Ganges, the holy river.

“If only the bone of a person should touch the waters of Ganges, that person shall dwell – honored in heaven”. The Mahabharata.

Puranas, the Ramayana, and even the Vedas mention The River Ganges. This is considered the holiest river in India. From the time of the Vishnu Dharma Shastra in the third century AD, Ganges has played a vital role in Hindu ceremonies. As civilisation grew on its banks and cities rose, Ganga became more a part of Hindu ethos. For them it is more than a mere river. For them it is a mother, a goddess, a tradition, a culture and much more. Millions of Hindus venerate the Ganges as a "life-giving river". To them the Ganges is sacred. They call it Gangamai, meaning "Mother Ganges." They believe that bathing in its waters washes away all sin. To die on its banks assures eternal peace to the soul.

"Mother Ganga" is described by ancient Hindu scriptures as a gift from the gods; that is, the earthly incarnation of the deity Ganga. "Man becomes pure by the touch of the water, or by consuming it, or by expressing its name," Lord Vishnu, proclaimed in the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic composed four centuries before Christ.

From Devprayag to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges flows some 1,550 miles, passing and giving life to some of the most populous cities of India, including Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkatta.

Hindus regard the Ganges as the holiest of rivers. It was named after the goddess Ganga, the daughter of the mountain god Himalaya. Bathing in this river is believed to wash away one’s sins! Water from the Ganges is used to cleanse any place or object for ritual purposes by Hindus. To bathe in the Ganges is a lifelong ambition for a Hindu.

When I took a boat ride in the Ganges and went from north to south along the banks of the river I got a fantastic idea about the way Hindus worship this great river. For centuries this river has been nurturing the life of people who lived on its banks, in spite of the maximum abuse by them because of the explosion of population and indiscriminate disposal of waste!

It is a total dichotomy! On one side they keep the river Ganges in their highest esteem! They treat it as Goddess and worship it. Worship it, by offering everything they can and by an elaborate “Aarthi” ceremony every evening for centuries. Seeing the Aarthi ceremony is a breathtaking experience in the evening. So much of reverence with such strong faith!

          

But the same Ganges is being treated in every possible dirty way! Anything and everything is dumped in this river. Some are disposed in a much organised way and some in the most disorganised way. I am unable to understand the psychology of these people! Do they think that she is capable of taking any amount of abuse and still remain pure and holy? Probably yes! With this sentiment as the core theme Raj Kapoor made a movie, way back in 1985. Ironically Mandakini got better mileage than the river Ganges out of this film. Although, I agree, Ganges does not need a Raj Kapoor to project her, his great ability of storytelling notwithstanding!!!

Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsa, is said to have described the pure white stream of the Ganga, gradually narrowing in size in the far distant landscape which appears to him like a necklace of pearls close fitting to the earth’s damsel - Ganga. I am not sure if he will still maintain this view, if he sees Ganges today! (OK I am not going to crib about the negatives of Ganges anymore that’s it and no more!)

It is an irrefutable fact that even today there is life in this River. Vibrant as ever and perennial for centuries! Life is buzzing with activity on its banks right from Rishikesh to Calcutta. Everyone has a purpose of visiting Ganges. Many come here with unshakable faith some come here with utmost curiosity! Whatever it is, it has been having the power to draw millions of people over centuries. Great indeed!

I had the greatest opportunity of seeing Ganges in her purest form in Rishikesh. From Rishikesh the pollution level of Ganges increases till it reaches its peak in Calcutta after travelling nearly 1400 miles. I have seen her in Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Patna and finally at Calcutta. It is amazing how this river manages to consume every dirty thing on its way and still maintain its sanctity and glory! Truly the Ganges is the holiest of rivers in India!!!

It is believed that any water that mixes with even the smallest amount of Ganges water becomes holy with healing powers. Hindus also cast the ashes of their dead in the river with the belief that this will guide the souls of the deceased straight to heaven breaking the cycle of birth and reincarnation.

Many have written about how Ganges maintains its purity. Some scientific and others mythological! I am not capable of judging which one is correct! Whatever it is, the fact is, that Ganges still has pride of place among Hindus. Today every river is judged by the standards of this supreme river believed to be the epitome of sanctity and purity.

