Varanasi the City of Death - Part 5 Third times the Charm

Day 5 at Varanasi. I managed to wake up early in the morning of 430 am only to find myself alone. The three girls figured I would never manage to discipline to wake up although I did told them I would try. I guess they assumed try as a little effort put in while in my case when I say try I really mean it.

5 am in Varanasi

Walk to Assi Ghat in the early morning was peaceful. For once Varanasi was quiet without the horns and pons of the auto rickshaw nor bikes. I got there just slightly past 5 am in time to see the Puja which was half way though.

 

The fire line up by 7 devotees with background chant by the girls from both stage was a breath taking experience. Behind and in front where the Puja ceremony was being conducted they were flanked by tourist both foreigner and local.

Morning Puja Ceremony in Assi Ghat - Varanasi  

 

Serene Songs by girls for the Morning Puja at Assi Ghat - Varanasi

I recognised one guy from the hostel and he sat with me by the river just absorbing the morning ceremony in Varanasi. While the Puja in the morning was very similar to the evening one it was more serene as lesser people wake up in the morning and the morning dew was more pleasant then the sweat infested stench during the evening. People gathered around during the prayer and after some of the more devoted soul would take a morning bath in the Ganga as the sun rise in the horizon of the Ganga river. Bright orange ball rose and as the heat came in we started walking back to the hostel.

The Morning bath in Ganga River after puja - Assi Ghat, Varanasi

 

Two kids in Varanasi - Sunrise

I went back to sleep but still woke up in a few hours just in time for the last minute breakfast at 10am. At near 12pm I saw the girls in the hostel. Showed them the photos I took and they blamed me for not making the meeting a sure thing. If they knew I was going they were sure to wake up. The uncertainty of whether or not I was going made them decided to sleep in.

Food at Kerala Café - Varanasi

I invited them to join me for lunch at Kerala Café which was surprising since they had not eat there although they had been in Varanasi for a few days. It was very popular as a Café that served authentic south indian food, cheap beyond words and clean. I brought them there and for once they broke the rule of sticking to fried rice or fried mee …. They were a very typical Chinese Girls.

Yogurt Rice at Kerala Café - Varanasi

They tried for the first time Dosa and Chole Bhature …. They love it …. Still acceptable to their tasebuds and stomacs …

I decided to go for lassi … a long walk to the Blue Lassi place and invited them again after lunch …. Sceptical as they were they came along despite the heat and grime. I soon found out that they had never been into the Ghat wondering. They always stuck to the main road and were now afraid of it for it was noisy and dirty and full of cows and auto rickshaw trying to run you down.

Water Buffalo - Along the Ghats of Varanasi  

I brought them into the Ghats … walk around got lost walk more and just reveal in its splendour. The girls love it and for the first time in days they saw the actual Varanasi. They now understood why I go walking every day in Varanasi … just wander about and discover hidden passageway and the beauty of innocent kids playing around the Ghats.

We reach the Blue Lassi eventually after a very long walk. Two of them had not tried it before but the Taiwan girl had. The PRC girls had not even seen the burning Ghat. My my … At the Blue Lassi we picked up another group of PRC and they all bonded chatting in mandarin. I kept silent mostly enjoying the Lassi but one of the girls could not accept the taste of it. They were thrilled to have conversation with new people in mandarin since their English was not that good and everytime a dead body pass by and I nudge them but they had missed to see it.

Eventually we left the blue lassi place and this time I had a group of 6 following me to the Burning Ghat. 5 of them had not seen it before. Steal your heart I say and no photos.

As expected along the way to the burning Ghat we picked up a local guide. Friendly, young and very polite. He was feeling me, asking questions and sorts to see how much could he gleam out of the huge group of 7. I told him I was Malaysian and have been to the burning Ghat 2 times now and this is the third. For them behind me a first. He knew the standard scam will not work.

When we reach the Burning Ghat it was either the abandon building or the inner lower area. I headed towards the inner lower area only to be stopped by our self-declared guide. Family area he said …. Come with me and see with good viewpoint. 

