Day 10 - Christmas in Varanasi

Varanasi, located on the bank of the Ganges, is believed to be the second oldest city in the world, and is regarded as the spiritual capital of India. 

The Ganges stretches 2500km from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. It is considered sacred to Hindus, so each year millions come to bathe to remove bad karma, pay homage to their ancestors, and throw the ashes of their loved ones.

The river is wide and calm, and at this time of year is relatively low.  Thousands of wooden boats are tied along the bank, with eager owners touting for business. 

We set off from a sandy spot at the most southern point in the town - Assi Ghat. The larger boats have a small motor, but the smaller boats have a pair of bamboo oars, with a piece of timber strapped to the end for a blade.

There are thousands of boats and people on the river at any time, surrounded by thousands of seagulls. 

There are 80 'Ghat' along the banks in Varanasi, which literally translate to steps. Ghat have been built over centuries, and originally identified the areas that people from different castes were allowed to bathe. The caste system still exists, with Priests, Warriors, Merchants, Lower and Untouchables. People born into the Priest caste are still the only ones able to become priests, however many of the other restrictions have disappeared.  Now, people from all walks bathe at any point.

During the monsoon season, the river rises many metres, so a lot of the buidings would flood. The town of Varanasi sits behind the top level of the buildings in the photo below, so would be protected.

Two of the Ghat we passed are Hindu cremation sites. The body is strapped to bamboo poles and wrapped in orange cloth, adorned with gold and marigolds.  Men carry the body though the narrow streets down to the river, chanting along the way.  The body is dipped in the river, and then cremated on the bank, and it is believed that the good karma this brings is passed to the next life.

Here, death is all part of life.

The main streets of Varanasi were some of the craziest we've seen! They're narrow, dusty, and filled with market stalls, beside some of the the highest quality wedding sari shops in the country. Apparently the average wedding sari costs 500,000 rupees ($10k). The main dress is always red, and a second dress is purchased for the reception.

Varanasi is known for their silk, so this was the place that Javed recommended we purchase any textiles. This tiny shop was wall to wall with scarves and wraps, and enjoyed the opportunity to show how setting light to a scarf would show whether it was real or fake. After selecting the size and fabric of a scarf, we were completely overwhelmed with the variety of colours and designs... Too much choice! 

Most shops offer tea and drinks, and in this shop the 'Masala Chai' (spicy tea) came in little clay pottery cups. Apparently these are disposable - after each use they are smashed, and refired.  Many shops on the streets have baskets of the cups for sale.

In the evening we boarded the boat again to see the evening Aarti ceremony. We made wishes as we floated little bowls of flowers and candles on the river... a very reflective way to spend Christmas night.

At the end of the day, we observed the prayer ceremony conducted by Hindu priests every sunrise and every sunset. Thousands of boats filled with Indian and foreign tourists are tethered together to watch priests complete this daily ritual.

All of a sudden, everything is untied, and the boats head back to the Ghat along the banks - it's quite a spectacle in itself!

A final Indian vegetarian meal closed off the day, and we farewelled Javed. He's given us a fantastic window into the life of a young adventurous Indian, deeply commitment to family, country, and faith, who is grappling with the pressures, challenges and opportunities that modern India brings. 

For 11 years he's toured India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and experienced more than most people would in a lifetime. Yet, he openly admits that he carefully selects what he shares with his Father as 'he would not allow it'. He jokes that at age 30 he's considered past his expiry date for marriage, but knows that any day his Father could announce his wedding and require him to come home to meet his bride, settle down, require his wife to give up work, and within a year have a child. 

It's so different to our view of marriage, but it definitely doesn't seem wrong here, and you can't help but respect the traditions and cutlure they follow.

So Christmas 2016 has been spent in one of the holiest places on earth, but far from Christianity.

It's been a day filled with rituals, and ceremonies that have proved that the Indian people of all religions don't just believe and practice their faith, they truly live it.

It will certainly be a GradyBunch Christmas to remember!

Love theBunch x

Day 9 - Agra to Varanasi

Remember I mentioned that the Taj Mahal can look like different colours in different lights? Today we learned it can also magically disappear...

Thursday...

Friday...

Saturday... 

This photo was taken at the same spot as the one above. Unbelievable. We were so fortunate to visit the Taj Mahal on a clear day!

We headed out at about 9 to grab some final photos. We knew it was foggy, but had no idea how thick the smog could get. 

