Slept quite well...woke at 6 AM and walked the Gnats....people watching.
As I was walking the Gnats, I noticed a westerner getting his head shaved in preparation for a Ganges baptism. Notice the two women next to him and supporting his efforts....I can imagine Ann Marie and Laura standing next to me and encouraging me to go forth...:>}
I had breakfast at the hotel....eating too many eggs....hope my cholesterol number doesn't increase too dramatically. I noticed on the roof of the building next door, a astrological measuring devices that we saw in Rajasthan. Who and why the devices were being used in Varanasi is a mystery....
I decided to escape the clamor of Varanasi and travel to Sarnath, the third holiest site for Buddhist. Buddhism offers four major sites for pilgrimage: Buddha's birthplace at Kapilavastu, the site where he attained Enlightenment under the Bodh Gaya tree at Bihar, Sarnath where he first preached to his disciples, and lastly at Kusinagara where he died. The hotel wanted 1,200 rupes for the trip and a guide for a period of 4 hours ....too much...I struck out on my own. I hired a tuk-tuk which cost me 200 rupees to get there and 120 rupees to get back...my negotiating skills are improving. The distance is only 6 miles but the roads were congested and of poor quality, numerous pot holes.....I had to hold on to the tuk-tuk's internal handle bars to avoid flying out of the vehicle. I was able to get a few good shots of passing vehicles and pedestrians...
Sarnath was peaceful compared to Varanasi. I visited the site where Buddha was suppose to have offered his 1st sermon....various temples and stupas have been built in his honor. A number of Buddhist organization from other countries have built temples (Wats) in Sarnath to honor Buddha. The most interesting was the Buddha statue built by Thailand to symbolically replace the large Buddha statue destroyed by Afghanistan's Taliban in the 1990s. My visit to Sarnath lasted about 5 hours...a nice respite from Varanasi. Interesting fact...although Buddha was an Indian Hindu who introduced his "enlightenment" philosophy to the world, Buddhism represents less than 0.8% of the population; in the USA the percentage is 0.7%.
After visiting the Sarnath museum....no pictures please.... I walked the town before heading back to Varanasi. Notice the block of ice that the vendor is shaving for the snow-cone....
After a jarring ride back to Varanasi, my driver dropped me at a location near my hotel, so he said, but in unfamiliar territory. I got lost in the back-alleys.....I followed the strategy of asking people in which direction the river and gnats were....after about one-half hour of feeling like a rat in a maze, I found the Ganges...thank goodness...the sweat was rolling off my body. I headed for the "Blue Lassi" to rest and re-energize my body with a mango lassi...it sure tasted good. I continued to wander the narrow alleys....taking pictures of life in India....cows walking with impunity...woman shopping for saris....a man weighting charcoal.
My final stop was a visit back to Manikarnika Gnat to get up closed and personal and view one of Hindu's holiest ceremonies, the cremation process leading towards . I was told that 300 to 400 cremations occur daily. The doms maintain a relatively clean work environment.....their was no show of sorrow around the various pyres burning during this day....the piles of discarded clothing, ashes, burnt wood and 5 burning pyres were the only reminders of the solemn work that was occurring at Manikarnika Gnat. Below is an excerpt from www.aboutreligion.com...these two paragraphs provide a succinct description of the importance of the Ganges and cremation on its banks to the Hindu faithful.
"The Mother Ganges is considered an actual deity in the Hindu pantheon. They regard the river itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Hindus venerate the river as a giver and life, but also as a means of liberation from life.
Dying on the river’s sacred banks is believed to free oneself from samsara, the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Breaking the reincarnation chain will allow Hindus to achieve spiritual liberation, or moksha. Moksha is similar to Buddhist enlightenment in that it is liberation from earthly desires and the suffering that follows it. Moksha is the ultimate goal for a Hindu, and the Mother Ganges is the fastest way to achieve it."
Picture taking at the cremation gnat is discouraged.
Having left the hotel at 8 AM and returning at 5 PM...I was soaking wet ....sweating profusely in the 100+ degree heat. I took a shower...rested for an hour before grabbing my camera and heading to view the Ganga Aarti. The Aatri is a ceremony where music, chanting and offerings are made to the Mother Ganges. The ceremony begins at 7 PM after sunset.....thousands of people sit on the ghat steps while 1,000 plus are floating on boats waiting for the ceremony to start. Five (5) Hindu priests begin the ceremony by using a conch shell as their trumpeter's call. The music and mantra chants begin and last for one-hour. The 5 priests utilize burning incense, lamps and pots to offer spiritual gifts to the Mother Ganges. It is difficult to convey the feelings and emotions as you watch people deeply engrossed in expressing their religious beliefs. I might suggest going to you-tube to witness any of the activities/ceremonies that I have attempted to describe in my BLOG.