Despite the enormous pollution the river has absorbed in the last few decades, Ganga River continues to attract millions for the intense experience she provides -- be it a photographic opportunity or the opportunity to cleanse one's sins. Ganges is truly a supreme River!

Varanasi - a city driven by Faith

(Varanasi = Banaras = Kashi)

“Faith is a passionate intuition.” William Wordsworth

The one singular objective of more than 98% of people visiting Varanasi is to take a dip in the River Ganges. Why take dip in the River Ganges? Simple, it is because of FAITH!

What is the faith about the River Ganges?

First, Hindus believe that by taking a dip in River Ganges you can wash away the sins. Something similar to what Christians believe. (Refer Confessions.)

Secondly, they also believe that Varanasi is THE place to die. For they believe dying in Varanasi guarantees liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The bodies of the dead are cremated on the ghats (steps on the banks of the Ganges) and the ashes are spread into the Ganges.

 

The faith on Ganges or Varanasi is not confined only to Hindus. It cuts across other religions and counties. The news item which appeared sometime back in Times News Network confirms this:"I have deep faith in Indian culture that made me come here to immerse the ashes of my husband Mitchell Samuels, who died a year ago, into holy Ganga in Varanasi," said Karla Brodie, a native of New Zealand. Karla had never visited Varanasi in the past, but she had heard a lot about the city from others. Karla had married Mitchell in the traditional Indian style in New Zealand. (TNN, Jun 18, 2009)

Also in a private ceremony the ashes of George Harrison of ‘The Beatles’ were scattered in the Ganges by his family soon after his death. Faith is the reason again!


For the people of Varanasi, Ganges is more than mere water. To them it symbolises purity, cleanser of sins, a culture and a supreme faith that she is the Goddess “Ganga Maji”. They adore her and quite naturally worship her!


From her source to the sea, Ganges almost covers 1560 miles crossing 28 cities and 49 towns. Then why should Varanasi alone take the cake and what is the distinction that Varanasi has which the other towns and villages do not have?

First, legend has it that this city was created by Lord Shiva and Parvathi. (One of the twelve Jyothilingams is present in Varanasi) Secondly, Varanasi is considered by many historians as one of the oldest cities of human civilisation. Thirdly, it is only here that Ganges flows from the South to the North direction. (In Hindu mythology towards the abode of the Gods and hence the sanctity of the place).

Varanasi’s culture and day-to-day life are closely associated with death and cremation. I saw an advertisement of a hotel which claimed “Very near to the cremation ground”. I have been in marketing for over two decades now and till I visited Varanasi I did not know that proximity to cremation ground could be a USP!!!!!!! (Life is a process of learning, I guess!)

A photo studio has put up pictures taken by them just outside their shop. What are these photographs? Pictures of various dead bodies and cremation! Their core competence, I guess!

One of the most surprising and unique aspects of Varanasi is that the cremation grounds are located within the city itself! Some of the most sacred temples are very close to the cremation ground. In Varanasi, cremation grounds are not looked down as being impure or unholy places. Instead, they are considered to be the final link in the journey to being liberated!

In this town everyday more than one hundred dead bodies are cremated. Cremation takes place in Varanasi 24 X 7, 365 days! Even people who die in other places are brought to Varanasi for the cremation by their relatives. Such is the belief or faith!

They say faith is like electricity. You can’t see it but you can feel it. But in my opinion you can actually see faith in Varanasi. In Varanasi Faith is everywhere!

“There is hardly any city in the world that can claim greater antiquity, greater continuity and greater popular veneration than Banaras. Banaras, has been a holy city for at least 30 centuries. No city in India arouses the religious emotions of Hindus as much as Kashi does” Quoted from P.V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra. Vol. IV.

Post script: In his early days Freud described belief in God as “Collective Neurosis”. But in his last completed book, “Moses and Monotheism,” something new emerged from Freud. There Freud, without abandoning his atheism, began to see the Jewish faith that he was born into as a source of cultural progress in the past and of personal inspiration in the present. Close to his own death, Freud started to recognize the poetry and promise in religion!) (Ref: New York Times, Defender of Faith? Mark Edmundson, Sep 9, 2007). Can I say even Sigmund Freud developed faith towards his end!

D E A T H

For many, death is a morbid topic. It evokes bad images and sad thoughts. Some others actually see poetry in death! For instance, Walt Whitman did write that ‘Nothing can happen more beautiful than death’.