I know that place …. Full of people asking for money. No one will ask you for money he said …. I guarantee it. I told him that if at any point in time if anyone … anyone asked for money I will walk away and everyone with me as well. He kept his word and we went up to the abandon building having a fantastic view of the Burning Ghat

Burning is learning.

He would explain so much about the Ghat and I gave up translating to Mandarin as the new group had a better grasp of English.

No women of the family member is allowed at the burning Ghat. This is because once there was a husband that was cremated and the wife jump into the fire after him.

There is two cremation location in Varanasi. This one is for natural cause of death. No pregnant women, kids or people with leprosy are cremated here.

These people are tied with stones to their body and dump into the Ganga river

People who are died due to unnatural cause such as accidents and such are cremated at another place in Varanasi. These souls do not go to nirvana but are rebirth into the cycle.

No lighter, matches or any fuel is used in the cremation process. Only wood and the source of the fire is from the Shiva fire maintained since ancient times.

He showed us the Shiva fire.

The fire is kept alive by a family … the honour of the job passed down from one generation to another.

Usually the people are burn according to their cast. The high cast burn above the platform and the lower cast burn below near the ganga river but as a few days ago the river level was so high all cast was burned on the platform.

The people below sieved the ashes of the dead before casting them out to the sea. They are searching for gold within the ashes.

As he explain, occasionally he would have to stop and speak to some other vultures and shoo them off. He kept his promises and never once were we disturbed while observing the Burning Ghat. He politely ask if we would visit one of his shops and that there is no obligation to buy anything. He also gave his word that there will be no one pushing us to purchase things. I kindly asked the group and they agreed.

Weaving Shop in Varanasi

The shop was a shop which made silk and Kashmir cloths. Price quoted was definitely extreme and while I question a lot to gain knowledge from the shopkeeper I had no intention of buying. One of the girls ended up buying a pillow case … beautiful silk embroidery but not before driving a hard bargain. Our guide I suspect gain a small commission from any sale the shopkeeper gets.

 

All in all I think she spend less than 800 rupee for three items. As we walked out the shop my soul was touch and I gave our guide a humble 100 rupee for taking care of us. He said no money. Being honest he said he gain 5 % commission for anything we buy in there. I gave him the money anyway thanking him. I told him … if at any point someone ask me for money while you were around I would have never given you any money. Since you kept your promises this is for you. Thank you and goodbye. We parted ways and by this time it was already evening

A walk back to the evening puja area where we see it for 10 minutes proved too much for the girls to bear. It was so hot that we were all bathing in our own sweat and could barely breathe. We ended up splitting with our new found friends and left to head back to the hostel. I did not expect today to be a full exploration day but it happened and I was glad.

It was now time to pack up and get ready to leave the next morning for Bodh Gaya.

 

A Day Trip to Sarnath

Day 4 at Varanasi. Dad says I am staying too long at Varanasi and that I needed to move on. That was weird …. For I always thought I was moving too fast even when I stay for 6 days since it was always less than a week. Still this was one place that I did not get bored of exploring. The air-con room choice was a good one for without it I would have probably had leave already. Comfort was there and interesting places to explore Varanasi was indeed a tourist heaven.

Day 4 and I had did my homework the day before slowly telling people about Sarnath and have now convince at least one person to join me on my trip there. I wanted more people to share so the Tuk Tuk ride would be cheaper. Morning breakfast and Jerrad from Chicago said yep he is in and with that more and more people joined in. Leon woke up at 10 and said he was in too and with that we had 3. Waiting downstairs for everyone to gather and more and more joined in … Total number 5 of us.

Tuk Tuk negotiation time as we head out of the hostel. 5 big guys and we played hard ball bargaining a single Tuk Tuk to take us to and fro to Sarnath for only 100 rupee a peson. I had known the going price was 200 rupee single way which adds up to about 400 rupee return. We were paying 500 return and it was a pretty good deal for 5 of us. Only thing was we had to squeeze into the tuk tuk for a half an hour ride. We also had a crazy driver … almost hit multiple people, bicycle and played chicken with a bus and also almost got hit by a bus … but we survived.

