutes we just sat there not saying anything to each other. Finally after a little bit the old man started to talk. He began by telling me a little about India's history. He said that what you read in the history books is not the way it was. England wanted India solely as a jewel in their crown and for no other reason.

Then he started talking about Gandhi. He said that he had met with him and talked to him many times. I asked him if he had ever shook his hand. He said he had, so I asked him if I could shake the hand that shook the hand of Gandhi. So he let me shake his hand.

We talked more on India's history and politics. Pretty soon his son came in, (Subhash's friend) and he started to talk about President Bush and American politics. We talked about that for awhile then Subhash came back. It was starting to get late so I shook hands with Subhash's friend and the old man, and then we left.

THE TRAIN TO VARANASI

Later in the evening Subhash took me to a resturant to get some food for the train trip. We drank tea til the order was ready. Then we picked up a TCI agent who was going to accompany me to the train station and help me with my bags. I was going to catch the Marudlhar Express. It what is called a sleeper. You sleep the whole time til you get to your destination. This was the end of the line for Subhash. When we got to the station we shook hands and said good bye and I went into the station with the TCI agent. He had done this many times before so we found the place where my train would be making its stop and waited. When it finally arrived we found the berth and then he left.

The whole car was filled with Spanish people except for me and a Japanese guy above me on the top bunk. Someone told me that the Spanish come to India this time of the year as a rule, because for one, they don't mind the heat, and two,it's less crowded. There aren't many tourists in India this time of the year at the tail end of the monsoon season.

In the berth there were two sets of bunk beds. I took the steel wire out of my bag and secured my suitcase to the legs of the table underneith the window. Since there was only a curtain for a door I didn't want anyone coming in and stealing my stuff while I was asleep. After everyone was on board and the train started to move they shut the lights off. There was nothing left to do but try to get some sleep. It was quite late. There was a little light on the wall that could be used for reading but I didn't want to bother with it. I was kind of tired.

I laid down on the bed with my clothes on and covered myself with the two blankets that the train provided. I laid my head on my bag and a pillow and fell asleep right away, and slept through the night alright and woke up at the crack of dawn.

Sometime during the night two Spanish ladies came in and occupied the bunks across from me and the Japanese guy. The lady on the bottom bunk woke up shartly after I did. We smiled at each other and we both started taking pictures out the window. Most of the time I just sat and watched the world go by. Here are some of the things I saw out the window:

Square brick houses and cottages.
Grass houses with thatched roofs.
Brick houses with tile roofs.
Fields of corn and rice.
Different kinds of grass fields.
People sitting in fields of grass using a sickle to cut the grass.
Goats, cow, and bulls.
Rickity brick buildings, left over from British rule.
Grass shacks.
Buildings with Hindi writing on them
Brown rivers.
Old British style bridges.
Women dressed in colorful saharis.
Men in light trousers and shirts.
Corrugated tin roofs with bricks on top to keep the wind from blowing the roof off.
Plowed fields ready for planting.
Hindu temples here and there, each with a different god.
White birds.
Gravel piles
Brick buildings with thatched roofs.
Orange and yellow flags flying from buildings.

We made a stop at one station before we got to Varanasi. It was surreal. The train waited for what seemed like a long time there. It was early morning and there was mist in the air. Not a western person in sight. It was all Indian people catching the train to go to work. Many sadu's living the homeless life at first, and then business men and then women running to get to the train. I felt like I was in a dream. My mind was in a far away place thinking thoughts that that had never occurred to me before. I was at peace. All was calm. All was good.

Men's Bathroom on the Train

VARANASI

I got off the train in to the blinding sunlight and the hot air. I found the TCI representitive on the concrete platform and he took me down to where the driver was, not far away with his car. It was another one of the usual type touring cars. I was introduced to the driver. His name was Raja. He was a sort of roundish Indian man about 38 or 40 years old. He had all the features of a typical Indian man. His skin was dark and he had sort of brown hair. I didn't realize it at the time but I soon found out that his English was very limited. He took me to the Hotel Meraden Grand hotel where I checked in. I went to my room and took a shower and changed my clothes.

Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is the holiest Hindu city where there is non-stop noise and excitement. After the shower and the clean clothes I was to meet the guide in the lobby. I went down and sat in a chair facing the entrance. The lobby was filled with plush furnishings of fine velvet and satin. There were chandeliers of gold with diamond shaped cut glass. The carpets were of some kind of floral design. It was kind of too expensive for my taste but I tried to get used to it.

Pretty soon the guide walked in. He immediately came over to where I was. We met and shook hands. Up until this time on this trip I had a sucsession of younger guides. This guide was older about in his early fifties maybe. He explained to me that he was going to first take me to Sarnath. This is the placed where Buddha preached his first sermon after he was enlightened. I was looking forward to this faze of the trip. This had been what I came to Inda for.

SARNATH

The first thing we did when we got to Sarnath was to go to the Buddhist museum that is near the park where Buddha preached his first sermon. Most everything in the museum was dug up in and around the vicinity of the deer park and where some monasteries once stood. The museum was filled with many artifacts and broken statues of Buddha. In the 14th century the Muslims came through and tried to destroy everything they could find of the Buddhist religion.

King Asoka, who ascended to the throne of a kingdom in northern India in 270BC, was at first an arch enemy of Buddhism spending much time and energy trying to tear down, and destroy the new religion. In his later years he had a change of heart and embraced Buddhism and went around the country erecting pillars and building stupas commerating the Buddha in all the Buddhist sites in India and Nepal. He built the origional stupa in Sarnarth called the Dharmarjla stupa. The present one is built over Asoka's origional stupa.

After recieving supreme enlightenment the newly awakened Buddha decided to find his companions and preach them the Dharma, which means, "teaching". He knew they were in Sarnath because that is where they went when they had abandoned him in Bodhgaya when he had decided not to live the life of self mortification any more. It took him a year to get there because he would only walk for a little while and then rest, then walk a little way more until he finally got there.

When he arrived in Sarnath the five ascetics saw him coming in the distance. They decided not to pay any attention to him at first but as he got closer they changed their mind and embraced him as their old friend. Later in the evening Buddha gathered the ascetics together and preached his first sermon to them. The title of the sermon was, "the turning of the wheel of Dharma". Here he announced to the world for the first time the teaching of the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, the path to end sorrow and achieve inner peace, enlightenment and Nirvana.


Dharmarajila Stupa in Sarnath



After the museum we walked over to the park. You first walk in and come across the ruins of monasteries and stupas that have been built and destroyed and rebuilt again over the centuries. There have been some excavation of the site in the 20th century. The deer park is quiet and serene.

There is alot of speculation about many of the little structures in the park. One section of Buddhism says he preached his first sermon in one place, another sect says it was in a different place. The large Dharmarjila Stupa is the traditional place where Buddha preached the sermon. I had been looking forward to circa-ambulating the stupa before I came to India, but the day I was there workman were repairing it. There was scaffolding built all around the structure so you couldn't get near it.

The guide told me a few stories about the park. One of them went like this.. For many centuries it had been forgotten that this was a famous place in Buddhist history. There was a nobleman who lived in the area who thought he would use some of the bricks that were laying around in the park. He wanted to build something of his own. One day while some of his workers were digging around they came across a stone box that had ashes in it. Like all good Hindus they took the ashes and box and threw them into the nearby Ganges River. Later when parts of the park were being excavated and this story was told to the archeologists it was thought that these ashes may have been Buddha's since there was a hole in one of the stupas that was found to be the location where the sage's ashes were stored. The hole was empty so it was thought for sure that they found Buddh's ashes.

There are a few noteworthy places in the park that I should mention. North of the monastery and stupas is the place where Buddha meditated when he stayed in Sarnath.

After spending some time in the park we got back in the car and went up the street for a little bit to a temple called Mulegandakuti Vihara which was built by someone of note. The vihara is a hundred feet high and has an statue of Buddha in it along with other relics. There are also paintings of Buddha's life on the walls, painted by a Japanese devotee.

