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  • The Great India Adventure
    Day 33

    Sarnath Buddhist & Wat Thai Temples

    May 6, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F

    Sarnath is north of Varanasi and the place where Buddha first began teaching and a huge stupa (shrine) marks the spot. It is an archeological excavation site and spreads out like a park. The museum contains a lot of pieces of stone carving from temples that were presumably found on site, and one pillar topped with four lions dates to the 3rd century BCE and is the state emblem of India.

    The museum was laid out with Hindu artifacts on one side/wing and Buddhist on the other side/wing. It made me sad to see how most faces were defaced either lightly or massively as if shot or hit, and quite a lot of heads were missing. Wonder what museum they are displayed in…

    After exploring this complex we visited the Wat Thai temple nearby that has a huge standing Buddha statue and lovely gardens.    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 33

    Ramnagar Fort

    May 6, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F

    This fort across the Ganges from where we are staying has a very run down museum full of old weapons, vehicles ranging from a very old Cadillac to the fancy covered passenger platforms that went atop elephants, to old textiles, many of which are falling apart in the cases. We were wondering why no photos are allowed inside. Maybe to not show the neglect. The fort was built in 1750, and it is still occupied by a king.

    The view from the river side of the fort was lovely, and it was fun to see the old holes in the walls that allowed for viewing/shooting at all angles behind protection.    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
    Day 33

    Banaras Hindu University campus tour

    May 6, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    Rajeev drove us through this lovely tree-lined campus and dropped us off for a walk through a temple there. That gave us a neat opportunity to talk with some students and other visitors.

    Rajeev explained to us that tuition is free for this university, but it is very hard to get into. We talked to a couple of young women who are in their second year out of three years of study here. They said it is a life-changing honor to be studying there. They also said that there is no gender discrimination for entry and that their classes have an equal number of women to men if not more women.

    I also captured a short video at a chai stand we patronized afterward.    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 32

    The Varanasi Ganga Aarti

    May 5, 2023 in India ⋅ 🌙 82 °F

    Our guide and driver Rajeev has taken such care to make our trip with him amazing. We were supposed to go back to Delhi from Agra yesterday and part ways with him to take the night train to Varanasi and have a new driver here. Instead, Rajeev drove us the 8 hours+ to Varanasi from Agra so he could stay our guide and make sure our time here was perfect (and safe).

    Tonight Rajeev arranged for an evening boat ride up and down the Ganges that then took us to a perfect viewing spot for the nightly spiritual ritual held at dusk called Ganga Aarti. Boats were packed together like a game of Tetris on the water, and thousands of people gathered on the ghat (steps) on the side of the river. Thousands of people travel here every day to take part in this very important ceremony. Fire is offered to Lord Shiva and the Ganges River. We watched as flowers and floating candles were put into the Ganges. It was incredible.

    Before we settled down for the ceremony, our boat ride took us past Manikarnika ghat, which is the sacred Hindu cremation spot that is going 24-hours a day. Rajeev counted 13 funeral pyres burning this evening (and they also do electric cremation). The piles of wood stored in that area were impressive. I’ve shared a couple photos and it’s safe to look at them - there is nothing graphic in them.

    We returned to our hotel in time to catch part of a wonderful traditional dance demonstration with incredible live music. This trip never ceases to amaze us with great surprises like this!    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
    Day 32

    Morning walk - Kashi Vishwanath Temple

    May 5, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    No photos were allowed in this temple, which is the most sacred shrine in Varanasi and inside a large complex that is heavily guarded. So many heavily armed military guards! This is because of occasional conflicts with the mosque next door, which was built by a Mughal emperor after he destroyed the temple that had been on the site. Evidently some Hindu revivalists have tried to reconsecrate the site of the former temple.

    We had to register with our passports and visas in order to go into the temple. We couldn’t take our phones, bags or even smart watches. A priest took us in and shuttled us through to near the head of the line to go by the shrine itself. It was a very hustled and crowded experience, and an extremely moving experience. Passing in front of the shrine spontaneously gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. I’ve never felt a feeling quite like that.