‘It has been claimed that one can never look directly at the sun or at one’s own death. And yet, throughout your history of mankind, both have been the enduring themes of myth and religion, science and magic, curiosity and fear. At this point in time we find that as the sun is understood as being the source of life in the natural order of your world, so death is becoming recognized as the central dynamism underlying the life, vitality, and structure of the social order in which you find yourself.’ (Quoted from http://www.whatisdeath.com/)

Death, a moment you can approach but never reach, simply because it is impossible. (I don’t know who said this but I find it befitting).

General belief is that a happy and healthy person will not think of death or dying. Contrary to this belief is Angelina Jolie's. She once said “If I think more about death than some other people, it is probably because I love life more than they do.”

Death, 'the great Unknown', 'the gravest of all misfortunes', has also been called by Freud 'the aim of all life', something we should all be consciously aware of.

When we say we are afraid of death, according to Freud, we may fear something else - such as abandonment, castration, various unresolved conflicts, or otherwise fear of death may be the outcome of a sense of guilt. Yet Freud also specifies that fear of death 'dominates us oftener than we know'. The beliefs in previous lives, transmigration of souls, reincarnation are products of the denial of death according to Freud.

Understanding death is beyond my ken as my knowledge is very limited. Moreover, I do not have any intention of understanding death; let it come when it has to! Death is something everyone would go through but no one would like to talk about. I am not a pessimistic or a frustrated person. On the contrary I am fun loving, I enjoy life and I laugh a lot. But something goes through my mind, which I am unable to articulate here, whenever I hear some news of death. Death is still a mystery, at least to an ordinary person like me!

Officially last week I had the opportunity of visiting Varanasi. I have already visited this place many years ago to perform the last rites of my father. At that time my purpose of visiting Varanasi was singular – performing the last rites of my father. But this time was different. I had two evenings free, while I was at Varanasi. I went out with my Nikon, as I know the place offers a lot of photo opportunities.

I took many of pictures of Varanasi- its life, cows in the narrow lane, devotees worshiping God, sun setting /rising over the Ganges, boats on the Ganges and many other things that attracted me. On my way I saw dead bodies being carried away for cremation to the banks of the River Ganges. For all those dead bodies the destination was Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of the river Ganges. Yes, it is the place where millions of bodies were cremated for centuries and millions more will be cremated in future. Smoky haze hangs over Manikarnika Ghat all the time!

For long I wanted to witness a cremation from start to finish (Morbid curiosity in me?), which finally I could in Varanasi. What other place can offer this, better than Varanasi? For Hindus, Varanasi is the place to die. For they believe, dying in Varanasi guarantees liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The bodies of the dead are cremated on the ghats (steps on the banks of Ganges) and the ashes are scattered into the Ganges. Similar belief does exist among Muslims and Christians. For Muslims it is Karbala, in Iraq and for Christians it is Jerusalem, in Israel.

Hinduism believes in rebirth and reincarnation of souls -The soul is immortal and imperishable while the body is perishable. When death occurs the soul leaves the body and what remains is a corpse. Very similar to what Jean Paul Sartre says – ‘with death, consciousness ceases to be, leaving only a corpse.’ (I am not sure if consciousness and soul can be equated!)

Strangely enough, when I witnessed the cremation, I was not disturbed or perturbed or afraid. I do not know why. Probably, the general atmosphere of Varanasi? In Varanasi death is everywhere! Yet people are as normal as you would see in any other city. Familiarity? May be yes!

Cremation is the ultimate end of life. Materialistically speaking after cremation you cannot see the person any more. The dead only remain in our memory. Marcus Tullius Cicero said, “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” Literally this is the end! Sitting silently all alone with only my camera, for company, I watched many bodies being taken down to the riverside crematorium at Manikarnika Ghat, bodies of men wrapped in white and bodies of women in red.

At Manikarnika Ghat, I fixed myself to one such dead body which had just arrived. The family found a spot down by the river where they would cremate the body they had brought. Then the funeral processes were carried out, including immersing the shrouded figure in the holy Ganges, before it was to be set on fire. (Hindus believe that washing the body in Ganges is not a matter of hygiene; it’s a symbolic action of purifying the flesh and freeing it of all sins.) It was then carried up, the orange and gold wrapper removed and then with the body shrouded in a white cloth (Final dress?); it was then placed on top of logs of wood. A small ceremony was then done, some special dried grass was lit and, a male member (probably the son of the deceased) encircled the body a few times with the lit grass. Afterwards the fire was lit from below with the grass, and the cremation began. Only male members were present at the cremation. (Hindus believe that the actual moment of death occurs when the body is in flames!)