Sarnath was a simple place like all Buddhist places. The dear park had dears in it. Like a zoo. The temple which I had no idea exist was there marking the spot where Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment. There was an entrance fee of 100 rupee and a stroll around the park was serene and peaceful. Some might find it even disappointing for there is not much to see.

Sarnath with its many temples built near the UNESCO heritage site

The Ruins of Sarnath

The simple temple which marks the Spot where Buddha gave his first Sermon after Enlightenment  

Dear Park - Sarnath

Sarnath - India

Left after about 2 hours and head back to the hostel with the same tuk tuk.

I spent the day just relaxing and hiding away from the heat. Night time and I went out to look for a train ticket to Bodh Gaya which ironically brought me back to the Ghat. Got the ticket at a high price of 530 rupee and headed back to the hostel.

Varanasi the City of Death - Part 4 Temple Tours

3^rd day at Varanasi and I woke up to a lazy start. I did manage to catch breakfast barely and thinking I was late and would miss the temple tour organized by the hostel apparently I was still in time 10 minutes late. I was the first one to sign up and soon Maria from Germany join as well. Temple tour and only the two of us.

Of all the tours in the hostel, sunrise tour, market tour, Ghat tour, Yoga, Food tour, and everything else that would spoil you for weeks and more I only joined one tour which was the Temple tour. In a way I did most of them myself but temple tour was one I wanted to join to get more history and story out of the guide. 100 rupee was not much but then again you could pick up any local tourist guide just walking around for that same price.

With only two of us it was good as well for I would not want to be wandering trying to listen in when there is another 20 people around. We visited the first temple … Durga temple.

My Hindu mythology history is not one of the best. Other than knowing there is one with three eyes and one with an elephant trunk and one that is praise for his dancing I was more or less clueless about the story. How does all the god and goddess fit together and what is the whole story about them. I guess I was a bit high on my expectation in thinking the guide would have the over picture of the story. It was like asking a greek person to tell the greek god and goddess the whole story from the beginning like a book.

Each temple and its gods has its own story but a short version of it, linked spareodicly but never as a whole big story. Like having excerpt of a big picture but no one really knows the whole puzzle.

My brief understanding was this

Durga was the mother of gods …. And she is associated with the colour red which means power. Is she the most powerful one of all of them …. No Shiva is … so Shiva is above her ??? no she is equal …. So who is she … no idea …

Then there is Shiva … the almighty with the third eye whom is married to Parvathi which is also known as Kali the goddess of anger.

Then there is Lakshami which is a goddess of wealth but also the wife to Ramsati but also a derivative of Durga …. 

Who is Ganesa then ??? The one with the elephant face ….

And the monkey god is called Hanuman …. Who is associated with the colour Orange.

Once upon a time there was a poison in this world and in order to save mankind Shiva drank the poison and turned blue hence the colour blue is associated with poison.

White is associated with Shanti which means peace …..

Durga Temple in Varanasi

I made no sense of the story telling during the temple tour like in a way no one Indian is able to tell the whole story of their religion. In a way I guess it’s the same for all religion for as many faithful as there are most people do not know the true story behind the bible or the Quran or the Sangha. Some know more than other but most do not know much beyond what told by ear. The one who knows best would be the scholar and dedicate his life to unveil the history and myth and tearing his head out when there is contradicting evidence.

After temple tour it was a lazy day for me. Only till after chai time when I felt hungry did I went out hunting for food. I was craving a Thali and the Kerala Café that I had been going to every day for lunch and dinner had all the good stuff except Thali.

Before I knew it I was back in the Ghat getting further and further away from the hostel. I ran into Leon a Singaporean staying at the hostel in the same room and he joined me for dinner. Dinner done I was too lazy to explore and we headed back to the hostel but though the Ghat in another alley exploring along the way.

