It was our first full day in Varanasi, India. We started off the day by having another early wake up call before the sun rised. We met our tour guide at the lobby and hopped into the car. Our first stop was the Ganges river. We had to walk a little ways to the river after the drive. The Ganges river is the river where they cremate the dead bodies, then once cremated the ashes are thrown into the river! When the lepers die the workmen at the Gangi tie a stone around them so they will sink to the bottom. A leper is someone who has the disease, Leprosy. The people there also swim in the murkey green water where the dead people are. This burning of the bodies is part of the Hindu religion. On the boat Mom and I had these two floating candles that we lit and let float down the river.
Off of the boat we kept walking along the riverside then into narrow streets in-between buildings. Through the streets there were people, rickshaws, motorcycles, and cows in the street. One cow started drinking out of a lady's pot of water, she tried shooing it away but she couldn't go crazy because of how the cows are sacred in India. After walking through the streets we got back into our van and drove to our next destination. Our next destination was the first university and also the tallest Hindu temple. inside the temple one of the men on the ground was meditating, and hummed, uummmmmmmmmmm.
We kept driving and then eventually we found the Monkey Temple. The temple had the most monkeys I had ever seen in India. Inside the temple was the monkey god statue. But instead of it made out of it made out of stone it was made out of cow dung which is now 400 years old.
We were taken back to the hotel for breakfast and a break before going out touring again.
On our afternoon tour we visited the Tibetan Monastery and I took a photo of all of these candle lights in this one room. His Holiness the Dali Lama comes to this monastery every year.
Next we drove to a temple that we walked by to get to mini zoo/deer park. The zoo mainly had birds, deer and crocodiles. My favorite birds at the zoo were the Indian rink neck parrots and the parakeets. I might get a bird when I get home from this adventure.
Next door to the zoo was the Buddha stupa where they had a relic of Buddha. This relic was part of the chest bone of Buddha. This stupa is especially important since this is where Buddha taught his first lesson.Adjacent to the stupa was a Jainism temple. Jains holy men are like monks but they don't wear any clothes, they live out in a nature, and instead of shaving their heads they pluck every hair out one by one. The temple had paintings of the 24 prophets of Jain painted on the walls of the temple.
After, we went back to the hotel and had lunch by the pool. In the evening we drove and took a rickshaw to a part of town where we walked to the Ganges to see the evening worship service being performed by holy men down by the river. There were thousands of people at the ceremony. On the way back we saw a holy man and got a picture of him. He was in all white. This day was a different day partly by waking up earlier and by watching a wrapped up dead person being burned and being surrounded by all the noises of India.
Sunrise at the Ganges, the spiritual center of India
Watching my offering float away down the Ganges
At the ghat where people are cremated
Important ghat where cremation happens, usually as soon as possible after death.
This Hindu temple tumbled during an earthquake - but remains intact
After receiving the "dot" of devotion, which we interpret as devotion to our faith and our family
Heading back up from the Ganges back into town
Largest Hindu Temple in Varanasi
Crazy rickshaw ride around Varanasi at sunset down to the Ganges
Holy Man
worshipers washing themselves in the Ganges
Holy Cows are everywhere in the streets
Looking over the ghat and the Ganges where they perform the Ganges worship ceremony
Off of the boat we kept walking along the riverside then into narrow streets in-between buildings. Through the streets there were people, rickshaws, motorcycles, and cows in the street. One cow started drinking out of a lady's pot of water, she tried shooing it away but she couldn't go crazy because of how the cows are sacred in India. After walking through the streets we got back into our van and drove to our next destination. Our next destination was the first university and also the tallest Hindu temple. inside the temple one of the men on the ground was meditating, and hummed, uummmmmmmmmmm.
We kept driving and then eventually we found the Monkey Temple. The temple had the most monkeys I had ever seen in India. Inside the temple was the monkey god statue. But instead of it made out of it made out of stone it was made out of cow dung which is now 400 years old.
We were taken back to the hotel for breakfast and a break before going out touring again.
On our afternoon tour we visited the Tibetan Monastery and I took a photo of all of these candle lights in this one room. His Holiness the Dali Lama comes to this monastery every year.
Next we drove to a temple that we walked by to get to mini zoo/deer park. The zoo mainly had birds, deer and crocodiles. My favorite birds at the zoo were the Indian rink neck parrots and the parakeets. I might get a bird when I get home from this adventure.
Next door to the zoo was the Buddha stupa where they had a relic of Buddha. This relic was part of the chest bone of Buddha. This stupa is especially important since this is where Buddha taught his first lesson.Adjacent to the stupa was a Jainism temple. Jains holy men are like monks but they don't wear any clothes, they live out in a nature, and instead of shaving their heads they pluck every hair out one by one. The temple had paintings of the 24 prophets of Jain painted on the walls of the temple.
After, we went back to the hotel and had lunch by the pool. In the evening we drove and took a rickshaw to a part of town where we walked to the Ganges to see the evening worship service being performed by holy men down by the river. There were thousands of people at the ceremony. On the way back we saw a holy man and got a picture of him. He was in all white. This day was a different day partly by waking up earlier and by watching a wrapped up dead person being burned and being surrounded by all the noises of India.
Small doors so you bow as you enter and then little rickshaw to carry things
Offerings in hands we are ready to board our boat and experience the Ganges from the Ganges
Shiva and his trident
One of the main ghats where we left from as pilgrims board boats and wash in the Ganges
Stopped at this silk weaving shop and mom bought this small wall hanging that took 3 women 25 days to weave this piece all from memory on a loom
Standing next to a mural of Shiva in his incarnation as a monkey
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