Varanasi

Friday night we went out to a "hot" lounge in Hyderabad, owned by a Tollywood star. (Tollywood is a name for the Hyderabad movie industry that speaks Telugu, state language of Andhra Pradesh. On that note, each state and region has a separate language, and Hindu is the national language, sort of.) There were 20 people there, and we were 7 of them. Night life is just not part of the culture. The highlight of the night was when they wouldn't let Travis in the bar with his flip-flops, and he swapped shoes with our driver.

Scott and I left early Saturday morning to the usual delay (that's foreshadowing). We arranged a cab from the airport to the Hotel Haifa. The 12 km ride took about 90 minutes. The weather was pleasant and everyone was out; the streets were narrow and traffic was tight.

The Ganges River flows down the eastern side of the city. In Hindu cultures, this city is holy, as it was believed to be founded by the god Shiva, and is source of water and life, years before irrigation. People make pilgrimage to Varanasi. Some also come here to die and be cremated, in anticipation of skipping reincarnation and heading directly to Nirvana (heaven).

Thoughts - Foreigners perception of India as a scary place is encouraged here by the unfamiliar mystics, sometimes naked and covered in ash, antiquated religious beliefs, dense population, in-your-face poverty, and general uncleanliness.

However, Varanasi also embodies all the amazing aspects of the country. Spirituality permeates aspects of everyday life and coexists with the secular bustle of commerce. Fascinating mythology influences the traditions and architecture. Urbanity and rurality are intertwined, as are the rich and the poor. And while overcrowded, everything seems to work and people get along.

The city is India in a crucible. The old and new gently tug it in opposite directions.

Touring - We walked along the shore of the Ganges down the various ghats (stairs). The different ghats lead down to the river and are used for swimming, bathing, washing, boating, and cremating.

At dusk, from a rooftop vantage point, we learned about the funeral processions (more on that later). We then meandered over to watch the puja (offering) ceremony, a joyous event.

Sunday - We woke early to take a boat and watch the sunrise on the river. The wind was blowing, and the water was choppy. It then began to rain. Hard. Since we were 0 for 5 on flights leaving on time, we made the tough decision to head to the airport and book an early connection. We were able to cancel our connection flight 10 minutes before take-off for 90% of the fare. Hmm. Sahara airlines served Subway subs as the plane snack, on top of the traditional airplane set-up.


PLEASE STOP READING IF FUNERALS MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.

There are no photos, and I left out details.


Thoughts - At first, I was surprisingly calm and fascinated by this process, perhaps because of my detachment from the ceremony, the matter-of-fact manner that the process was described to us, the expectation for the moment, and the commonality and acceptance of the whole thing. Cremations are carried out all day. By the time that we stopped learning and realized what I was watching, I had to leave promptly.

Description - Most people first ask about the smell, and there was none because of the types of wood they use (mango, banyan, sandalwood). Operators had this process down to a science and an industry, down to the exact amount of wood to use, as measured by a giant scale, and how long it would take. The fire is drawn from the eternal fire of Shiva.

There is no crying at the event, as it may hinder your passage to Nirvana. There are no women present, however, women are also cremated... unless you were a preganant woman... under 10 years old, an animal, a leper, or snake bit (the cobra is an attribute of Shiva). These were deemed impure and reincarnation was necessary: the bodies are tied to a stone and sunk into the Ganges. The lepers/sick are disposed of differently.

Families must obtain government certification to guarantee that the deceased does not fall into these groups. If cleared, the bodies are covered in an organic paste (in addition to honey, I forget what's in it), dipped in the Ganges, and then wrapped in a cloth: white for men, orange for older women, and gold for younger women.

The area is broken into graded levels and each hosts a different caste. The rich are cremated with their jewelry on, and the poor collect the jewelry in the morning.

There are hospices close by the site, and people beg to be able to house these people and give them a proper funeral. Quite a depressing thought.

I found this process interesting and thought some of you might as well! Sorry to gross you out!