MAP OF INDIA TEMPLE

Back in Varanasi the first place we went was the temple that houses a huge base-relief map of India. The temple was built by some of Gandi's followers in the 1950's. The guide and I went inside and had an interesting conversation about the Ayran's who first came to India from somewhere in Siberia. They brought with them tools and new methods of architecture. They also brought a religion and a way of life that the people of India took as their own and expanded on it. As we were walking out of the temple two large tour busses pulled up and people started streaming out of them. They were either European or American. We got out of there before I could find out.

THE TEMPLE OF DURGA

After this we went to one of the incarnation of one of Vishnu's wives. Vishnu is one of the major gods in Hinduism. Durga is a major goddess in her own right. We got out of the car. The guide informed me that I wasn't allowed in the temple because I am not Hindu. I was only allowed to go as far as the entrance of the temple. I walked up to the temple entrance and waited outside while the guide went in. People were coming and going in and out. Those coming out had a fresh red dot on their foreheads. There seemed to be some kind of commotion goin on inside the temple but I couldn't tell what was going on.

Temple of Durga



On the way back to the car the guide mentioned something about the goddess loving blood.

Durga, The wife of Vishnu



After the temple we fought our way through the traffic back to the hotel. All the streets of the city were now a literal river of people, cars, ox-carts and all other kinds of vehicles. People were out with umbrellas on this hot day to keep the rays of the sun off their faces. To make matters worse a group of people were parading an effigy of the god Viswakarma through the streets. He is the god of carpenters and builders of all types. This was causing a huge traffic jam. The crowds were taking this god to the Ganges River where they would perform a ritual and then cast into the water.

Sweat was pouring from Raja's face as he leaned into the steering wheel. The guide was rolling his eyes and sighing. Twenty years of traffic jams like this were finally getting

Heavy Traffic in Varanasi



to him. Raja tried to go down some back streets but ended up at the intersection of a main thoroughfare and we were stuck in front of a river of humanity that swept before us. After a few minutes of scratching his head and wondering what to do, the guide, Mr. Singh got out of the car and waded into the traffic and stopped a few vehicles. At this point Raja was able to make a left turn. Once in the stream of traffic we went with the flow and eventually made it to the hotel. I would see them bright and early the next morning.

THE GANGES RIVER

I got up around four the next morning so I would be in the lobby by five to meet R.N. Singh and Raja. At exactly five he walked in the lobby. We got in the car and proceeded in the direction of the Ganges River. There were less people on the streets at this time of the morning. Richshaws were out but many were pulled to the side of the street with the driver curled up in the seat sleeping. Most of the shops were closed at this hour, but there were a few that were open. Cows roamed freely on the streets as well as a few starry-eyed tourists.

When we got to the heart of everything and could go no farther by car Raja found a parking place and the guide and I got out. On the streets the crowds were quickly thickening. We made our way in the direction of the waters edge and passed a maze of shops and hawkers at every turn. We were headed downward through well paved and well worn paths and stairways to the boats below. I stopped to buy a butter candle from a girl. I quickly gave her the few ruppees it cost and she handed me a book of matches so I could light it once I got on the boat. We finally made it to the edge of the river. There was some initial disputing and rapid discussing between the guide and the boat handlers. Then I was helped onto a wooden boat by the guide and a boat handler. I sat on the stern. My view was to the back of the boat.

Dasgastwamadh Ghat



Varanasi was spectacular that morning. People were on the ghats performing Hindu rituals and practicing yoga. Men with painted faces were shaving each others heads. The smoke of a funeral pyre could be seen down the way. Some people were washing their clothes. Others were bathing.

Just then a Spanish couple was escorted onto the boat by their guide. They looked to be in their mid-twenties. They sat down to the right of me. Naked boys jumped in the water from a slab of concrete nearby. A man was pouring Ganges water into the river from a silver vessel while looking at the sun. The guide nudged my shoulder and pointed to the sun. "take a look at that". he said. I looked over my left shoulder and witnessed the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. The sun was a beautiful red ball. You could look straight at it. There were no rays coming from it. It was just glorious. I had never seen the sun like that before.

