For my travels with India, I was traveling with a SAS field program to Varanasi, Agra, and Delhi. If you recall, I was slightly frustrated with my experience in China, and I feel it was good that I was mentally prepared for this frustration. This was the tour bus experience when I would rather be walking the streets, staying in five star hotels when I would rather be in hostels, feeling safe and comforted rather than challenged.
We stayed in these incredible hotels with large walk-in showers and ridiculous buffets and then would get in our air-conditioned bus and drive by fields of people living under tarps and those begging for a living.
I felt... guilty? frustrated? I know I prayed that I wasn't the only SAS student on this trip (there were about 60 of us) who noticed this disconnection. I certainly don't want to speak ill of my peers, who, for the most part, are remarkably bright and lovely people, but some of them have a ridiculous amount of money. They don't seem to able to pause to realize that we were in INDIA, of course the travel isn't going to be hassle free and it might smell kind of bad. It's INDIA.
I forced down my frustrations by promising myself that one day I will return to India, and next time, I will do it properly.
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Varanasi. The Mother Ganges.
The Holy City.
I had heard about Varanasi during the Hinduism class I took last semester, and this was probably what I was looking forward the most to from India. For some reason, I just felt such an incredible draw to the place. If I had to do it again, I think I would spend all 6 days there.
You can feel Varanasi. The spirituality of the place leaks out of its cobblestones.
I didn't get a lot of good photos, we spent most of our time there on boats on the river during the waxing and waning hours of the day, but Krista, the voyage photographer, did get a wonderful one of me, lost in contemplation. I'll do my best to get it from her.
Right, so we got to see the evening aarti ceremony, that happens every night on the bank of the Ganges. We were late and missed the really cool part where the priests do the ritual with flaming torches, but I calmed myself by knowing that I'll see it when I come back.
You can't see really well in the photo, but there were tens of boats on the river, filled with mostly tourists, as locals gathered on the steps.
Some of the other SAS students were brave enough to touch the holy river itself. That's the thing about the Ganges- it's arguably the holiest place in Hinduism, but because it's so sacred it is believed by many that it is impossible for it to be polluted. However, cremations feet away from the river happen daily. People bathe in the river, sewage is dumped in the river, some dead bodies deemed unfit for cremation for whatever reason are just set adrift. It's the paradox that is the river. We were advised not to touch it, but some students did. I didn't. Not because I was grossed out, but because... I felt I hadn't earned it? I wasn't ready? Perhaps so I can save it for when I return.
On our way there and back, we passed by the cremations. The ghats. The piles of wood and colorfully wrapped body.
I had this thought - if Burma asked me what I would die for, India reminded me that I will indeed die one day.
Processing all this, I had a surprising revelation- I want to be baptized. I haven't been as an adult (I explained this to some of my Christian friends back on the ship, and my Catholic friend looked quite shocked), and I've never really felt the desire to. But something in Varanasi made me realize I think I'm finally ready. I need to pray about it.
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I went to this place too. It was pretty cool.
Actually, I think the coolest part was the bit you don't see on postcards- the actual tomb inside. Two small, white marble coffins in the middle of this massive structure. The echo inside was incredible.
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We went to a bunch of other monuments and famous places in Agra, but my frustrations with SAS trips continued- because I didn't do the research and legwork myself to really understand the significance of the place, I didn't remember any of it. I have bunch of pretty pictures, but they feel shallow to me.
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Our last day in Delhi we had our first real free time.
I took off with three friends I made on the trip to find a market- we had rupees to spend. We wandered and found what we were looking for (a couple sweet head bands for me along with an awesome knock-off t-shirt... I wanted a Shiva statue, but I guess that will have to wait for next time too), and then attempted to head back to the hotel before it got too late. We were advised that girls not be out on the streets past nine.
We passed an enormous Sikh temple, and I paused by the entry. We had just done our unit on Sikhism in my Religions class before disembarking, so I was eager to look inside. I convinced my group for five minutes.
Almost an hour later, we untied the bright yellow handkerchiefs from our heads, put our shoes back on, and took a picture with our enthusiastic Sikh guide.
I've never had so much respect for another religion, not even with my recent fascination with Hinduism- at this temple, they feed 10,000 people a day. We got a tour of the kitchen- all the potential health code violations made me wince- but STILL- 10,000 people! Every day! And it's run by volunteers.
I've been thinking more and more about the quote my religions professor told us on the first day,
"Those that know one, know none."
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I felt good to return to the ship. I'm ready for some routine.
This will be our longest stretch on the ship since crossing the ocean. The students have been complaining, 6 whole days of school?! Without a new country to explore? We might go crazy.
I'll do my best to write once more before Mauritius.
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