I told Leon about the morning Puja ceremony which was supposed to be good and he aspire to try and wake up to catch it. 430 am in the morning.. to wake up in order to catch it by 5. I decided to sleep in that night as well only to wake up in the morning later looking at Leon pictures of the Puja. It looked amazing and then I decided the next day I would do it too.

Varanasi the City of Death - Part 3 The lotus flower only blooms in the dirtiest swamp

The next day after breakfast the three of us were off to explore again. I had only two cups of Lassi for last night dinner so I was glad to be out and looking for lunch. A walk along the main road this time and Josh and Adam had a mission of sorts. They have it all planned out since they only had two days in Varanasi but I was just going with the flow deciding to stay one of my longest stop during this trip … a total of 6 days in Varanasi

We walked around much more into the Ghat after getting a good headstart with the main road and by then I have gotten my equivalent Indian version of tiger balm. We stumble upon the golden temple, shiva temple one of the oldest in Varanasi and very sacred for there was many hindu pilgrams which I later found out was because we came during the Savants month.

The one temple we could not go in. Passport is required to enter and no phones or camera is allowed in. Me and Adam tried to get in using identity card which we did the first gate only to be turn around the second one. Giving up we decided to head to the Blue Lassi place again since we were close.

Signs to Guide your way ... but beware of fake signs

More lassi for lunch …. I have gone nearly 24 hours with no food, just water and lassi.

Sitting down at the Lassi place every so often one could see dead bodies being carried on a possession heading towards the burning Ghat. It was a surreal place where people drink and enjoy and the local immune to the fact hundreds of dead bodies pass by their front shop every day.

Fruit Lassi

This Blue Lassi place was famous. Recommended by lonely planet and filled with tourist. It was my first try of Lassi and I have to say it was pretty good. Lassi was made out of milk and curd mixed together and this shop provided all kinds of fruit that could go with it. We asked the chap making the lassi which we presumed was the son of the ownder … 70 years old Lassi place what is his most favourite type of lassi flavour and he replied without a moment of hesitation …. I do not like Lassi.

The Blue Lassi Shop - Varanasi

He just sits there all day making lassi and people all praise him for a delicious lassi but he does not drink it …. He do not like the taste. Ironic of it but understandable. One question was asked of why the clay cups that is used to serve the lassi is being smashed after a single serving. Why don’t they recycle and wash them. According to him the holy men in India would not drink Lassi from a cup that has been used before or drank from before hence they all throw them away after a single use. If known that the Clay cups are being washed and re used he would not have any more holy men patronizing his shop for Lassi. Hence if you want a free souvenir clay cup authentic to India that is used to serve Lassi or the smaller one for Chai one do not have to buy them but just take them home after finishing the drink.

As we sat there drinking lassi after lassi … ( I only had one but Adam and Josh had like 3 each ) more and more people we recognise from the hostel entered the shop and joined us for Lassi.  Soon the shop was full and after a long time in the Lassi place we were finally head out again and towards the burning Ghat. Some of them had not seen it yet so we all head towards there.

The only thing we realized that was really taboo, was taking Photos of the Burning … No Photos of the burning corpes.

Round two to the Burning Ghat with a hoard of people … around 10 of us and you could see the gleam of the vulture eyes. Adam and Josh led the way and bulldozed down to the lower inner parts of the Ghat. I started to think by then that if it was really just a family area and tourist are not allowed surely there would be a big signboard to inform the tourist in English respectfully. That single board would have prevented so much hassle with the locals. I realized then that it was a local ruse … there was no such thing that the lower and inner section of the Burning Ghat is reserved for the families. It was an open burning cremation and anyone can go there as long as they do not stir up trouble. In fact it was the local vultures that tries to stir up issues with the tourist in order to profit off it.

May your Karma be fitting of your life?

Solemn silence while we visited the Ghat but with the taunting of the Vulture and the insults that the throw occasionally Josh and a few other started to heat up. Fuck off was used one or twice and I suggested it was time to leave. Downstream this time I headed and not the way we came. We were out of the Ghat and here we saw a lot of boat men this time trying to get up on a boat ride down the Ganga river. Walking on we saw another few familiar faces which was from the hostel and boarding a boat.

