Amazing Journey to Incredible India - VANARASI (Part 2)

After a long and arduous sixteen hours overnight train journey we reached the great Hindu city of Varanasi. Also known as Baranas or Benares, it stretches along the crescent of the River Ganges, its waterfront dominated by long flights of stone ghats where thousand of pilgrims and residents come for their daily rituals.

Washermen are seen washing clothes on the banks of river Ganges in the northern Indian city of Varanasi.

One of the highlights of the trip in Varanasi is the early morning boat ride along the River Ganges. From here you can see people bathing in the riverbanks. Century old pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces lined up with stone steps – the ghats – stretched along the whole waterfront, changing dramatically in appearance with the seasonal fluctuations of the river level.

Hindus regard the Ganges as amrita, the elixir of life, which brings purity to the living and salvation to the dead, but in reality the river is so polluted and full of effluent. Factory wastes increases the level of heavy metals to unacceptable proportion not to mention the floating human body parts.

A man fishes at the banks of river Ganges in the northern Indian city of Varanasi.

Known to the devout as Kashi, the Luminous – the City of Light, founded by Shiva – Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. It has maintained its religious life since the sixth century BC in one continuous tradition, in part by remaining outside the mainstream of political activity and historical development of the subcontinent.

Assorted collection of beads, imitation jewelries are for sale along the gath.

Varanasi is among the holiest of all tirthas that allow the devotee access to the divine and enable gods and goddesses to come down to earth. 

Anyone who dies in Varanasi attains instant moksha or enlightenment. Widows and the elderly come here to seek refuge or to live out their final days, finding shelter in the temples and assisted by alms given by the faithful.

Part 3 Agra

Amazing Journey to Incredible India - MCLEOD GANJ (Part 7)

McLeod Ganj is one of those places where sitting, chatting and philosophizing in restaurants is the favored activity. Tibetan dishes such as thukpa and momos are prominent, along with Chinese egg noodles, chow mein and stir-fry. Fresh baked Tibetan breads and cakes are widely available. The focal point of McLeod Ganj is its Bhuddist temple, ringed with spinning red and gold prayer wheels. Other Buddhist and Tibetan sites in McLeod Ganj include the Namgyal Monastery, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Gompa Dip Tse-Chok Ling (a small monastery), the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Gangchen Kyishong, Mani Lakhang Stupa, Nechung Monastery, Norbulingka Institute.

Tibetan Prayer flags at Himachal Pradesh mountains.

Home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile and starting point for some exhilarating treks into the Himalayas, Dharamsala, or more correctly, its upper ttown McLeod Ganj, is one of Himachal’s most irresistible destinations. Spread across wooded ridges beneath the rock faces of the Dhauladar Range, the town is divided into two distinct and separate sections, separated by twisting road and almost a thousand meters in altitude. Originally a British hill station, McLeod Ganj has been transformed by the influx of Tibetan refugees fleeing from their homeland. Tibetan influence here is very strong as evidence of temples, schools and monasteries. Many people visit India specifically to come here, and its relaxed and friendly atmosphere can make it a difficult place to leave.

Prayer Wheels pushed by an old woman at McLeod Ganj, Northern India.

Leaving this beautiful and serene place made us sad but we have to. We scheduled to go back to Delhi and endure the blistering heat once again. We had no other choice since our flight going back home is in there. Our stay in India is enough having visited a lot of places already. It’s not possible to see everything India has to offer in a single expedition, and we don’t suggest you try. We have covered a total distance of approximately more than 4,000 kilometers spread across seven cities in four states and seeing places you only see in books.

Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass of the Himalayas some 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kulu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Even with all the beautiful places and interesting people we met there is also the downside of traveling in India. Rampant commercialism, hustling merchants, persistent touts and scams to make you scream with annoyance are just some to name a few. You have to have a strong guts and feeling before you decide to travel in this subcontinent.

Amidst the hassle and some disappointments, our trip in India can be described in two words, simply amazing. I never thought we can actually do this with our tight budget and limited time. You just have to enjoy every minute of it. The train travel, monuments and forts, the spicy foods and the people we met, all this add up to an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime. Every click of my camera captured the best life has to offer giving me more reason to practice and enhance my craft for the next generation to see. We came home not only with a hard drive full of memories but with a contented heart and a brand new outlook in life. I hope this experience will inspire many of our countrymen to travel the world and see things in a different perspective so we can appreciate our own country and love it more.