The Holy City

Varanasi Day 1

Our day started at 2 a.m. when we got up for the driver who arrived at 2:30 to take us to the TRV airport for our 6 a.m. flight.  Such a sweet send-off – Haksar, Krishna, and Rajesh all up (they had slept in the restaurant – the guys usually did that but Haksar not) – and much hugging and some hand kissing before we finally departed.

Getting through security at TRV a bit of a hassle.  For one thing, everyone seems to have guns, big guns and they inspect everything!  And everyone gets a pat down, I mean a real pat down.  No scanning machines here.  Then it’s on our first Air India flight.  AI is a national airline and, sadly, it shows.  The attendants are borderline surly and the plane, an old Airbus 320-321? – was in God-awful shape.  The seat pockets had trash in them (hello, this is India), the upright mechanism didn’t work – my seat could not be placed ‘upright for landing’ and, all in all, it was a trial.  Plus, they have these ‘milk run’ flights in India.  We flew from TRV to Kochi (maybe 30”) and landed, hung around for 30” or so, then took off for Delhi.  Change of planes in Delhi (very slick airport – could have been anywhere in the world), then on to Varanasi but this time via Gaya!  Gaya?  It must be some sort of pilgrimage site because at least half the people on the plane were in Buddhist robes and they all got off at Gaya.  It looked to be about the size of Grant County Regional Airport.  Then the final run into Varanasi.  Also a modern slick airport but that’s where all semblance to the modern world ceases. 

There are truly no words to describe Varanasi.  None.  Our new friend, Matthew from Varkala,  when I told him we were going to Varanasi responded ‘Varansi is tough.’  Well Matthew that was saying the very least about the most!!  A long time ago, a SC friend said that when he saw Calcutta for the first time it was like looking into the jaws of hell.  He hadn’t been to Varansi (that’s the slurred and common way of pronouncing it) or he would have thought Calcutta was merely purgatory.

Let’s start with the roads.  It’s about a 20km trip from the airport to the outer, dare I say quieter, part of town.  It took an hour in our host’s car.  An hour to go the equivalent of 12 miles.  There were one or two portions of blacktop – maybe a few hundred yards – that weren’t seriously potholed.  And then there is the traffic.  Remember my description of our first ride on the very first night we arrived?  Made that seem like someone’s elderly relative on a Sunday drive.  It is a chaotic mass of vehicles with everything from delivery trucks (Tata-made and painted to resemble festival elephants), cars, auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, plain bicycles (some piled with ‘deliveries’), scooters and, of course, cows – lots of cows.  And the bravest of all, pedestrians walking on the side of the road (forget sidewalks).   To make it even more grim, it had just rained, so the whole thing was this muddy, grotty, cow pie mess – and I mean mess.

Oh and people are talking on their cell phones while negotiating this chaos and beeping their horns every two seconds.  Amazingly, we made it to our homestay without being killed, maimed or killing or maiming anybody or anything.  I will never, ever complain about traffic in the US again!

A few photos of driving in Varansi.  (These just don't do it justice.)

Those figures in the center of the street are homeless men.

I suppose I need to back up and explain why we’re here.  Varansi is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims or the Holy Land is to Christians and Jews.   It is reputed to be the holiest city in India and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet.  Its status comes from its location on the banks of the River Ganges (or Ganga as the locals say, not Ganja which is a different holy trip) and Hindus believe that if they are cremated here and their ashes mixed with Mother Ganges they are ensured the best afterlife, the best karma, or the best reincarnation.  At least I think that’s what’s going on. 

And since it’s such a holy city, it’s especially attractive to cows.  Cows rule.  Cows are everywhere.  Cows trump all vehicles on the streets.  Cows are sacred.  I asked our host Harish why, and he replied that each part of the cow is representative of one of the Hindu gods.  Now why Vishnu (the biggest Hindu god of all) chose the cow, I don’t have a clue.  Maybe because it’s big enough to accommodate the 300 million Hindu gods.  

Cows on parade . . . 

Our first night is a quick snack, and then dinner family-style (all vegetarian, all organic) with the other guests at Harish and Maleeka’s homestay.  We sat down with Mariana and Roberto from Mexico City and Mariana’s long-time friend, German.  She’s an investment specialist with GE Capital and Roberto’s a physician.  German is an IT guy.  And Sally and Richard an older couple from Melbourne, not married, in fact, he emigrated from the UK to be with Sally.  Sweet.   We crash and make plans to join Harish’s walking tour tomorrow morning.   Welcome to Varansi!