India

This morning we got up at 6.00 am to do the boat tour on the Ganges river.

To see the sun come up at that time is a magnificent experience. And with dinner tonight we shall see the full moon above the Ganges

This rowing 3 hour boat tour along the river is a sight to behold, people washing themselves, brushing their teeth, washing their hair, the ladies in their sari's on a very muddy river bank is a sight that is awesome but at the same time gruesome.

But the belief that it is a Holy River must be the cleansing factor, they pray to the sun , dive under water, an immense sight to behold.

Here at the roof top of our guest house the view of the Ganges is spectacular, the river is low now but swells to twice the width in the monsoon time, the town is build so that all buildings rise up about 25 metres above the river.level

No boat tours are then possible as the current is so fast that you be in Mumbai in know time at all. Varanasi is not for the faint -hearted, the smells, and sights of the never ending dirt and squalor are a so greatly representing a world that is so foreign to me.

Utter chaor but it works

India

Our Riksha driver in Varanasi is a real gem, he appeared the first morning coming out of our guesthouse and has bee our true guide and translator.

To move around atown called Varanasi on your own would be not that funny, the narrow streets in the old city are not for those that are new in this amazing dirty, rambling, space.

So many many move throught these narrow streets and with all kinds of shops on the side walk that shops and the path are simply one movement of people and animals ..yes watch out for the cow-poop that is everywhere. And not only that cows and bulls have right of way/

A visit to silk weaving an buying some wonderful colors to take with us. We looked up Sai Maa's `Ashram also in the old city where her devotees loved  to see us.

The evening ceromony held on the Ganges with the priest performing a most stunning display with bells, drums and a voice singing mantras (our photos coming) that we went to at 6.00 pm was a most powerful display of their traditions and honoring whatever they honor ...but very very moving and touching to be part of.

Images of India

American writer Mark Twain wrote: "Benares (Varanasi) is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

India

Yesterday we arrived in Varanasi..a journey from Chennai to Bangalore and on to Delhi ....Delhi has been in thick fog for 2 weeks and the airport has been struggling to get flights in and out.

We knew about it ..but still there where we circling above Delhi for the fog to lift, round and round it shoed on the screen,I imagine with many other planes in the smae predicament, hoping I thought before we run out of fuel.

At last there we go down the wheels came out, and land ..now the pilot informs us as no-one was able to yet depart that day there is no place for us yet.to embark ...ha ha ha

An hour later movement we are so mighty pleased to get our bums of the seats when an employee hurdles us on to a bus to catch the flight to Varanasi, back on our bums, but mercifully there are toilets on board...
These passengers had been waiting for us and a cheer went up when we arrived...as Sonja and I had ideas on a cappucino, that had to wait.

Varanasi's arrival lounge was a bee-hive of faces pressed against the windows I suppose for fresh tourists, our taxi driver proudly held up a sign with our names and off we went, needless to say we where stuffed kind off.

This morning after breakfest at the top floor of our guesthouse that is overlooking the Ganges and see the sun come up from our balcony, we had a great encounter with a riksha driver straight away. He became our guido in his riksha and showed us some temples in the old city, a labirinth of enormous proportions unimaginable.

No traffic is possible there but foot work, with lots of people, cows, goats, darting the cow poop is part of the game, he told us great sdtories, of history, customs, and symbolism of this city. We went to the burial ground and witnessed the bodies arriving under chanting prayers and how this ritual is so important to them to free the soul from the body.

Each cast has their own spaces to be burned amazing stories in this dream. Our guide we appreciated greatly with his fine manners and very spritual ideas that for me where mind blowing.

Without him we would not have been able to wander in that old part of the city as there is no way one can know how to get out.

A visit to a coffee shop, yes Cappucino's and Latte's where on, and on to a aroma theraphy shop to be told some wonderful ideas about many different oils, Rose, Sandalwood, Rosemary, many more, each one he placed as a tip on our arms untill we smelled just divine and naturally buying some.

Lunch at the cafe believe it or not called the Vaticaan and delicious pizza's ..

To see people bath in the Ganges is an amazing sight, I like to look but not to join ...

India

We left Pondicherry today at 10.00 am in a very comfortable car that took all our luggage. Previously the cars we travelled in where so small that the luggage had to be tied to the roof.

The landscape showed rice fields and wide spaces of salt flats

Our driver was a daredevil darting through the traffic horns blaring, moving at amazing speed passing, the busses, cars, rikshas, cows, pedestrians, dogs, goats…it is not something you can watch it is best to look sideways as Dirk who sat in the front said" I died a thousand times today, ha ha ha.

We stopped at a road stall these places have amazing chai tea and fried veggie rolls simply yummy. The hotel basic but good and lunch. So Sonja asked where is a good place to walk, the answer was no-where. The idea of walking is looked upon as`weird

Well we did anyway and it was true it was not walking but darting between the traffic and shops and the social masses gatherings on the foot path spilling over on the road…

Here in India no-one suffers from fatigue syndrome, everything is on the move, endlessly going about their business.
We visited a beautiful church where a priest was given an sermon that was a kind of pre-historic, I believe from the accent it was about a punishing God not my cuppa. Lucky an attack of mozzies drove us out fast ..they loved our fresh blood, dinner was the only option.

Images

Quotes of Sri Aurobindo

"The yoga we practice is not for ourselves alone, but for the Divine; its aim is to work out the will of the Divine in the world, to effect a spiritual transformation and to bring down a divine nature and a divine life into the mental, vital and physical nature and life of humanity. Its object is not personal Mukti, although Mukti is a necessary condition of the yoga, but the liberation and transformation of the human being. It is not personal Ananda, but the bringing down of the divine Ananda -- Christ's kingdom of heaven, our Satyayuga -- upon the earth."

- Sri Aurobindo 

~

" We are sons of God
And must be even as he. "

Quotes from Savitri by Sri Aurobindo

Some images from India