Absent Karma On The Buddha Train
The culture shock of India is nowhere near as powerful second time around, it’s that first time in the country which really knocks you sideways and shifts your understanding of what constitutes normality. This being our second time, we knew what to expect.
Indian cities are cacophonously noisy, an endlessly discordant soundtrack of car horns, motor bikes, revving engines and raised voices. While the ears get battered, the assault on the eyes comes from the constant chaos and manic overcrowding, but the sense of smell suffers at least as much as any other part, so much so that just inhaling is an occupation fraught with danger. Never mind the putrid drains and the rank smell of stagnant filthy water, the stench of stale urine pervades every city – not altogether surprising when you consider that every stretch of blank wall and every patch of spare land is effectively a urinal. Or worse. And there is no correlation between bodily functions and a need for privacy: be prepared to witness things you never wanted to see.
Once over the culture shock, India is a huge and diverse country with which it is entirely possible to fall in love despite its idiosyncrasies. Our first visit six years ago may have knocked us sideways, yet we always knew we’d return, and there will still be unfinished business this time too, when we come to move on. India has an inexplicable hook which keeps on calling, and we’ll be back again no doubt.
Anyway, back to the Buddha Train. Our second night aboard the train sees us gliding into Benares station just after breakfast as Day 4 of the adventure commences. Benares is the ancient name of the unique city of Varanasi, on the sacred Ganges River – we will return here later in the day, but first we once again battle the chaotic roads, by bus, to Sarnath.
Around the year 528BCE, at 35 years of age, it was at Sarnath that Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after achieving the enlightenment at Bodhgaya, and the site where the first of his disciples were to attain their own enlightenment. Hence it was from Sarnath that word of the Buddha and his teachings would begin to spread and from here that the Buddhist following and faith began to grow in earnest.
The temples of Sarnath are now, like Bodhgaya, a mix of pilgrim visitors and curious tourists whilst monks chant beneath colourful bunting draped across leafy courtyards. And for the first time on this trip so far, Buddhist mantras are dotted around the grounds. Inside the temples the artwork is beautifully crafted and we find ourselves gazing at the walls.
From Sarnath we head back to Varanasi. Six years ago we spent two nights here, witnessing the wonderful evening Aarti on both nights, never dreaming we would be lucky enough to be here again so soon. You can find our posts about our original visit here.
Last time, we explored the cramped alley ways of Varanasi at length: this time we see nothing of these but instead our group heads straight for the Ganges to board one of the dozens of boats out on the water. Varanasi is the city where Hindus wish to end their days, and families will hurry here with a dying relative in order for them to die in this city alongside the sacred river.
As we board the boat to view the nightly Aarti festival later this evening, funeral pyres burn before our eyes, corpses wrapped in cloth and swathed in flower heads burning atop piles of wood. The males of the families stand around until the pyre is burned out, then send the ashes out on to the sacred Ganges to ensure safe passage to the afterlife.
It is truly remarkable that the Aarti takes place each and every night – so much of a pageant, so many spectators. There must be dozens who come to this celebration nightly. To onlookers like us, the colour and atmosphere are absolutely enthralling. Some of our group members are utterly entranced as they witness this for the first time – we almost want to tell them just what the rest of this unrivalled city is like, but, of course, we leave them to their inner thoughts.
Music chimes, incense burns, chanting reverberates. Ritual movements of lighted candles bring moving light to the scene, smoke drifts across the heads of the crowds and out across Mama Ganga. The purpose of the festival is to pay homage to Lord Shiva and all that Shiva created, and is every bit as enthralling as we had remembered from six years ago.
As we learn more about the principles of Buddhism, there is an observation we have made regarding our fellow passengers. There are aspects of behaviour which are quite alien to us Brits and also difficult to reconcile with the principles of Buddhism. Buddhism is all about self-control, about high levels of self-respect, equality, and respect for others, but those qualities aren’t always in evidence in the day to day.