    On the way to the temple we had a glimpse from afar of the “burning place” as our driver/guide Rajeev called it. I took a somewhat surreptitious photo. Our guide warned us sternly to not engage with people in that area who say they want to tell you about the person being cremated, because then they expect you to give them hundreds of US dollars and they get very angry if you don’t. A guy did try to do that, and he even told Rajeev in Hindi that he’d split the money he gets from us with him. It’s stuff like this and the hawkers who won’t take no for an answer that I definitely will not miss!

    After the whirlwind temple experience we walked through some of the old city and visited a virtual museum and small observatory made by the same man as the one in Jaipur. It was getting so hot that we needed to return to the hotel to relax in AC before we continue our explorations in the late afternoon.    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 31

    Arrival in Varanasi - BrijRama Palace

    May 4, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Our final destination and the final palace of our adventure in India!

    (Edited to add flute player in the courtyard in the morning!)

    It was a crazy drive to get through the city. Thank goodness we have an expert driver. We couldn’t believe it when we discovered that we needed to be shuttled by boat up the river to the hotel!

    Varanasi is called The Holy City, and I read that it’s one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. It is located along the Ganges River and is a hugely important pilgrimage spot for Hindus.

    Hindus believe that if you die in Varanasi you will be free from the cycle of birth and re-birth. Cremation on funeral pyres happen here 24/7, and the ashes and remains are put into the river. People also bring ashes to the river to immerse them.

    We feel like we are ending our trip with the most intense spot of all!    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 31

    Snack stop with motorcycle test ride

    May 4, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We just stopped for a snack break (smoke break for our driver/guide) and a nice Royal Enfield Army Edition motorcycle ended up parked next to the car. Eric talked motorcycles with the guy and ended up getting to ride it around the parking lot! I know Eric really wanted to take off down the highway on it. 🤣🤣Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 31

    Taj Mahal

    May 4, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    This whole trip has obviously been incredible beyond words, but to see the Taj Mahal in person was like a dream. It’s a UNESCO site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

    We woke up at 5am so that our driver/guide could pick us up at 5:30 and we could catch the Taj in the early morning light. We had a perfect guide specifically for this site who explained everything to us and didn’t rush us through.

    The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build, and it was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to hold the tomb of his third and favorite wife. His tomb is also there. The reason it took so long was the detailed craftsmanship. The building is made of white Indian marble, with many carved details, especially inside where we couldn’t take photos. All of the decorative work that is not white is semi-precious stone inlay work. The calligraphy of Muslim prayers around the huge doors are inlaid black onyx. Floral work was done with lapis lazuli, carnelian, malachite, turquoise, mother of pearl, and more. Amazing! And the surrounding gardens are beautiful and peaceful also.

    Now we are off to Varanasi, the final destination of our trip before we return to Delhi to fly home.    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
    11
    Day 30

    Fatehpur sikri Palace

    May 3, 2023 in India ⋅ 🌧 81 °F

    This is a beautiful sandstone complex within the walls of the fort. The detailed decorative carving on some of the buildings is just breathtaking. This king had three wives, and each was of a different religion, so decorative work blended symbology of all religions.

    In the palace courtyard there is a life-sized parcheesi layout. Evidently the king played using concubines as playing pieces. 🤔    Read more

  • The Great India Adventure
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    Day 30

    Jama Mosque, Fatehpur Sikri

    May 3, 2023 in India ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    This is described as one of the largest mosques in India. It was just a short walk from the palace. Unfortunately it was more overrun with people hawking their trinkets, which takes away from soaking in the amazing atmosphere. They also try to get you to purchase a package of cloth at different price points to then “donate” when you enter the tomb itself. The cloth is supposedly donated to those in need to make clothing. Along with the cloth they also sell small bags of flower petals and a piece of string. The tradition is to sprinkle the flower petals in the tomb and tie the string to the inner marble latticework in the tomb, making three knots with a wish for each knot. It was a roped-in sales situation, which took away from the ceremonial aspect, but it was a very beautiful building to visit.Read more

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