Impressions from Varanasi (part 1). Following Mark Twain

I spent the whole Sunday exploring Varanasi with Debbie and Angelo. Early in the morning we took a boat to see the sunrise at the Ganges, and then decided to go to the nearby Sarnath – it’s a small village (actually part of Varanasi) where Buddha hold his first sermon. To be honest – nothing special, well, there is a huge stupa, a museum, also few monasteries (among them a Tibetan one).

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Thanks to Angelo I learned that Mark Twain was in Varanasi when he was traveling around the globe. And as I happen to have “Following the Equator” on my computer, I started to search for the parts related to the city. The city was called back then Benares. “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend” – he wrote. There’s really something magical about this city – one of the oldest cities (still inhabited) on earth.

I don’t think the city has changed much since he was here. I’ve read what he wrote about Benares and that is also what I think.

BTW, I really admire Mark Twain, if I had a ‘role model’ that would be him. I think he was one of the most intelligent people ever. And he said also something that became my personal motto in life: “Never let your schooling interfere with your education”. And so, being in a city he’s been to, a city that almost haven’t changed, being able to see what he saw - is maybe the most valuable experience during my India travel (time-travel kind of experience ;)

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In the evening we took a boat to see the ceremony of puja (that takes place after sunset at the Ganges). I didn’t really know what the rituals are about, they were quite impressive though. The priests (monks? apprentices?) look like they were dancing, performing these religious rituals.

On the way we were passing by the burning ghats. This image is something I will never forget. Fires burning on the river bank. Pile of ashes aside – after the corps had burned the ashes are thrown into the river. This is the holiest way for a Hindu to be buried. I must say though, it was quite shocking (to see a man “poking” a corpse in the fire, so it burns better or quicker maybe (?) Huge piles of wood at the gath. People talking, selling the wood, negotiating the prices, and the fires burning 24h a day.

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For dinner we went to a nice Ganges view restaurant. Debbie noticed that a guy who was sitting at the table next to us had a big insect (cockroach kind of thing) on his shirt. We wanted to be nice, so I told him that, and then took the bug away and not thinkin much – stepped on it to smash it. Huge mistake. Suddenly all the people were looking at me with such a disappointment, anger even. The guy was really upset. “Did you really have to kill it?!” – he asked. “Well, for a second I forgot where I was” – I answered ashamed. For a sec I thought they were gonna throw me out of this restaurant. So, I had to apologize for killing a cockroach. What a strange country...