Sunrise on the Ganges

We got up at 5am to leave by bus to return to the Ganges. Last night I received an email from an Indian friend who said “Every one should see the sunrise above the Ganges once in their life”. This was our time.

It was dark when we arrived at the Ganges and boarded our small boat. We were rowed by the two oarsmen parallel to the shore. All along the Ganges in Varanasi there are Ghats, stairs that lead down to the river. These are ancient pathways for pilgrims and worshipers to descend to the water. The Ghats are steep and some quite wide others are narrow. Above the Ghats are mansions and palaces, now mostly abandoned by the wealthy owners and turned over to religious organizations. We saw mansions converted to Ashrams. Some appeared to be abandoned.

The city of Varnarsi is the holiest city of India. Unlike the Vatican, the city is in disrepair and appears, dirty, and broken down. Our guide tried to explain to us that Varanasi is not about outward appearances, but rather the spiritual experience. Fire is used in much of Hindu rituals and it was great to see the firepot, aflame, raised by the priest over his head greeting the rising sun. Bells, chants, music all were playing but at much less chaotic rate the previous night.

We disembarked by the Ghat used for cremations and walked beside giant stacks of wood used for the funeral pyres. We then walked through the ancient narrow alleyways. We had to avoid cow patties and the occasional cow. We were headed through these very narrow paths towards the Golden Temple. All of time we were walking we were hoping not to get separated from the tour guide, because we would never be able to navigate back to the bus. The pathways were lined on both sides by homes, shops and food sellers. The people were extremely poor.

As we approached the Golden Temple, the security vastly increased, there were soldiers everywhere. The Golden Temple is the holiest spot for Hindus and all Hindus try to go to it once in their lifetime. There is a mosque built directly next to it and there are inter-religious problems. There had been a bombing at the temple and many were killed a few years ago. Non-Hindus are not allowed in the Temple but you can walk by it and see its golden spires. To even walk by it, you have to leave all cameras, cell phones and even pens behind. You walk through a metal detector and then are hand searched. They are serious about this!

They thought of all protections in this area but one, as I walked down a narrow alley, I felt liquid raining down on me. I looked up at the clear sky between the houses and saw no clouds. I then saw a bunch of large monkeys jumping across roofs away from where I stood. Damn monkey peed on me! Oh well, I was assured it brings good luck!

We returned to our bus, drove to the hotel and prepared to checkout for our flight back to Delhi and onto Mumbai (Bombay).

All our lives we have heard of the Taj Mahal. I had always expected seeing the building to be the highlight of our trip to India. Now I am not so sure. Experiencing Varnarsi with its poverty and its chaos, while seeing first hand the people’s reverence for the Ganges was a moving experience. The Intersection of Fire (via the priests firepots), the sound of bells, chanting, fireworks, and car horns, Smoke from the thousands of charcoal fires and burning bodies, coupled with the mass of people, the beggars, the infirm and dying all overwhelm you. We were all glad we went to this special city, it was an amazing experience.