Varshi/India – Varanasi/India

After 1.5 days in the village Varshi, the trip across India goes on. I still meet some people who interview me, photographers, who say they are reporters, and I would not believe it anymore, if they wouldn’t show me there business cards and ID’s . They seem to have many local newspapers here.Some places I had chosen before, where I wanted to have a closer look. At first I went to Mandu, a small town, full with ancient buildings. Mosques, palaces, graves, gates, uncountable ruins. For reasons of a better defense in case of war, the town was built on a high plateau. A hard climb on a loaded bike up a steep, unpaved path. I agree, that Mandu still today can not be taken easily by cyclists.

Beside these ancient buildings and the silence around, there is a huge tree, which claims my attention. Big bats are hanging down from its branches. Thanks to the high roots I can climb up easily, up to the bats, to take some portrait shots of them. After all the shows with trained cobras in baskets, typical for India, I see my first wild one here. The reptile is relatively small, but still the locals try to keep me away from it. I can only take a quick photo, before the snake is beaten to death with sticks. This one was surely one out of a few worldwide, which climbed over a recumbent bike.

On it goes to the Great Stupa of Sanchi, a buddhistic monument, originally a grave hill. Worth to see especially the 4 elaborately decorated entrance doors. Absolutely worth the time is a short extra trip to Khajuraho. The numerous temples there are covered with detailed sculptures, especially famous for their erotic scenes.

As one of the highlights here in India, I am looking forward to, is the visit of Varanasi, a very special place for the Hindus. Through Varanasi flows the Ganges and the riverbank is formed by stairs of stone, the so called ‘Ghats’. There the people wash their clothes and themselves. Hindus believe, to clean themselves spiritually. But the river itself is full of rubbish and heavily contaminated. Very impressive was the famous ‘Manikamaghat’, the place where they burn the corpses. For a Hindu there is no second place like that to be burned after his death. From the whole country they bring dead bodies or elderly people come to die here. Permanently the fires are burning. The body is wrapped in clothes, put on a pile of wood, the relatives perform certain rituals and the oldest son lights the fire. The flame is from a fire which is kept alive continuously. All this happens in public. I am interested and listen carefully to the explanations, but photos are absolutely not wanted. Woman are also not wanted, because, as I was told, they could get out of control emotionally, cry and even jump into the fire. Certain groups of persons never get burned here, with the belief they don’t burn, because they are pure – children, religious leaders, pregnant woman and persons, who died through the bite of a cobra. These ones are tied to a flat, heavy stone and left in the river…

Exciting are also the narrow and angled little streets of Varanasi. You see again and again men rushing by with a corpse on their shoulders and no matter how narrow the street or how steep the stairs, there are cows all over. They seem to know exactly that they can do what ever they want.

Special for this stage to Varanasi was also the incredible heat. The temperatures rise up to 44C, but somehow I get along quite well, manage more than once to cycle over 200km a day. Nepal is not far anymore.

Tom

Thanks Maik for the translation.

pictures to this article: Varshi/Indien – Varanasi/Indien : Fotos

6. Juli 2007 - Tom & Maik | english texts | Kommentare :: comments :: comentarios | Inhalt drucken