Leaving Veranasi

We board our second night train soon on our way to Agra and the Taj Mahal. There's some excitement here for the Taj Mahal, and a little less so for the train. It's an experience, though, right?

Most of the students decided to go back to the river and the little walkways lining the banks. They went out in small groups--large groups are too difficult to manage in the crowds. I think most of our students have gotten a little braver as they have gotten more familiar with India.

Veranasi is an intense place, too. Everything is jumbled and no street or walkway runs straight, and it's impossible to keep a sense of direction. The walking surfaces are extremely uneven, demanding constant attention. There are so many people, walking at different paces, jostling and crowding all around, pushing and touching, trying to get through. Shopkeepers, drivers, and hawkers walk along beside you, taking your arm or hand and trying to steer you. They are not easily deterred. Some of them are kids. They might follow for 20 minutes, getting more and more aggressive. They aren't dangerous, but they are very intense. Of course, they are just trying to make a living.

There are groups of pilgrims moving slowly and chanting. You might get blocked in a built up crowd around them. Babas and holy men with painted faces walk straight at you, parting the crowd, moving aside for no one. Cows and calves, too, suddenly lurch out right in front of you. Road dogs lie full out on the tiny walkways and must be avoided. No one seems to step on these ever-present dogs.

There are many old and sick people who have come to Veranasi to die. Hindus believe that dying in Veranasi stops the cycle of rebirth and suffering. So there are many infirm people in the crowds. There are also a lot of beggars. People who have lost legs or arms or hands ask for money. Raggedy kids with hungry eyes pull at your clothes.

And behind it all is the great river, full of power and worshipped as the mother-goddess of India. The peaceful power of the Ganges, and the intense spiritual feeling here, stand in such contrast to the hard hustle of the city. Veranasi feeds you and pulls from you at the same time.

Our adventures here have been powerful, challenging, and intense. And very very interesting. Many stories from Veranasi are certainly coming home with us!