Thursday, 15 January 2015

And at last, the Andamans

10 days, 1,300km from the Indian mainland - no phone, no internet, no newspapers..........

On the plus side, this is what we got........






I think the pictures speak for themselves.  

That's the end of our blog, tomorrow we're heading back home, and planning for next year begins.

Kolkata - It's a black hole Jim but not as we know it

We arrived in Kolkata late on New Year's Eve, tired after a 13 hour drive from Varanasi after the good old fog led to the cancellation of our flights yet again.

New Year's Day and we set off to explore Kolkata on foot.  Kolkata is unique as the only Indian city to have working trams still in operation.  However, spares and replacement parts are not generally available and the trams in use are rickety, battered and busy - but despite being more than 60 year's old are still working


We head to St John's Church.  The memorial to the victims of the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta was moved here in 1940.


The original site of the Black Hole no longer remains - and the following sign is not pointing to John


Just around the corner is Metcalfe Hall - an old colonnaded building which houses the Asiatic Society's library on the ground floor.  We're not here for the library - we are more interested in the first floor.  Although it is mainly empty, one small gallery has about a dozen dusty, glass topped display cabinets that house the content of the Brick Gallery.  

After our 5 minute visit, the three members of staff ask John to sign the visitor's book.  The previous entry was dated April 2014 and the staff seem pleased with our comments - '"One of the best brick galleries we've visited"


The Howrah Bridge is an icon of Kolkata.  It spans the Hugli river and is claimed to be one of the busiest bridges in the world with more than 3.5 million foot passengers, many with improbable loads perched on their heads, crossing every day. It's more than 700m from end to end and on a hot day can expand by more than 1 metre. 


In the shadow of the bridge is the Mullik Ghat flower market.  Many of the workers live on the Ghat and wash in the waters of the Hugli using fibrous twigs bought for the purpose, to brush their teeth.


Competition is fierce in the flower market.  This is a wholesale market with many of the sellers bringing their produce in overnight by train and across the Howrah Bridge.  The buyers are fussy, and prices are keen.


The cost of the flowers is ridiculously low to us - with brilliant bunches of flowers for as little as 10 rupees, and 20 exquisitely made garlands available for 100 rupees (£1).  It had rained during the night but people still make their flowers look the best in the muddy area


Garlands are made ready to be taken to the temples


Some sell just the flower heads by the kilo for people to make garlands that they can sell-on at the many temples in Kolkata - a kilo for 40 rupees.


The leaves of plants and flowers are prepared to go into the many displays for the weddings and funerals that take place daily, and at the time of religious festivals flower prices rise. Sacred vegetables are added to the displays as food for the after life


After the flower market we visit the Kumartuli where the clay from the Hugli is used to make the many displays required for processions and Puja festivals

The models are built on structures made from wood and straw before being covered in the clay


The tight lanes and alleys contain hundreds of separate work stations all co-operating to deliver the completed sculptures.  People make the frames, whilst others do the 'body work',


This specialists are the head and hand makers who turn out beautifully crafted features to complete the sculptures


And afterwards, the sculptures are transferred to the 'paint shop' and are dressed in the accessories that are also made here.


Once complete, the finished articles are carried to the river where they rapidly revert to their constituent parts - and the cycle continues.

We visited one of the Jain temples which was incredibly ornate


The temple is covered in glass and mosaics


and nestles nicely between the buildings of every day life


The peacock mosaic is stunning


The Victoria Memorial Hall is extremely popular with the Indians who pay a fraction of what we pay to visit its brilliant gardens.  I use this as justification for some shameless queue jumping!


Built more than 20 year's after the death of Queen Victoria, the marble hall is part Taj Mahal, part Washington DC


Many of the tourist that visit are Indian, and being the first day of a New Year many of the women are dressed in brightly coloured dresses and saris


Part of the memorial is an interesting bronze frieze


We also visited the Mother's Home - where Mother Teresa lived and died.  The absolute simplicity of her living is humbling and a couple of displays show the significant impact of her work on the poor of Calcutta and some of her meagre possessions.  A scarf that she wore, and a cardigan are next to her Nobel Peace prize certificate.  The visit is very moving


Sites in Kolkata: the best Laundry in town if the queue is any thing to go by...


Amongst some of the superb colonial building including the GPO building, street food vendors cater for the hundreds of office workers and keep up a rapid trade at lunchtime.


Much of the architecture of Kolkata still shows the influence of the British rule


Finally, this is Jai - an amazing chap who guided us on our tour and who stepped in to sort out all our problems with on going travel when, not for the first time an airline let us down with a late change of schedule that required a swift and significant change of plan.  Without his help and reassurance, John's blood pressure would have hit the roof!


Friday, 2 January 2015

Varanasi


Varanasi is built on the Ganges river and every thing happens on, in or around the river.

Our evening trip on the river was very spiritual and as we came back to the jetty the 6pm prayers (Ganga Aarti) of thanks to the river where already well under way. Indian pilgrims and tourists come to watch and thousands descend on the Ghat to be part of the ceremony.


The fires that can be seen in the background are the funeral pyres where cremations are taking place on the river edge.  This is a hugely significant place for the Hindu religion and cremation here enables  the devout to attain Moksha, the breaking of the cycle of life and death.


Every year after the monsoons the water rises so high that the ghats are covered in mud. The government insists that each year the ghats are cleaned and maintained.  The following photo shows just how much mud is deposited on the ghats.  Farmers carry away the soil to their farms as it is rich in nutrients.


Shaving and haircuts take place all along the ghats and after you dip in the Ganges it is important to be shaven.  What this picture fails to capture is the dogs, cows, goats, touts, beggars and street sellers who meander by - a bit scary if they nudge or bump the guy with the cut throat razor


Pilgrims from villages and towns save up to come to visit Varanasi and its many temples


The mad holy man and the Cobras - This guy was demonstrating what he could do with his snakes.  They're only small but were quite feisty and kept hissing at him.  In return for the photo, John expected to make the obligatory 'donation' and asked me for some change.  We gave him 5 rupees which the holy man looked at then handed back saying in Hindi "take the money back, its free'. John and I thanked the Holy man and as we walked away we remarked how unusual this was. Our guide then pointed out that the guy had actually said that even the Indians give 10 rupees and that in effect we were tight fisted foreigners and we could keep our money


You have to have your wits about you on the ghats.  This game involves whacking a short sharp piece of wood into the air - you learn to keep your head down when you hear the whack


Similarly, the cricket games also pose a hazard as one poor tourist can verify, after she was struck full in the mouth with a sizzling drive - luckily the games are played with a tennis ball and she wasn't badly hurt.


just at the back of the ghats is the daily fruit and veg market


The Ganges River has many temples and more than 80 ghats.  Each is maintained by different sponsors.  The views up and down the river are impressive.  Perhaps the best views are from the river itself



John's artistic shot -


If you look closely you should spot lots of people flying kites.  Some of the more business oriented kids hire rowing boats to scoop out those kites that have dropped in the water - after drying, the kites are resold.


More views


and more


You get the idea


This partly submerged temple is just beyond the Manikarnika Ghat


The ghats also host the local laundries.  The washing is done in the Ganges using purpose built flat stones that jut out into the water


And the broad ghats themselves make excellent drying facilities

Mist and fog has been an issue during our stay but it does make for some atmospheric shots


So that's our trip to Varanasi just about done - A fantastic place that the photos don't really do justice


Join us soon for our post from Kolkata.  Happy New Year