Varanasi & Bodhgaya are not that well-known in the western world, but many would consider them two of world's holiest cities. Located in northeastern India, these ancient sites hold a powerful allure words seldom do justice.
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Varanasi is the place Hindus hope to die to expedite their karmic journey to mokṣa - liberation & freedom from samsara.
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Bodhgaya is where a young Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree until reaching enlightenment. It goes without saying that this is the holiest of all Buddhist sites.
Join me below the jump for more info and photos from 2 powerfully spiritual meccas in northeast India.
(Cross-posted @ The Laughing Planet)
All photos by the diarist.
If you like, consider this raga by Ravi Shankar as a soundtrack for this diary:
Varanasi: "The City of Lights"
Varanasi a.k.a. Benares is one of the oldest cities in the world. Mark Twain famously wrote about Varanasi (by its ancient name):
Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.
Up to several hundred cremations per day occur here.
Lots & lots (and lots) of wood is required for the daily cremations. A once-lush rainforest surrounding the town has been razed so wood must now be brought in by boat from hours away. The cost of wood has risen sharply, so poorer people cannot even afford enough wood to fully incinerate their family members' bodies.
The charred corpses are regularly deposited into the river where animals (such as turtles) complete the job of decomposing the human meat.
You would have a tough time finding a location in the world more obviously steeped in tradition and spirit than this city.
Many elderly Indians journey to Varanasi to pass their final days, finding shelter in the temples and sustained on alms from visiting pilgrims. Devout Hindus believe that anyone who dies in the sacred city will hear Lord Shiva whisper the Takara Mantra and thus attain instant moksha or enlightenment.
The ghats along the banks of the Ganges are where people "cleanse" daily.
I found myself able to resist the spiritual allure of following suit as I'd heard far too many stories of people being stricken with 1 bug or another after doing so. (I did later do the Ganga plunge in icy-cold water closer to its glacial source.)
You find bars on all the hotel windows due to a certain kind of non-human prowler. They say the begging in India can be depressing, but in this case it was rather cute and heart-warming.
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[E]ndearing qualities of the town include the astounding prevalence of kites being flown from virtually every rooftop in town, especially in the afternoon. Fevered battles take place to capture another’s kite. Mornings belong to the town’s monkeys who clamber up and over every edifice scavenging for (stealing) food. Hotel balconies are often fitted with "monkey mesh" to prevent petty monkey theft. Once while engrossed in a book at a rooftop cafe I lost focus on my bag of ripe guavas. Before long a meddling macaque would have made off with them all were it not for my quick reflexes which enabled me to grab hold of the plastic bag. The brief tug-of-war caused the bag to rip limiting his bounty to a single piece of the tasty fruit.
This is really edible fruit (not plastic). I don't know how they get the color to be so blindingly bright.
Sacred cows are ubiquitous in most towns in India. However in Varanasi, the cows & their...um... pies seem more in your face.
Walking through the crowded, narrow, winding alleys of the ancient city is an exercise in ballet as you try to enjoy the stunning sights while not ruining your shoes in the process.
The colorful streets are abuzz with so much life that one often forgets this is where people come to die.
Camouflage :
You're doing it rather well, actually.
Varanasi by night. Mostly cows afoot.
Puja by the banks of the Ganges. This ceremony includes prayer, music, & fire to salute The River Mother.
This sadhu (holy man) is covered in ash for tonight's puja ceremony.
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PART 2:
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Bodhgaya: 2500 years of enlightenment
The bustle on the streets is palpable.
For these people, it is like a Muslim reaching Mecca, or a capitalist reaching Disneyland.
Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world try to come here at least once before they die.
Even the most skeptical of religion couldn’t help but feel moved by the power of the location and the devotion of people from around the globe who’d made the pilgrimage. The unforgettable, uplifting experience of meditating under the Bodhi tree with nuns from Burma, monks from Sri Lanka, and Lamas from Tibet likely would happen nowhere else on Earth.
The Bodhi tree and its multi-faith minions ...
By day,
and by night
I never showed up after midnight, but I suspect that this tree never gets any alone time.
Perhaps friends do grow on trees.
The original tree was destroyed at some point, but parts of it were kept alive and brought to Sri Lanka. There, it was nurtured for centuries until a graft could be brought back and planted in its original location.
The elaborate stupa erected to mark the sacred spot.
(Scaffolding detracts ever so slightly from the awe-inspiringitude.)
The blur of crimson robes illustrates the constant kora being walked by monks around the stupa.
QUESTION:
How many times does a pilgrim walk around the stupa when visiting?
ANSWER:
As many times as possible.
(A good guess is several thousand times).
Sculpture made from yak butter. Yes, yak butter.
Hindu pilgrims also come to Bodhgaya because they revere the Buddha as the 8th incarnation of the god Vishnu.
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where the Buddha gave his 1st sermon (the 4 Noble Truths).
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These Bihar women toil in the fields for pennies/day. However they were smiling and joking with each other while they carry their burdens on their heads.
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Kushinagar, north of Varanasi, where the Buddha died.
The state of Bihar, in which Bodhgaya is located, is the poorest of all of India.
Corruption and graft have left this region to the crime syndicates and the lonely, poor and hungry. Begging by locals from humble pilgrims, who themselves live on handouts, is common.
You can find more of my writing about these places here.
List of Past & Future DKos Travel Board Diaries:
USA
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left my heart
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Northern CA - SallyCat
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Sacramento - tgypsy
San Diego - SDChelle (can offer advice)
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DC area
lulu57
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Southern part of state - kathryn1812
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Big Sky Country Part 1 - Ed in Montana
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coastal - Jbeaudill
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Musical - WarrenS
Sacred Cities - LaughingPlanet
Indonesia
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Italy
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Tokyo – YoyogiBear
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Northern Areas- LaughingPlanet
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If you are traveling, you may contact the person listed to see what they can do for you. They may be able to host a person, or have a meal, or just offer advice. Note they are not obligated to do anything; these are just people who have told us what areas they live in or have expertise. Also, any arrangements you make are between you and the person you write to.
If you care to volunteer for future weeks in this franchise, please contact me, LaughingPlanet or mention where in the comments below.
This series was started by plf515
Schedule:
April 5: Monterey Peninsula, California - eugene
April 12: Olympia, WA - YellerDog
April 19: ??? - You ;-)