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2003-12-12/12-13 - Varanasi (Day 239-240)

The twelfth passes quietly in web work and attempts (all failed) at three different cyber-cafes to try to upload the site updates. I keep harkening back to that quote heard early in the trip that, "A journal, woman or camera will ruin a good trip!" Considering I've tried to roll at least two of those into this website it is no wonder it has taken so much time and at times been so exasperating.

On the thirteenth I go out later in the day and hang out longer at the ghats trying to see if I can catch a different feel to the river's activities. Unfortunately today seems a little slow, the water is low and for some unknown reason there were very few people on the ghats.

After the boat ride I hang about a bit and find something I had previously missed in that there is a ceremony just after sunset at Dasaswamedh Ghat with a ritual offering to "Mother River" performed by five priest. Waving incense in the air, bells ringing, throwing sacred water and flowers into the river and giving an offering of fire both in torches held high and in little candles set adrift upon the waters, the ceremony was an intense and moving affair.

The last item of note in today's Hindustan Times, it was noted that 2003 had been declared Clean Water Year in Varanasi, that day and that some events were going to be scheduled to educate the citizens of Varanasi on clean water. Hum, that is interesting, a "Clean Water Year" announced in Mid-December in a city who's who life and culture focuses on a river - and one of the world's most polluted rivers. I am starting to understand a bit of why in my travels I have only found people to have a universal distrust and dislike of the powers that be in India.

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