It started a heap of research into air pollution, where we discovered that Agra had an Air Quality Index rating of around 800 overnight - anything over 300 is described as Hazardous "Everyone may experience more serious health effects. Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion". To put this in perspective, Brisbane was rated 37 this morning, and I struggled to find a city over 50. Shanghai and Beijing were in the 80s. Sadly, India can lay claim to many of the most polluted cities on earth.

We even had a debate about the round spot in the sky... It was so pale, we were convinced it was the moon, until we realised it was hanging exactly where the sun should be!

On the way back to the hotel, we stocked up on biccies for a big day of travel. No such thing as a supermarket, just hundreds of these little shops lining the road. It's a game of guesswork, based on the assumption that packaged goods should be safe!

Agra airport was quite an experience, as it's situated on an Air Force base. The red sign in the photo says it all:

- Prohibited Area

- Photography Prohibired

- Trespassers will be shot

Got it.

We almost created our own travel adventure story by 'deplaning' during a stop. Turns out that despite different boarding passes, different seats, and no announcement, we were supposed to stay ON the plane. Our poor guide was very stressed when he realised we'd disappeared, as were the airport staff who raced us back through ticketing, security, and boarding.  

We arrived in Varanasi by early evening, and the drive from the airport was one of the most confronting we've had. The road is part of the main 700km route from India to Nepal, and as India supplies 80% of products used in Nepal, thousands of trucks use the road each day. It's just over 1 sealed lane for the usual cars, trucks, bikes, and cyclists heading both ways, which makes it incredibly dangerous for everyone.  The average Australian country road would be a significant upgrade from this - apparently it takes 12 hours to travel the 300km from Varanasi to Kathmandu.

An upgrade is underway to create a 6 lane highway above the existing road, so there are trucks, diggers, people and concrete pylons everywhere. On either side there are homes for many km that have literally had a bulldozer unceremoniously clear the facade. The homes still exist, but the families sit in piles of rubble on the ground outside... once their lounge room. They were only compensated for the part of the house that was destroyed.

Tonight I'm philosophically conflicted about where economics and politics intersect with history, culture, and life. Yes, the country needs this infrastructure, but while the decision makers earn massive salaries in secure jobs, the people on the ground seem to be expendable. I wonder how much they are considered in these big decisions? The issues we have seen with demonetization fall into the same category.

On a brighter note, our hotel has a embraced Christmas! I think I now understand what it must feel like when Australia tries to embrace a non-Christian tradition... Cute, but somewhat confused! We still got papadums on the table :)

And just when I thought that the girls were well and truly over their fear of Santa, this guy appeared at our table... I guess they have to do something to achieve the pale skin!

Christmas Day will dawn in Australia in about an hour, so we wish you all a Merry Christmas from the spiritual capital of India! Regardless of your faith, have a lovely relaxing day, take a moment to reflect on how privileged we all are, and 'pay it forward' to those less fortunate...

Love theBunch x

Day 8 - Agra

Along with the Taj Mahal, Agra is also home to the Agra fort and palace.  The Maghuls ruled for 8 generations, and in that time built about 500 forts and palaces. Apparently they would move around the country, and when they found somewhere they wanted to spend a few years, built a palace. As you do.

We're slowly getting our head around the generations. Fatehpur Sikre that we saw yesterday was built by Akbar.  His only son, Jahangir, built the Agra Fort and palace in the 16th century. He was a lover of wine and women (360 wives and 20 000 concubines.. Seriously?!?) and was considered a drunkard, so his first wife made all the decisions and essentially ruled the land.

One of the beautiful remaining features of this fort is the coloured tiles in the entry way. It's another simple Persian design, but remarkable that they're still there. 

One of my favourite features of the architecture of the time is the screens used for light and ventilation, and to separate the men and women inside the palace. The craftsmanship is beautiful and so varied, and creates amazing shafts of sunlight in the morning.

Jahangir's son was Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal. He extended the palace during his reign, and the red sandstone makes way for his preferred building material... white marble. 

He preferred very ornate and opulent spaces, so many of the walls and ceilings were inlaid with gold and jewels. Sadly, when the 'Britishers' took power in India, they melted the gold and jewels from the walls. 

 Coupled with the translucent marble, these spaces would have been absolutely amazing.

Shah Jahan had 8 sons, but his youngest, Aurangzeb, was furious at the waste of his predecessors, and felt the Taj Mahal had stripped all the wealth that belonged to the people. He wanted power, so killed his 7 older brothers, and confined his father to the palace for the final years of his life. Shah Jahan lived in a small but stunning area, inlaid with jewels, which cost the equivalent of the Taj Mahal.  He never recovered from the loss of his wife, so spent his days staring at the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is only about 1.5 km away in this photo. Can't see it? That's what happens in one of the most polluted cities on earth...