It is interesting and very strange to note here in Varanasi that during the entire ceremony of cremation, the atmosphere was not tense as at funerals in other places. Nor was the atmosphere lacking in reverence. It was totally different and I am unable to describe that. Probably the relatives were thinking that they have given the diseased a cremation in the holiest of cities and they were having mixed feelings of (I don’t know how to express it!) and grief! My own feelings were of wonder and respect for the diseased person. All along I had a sense of detachment since I did not actually know the deceased or their family. I was a silent spectator (I am not sure if I can use this word) from a distance.

As the funeral pyre started to burn and time passed, I saw many things which I am not in a mood to write. That was mind shattering! I understood the meaning of “Familiarity breeds contempt”. It took a whole two hours for the fire to consume the body. After the completion of the burning, the relatives came and picked some bones of the diseased and ashes and dispersed. Normally the ashes are scattered at a holy place or a river. The significance of this – the body is returned to earth, water and air, the elements of life!

That was a wired experience for me and I had actually prepared myself for THE occasion for the past two months. (My trip to Varanasi was cancelled twice!) Varanasi is a mysterious and special place. Here people live everyday with Death and dead bodies. Death is common here and attitudinally everyone seems to be accepting this. Although death is common in every place in the world, still it is viewed differently in Varanasi. Since cremation is being done on a large scale, 24 X 7, 365 days here at Varanasi, its people have become more insensitive to death or more sensitive? I do not know what!

But the fact cannot be denied that Varanasi is a place one should visit to feel the atmosphere prevailing there. It is a different world by itself!!! (Although my friend will not agree with me as she calls it a place of infection and dirt!)

Of late I am spending a lot of time with – I, Me & Myself (I borrowed this phrase from my daughter!) Understandably, I guess, I am indulging in some out of the ordinary thoughts, the result of which is this blog post! Ha Ha!)

Post script: All the pictures posted here were taken by me with highest reverence and respect. They are very valuable to me. Please do not use any of my pictures for anything less worthy of.

One night in a ‘Badiya’ bus!

Good Friday. Holiday. Long week end!

I have been meaning to go to Bikaner for a photo shoot for quite some time now. So I decided to make use of this long week end and go to Bikaner. No reservations. Nothing! But I desperately wanted to go! Luckily I have a Rajasthani friend who is quite resourceful. I contacted him and he assured me that he would arrange everything for me so that I can be in Bikaner on Good Friday. I was immensely happy because I would be seeing Junagarh Fort, Havelis and of course camels!

My friend called up and told me on Wednesday, that he had booked my hotel at Bikaner and my ticket to Bikaner by a ‘Volvo’ bus, which takes 8 hours to reach Bikaner starting at Delhi at 10 PM. So my being in Bikaner on Good Friday was confirmed!

Thursday 7:30 PM - I took a taxi from Gurgaon and went to Delhi to board the ‘Volvo’ bus there. On the way I checked with my cab driver regarding the bus to Bikaner. He told me that it was a’ Badiya bus, fikar mat karo sab! So I was reassured again about the bus. My friend had also described it as a ‘Badiya bus’.

My friend joined me on the way to guide me to board the right bus. We reached the boarding point which was near ‘Lal kila’. I saw many buses parked there but my ‘Volvo’ was not in sight. My friend , after checking at one of the many counters there told me that the bus parked right in front of us was THE bus. But it was not a ‘Volvo’ and I was shocked! When I checked with my friend he showed  me the front of the bus where ‘Volvo’ was written! So according to my Rajasthani friend that was a ‘Volvo’ bus. God bless Ramesh!

So no going back now, as I was desperate to go to Bikaner. I boarded the bus and my friend located seat number 7 for me and I settled. Then I said bye to my friend and he left. I wanted to keep my overnighter above my seat. I had another shock, it was closed with a sliding door. The conductor of the bus told me it was a berth for people who had booked sleeper berth!!!!! In this part of India these buses are popularly called  1+2+sleeper!
 