How much is the ride guys ???

150 a person ….

Another 10 of us stood there contemplating if it was worth taking a boat ride. …

Josh asked for a 100 rupee a person and the boatmen looking at shear volume decided it was worth his trouble …. Ok 100 per person for all of you .. come come …

We all got onto the boat and went for a ride down the river.

Scindia Ghat - Varanasi

The boat men was honest … or at lease more honest than the vulture … we knew the boat ride could cost as low as 50 rupee but at 100 rupee it was cheap enough that most of us find it a fair price. Ask me any question he said and slowly the random question surfaced up …

The boatmen told us things about Varanasi

There are a total of 87 Ghat in Varanasi … with Assi the first ghat and Varana the 87 …

Varanasi Boat Ride

Do you know how much the price of burning wood in the Burning Ghat ??? The bad men all talk about 150 rupee a kilo but it only cost 10 rupee a kilo. All the people there asking for money not for poor but for themselves.

Lal Ghat - Varanasi

It is illegal to take boat out in Ganga now as the river level is high. The govt announce that no boat shall go out now but dun worry if they come the fine will be on me and not you. I am taking risk but its ok.

Burning Ghat - Varanasi

The usual water level is about 25 metres lower. .. and the worst flood ( he pointed to the marker on the wall afar)

I believe that mostly the bad people come to Varanasi to die. In Hindu culture if you have done good in your life you can die anywhere and go to Nirvana. Why do you need to come to Varanasi for that? It’s because it is believed that Lord Shiva is most kind in Varanasi for this is his city hence if anyone die in Varanasi and be cremated here in the Burning Ghat his soul regardless of his deeds will go to Nirvana hence I believe that mostly the bad people come to Varanasi to die.

Burning Ghat - Varanasi

As we reach the end of the downstream river the boatman started up the motor and push us upriver. He even went pass the burning Ghat so we could see it from the river side.

Burning Ghat - Varanasi

You can take photo he says …. No problem ….

As all our cameras was unleashed from its cage and shots fired away, some families waved at us friendly and touch our hearts. To see the good in the bad and not be affected by the evil, one has to calm his mind and understand his soul before understanding others. Our boat pass by the Ghat and another turn was make to bring us back to the starting point.

The Burning Ghat - Varanasi

I was really happy with the boat ride …. And I passed him 150 rupee going off the boat. Adam saw it and told me it was only 100 rupee …. I know I told him … I know ….

It is an unwritten rule that I have … if someone were to ask for money, no matter how much he seems that he need it, I have the tendency to be so defensive that I would never give it to them. However when it is not asked …. I may give more than is required even if he do not need it base on his actions alone. I left that to Josh and Adam to contemplate on its meaning ….

Go back through the burning Ghat … easier way to walk the boatmen said …. But I was not about to walk back to vulture infested land after taking photos on the boat ….. I am not going that way I said …. I’ll go this way the harder way and explore …. See you guys back at the hostel as I waved the big group of 15+ heading towards the burning Ghat and me alone wandering the nooks of Varanasi Ghats.

That was the end of the second day …. I only reach back the hostel an hour or two later and rest for the whole day. Josh and Adam rushed back from the 430 Hostel Ghat tour and I shook their hands while they rushed to catch their 730 train to Agra.

Varanasi The City of Death - Part 2 The Heart of Steel

Varanasi on the first day and after seeing the evening puja me, Josh and Adam decided to walk around looking for the burning Ghat and also some food for dinner. Dinner we never found, thou both of them took some fried snacks along the way to the burning Ghat while we still explore all the little alley way along the way.

Nearing the burning Ghat we picked up a self-volunteer guide. The locals ply the streets alley around the burning Ghat and would pester the tourist heading towards there with conversation, kind and polite but always with a hidden agenda. You could smell a con job a mile away with them but we were still the kind and polite tourist at that time and would chat with them. I kept mostly quiet just observing while the two Brits answered the guide innocent question such as where they were and where they were going.

