Introduction to Varanasi: the first week

I landed in Varanasi in something of a foul mood, unusual for me; but honestly, I really wasn't ready to leave Kathmandu. I'll be back soon enough, but the difference between India and Nepal is more than one might think. Kathmandu might be noisy and dusty, but Varanasi is noisier by a factor of ten and filthier, in terms of cow (and human) shit and piss. It was charming, almost, the first tme I was here (and cooler, it was in winter time); the city is actually quite beautiful and thriving and strolling along the Ganges is as spiritually invigorating as sitting in a temple.

But I was in a crapulent mood made more so when the guest house I'd checked into put me in another

The room at Yes Please.

guest house. Fine. I'm ready for changes at the last minute, but a room with no windows, no towel, no toilet paper, no soap didn't improve my mood. After I got that sorted out, I took a non-soaped shower (they had towel and TP) and I passed into a deep sleep under the fan.

I woke to a better mood insofar that Tahir, the owner of the Yes, Please Guest House is a really great guy. He was super helpful and I didn't complain about the lack of anything from the previous night. That said, the weather in Varanasi was oppressive. I discovered the Om Cafe and applied for Hindi lessons with Binit Kumar Mishra and applied to my self to starting over again with the language. (It's coming along slowly; people are really nice in conversations, but I have to a) beg for corrections; b) remember to only answer in Hindi - even if they want to chat in English...working with Binit, I'm getting grammar, but I really need to build vocabulary and get more used to the rhythms of Hindi again.)

The next few days were spent breakfasting at Om, going to class, and strolling back along the Ganges to Yes, Please and napping. I'd stroll out again and check out the markets, make conversation and head back for dinner and find that my mood hadn't really lifted! This is going to sound inane, but the lack of a window turned out to have a weird effect on me. Sure, I can meditate and I don't need a window for that. I can do qigong and yoga and I don't need a window for that. I can read, etc. and I don't need a window. But maybe I do. I was feeling really kind of down and told Tahir I'd have to find something else (plus, now that I had a routine and I wasn't here to sight-see as much, I wanted something more convenient to where I am.

Boats on the Ganges

I found the Aum Guest House, which was cheaper. And a pit. Okay, for INR 650 I knew what to expect. But for the same amount in Kathmandu, I had a lovely room that overlooked a beautiful courtyard, a great restaurant with breakfast included and friendly, outgoing people. At Aum, I had a pretty cruddy room that did have a window that looked out on, well, laundry and some trees. But it was closer to class and another favorite meal spot, the Open Hand Cafe. In any case, I decided that wasn't where I wanted to be. I don't do dingy well, anymore, I'm afraid.

My backyard at Aum Guesthouse

I turned to Booking.com and looked for another place. This time, I found the Banares Paying Guest House. Finally, a decent place. I'm paying more (by US standards, you would laugh at me, but I'm on a strict budget and by South Asian benchmarks, this is pricey), but it's a loveley place. I have a
balcony, Naveen and Krishna are great fun, and it's a good group of travelers that come through. My routine is now fixed.

Graffiti on the Ganges

I rise, I meditate, I have breakfast in the BPGH (included in my room rate, thankyouverymuch), head for class, take a light lunch, struggle with conversations, and head back for a nap, reading, writing, studying and in the evening, like now, back to the Open Hand for keyboard dribbling and a light meal or just some nice fruit juice confection and some coffee. This is all I need.

I'll return to the Durga Mandir, head to the Monkey Temple and do a day in Sarnath again, but it's easy to be content in Varanasi. As noisy and nuts as the city can be, there's a calm at the center. It's why I'm back.


I also found a manufacturer/vendor of pashmina and silk sarees, scarves, etc. Some of Vishnu's work follows below and some I've put in the gallery. The name of his operation is Silk Veg Boutique and I couldn't help but ask what the "Veg" referred to and then it became obvious; the dyes are all vegetable base. They tend to be less likely to fade when exposed to harsh light and they're far more

Vishnu of Silk Veg Boutique

less likely to wash out. The work is quite impressive and Vishnu showed me a 300 plus year old elephant cover. It was in remarkably good shape and in the photos, I think I was able to capture some of the subtleties in the weaving.

Apparently, Vishnu carries fabrics for a hundred rupees to these amazingly large pashmina weavings that he moves for upward of 50,000 INR. I laughed when he asked me if I'd be interested in one. I said, no, I really don't have that magic purse that I need to cover that purchase. I did pick up a lovely piece for the equivalent of $60, so you could go there and not go broke. He caters to retailers, mostly, so a lot of his stuff goes for wholesale prices.

The view from my balconoy now; it may not be so scenic, but I have a private balcony!

In all, my mood has lightened but I still miss Kathmandu. I didn't plan on loving Nepal as much as I've come to and frankly, as odious as comparisons are, India is suffering by this one. This isn't to denigrate India; I still love her, but there's an intimacy of scale in Nepal that India, with her vastnesses in area and depth in temporal history, doesn't have. I'll be looking forward to going back to Bodhgaya in November. In the meantime, Varanasi is here and she is lovely. "It's Vishnu's city" said a baba to me the other day. Indeed, "om namo shivaya"!