Adventures in India, Part 31 -- The Beginning of Buddhism

Once ashore we once again trudged through the streets of Bernares and boarded our bus. We then off for Sarnath, about ten miles away, the place where Buddhism began

The Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal but began his ministry at a deer park in Sarnath, India. It was there that he met with his first five disciples and preached to them his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. It remains today a site of pilgrimage for devout Buddhists.

Wall paintings illustrate scenes from the life of Buddha.

Statuary commemorates the first teachings of the Buddha.

 This stupa supposedly marks the site where the first teachings occurred.

Then it was back on the bus for a visit to the nearby Mother India temple.

And then, as darkness fell, we wandered through the narrow byways of Varanasi to a local music school where we were treated to a sitar concert.

Then back to the hotel to rest up for our next day's journey to Nepal.

Adventures in India, Part 28 -- Sunrise On the Ganges, Part 1

Early the next morning we set off through the streets of Varasani heading back to the waterfront.

Vendors were setting up their wares.

Workers were congregating.

An early morning shave.

Crowds are gathering.

And the holy men are out seeking alms.

And on the opposite bank of the river..., sunrise!

We boarded a boat and set off down the river, retracing the course we had traveled the night before.

More pictures to come..., many more.

Adventures in India, Part 27 -- The Festival of Light

When we arrived at the Ganges waterfront we boarded a small boat and headed down the river

Within a few minutes we approached Dashashwamedh ghat where the "Offering of Lights" ceremony (Aarti) was being celebrated. This was not the famous Diwali Festival of Lights, which had been observed a few weeks earlier, but a smaller ceremony observed each day. Still it attracts thousands of Hindu worshipers.

Then we continued further down the river past a number of cremations.

Then we returned to our original mooring and debarked.

And as we returned to our bus we passed this guy practicing a ritual all by himself.

We did not linger to watch him because the insect infestation at this place was remarkable.

So we left him to his prayers and went to our hotel, planning to return to the Ganges in the morning.

Adventures in India, Part 26 -- Travel to the Ganges

That evening we had dinner at the hotel accompanied by fireworks, then off to bed to rest up for the journey to Varasani [Bernares].

The airport waiting area. While waiting there I met an interesting young woman -- an urban sociologist who was studying the Islamic community in Mumbai. Much of what she was finding there paralleled things I found when I was doing similar work on nineteenth century Philadelphia. It made for a fascinating conversation [at least for urbanologists].

A reminder of the problems plaguing the the subcontinent -- heavily armed guards on the runway.

In Varasani, watching the traffic pass by.

Street scene -- note the dead kite entangled in the wires.

The traffic of Varasani -- the city's drivers are acknowledged to be the worst in all of India. They seem to glory in the reputation.

Street scenes at night.