Some of the already-converted in our group seem to be rather rude and demanding to train staff, treating them a bit like servants, and at times seem to operate on a very short fuse. Arguments are not uncommon. Even our chief guide is guilty – “It’s not my job, I’m a guide” is his stock response if asked to take a photograph. Nobody takes offence though, this is clearly normal and accepted conduct, just the way it rolls here. As a group though they are also irritatingly incapable of being on time even when given specific instructions and as a result we have been late starting every single journey and every single visit – some group members thinking it is OK to finally appear up to an hour after the specified meeting time.
And then there’s the trash issue. Even the most smartly dressed and evidently wealthy of them will drop large quantities of litter anywhere- bags of rubbish in the street, plastic bottles at the roadside – without a second thought.
The lateness thing is particularly frustrating. With the exception of the Dutch couple, all us non-Indians are reliably punctual, as indeed are roughly half of the Indians, whereas the remaining half have a complete disregard for timing and a bloody mindedness about keeping so many people waiting. Everything is delayed, not just the start time, but also returning to the meeting point after every site visit. Consequently the last site visit of each day is shortened, and it often seems to be the most interesting venue: we have been rushed around some great sites and, much to the irritation of many, had to drop the crucial Buddha museum at Kushinagar from the itinerary completely.
Frustration and irritation is growing a little between the two factions, the Punctual and the Dawdlers, and we aren’t the only ones feeling frustrated. It’s kind of ironic that on a trip which is intended to be all about inner peace, some of us have rising stress levels, although we suppose there is a certain predictability about Brits being frustrated by lack of timekeeping. When it comes to being stereotypical, we too are obviously playing our part!
Those stress levels though are about to go off the scale as we cross the border into Nepal…
28 Comments
Nemorino
I’ve never been to India, but I’ve heard a lot about it since my daughter lived and worked in Delhi for three years. Also my younger son caught dengue fever on the first day of his visit.
Phil & Michaela
Hmm that’s not good (the dengue fever). It’s such a fascinating – and different – destination
MrsWayfarer
I haven’t been to India and I am keen visit. As for tours, tardy groupmates and rushed tours indeed act to the stress. I am amazed to read your group waits for up to an hour 😳
Phil & Michaela
Yeah we didn’t enjoy that aspect!
wetanddustyroads
Oh, your first paragraph of the absolute chaos left me a little light-headed! Everything is pretty exotic (and by that I mean colourful, yet bizarre at the same time) … I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle it. Your photos though tell an amazing story of life in India (or at least in Varanasi). And there’s another thing … we’re also pretty serious about being punctual …
Phil & Michaela
India definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you get through the barriers you get hooked. It’s one extreme or the other, I think.
Toonsarah
Your opening paragraphs sum up everything I loved (and a few of the things I didn’t) about our time in Rajasthan, whereas I found Kerala much less extreme – less manic but also less smelly! Like you I feel the urge to return and I especially want to visit Varanasi one day. We were surprised to see similar funeral pyres at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu but there’s no equivalent there of the Aarti ceremony, which looks and sounds amazing!
As for the tardiness of some of your fellow travellers, that’s definitely one of the worst aspects of group travel but it sounds like you’re especially badly off if half of the group is like that. We’ve been much more fortunate in recent group tours (not that we take them often). In North Korea everyone had to be on time as we had to stick with the guides! Having to wait an hour is unforgiveable – I reckon you should just leave without them one day to give them a scare!
Phil & Michaela
If only! Actually we’re lagging a few days behind with our posts due to lack of available time coinciding with decent wifi. We’re back in Delhi now with the train experience finished…so we’re going to have to do a couple of quickfire posts to catch up. We already have two more waiting to be posted. Yes we’ve heard that Kerala is different, but with some India experiences you just have to raise your eyebrows and laugh. Being here is a brilliant experience, whatever!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
There is so much to learn about the culture at Varanasi. Just taking part in the Aarti would’ve been a learning experience in itself. The funeral pyres are intriguing to say the least, especially while so many people wander about. It looks like there’s so much to take in, I’m afraid I would give myself whiplash. Does everyone get in a boat on the river during the ceremony, or do some walk into the river? I got a chuckle out of the “Union Bank” boat.
