How many religions can we cover in three weeks?

Answer: 4. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

The River Ganges

Varanasi is one of the holiest cities is India, for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains alike. Located on the Ganges, Hindus believe that bathing in the river washes away ones sins, and that dying in Varanasi releases one’s soul from the long series of reincarnations. The highlight of Varanasi was our 5am boat ride, on which we got to intimately view the daily activities centered around the Ganges. In addition to bathing, brushing their teeth, and doing their laundry in the beyond polluted river ,approximately 200 people are cremated on the banks every day.* It is believed that bathing in the Ganges purifies ones soul, and has been said to heal incurable diseases. Strangely enough, despite the fact that most villages downriver from Varanasi suffer from high rates of water borne illness, most of those whose bath in Varanasi, find surprisingly different results, and are living proof of the power of faith. 

While staying in Varanasi, we also visited the city of Sarnath, remembered as the place where Buddha first preached. Sarnath is also home to a beautiful Jain temple, and is a pilgrimage site for Jains. After Varanasi, we took another sleeper (at this rate, Denise barely needed her sleeping pills to doze off), to Darjeeling. 

Cremations on the Ganges

After traveling throughout a number of the Northern bustling cities of India, we spent four days in Darjeeling. Located in the Himalayas, Darjeeling is known for its previous role as a major tea supplier for the British East India Company. The culture of Darjeeling is in many ways more Tibetan than Indian. The region is in many ways geographically separated from the rest of the nation. In fact, in order to reach the city, we had to take a four hour jeep ride, reminiscent of Disney’s Indian Jones Ride. The climb, comprised of infinite S-turns, was both breathtaking and perilous. Upon arrival to our Tibetan-themed hotel, we immediately dropped our bags, desperate to explore in a city where being outside didn’t equate with being covered in sweat. We were well rewarded. The city, in addition to being much more manageable and self-navigable, offers a friendly environment, lush landscapes for hiking and exploring, and spontaneous “look out posts,” where you can get a glimpse of the tallest peaks in the world. 

While there, we spent as much time as possible outside, despite the nearly incessant rains. We spent an afternoon perusing the extensive Botanical Gardens, woke at dawn to view the sunrise over the Himalayas, familiarized ourself with the animals indigenous to the region at the zoo, and feasted on various dishes from Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan cuisines. Darjeeling, as is appropriate for a major tea supplier, is a classic coffee shop, hippy joint, kick back city. Four days wasn’t nearly enough.

Darjeeling

Arriving in Kolkata after our leisurely stay in Darjeeling only served to magnify the stark differences between the two cities. Kolkata, once the capital of British India, lived up to its shabby reputation in many ways. Among other things, Kolkata is known for its slums, beggars, and child prostitution. While some argue that Kolkata can be extraordinary, if you just know where to go, as independent travelers, even walking down the main streets was demoralizing. The destitution and filth was unforgivable, and to be perfectly honest, the government should be downright ashamed for their inability or unwillingness to make any strides. Visiting Kolkata allowed me to drop the pretense that “everything’s alright.” We have both traveled in developing countries, and both have the ability to see things in the context of their culture. We both acknowledge differences while reserving judgement, and to appreciate the distinctiveness and beauty of other lands. However, during our visit to Kolkata, we saw too much of the extreme poverty and inexcusable societal indifference to the environment and to human dignity. While we visited some of the historical sites, many of which were relics of British colonialism, our overall experience was disheartening. The redemption of our stay in Kolkata, was our visit to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity House. A small museum has been erected on the ground floor, and additionally, visitors can see her tomb, and her personal room, still in the sparse and humbling conditions she left it. 

Mumbai, while also known for its urban slums, was nothing compared to Kolkata. The spirited port city takes much pride in its maintenance. It is much cleaner, and it’s clear that the people and government have made a concerted effort to address many of the societal and environmental woes plaguing the country as a whole. We ate our way through Mumbai, enjoying everything from fresh mango juice, to authentic Chinese food, and topping it off with imported Coronas. Additionally, we spent several hours on the sea, as we journeyed to Elephanta island. The island is home to ancient caves filled stone carvings and shrines dedicated primarily to Shiva, thought to have been created between 450 and 750 AD. As we traveled south, the weather became cooler, and while Mumbai was humid, we found the temperature, in the mid 80s, quite pleasant. 

Our final destination was Bangalore, as this is where Kat will be spending the seven weeks interning. Bangalore is known as the silicone valley of India, where all those outsourced calls are answered. Due to the rapid economic development of the city, it is representative of the modern India. The effects of globalization and the rise of industry can be seen in everything from gender roles to attire to the proliferation of American establishments. The city, despite its technological growth spurt, is much cleaner, younger, and more Western. While we saw, enjoyed, and experienced a wide range of Indian cities, Bangalore renewed our hope in the future of India. Even the beggars in Bangalore are cleaner and better dressed than any we’ve seen yet. The municipal and state governments have taken many efforts to clean up the city, and to instill greater attitudes of social responsibility. While we don’t pretend to understand the intricacies of Indian culture and the vastly diverse populations and traditions that comprise India, many of the conditions we witnessed in the various places we visited were disheartening. However, we certainly did enjoy our travels and our time together, and the experiences we shared in India, in addition to the lessons we learned, people we met, and places we saw, will stay in our hearts forever. 

Stay tuned for updates from Kat as she interns with Ubuntu at Work!

Namaste!

*Safe bathing water should have 500 faecal coliform bacteria per 100mL of water or less, while the Ganges has 1.5 million. We were told that bodies are often deposited into the Ganges instead of being cremated. Thought this was a hyperbole until we actually saw a floating, bloated body.