Benaras/Varanasi

Saturday night on the Ganges

Aarti is a daily puja performed at the Ganges to say good night to Mother Ganga. Since the river is so high, there is much less room on the ghats (steps down to the river) causing the banks to be much more crowded than usual. This is also the reason why we were unable to take a boat ride on the river. So, instead of watching Aarti on the ghats, we got seats on a large platform above the river. Getting there was no simple feat. Traffic along the very narrow paths included cows, goats, motorbikes, bicycles, and loads of people moving in all directions. This is also the place where many Hindus cremate their dead. So we also got a glimpse of the funerary practices. We walked through a lumberyard where wood is sold for the funeral pyres. Our guide pointed out the green bamboo stretchers on which the body is carried and the shiny gold and silver sheets sold to decorate the body. 200 cremations take place here every day. There were no pictures allowed in this area. 

Ritual objects for sale

Through all of this, we definitely stuck out as foreigners. As usual, people looked and pointed, fascinated by our skin color, hair, and bizarre way of dressing (despite our best efforts). But in Varanasi more than any other place, I felt like a participant. The people were welcoming instead of distant and we sat together with locals and pilgrims during the ceremony.

This city is known as the spiritual center of India, not only because of the Ganges but also because of the Golden Temple located along the river. Thousands of pilgrims come here during this time of year to carry Ganges water to a Shiva temple, of which there are many. Those are the people in orange. Because of the festival of Shiva and because Monday is an auspicious day for Shiva, there are many more people here than usual, and all the guys in orange are here getting water from the river and delivering it to a Shiva temple nearby. We saw lots of flower sellers—these flowers are purchased and give as offerings in the temples.

The Varanasi saree

Fried snacks

For all the Israelis here! Just in case you were wondering how to spell Krish in Hebrew...
(I haven't actually seen any Israelis here but I imagine there are loads during high season.)

Overnight Train to Varanasi

I was a little wary of taking the overnight train from Kolkata to Varanasi, but it was actually pretty clean! It wasn't exactly Darjeeling Limited, but we were in air-conditioned two tier cars with a choice of bathrooms: Indian style and European style. Without getting into too much detail, I much prefer the Indian squat toilets. They're so much easier especially on a moving train. We woke up at 6 AM and unlocked our suitcases (which were chained to the bottom of our sleeper seats). After 10 hours on the train, I had the feeling of movement all day...

Gretchen

Lily

View from top bunk (Gagan and Megan)

Good night!

American Center, Kolkata

This evening we got to see Pata Paintings (pronounced “pot” paintings) at the American Center. Artists, many of them part of the same family, came with hundreds of paintings that tell stories of village life or Indian folktales. The stories are told by singing songs that the families have passed down through the generations. 

Sister Cyril and the Loreto School Sealrah, Kolkata

Today’s visit to the Loreto School Sealrah was the sort of experience that made me question all my choices and rethink all my assumptions. Sister Cyril is changing the world. All 16 of us came for a tour of the school to learn about her work. The first thing she did when we piled into her office was read a children’s story about Peter the elephant—an elephant who takes care of all the poor children. In her Irish accent, she quickly ran through the rhymes of the story without bothering to show us the pictures. We were on a tight schedule, after all—there was no time wasted sitting down and welcoming us with hot tea and cookies. This was a refreshing change from some of our other school visits. Sister Cyril is a large woman who wears a white dress and a nun’s habit. Her back is slightly bent causing her head to face downward, which is fitting since she is  usually surrounded by children. She is like a mother elephant.

The Loreto School in Sealrah, Kolkata, is an all-girls school that is famous for accepting all students (by lottery) from the most affluent to the poorest of Calcutta’s children, the street children. Sister Cyril spoke about the vicious cycle of affluence and the vicious cycle of poverty. Her mission is to break both by creating a community where children fight for each other and teach each other.

School assembly with hand-painted rangoli
done by students.

Her mission is forward thinking, holistic, and beautifully simple. It is also incredibly thorough. As she outlined her projects for us, it seemed like there was nothing she hasn’t thought of: teacher training, curriculum development, peer tutoring, dormitories for street children, differently-abled children, children of prostitution, parents and families of street children. She has something called compulsory compassion. Students regularly go to train stations in the city and give food to beggars. Kids that used to live on the streets are now giving food to people on the street. The list goes on and on. For more information visit http://www.loretosealdah.com/.

Telephone to Jesus, telephone to Jesus every day!
Jesus says I love you, Jesus says I love you every day!
Telephone to Krishna, telephone to Krishna every day!
Krishna says I love you, Krishna says I love you every day!

A 10th-grader teaching street children the alphabet,
part of the Rainbow Children project.

Visit to Madrasa

Madrasa in Kolkata

Students are provided a midday meal

This 9th grade class has 200 girls in it (with one teacher!)

In line for yummy food

Across the street from school

NY of India

Kolkata (aka Calcutta) seems to me to be the New York of India. I feel right at home. Even the taxis are yellow.

Orissa

Bhubaneswar is in the state of Orissa, which is known for its classical and tribal arts. 

Odissi Dancers

Boy dancers

Artisan's home

Coconut and cow dung drying in the sun (to be painted)

Finished decorations

It is also known as the city of temples. We visited the 64 Yogini Temple, decorated with 64 gods and goddesses on their vahanas (vehicles—usually an animal). And of course, the Konark Temple (Sun Temple).

Jacky blends right in