Namaste!
We have arrived safe and sound in Varanasi. We left last night from Raxaul and drove to another town. We took a national hwy to get there; the hwy was so bumpy that the max speed we went at was probably 50km. All we did in the train was sleep since it was night time. I woke up a few times wondering where we were. We were supposed to arrive at 6 am but didn't until maybe 10am. And so the room that we had reserved at the hotel was taken. Thankfully, our taxi driver knew of a good place for tourist that was close to both the city centre and the ganga river. This hotel has a restaurant and a roof top and AIR CONDITIONING! I ate aloo mutar (followed vanessa's orders :P )chocolate banana pancake, peanut masala, naan and parathas! you jealous? We then napped for a bit.
A man at the hotel brought us to the Ganga. He was very good at explaining the cremation ceremonies. We observes a few at he was explaining. It is thought by the Hindus that only the ones at are born and die in Varanasi and then cremated by the river get to go to heaven (only 4 other people have been to heaven, a king and his family). The rest re-encarnate. The ganga is very sacred for the Hindus, one can bathe and drink from the river and be purified and forgiven for sins.
The only ones that can't get cremated are children (becasue they are pure), pregnant woman, people with lepracy, people who have died of snake bites or scabies and one more reason (6 total). These people get tied to a stone and sink in the Ganga, except the one that has died from a snake bite, he is tied to a palm tree (if i remember right) and float on the river.
Once someone is dead, they only stay in the home for a few hours. The prepare the body for the funeral. They rub ghee (clarified butter)and sandal wood powder over the body. If the person was unwed they also use tumeric for the preparation. They are then wrapped in cloth. The family walks around town with the body over their heads and chant.
The son of the deceased shaves his head and wears a white cloth for the ceremony. He will light the fire and burn the body (this is also a reason why people want to have baby boys).
Poor families burn their loved ones with electriciy and richer families with wood (wood is expensive here). 600 Rs for electricity and 5 rs per kilo of wood (1600rs).
In the river you see men bathing sometimes naked. We didnt see any woman. At the funeral, women do not come, because if one cries the soul of the deceast cant be liberated.
Once arrived at the river, the relatives cut the cloth over the face of the deceast and each pore water 5x in the person's mouth. Then they walk 5x times around the deceast. Each time represents the 4 elements and the soul. The son then lights the body. It takes 3 hours to burn a body. After about an hour, if the head has not exploded from the heat, the son used a bamboo stick to break it open. The soul is thought to be released from the body by the mouth.
At least this is what I understood and remember. Tomorrow we are waking up early to ride on a boat on the Ganga at sunrise (5:20am).
When left the Ganga, a man pushed me to the side because it looked like a buffalo was going to walk right into me. A bit scary. They are all over. Pigs, goats, dogs, cows as well.
Later, we went to a small concert where they play traditional indian music with flute, guitar and drums. The men were so skilled. The music was beautiful.
Varanasi is known for its silk and saris. Can't wait to go shopping. The men that own the hotel are offering us good deals for tours and such. The switch of hotels was a good one.
Gotta go eat a thali
:D
Lyly
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