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| Crowds at 6:30 AM |
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| Vendors Ready for Business |
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| Brahman Priest Counseling Family |
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| Pilgrims begin to Arrive |
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| Adult Bathers |
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| Starting at an Early Age |
As I was walking the Gnats, I noticed a westerner getting his head shaved in preparation for a Ganges baptism. Notice the two women next to him and supporting his efforts....I can imagine Ann Marie and Laura standing next to me and encouraging me to go forth...:>}
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| Clean Shaven except for Curl |
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| Early Morning Bathers |
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| Praying to Hindu Gods |
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| Instructions before Baptism |
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| Before the Final Plunge |
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| Complete |
I had breakfast at the hotel....eating too many eggs....hope my cholesterol number doesn't increase too dramatically. I noticed on the roof of the building next door, a astrological measuring devices that we saw in Rajasthan. Who and why the devices were being used in Varanasi is a mystery....
 |
I decided to escape the clamor of Varanasi and travel to Sarnath, the third holiest site for Buddhist. Buddhism offers four major sites for pilgrimage: Buddha's birthplace at Kapilavastu, the site where he attained Enlightenment under the Bodh Gaya tree at Bihar, Sarnath where he first preached to his disciples, and lastly at Kusinagara where he died. The hotel wanted 1,200 rupes for the trip and a guide for a period of 4 hours ....too much...I struck out on my own. I hired a tuk-tuk which cost me 200 rupees to get there and 120 rupees to get back...my negotiating skills are improving. The distance is only 6 miles but the roads were congested and of poor quality, numerous pot holes.....I had to hold on to the tuk-tuk's internal handle bars to avoid flying out of the vehicle. I was able to get a few good shots of passing vehicles and pedestrians...
 |
| Transporting Cremation Firewood |
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| Camp Cook-Out |
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| Not Another Box |
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| A Heavy Load |
Sarnath was peaceful compared to Varanasi. I visited the site where Buddha was suppose to have offered his 1st sermon....various temples and stupas have been built in his honor. A number of Buddhist organization from other countries have built temples (Wats) in Sarnath to honor Buddha. The most interesting was the Buddha statue built by Thailand to symbolically replace the large Buddha statue destroyed by Afghanistan's Taliban in the 1990s. My visit to Sarnath lasted about 5 hours...a nice respite from Varanasi. Interesting fact...although Buddha was an Indian Hindu who introduced his "enlightenment" philosophy to the world, Buddhism represents less than 0.8% of the population; in the USA the percentage is 0.7%.
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| Sarnath - Birthplace of Buddhism |
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| India's Buddhist Temple |
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| Outside Decorations |
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| Depiction of Buddha's 1st Sermon |
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| Buddha Statues |
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| Japanese Temple |
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| Chinese Temple |
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| Thai Wat |
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| Thai Temple |
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| Thai's Afgani Replacement |
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| Sarnath Complex - 5th Century AD |
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| Ancient Stupa - 6th AD |
After visiting the Sarnath museum....no pictures please.... I walked the town before heading back to Varanasi. Notice the block of ice that the vendor is shaving for the snow-cone....
 |
| Field Trip |
 |
| Indian Snowcone |
After a jarring ride back to Varanasi, my driver dropped me at a location near my hotel, so he said, but in unfamiliar territory. I got lost in the back-alleys.....I followed the strategy of asking people in which direction the river and gnats were....after about one-half hour of feeling like a rat in a maze, I found the Ganges...thank goodness...the sweat was rolling off my body. I headed for the "Blue Lassi" to rest and re-energize my body with a mango lassi...it sure tasted good. I continued to wander the narrow alleys....taking pictures of life in India....cows walking with impunity...woman shopping for saris....a man weighting charcoal.
 |
| Weighting Charcoal |
 |
| Co-Existence |
 |
| Negotiation - Buying Saris |
 |
| Some of India's Gods |
My final stop was a visit back to Manikarnika Gnat to get up closed and personal and view one of Hindu's holiest ceremonies, the cremation process leading towards . I was told that 300 to 400 cremations occur daily. The doms maintain a relatively clean work environment.....their was no show of sorrow around the various pyres burning during this day....the piles of discarded clothing, ashes, burnt wood and 5 burning pyres were the only reminders of the solemn work that was occurring at Manikarnika Gnat. Below is an excerpt from www.aboutreligion.com...these two paragraphs provide a succinct description of the importance of the Ganges and cremation on its banks to the Hindu faithful.
"The Mother Ganges is considered an actual deity in the Hindu pantheon. They regard the river itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Hindus venerate the river as a giver and life, but also as a means of liberation from life.
Dying on the river’s sacred banks is believed to free oneself from samsara, the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Breaking the reincarnation chain will allow Hindus to achieve spiritual liberation, or moksha. Moksha is similar to Buddhist enlightenment in that it is liberation from earthly desires and the suffering that follows it. Moksha is the ultimate goal for a Hindu, and the Mother Ganges is the fastest way to achieve it."
Picture taking at the cremation gnat is discouraged.
Having left the hotel at 8 AM and returning at 5 PM...I was soaking wet ....sweating profusely in the 100+ degree heat. I took a shower...rested for an hour before grabbing my camera and heading to view the Ganga Aarti. The Aatri is a ceremony where music, chanting and offerings are made to the Mother Ganges. The ceremony begins at 7 PM after sunset.....thousands of people sit on the ghat steps while 1,000 plus are floating on boats waiting for the ceremony to start. Five (5) Hindu priests begin the ceremony by using a conch shell as their trumpeter's call. The music and mantra chants begin and last for one-hour. The 5 priests utilize burning incense, lamps and pots to offer spiritual gifts to the Mother Ganges. It is difficult to convey the feelings and emotions as you watch people deeply engrossed in expressing their religious beliefs. I might suggest going to you-tube to witness any of the activities/ceremonies that I have attempted to describe in my BLOG.
 |
| People Waiting for Aarti |
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| Grandpa at Aarti Ceremony |
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| Ceremony Begins |
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| People Begin to Celebrate |
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| Offering Incense Sticks |
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| Swinging Oil Filled Lamps |
Dinner at the Lotus lounge overlooking the Ganges and back to the hotel. Varanasi has lived up to my expectations in many ways....to have not visited Varanasi would have been to miss an important aspect of India and gaining a better appreciation of the Hindu faith.
Night...night
