Before departing for Varanasi Cheryl , myself, and some others in our group treated ourselves to Kairali Ayurvedic massages. This is a special technique from southern India that utilized various hot oils and herbs dripped, pounded, a technique called Polti, as well as rubbed on just about every part of your body (no photos please.) All I can say is that they must have killed at least 3 sperm whales for the amount of oil utilized on me. I felt that if they used a few bread crumbs on me after the hot oil I could have been fried and served for dinner! This morning before leaving Khajuraho Cheryl and I got haircuts at the hotel? Mine included a full scalp, head, neck and upper body massage. The combined cost for both of us was $4.50.
After a short flight we arrived in Varanasi, the holiest city in Hinduism. We immediately left for the Ganges, mostly by bicycle rickshaw through the busiest bazaar in India. The sites, the crowds, the noise, the smells were unsurpassed by anything we have done yet. It was almost like a wall to wall Street carnival combined with gridlock worse than anything anyone has experienced in the States. Yet, it all seems to work. Arriving at the ghats (steps) of the Ganges we boarded our boat for a short cruise prior to the Evening Aarti, the Hindu religious ritual performed by Brahman Priests every sunset to praise The mother River Ganges. Cheryl and I and the rest of our group lit our special prayer candles, made a secret wish and set them afloat on the holy river.We also witnessed numerous cremations as to be cremated at the Ganges and have your ashes placed in the river is sacrosanct for many Hindus. There were many Hindu Holymen (Sadhu) to be seen as well as thousands in the crowd, who of course could not get in the way of the cows. What an evening.
