Therese's Recent Trip to India
Instead of the wall of humanity I expected on arrival at Delhi Airport, there were just 60-odd sign-holding taxi drivers. Amongst them was my English speaking guide Arsh, who became my cheerful companion on my travels in India.
First impressions were not nearly as bad as had envisaged. Where were the slums everyone talks about? Mumbai, most likely, and I was in the Embassy area of New Delhi.
Although the temperature was 38 degrees, it’s a wonderful dry heat.
Varanasi
Varanasi is the oldest city in India situated on the west bank of the sacred River Ganges. It dates back over 2000 years and so must its electricity supply which frequently cut out during my stay. Hindus believe that when you die, your soul is reincarnated into another being. By engaging in right actions (earning good karma) in this life you increase your chance of being reborn into better circumstances or higher caste in your next life. With this in mind, many infirm people come to Varanasi to die. The city is far from being a convalescent home though, and is one of the liveliest places I have ever been to.
The 6kms of river banks are taken up by several 'ghats' (stairs going into the river), platforms, mismatched temples, shrines and various Hindu paraphernalia. Each ghat is slightly different and serves a different purpose. In the early morning light, tens of thousands of people converge on the banks of the Ganges to bathe away their sins. They dunk themselves in a toxic swill of marigolds and flower petals from the thousands of daily offerings; sewerage; ashes of cremated bodies; scum; and the occasional dead, bloated animal. Was that a monkey or was it a dog that drifted by?
Some of the faithful even go for a lengthy swim. There were old men in their undies, women in soggy saris, and children having a frolic in the polluted water.
Continuing down river by boat we stopped at Manikarnika (burning) Ghat where a body wrapped in Varanasi silk lay ready for cremation atop a four foot funeral pyre. A priest circled it five times then lit the kindling helped by the deceased's family.
Only women who die in childbirth, monks, very small children, lepers, and those who die from a snake bite are not cremated. Instead their bodies are weighted and dumped into the Ganges.
While wandering about the people who were all but glowing ashes laying at the water’s edge to be dispatched into the Ganges, a jeep passed by with two shrouded bodies strapped to the roof, on its way to the ghat.
Flight Varanasi – Khajuraho
Khajuraho is a small town in Madhya Pradesh (central India) that has suddenly become touristy due to the awe-inspiring attractive powers of the 25-odd temples that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They were built around the 10th century by Hindu Kings after victorious battles to honour their gods and goddesses.
Engraved from soft sandstone with amazing detail that is so life-like, the sculptures look like they could just walk right off the walls. The temple carvings are best known for their wildly erotic scenes although their main purpose was to portray everyday life from war, to celebrations, from the erotic, to the mundane. Of the 800-plus carvings that adorn the 24 surviving temples, some 11% are erotic. It crossed my mind seeing Kama Sutra style carvings on the walls of St Mathews in Auckland. India is such a repressed country and it’s rare to see men and women holding hands in public, yet these temples portray some very lewd scenes.
Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh - 5 hours driving
Driving India's roads is a game of chicken with other cars, trucks, buses, scooters, rickshaws, bicycles, pedestrians, dogs, goats, camels, donkeys, and the wandering sacred cows. Everyone drives in a frantic hurry, honking crazy horns, zipping past to avoid collision. People pile into and on top of the buses and trucks, many hanging off the sides and backs. My driver negotiated countless potholes, speed bumps, and head-on trucks without significantly altering my blood pressure.
There is a sign written on the back of every truck, auto rickshaw and bus…. “PLEASE SOUND HORN”! No particular reason is given.
Driving is a great way to observe the pretty countryside with its rice and cotton pastures, and adobe houses - definitely no hustle and bustle of a city. It was like travelling back in time where the way of life has not changed and everything is still built by hand.
Beautiful smiling ladies dressed in vibrant coloured saris, sell spices; potters their wares at roadside stalls. Children carry water from the wells in earthen pots and grain in woven baskets balanced on their heads. A bullock cart rumbles along loaded with firewood and herdsmen direct cows home, craftsmen like silversmiths pattern fine anklets; shoemakers carve beautiful leather footwear; tailors use old style treadle sewing machines.
