Oh, Happy Days!

01/03-04/2025 Oh Happy Days

Varanasi is the heart and soul of the Hindus in India. At least once in their lifetime they are required to make a pilgrimage to Varanasi and bathe in the Ganges River. Once we got to our hotel, we just chilled for a bit, which was a nice change from the hectic airports. That sedate glow didn’t last too long as we were soon on our way for our first adventure to this city, a religious ceremony held on the banks of the Ganges River. The journey to get to the river was not easy – or quiet – as masses of humans crowded the streets to make their way to the sacred ceremony. Along the way we dodged motorcycles going at breakneck speed through the throngs of pedestrians, dogs, monkeys, cows and, of course, their cow patties deposited in the middle of the walkway. There were more people in the streets than it seems there are in the entire town of Lockport, NY.  And each one was intent on getting the best spot to view the priests. Upon reaching our high overlook atop a nearby structure – again a nice perk for us out of towners.  Granted, we paid for this perk (a donation for the temple) but it was still a perk and we settled in to look down at the ceremony which was to begin. The masses below us were just not perched on every available piece of land, but also were on boats that were crammed as close to the shore as possible.  There were boats parked bow to stern for hundreds of yards into the Ganges.

Soon the ceremony began. It began with a priest chanting something in Sanskrit, what I don’t know, but apparently it was enough to get the crowd a rockin’ and rollin’, and soon we were reminded of a Baptist church revival with joyous shouts and what we assumed were hallelujahs. It was a joyous site to behold and be a part of. The emotions and joy that filled the crowd was nice.  Being Catholic, we are known for our predictable rituals, yet we appreciated the outpouring of love and joy expressed by the community. The single priest was soon joined by four other priests and the chanting, incense burning, bell ringing, drum pounding, and of course, the fire and flames were next. Wow, our religion is kind of staid! Still, we kind of like the quiet contemplativeness of mass especially as we dodged people, machines and animals to get back to the hotel. Phew! Alive and well with no cow pies wedged into the grooves of our shoes.

Morning came and we were again off. This time, the agenda included a boat ride on the Ganges River where we learned the importance and mythology of the river and the meaning behind many of the rituals that take place on the river. One very important one is the cremation, or commitment of the dead. We actually watched from our boat the “funeral” pyre of a woman who had died. We put that in quotation marks only because what we think of a funeral is something completely different than in the Hindu religion. The person who dies is cremated within one day of their death. The deceased is prepared, wrapped in finery and flowers, and then cleaned up by the women of the family. The men then take the body to the edge of the Ganges where they dip the body in the river. The nice garments are then removed leaving only a white shroud to cover the deceased person. The men then put the body next to a large pile of wood to cremate the person. It is estimated by our guide to take 3-4 hours for the body to be fully cremated. Some of the ashes are then put into the Ganges. Another part of a ritual many take part in is the lighting of a small candle that is swaddled in a bouquet of gardenias and put on the river. The lighting of the candle is to honor someone in your family. Kathy, whose mother just passed, lit the candle and gently put the candle and flowers into the Ganges River and said a small prayer for her mom.

Phew, we survived the trek back to the car through the streets of Varanasi and now are on our way to visit Sarnath, the place where the first Buddah gave his first sermon. The site has been excavated over the years and many artifacts and the outlines of old buildings have been found. The foundations of the buildings can be seen nestled in a bed of green grass and lots of flowers. It was a nice reprise from the hustle and bustle of the city traffic and the ever present noise from the throngs of people.  We then wandered through the museum that was on the grounds to see all the artifacts recovered from the site.

Kathy, assuming we were going back to the hotel, was informed we would head to a silk factory to learn how they made silk scarves, saris, and other items. Upon arriving, she was ushered into the expansive foyer and greeted by multiple people. Our guide had her stand by one side of a table where he produced a birthday cake and a couple of candles were lit and the staff sang Happy Birthday. What a nice surprise Dave had arranged. The guide had been so attentive all day and on a couple of locations had bought her some small gifts to take home as souvenirs.  Of course, we now had to look at their products and again Kathy – against her own agenda – purchased a couple items, or should we say Dave bought her some nice birthday gifts. Kathy felt very pampered and special on this day. Just so it can be in writing, she got lucky – Dave is the best ever!!