Varanasi

Oct 25 – Nov 3

Varanasi was a major reason I wanted to come to India. Said to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, it exudes something magical. On our first morning in Varanasi, after the night train from Siliguri dropped us off around 5 am, we checked in, dropped our packs and headed for the river. The city from the water is mesmerizing. Floating on the Ganges and taking in the full city, it's easy to imagine what it must have looked like hundreds of years ago. The architecture is an organic mix of ancient and new, half of which seem to be strangely uninhabited. Scattered along the shore are palaces, built by kings, rajas and princes from all over India. From the river, the buildings seem stacked on each other, broken up by hundreds if not thousands of temples. Every home has its own temple, some small, some huge. And then there are, of course, the Ghats, long steps that lead to the river, covered with temples and shrines. This is the public space that prayers as old as the city take place. That morning, as the sun rose at our backs, lighting up the city, we watched activities as old as time take place – prayers and offerings to Shiva followed by holy dips (or swims) in the river, then daily bathing and clothes washing. For Dara and I, this time in Varanasi demonstrated devotion unlike anything else we had ever experienced.

We took a guest house set right on the river and spent the majority of our 8 days soaking in the experience. We flew kites, played music, watched boats being built and bodies being burned. We became experts at dickering with the touts, dodging the masseurs, and navigating the rabbit warren of alleys and streets that back up to the river. It was here that I came down with my first (and only so far) stomach bug that laid me low for a few days. Fortunately I recovered before the major Varanasi festival, Deepdawali. This festival brought pilgrims from all over India, with thousands sleeping on the Ghats in the last few days. The highlight was the lantern festival in which every square foot of the river bank/Ghats, including the vertical surfaces, were covered in small oil lamps. You can image hundreds of thousands of warm glowing candles as far as you can see up and down the river. In the week leading up to this evening, people described this festival 'as if you were in heaven'. While not exactly my picture of heaven, it was absolutely stunning. We both felt so fortunate to be here, at this time and together, to share this experience.
http://picasaweb.google.com/MarkSNewell/Varanasi#