What is 1+2+sleeper? Left side of the bus has a row of single seats while the right side has a row of double seats. Nothing out of the world, we can understand! But sleeper? Above the left side row of seats there are berths which accommodate a single person and on the right side, the berths are for two people! Unbelievable but true!

So the bus started on the dot (something that I should really appreciate!) As the cool breeze started to blow on my face I immediately slept off. After probably two or three hours the bus stopped for a break. As I opened my eyes I was shocked to see two legs hanging!!! Took me few seconds to realise that the upper berth guy was trying to climb down! The bus had stopped in a petrol bunk called Check & Fill. I do not know what he checked and what he filled.

After the break the bus started again and made too much noise all the way. Since nothing can disturb me while sleeping, I slept in spite of the loud noise all around. At last at 7 AM we reached Bikaner and I got off the bus and went straight to the hotel where I was booked. While I was getting down the bus I noticed the name of my bus! Can you guess? It is ‘Bad boy!’

 

 

After I checked in and entered the room I felt pin drop silence in the room.( Luckily Ramesh had not goofed up with the hotel like he did with the ‘Badiya bus’!) Then I realised that I had spent a whole night in a bus in which the only part which did not make any noise was the horn!

1+2+sleeper. Never again!!!!

Devikhund sagar - Bikaner, Rajastan

This is the cremation ground of Bikaner Royal Family. There are a number of Cenotaphs or Chhatris and numerous less prominent memorials for princes and princesses. The oldest among all is the Chhatris is that of Rao Kalyan Malji built in the year AD 1539-1571 who was the fifth ruler of Bikaner.

Cenotaphs or Chhatris are generally elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture, or funerary sites in India which have such structures built over them. Chhatris are basic element of Hindu as well as Islamic architecture. The term "chhatri" means umbrella or canopy.

The Chhatri of a male has a vertical memorial slab, whereas that of female has foot marks engraved on amarble slab. A memorial erected for a minor is called a Nada and it is a simple structure without a canopy.

Chhatris play an important role in Rajput’s art. It is a very elegant structure built of marble and red stones.

The chhatri of Maharaja Surat Singh is the most imposing. It has the spectacular Rajput paintings on the ceilings (dome). The designs carved on each Chhatri represent the taste of the particular Maharaja, in whose honour it was built.

As a mark of respect to all the departed souls we are not supposed to go inside this place with the foot ware. But they are so thoughtful! They are providing a special foot ware made of cloth which is allowed inside. Otherwise in Rajasthan heat our feet might develop blisters!

One thing which keeps bothering me when I visit such places - the entry fee collected from the tourists. For Indians it is INR 5 and for foreigners it is INR 10! In my view this should not be done!

Traditional Rajastani women's dress

Traditionally, women’s dresses in Bikaner, as almost all over Rajasran, compiled ghaghra, a flowing skirt, a sleeveless blouse; kanchali, a short bodice worn over the blouse and odhana, a veil cloth.

From hutment to palace, women are almost attired in this set of garments except that the materials and embellishments used, in the aristocratic palaces were precious, refined and elaborate. Dut to the customs of exogamy, Rajput women were given in marriage to distant princely cultural states. As such several cultural and stylistic elements mixed and mingled in the costumes of each ruling family.

The most popular materials and techniques used in the Royal costumes of Bikaner, as much as in other princely states of Rajastan, comprised gold and silver brocaded silk and zardozi, embroidery in gold wire. Often panels of skirt, or yoke pieces of blouses were specially woven for the purpose.

You can see several pictures of Zardozi embroidery here. All these photographs were taken in Bikaner Cultural Centre and Museum in Junagarh Forte, Bikaner, Rajasthan. Zardozi embroidery was worked on satin with usually heavy cotton lining to give support to the gold work. Certain portions of the work were cushioned or padded to raise the embroidery work. Gold braiding or laying of specially formed gold wires in the required manner was also quite popular.                                

                                                                                   

One peculiar technique of embellishing women’s garments in Rajasthan is gota work. Ribbens of various widths woven with gold or silver threads were attached to garments as boarders, or constructed into decorative elements such as flowers and creepers. Often times beads, pearls, beetle wings or semi-precious or precious stones were strung to these dresses.

All dresses, photographed here were of mid 20th century.