Information was offered about Varanasi and its various tradition and gods and culture while we walk and looked for the burning Ghat. The guide insisted that he would show us the way and I felt he was zig zagging around every nook and corner to make us disoriented on purpose.

Burning Ghat.

This place brings out the sentiment in everyone emotionally. It was a place not for the kind hearted soul. The guide brought us to this abandon building next to the Ghat and we walked upstairs before being handed over to another guide who claimed that he was a Brahmi and a worker at the burning ghat offering us information and history. Halfway through the explanation Adam and Josh felt uncomfortable and decided to leave. They were forewarn by the hostel people that there are a lot of locals that would ask for money like a donation to the hospice around the Ghat but that was all bullshit and it would only go to their own pocket.

The serene atmosphere built up to become an uncomfortable event as they feel they were slowly being drag into guilt and would eventually be force self-consciously to donate to the horrible scam. They decided to leave while they still had some control and ignored all the local plea that they would not ask for money and that they were genuinely just guiding people because it is their Karma to do it.  

I listen to the fake Brahmi on his explanation of the Burning Ghat while my eyes was glued to the burning platform afar. He told of how no one would cry while around the burning Ghat to so that the soul of the dead would not have any lingering affection to the mortal world. It was a celebration of sorts that one who was cremated here would attain passage to Nivarna and escape the ever cycle of rebirth. Then he talked about his karma of past live that he now have to work here as a worker burning bodies of people at Varanasi.

By this time Josh and Adam was leaving and I said thank you and proceeded after them. Trying to get out of the abandon building, people were all asking for donation to buy firewood for the poor. 150 rupee per kilo and this is the old women who works at the hospice for those waiting to die in Varanasi. Josh and Adam was disturbed by the fact that they knew this was scam and they were angry about it. I kept my calm and just said no with a humble nod and walked on.

We proceeded down further into the burning Ghat on our own with locals behind shouting do not go there, family area. Josh and Adam with a fire lit in them ignored all this and walked on. I followed slowly behind observing the people around. The families or the genuine people working the Ghat went on their business and only spare a glance for us. The worms who pry on the kind hearted soul of tourist were throwing insults about disrespect and privet area only that we were bad people to not observe it. I found it that a silent prayer and observing without words were more respectful than those who would disturb the tourist loudly. Their attempt to cheat and con tourist at a scared place of cremation was even more disrespectful in my opinion but for some reason I manage to kept my calm aura with me and the hate brush pass me without affecting me. Josh and Adam was clearly affected and one could see from facial expression the turmoil between sympathy and empathy of the burning ceremony and disgust and scorn to the con men who try to make money out of others suffering. 

An amour of steel around ones heart is what is needed to really visit the Burning Ghat without being affected. Josh kept telling them to leave them alone and that he will not give them money. The anger spark feed more anger and the locals knows that was their way in. One talked about Karma of how bad it was to visit the burning Ghat and see it upclose without helping the needy. Josh told him to fuck off. I wonder if that was a good thing starting a fight in a place like this …. But it was clear it was the intention of the locals, the one whose family was not burning. If a fight broke out, the foreigner would be to blame for his anger and disrespect.

Luckily Josh listen to my advice and he and Adam followed me out of the Burning Ghat while this time it was the locals that shouted bad things. For some reason they listen to my advice to ignore them and walk on and while I looked into the eyes of every locals that was spilling blasphemy, one by one they quieted down and left us alone as we got further and further away from the Burning Ghat.

It was an emotional experience

Adam was affected emotionally and was close off for a while being very quiet. Josh was in fury of the locals and took a while to calm down. We found the Blue Lassi shop nearby and sat down for a while drinking a few cup each of Lassi. I keep telling Josh and Adam the mantra …. Do not let them affect you.  Josh calmed down and Adam slowly opened up that his mother had passed away recently, a year ago and looking at the Burning Ghat touched him emotionally.

That was the end of the first night in Varanasi. I visited the burning Ghat a total of 3 times in the 6 days I was there …. A truly fearsome place ply with serenity and hostility at the same time.

Burning Ghat - Varanasi