These villages are a world away from computers and modern technology and were definitely untouched by western ideals, computers or modern "necessities".
In search of the elusive tiger at Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks
I knew that current tiger sightings are rare but I had to try! The tiger is India's national animal. Sadly it is becoming endangered partly due to poaching for its body parts on the black market and habitat loss. The Bengal Tiger is already declared an endangered species. Bandhavgarh
National Park is known for its high tiger densities. At only 437 km² (169 square miles) Bandhavgarh is not one of India's largest parks, but it is noted for its incredible diversity with 37 species of mammals, including leopard, chital (spotted deer), sambar deer, wild boar, sloth bear, macaque, grey langur, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, fox and wild dog. Birdwatchers won't be disappointed with more than 250 types of birds and 70 different butterflies.
I stayed one night, had two game drives and saw SEVEN tiger sightings. Some people never see one!. My first amazing sighting was a mother and two cubs 20 metres away camouflaged in long grass attacking a carcass. It was incredibly exciting and my camera got a real work out.
Kanha National Park
The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book". I got lucky again. While tracking fresh sloth bear droppings a tiger was spotted – relaxing in a pool of water. We watched him for half an hour enjoying the water and the shade till he disappeared into the grasslands. The only sound was the alarm calls of deer knowing a predator was close.
Our jeep moved on and 15m ahead a mother tiger crossed the road in front of us followed by her two 3 month old cubs! Wow sums it up.
After this rich experience we saw herds of bison (gaur), barasingha deer, sambar deer and of course spotted deer. We even followed a jackel who had a spotted deer head in its mouth taking it to feed its babies several kilometres away.
The evening treat was a leopard perched on a boulder. Gameviewing on elephant back is fun and other wildlife is generally not bothered by them. I got close to two more tigers on my ride.
When not game viewing there are lots of other activities: camp fire performances of tribal dancing; lectures, star gazing, cooking classes, nature or village walks, visits to weekly markets and local schools. The lodges are charming Indian themed 'villages' of chalets, extensive library and a spacious thatched dining room serving home cooked Indian food which becomes the gathering point for activities. It is a very personal experience over candle lit dinners fellow guests, lodge manager, house naturalists share the memorable stories of the day.
Kanha to Agra by Train
If you can handle lots of noise and company, nothing beats an Indian train trip.
Trains have your name and seat number on a list outside each coach. The layout is two or three tiered sleeper couches where you can sit or sleep. Vendors go up and down selling chai, coffee and Indian delicacies.
There are no announcements to advise which station is next and you need to be prepared for a quick exit as you don't get much grace to alight, with all those trying to board the train while you squeeze yourself out during the short time the train is at the stop. Needless to say many miss their stations.
The chefs at Kanha made up wonderful picnic boxes for the 14 hour journey. I had hired clean sheets but I recommend you carry your own toilet paper, soap and towel – yes the toilets were western style.
Agra Taj Mahal is of course the home of the world famous Taj Mahal - one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built for the ruler Shah Jahan of the Mughal Empire in memory of his favourite wife who died in childbirth with child number 14. Tragic yet romantic, it is a love poem in white marble, a stunning masterpiece perfectly symmetrical. This structure is studded with 28 various precious and semi-precious stones. A thousand elephants and 22,000 workers were used in its construction which took over 20 years.
RAJASTHAN
(Land of the Kings) - known for its: culture; architecture; fairs and festivals; desert, camel safaris; wildlife sanctuaries; national parks; mountains and villages as well as men in big colourful turbans with large moustaches. Fields stretch for miles dotted with the colourful saris of the women working them. The capital is Jaipur the “Pink City” and a walled town. In the centre stands the impressive Palace Hawa Mahal.
Next was Udaipur famed for its white palaces, beautifully laid out gardens and blue lakes framed by green Avarahilli hills. James Bond movie Octupussy was filmed here.
Indians have a knack of arranging everything meticulously without seeming to, which keeps culture-shock to a minimum, and little chance of 'Delhi belly'. In a country with over a billion people, I could really appreciate the expert planning that made my trip such a varied and outstanding experience.