Aurangzeb lived a frugal life, and was the first generation that didn't build or extend a palace or fort.

Agra Fort is one of the most heavily fortified in India, with 5 lines of defence. There was a crocodile moat, army, dry moat containing bears, lions and tigers and another layer of army. If you made it through that, boiling hot balls of oil were rolled down the entry ramp.  The Fort was never compromised.

This afternoon Andrew and Alex went to explore the riverbank in front of the Taj Mahal - a tip from from our guide. Even though they were pretty close, it brought home how fortunate we are to have been to the Taj Mahal on such a clear day.

The challenge to source cash continues. This afternoon we identified that Alex is our greatest weapon in the ATM war. Andrew joined a long queue, but Alex was offered a spot at the front of the line. Having never used an ATM in Brisbane, she successfully navigated foreign exchange at an Indian one... Star!

It's also beginning to somewhat like Christmas. A couple of hours away from the hotel this morning, and the lobby was transformed. They showed people visiting Santa on the news tonight, but he wears a full mask to so that his face is pale - really creepy!!!

Love theBunch x

PS... In the tradition of the GradyBunch blog there is a GFP (Grady Family Photo) to close, but this has to be the worst photo ever!!! Might have been smoggy, but didn't stop us squinting!

Day 7 - Agra & the Taj Mahal

Leaving Karuli, we had another few hours drive on the highway to Agra. The road rules here are similar to ours, but the adherence to them is completely different! Motorcycle helmets are rarely worn, people drive on the wrong side, and vehicles are packed beyond the rafters! While about 23,000 people die each year on Indian roads, it's proportionately significantly fewer than in Australia.

Bear in mind, these vehicles are going at 100km/h, or surrounded by them...

Our first stop for the day was Fatehpur Sikre, the site of a palace built by the Maghul King Akbar in 1571, taking 30 years to build. Again, it features the Indo-Persian architecture and red sandstone that the region is famous for.

King Akbar had 3 wives - 2 Muslim and 1 Hindu, and 3000 concubines. The Hindu wife gave him his only son, and was therefore considered more highly than the other two, and received the largest palace.

In the centre of the palace, the Punch Mahal stands 5 stories high. The king would sit at the top and be entertained by a giant game of ludo, where ladies in transparent clothing were the pieces. The winner spent time with the King.

In front of the Punch Mahal is a school for the children of the palace and the army. Akbar became King at 13, so never learned to read or write, and relied on others to do this for him. As a result, he was committed to education for all children.

Akbar's bedroom has one of the largest beds - sitting about 6 foot off the ground, concubines would dance underneath it in Winter, and it would be flooded underneath to stay cool in Summer.

The detail of the stonework in this palace is magnificent. This whole wall is carved with geometric patterns, with a line of decorative earrings through the middle. The carvings are on ceilings, eaves, walls, pillars... Stunning.

In the public area of the palace, a lone stone sits in the centre of a grassy area. This is the site of 64 deaths at the palace... death by elephant stamping! The elephant was considered so highly for his accuracy and stamping prowess that a tower monument was built for him just outside the palace. Ugh.

Agra is the site of the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. It was built in 1632 by the Mughal Emporer Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child at age 35.

Mumtaz had always requested three things after her death - that Shah Jahan would never marry again, that he would treat the children equally, and that he would build a mausoleum that would ensure the world would remember her. I think the Taj Mahal ticked the last box!

The entry is via an enormous red sandstone gate, which hides one of the most stunning buildings we have ever seen.

The Taj Mahal is made entirely of the highest quality translucent marble, which is said to change colour in different light. It was built beside the Yamuna river as the moisture helps keep the marble in pristine condition.

The design is symmetrical, with a long pond down the centre, a red sandstone mosque to the left, and an unused guesthouse to the right. The king wanted the site to be not-quite perfect, as perfection is only for the Gods, so he left a tiny hole in the roof which lets water in if it rains.  The 4 minarets are built on a slight angle, so if there was ever an earthquake they would fall away from the tomb.

Inside, the marble is inlaid with precious and semi-precious gems, in stunning but simple patterns featuring the lotus flower and jasmine. 

As the sun set, it seemed to glow. Absolutely amazing.

Many Indians visit the Taj Mahal on their honeymoon, as it is one of the most special places in the country. Professional photographers accompany couples and families to capture the moment, so there are people posing for photos throughout the site.  

..and then there are those who just want to pose for photos with the westerners. I hate to imagine how many facebook feeds we appear on at the moment!

All in all, it's a magnificent place, and it's a privilege to have visited here...

Love theBunchxx