People Washing in the Ganges



The boat handlers thrust the boat from the shore out into open water. My guide was on my left trying to explain to me different things. He pointed out the names of temples and answered any question I had. It was noisy and confusing the first few minutes until we got steady in the water. The two lads that were maning the row boat were around eighteen or nineteen. The one that was rowing was the novice. The skipper was navagating from the bow behind me with a hand held rudder. The rower was having a hard time rowing up stream. He was straining with all his might but didn't seem to be making any progress.

I looked at the Spanish couple. They seemed to be in a state of shock. There was so much going on all around us it seemed as though they couldn't process it all. Their eyes were the size of saucers.

When we were a little way out from shore I lit the butter candle with the matches the girl gave me. It was in a little cup that could float. I put the cup with the candle in the choppy water and watched it quickly float away. When we were about a fourth of a mile from shore the navigator and the rower traded places. The navigator puffed up his muscles and began rowing like he had done it thousands of times before. He took control of the little craft and got it going with little effort and no sweat dripping down his face.

We wre gliding through the water now. We had passed the ghats and all the people. The guide pointed out the water marks on various buildings that showed how far the water had gotten over the years. There was the mark for 1947, and one for 1967 and other dates.

By this time I had started sitting American Indian style. It's just a habit I picked up somewhere. The guide saw me sitting in this fashion and asked me if I practice yoga. I told him, "no". He said Europeans can't sit this way. Their legs are too stiff. I do admit that I do sit that way because it keeps my legs limber. I didn't know that this was yoga.

A Sadu



We passed a holy man meditating, sitting in the lotus position high on a bluff under a tree.

I asked the guide about the unbrellas scattered around on the ghats with people crowded all around them. The guide told me that their is a priest under each umbrella. After the people wash in the Ganges River they go over to the priest where he blesses them and puts a red mark on their forehead.

We kept going for awhile against the currant of the river and then turned around and started back toward where we started. Now it was easier on the rower since we were now going down stream. We came close to a place where they were cremating someone who had recently died. Puffs of smoke rose into the atmosphere. The Spanish speaking guide tells the couple not to take pictures of the cremation scene. When we rowed away from the site he told them they could take pictures now.

I had read before I came on the trip that there was supposed to be Vishnu's footprints in Varanasi somewhere. I had told the guide earlier that I would like to see them. That was the next thing I was going to do. The boat handlers let the Spanish couple and their guide off near a cremation site. We went down the river a little bit and me and the guide got out of the boat. I paid the boat handlers off and then the guide and I went up a little hill and came upon an umbrella. There was a priest blessing a crowd of people that were huddled around the food prints of Vishnu. They were preforming some sort of ritual and reverencing the foot prints.

After a little while the group of people broke up and began to leave. The preist came over to me and with his thumb put a red dot on my forehead. He motioned for me to come over to see the foot prints. I went over and looked at them. The feet were tiny like the feet of a child. Then someone came up to me and told me that Vishnu really did come to Varanasi centuries ago and stand on that spot.

Vishnu



I had showed an interest in going to a place where they cremate people and seeing that first hand so we walked a little and then the guide delivered me into the hands of someone who works in a nearby hospice and also burns their bodies after they die. He took me up

Creamation Along the Banks of The Ganges



some cement stairs to a ghat. I could hear the crackling of a fire as we went up. I could also smell the smoke. It was like a camp fire. I was surprised there was no smell of burning flesh. I could see the unburned legs of a body sticking out of the fire. The guy pulled me aside and started talking to me. He told me how expensive the wood is. I gave him a little money and then left.

I met the guide at the bottom of the stairs. We start walking up the winding lane that leads back to the street above, but first we stop at the place where the Golden Temple is. The guide tells me it is the most important Hindu temple in Varanasi.

The security around the temple was very tight. There had been a bombing further down on one of the ghats a few months earlier by Muslim extremists. We went through security and then we went to a place where we could see the temple. We went to a couple other places so we could see it at different angles.

After this I was taken back to the hotel to get ready to leave the next morning.





Golden Temple