We took two boat trips on the Ganges yesterday -- one at dawn so we could see the sunrise, and the other at night to witness the prayer ceremony that takes place every evening around 6:00 pm. The city was almost quiet at 6 am, and the scene at the Ganges was surreal with all the fog. We were concerned we wouldn't see anything, but as soon as the sun peeked through, visibility improved. Every day at every hour, people bathe in the river. We also saw laundrymen washing clothes, each with their own assigned rock. On the night tour, we had the opportunity to light an offering and float it in the river; both of us wished for a safe and happy conclusion to our trip. We also saw more than a half dozen cremations taking place. Words escape me to describe this experience. The river is a peaceful and spiritual place, a respite away from the hustle and bustle of Veranasi city, yet full of life.
In between boat trips, we visited a series of traditional weaving centers. Varanasi is a center for intricate weaving of silk material used to create saris, shawls and decorative materials. Weaving takes place by hand (most time consuming and complicated) and also with cardboard cards that are used to automate the pattern. But in most cases, the weavers memorize their patters, which may take them years to master.
On the banks of the Ganges at night, students from from the nearby Sanskrit university are assigned prayer duties as part of their studies. Each of them stand on a platform and start out by blowing into a conch shell to create the "om" sound. Then they ring a series of bells, perform a series of movements with flaming items and something that resembles a feather duster (we need more research on the purpose of these items - hope to update you later). After the festivities ended, we traveled back to our hotel on bicycle rickshaw, then tut-tut and enjoyed a very nice meal at the hotel. Today we get a bit of rest while we wait for our overnight train to Agra at 4:30
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