Travel Diary Varanasi Agra
With Delhi done and dusted, it was time for the next stop on our India adventure – Varanasi. Travel diary Varanasi Agra
Delhi Airport was chaotic and the check-in process a bit tedious – but as we were learning, everything here works out in the end. The flight took an hour, and if we thought Delhi was busy Varanasi was Delhi on steroids!
(There was a Maharaja on the flight but if that word conjures up images of some suave handsome man wearing a sexy turban, then you would be disappointed. This bloke looked like a scruff. I would have been sceptical as to whether he was what he claimed to be, but a woman walked up to him and kissed his bare feet, so I guess he was legit.)
Bathers in the Ganges: A dip in devotion
We were very fortunate that there were two significant Hindu celebrations taking place whilst we were in Varanasi – the celebration of Shiva’s wedding anniversary and another celebration that only takes place once every 12 years when the planets align. This second festival takes place over 4 specific days between January and February. So Varanasi was filled with over 1 million pilgrims who have come to take a dip in the Ganges and visit the temple. It really was awe inspiring.
After we checked into our hotel, we began our sightseeing with a visit to the archaeological site of Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon and founded his monastic society.
We then drove through the town and the hundreds of thousands of people to the River Ganges for a boat trip – we watched the sun set over the river and also witnessed funeral pyres and thousands of people worshipping. We lit candles in memory of loved ones lost and they were floated on the river for us.
Regardless of your beliefs it is impossible to come to Varanasi and not be moved by the traditions and the deep spirituality of the people.
Once again, the Big Bald Bugger or BBB (my husband and fellow-traveller) and I were asked for photographs with the locals – one man thrust his 2-year-old son into my arms and asked me to hold him whilst he took my photo. Perhaps the BBB’s bald head is a good luck sign.
When we returned to the hotel, we enjoyed a traditional Indian dinner before crashing into bed. It was a long and emotional day. But so worth it! Words cannot describe how awe inspiring this place and the people are. We have had the most wonderful local guides who have been so knowledgeable and happy to answer all our questions. I have learned a lot about Indian history and culture since I arrived which has been fascinating.
I have felt very safe in India. Whilst I have mainly drunk bottled water, I have at times had ice in my drinks and cleaned my teeth with local water because I keep forgetting not to and I have been fine… so far!
Sunrise bathers: First light, sacred waters
I am definitely not a morning person, so setting the alarm for 4:45am was a bit of a shock to the system. However, I am so glad that I did because we left the hotel to drive back to the Ganges to watch the sun rise over the river. And as today is the final day for the pilgrimage and also the festival celebrating Shiva’s wedding anniversary, it was awesome. The queue to enter the Temple was miles long with pilgrims queuing up for many hours and our guide told us that 1 million people were expected to pass through. We witnessed thousands of people washing themselves in the Ganges and saw the funeral pyres more clearly than we did last night. It was very moving and our guide told us that the pilgrims have travelled from all over India to participate in this festival. After returning to the hotel we showered, had breakfast and then headed back to the airport for our flight back to Delhi where we met our coach and driver.
We drove from Delhi to Agra which took about 4 hours and arrived in time for dinner.
Agra: Of emperors, empires and impulse buys
Another early morning alarm – up at 6am to head to the Taj Mahal before breakfast… and before the crowds.
Although “crowds” is a relative term and I should say that there were still a lot of people but quite a small number by Indian standards. To say the Taj Mahal is majestic would be an understatement. It is absolutely awe inspiring and well and truly deserves to be classed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We had a great local guide who patiently took photos of us with the best backdrop of the Taj behind us.
After breakfast we toured Agra Fort which was also majestic and the history very interesting. Again, we were approached for photos by the locals and on one occasion I asked if I could take a photo with one of the local ladies who was wearing the most exquisite emerald-green sari.
After lunch our local guide took us to a handicraft centre where we watched the artisans making the inlaid marble tables and then the fun part began… shopping. Coincidentally it was the same place that my husband had visited 23 years ago when he was working in India for a couple of months. On that occasion he spent nearly 4 hours haggling over the price of a table that he ultimately purchased. We still have it… plus the coasters that he got thrown in as part of the deal!
Today they handed the husbands glasses of beer and invited them to sit and relax whilst the wives shopped. Great strategy. The BBB was very relaxed but sprang into action to negotiate on my behalf once I selected items that I wanted to purchase.
I am constantly fascinated by the traffic chaos and seeing small rickshaws stuffed full of people and whole families on motorbikes. The way they weave in and out of the traffic is terrifying but so far, we have not witnessed any accidents. Nor have we seen any of the many stray dogs that sleep on the road/footpath get run over. More by good luck than good management, I think.
Next in our Clueless Gori series: Kerren in Jaipur