Phil & Michaela
Oh, all sorts. Loads on boats, loads (as you could see) on the ghats, loads everywhere! In terms of getting into the river, most of the ritual bathing takes place in the early morning, not at the Aarti. As you say though, there is so so much to see in India….it’s a fabulous yet challenging travel destination.
mochatruffalo
I hate to say it, but you’re not doing a great job selling India in your opening 😆 Better make sure Joe doesn’t read this, otherwise I’ll never make it to India…
Phil & Michaela
Well, travel bloggers should tell it how it is, warts and all! India definitely isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure.
Monkey's Tale
We found Vararansi to be a bit too much of everything. Too loud, too smelly, too polluted, too pushy – more than anywhere else in India. And the opposite of Sarnath. We also found that many of the Indian tourists we met, especially on tours, were wealthy and likely of a higher caste and treated others with such disrespect. It really bothered me and I wondered about how they justify it with their beliefs. Sometimes learning different cultures is much more difficult. Namaste, Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Well, Maggie, the section on the wealthy Indians…I actually rewrote that section and toned down my original language simply because we would hope to offend no one with our posts. The original text, written at the time and therefore probably reflecting our true thoughts, was much more harsh. In truth, they displayed astonishing arrogance, were downright rude and ill mannered, even abusive at times. Yes it doesn’t sit easily with Buddhist values, does it!? Varanasi is definitely at the extreme end of what can be an extreme country…but in our in-depth visit 6 years ago we found the unique character outweighed the difficult extremes. Just.
Monkey's Tale
I kind of had the same thought as soon as I hit send, didn’t want to offend anyone, but it’s our interpretation of what we saw.
WanderingCanadians
How fun to visit Varanasi by boat and to see a different perspective of the city and experience the Aarti festival. The being late thing would bother me immensely, as would the trash issue. I can feel my levels of stress rising just thinking about it!
Phil & Michaela
Ha, glad to see you’re sharing our pain!
grandmisadventures
I would be so aggravated with the dawdlers of the group- nothing bugs me like when my time is wasted by someone thinking their time is more valuable. Especially if it means missing out on part of a tour. Aside from my frustration for you about the time factions- the Aarti looks absolutely incredible. To be part of such a huge, colorful, and collective grief of loss would be very moving.
Phil & Michaela
The Aarti is really special to witness, we are very pleased to have witnessed it a few times. But yes those people seriously tested our patience.
Alison
Beautiful photos and what an amazing sight to behold. How frustrating travelling with people like that, if it were a cruise that ship would have sailed long ago. I wouldn’t be able to keep my thoughts on this to myself, being very direct as I am, much to the embarrassment of my family.
Phil & Michaela
We were a bit outnumbered though….
Christie
I believe the bigger the group is, the higher levels of stress. It was a huge lack of respect for others, for sure, all this lateness. It’s still bothering me this idea of high/low class of a caste, in this century I would have thought we evolved from an ice-age era lol Apart from this, I think you had a wonderful tour, looking forward to hear about your Nepal adventures!
Phil & Michaela
The arrogance of the higher castes was truly shocking, Christie. We could give loads of examples from this trip!
Christie
No example please😉 Every year, about 20% of all immigrants in Canada are from India.
Laura
I am so intrigued by India, especially after my recent yoga teacher training, but always feel conflicted by the exposure to chaos/overstimulation vs the spiritual aspect, beauty and culture. The Aarti festival looks simply unforgettable and I would love to experience that someday. I am sorry to hear you had to deal with dawdlers and witness rude behaviour and littering from your travel mates. That is undoubtedly one of the biggest downfalls of group travel.
Phil & Michaela
You will definitely find more culture shock than spiritual experience, unless you headed straight for a yoga retreat or similar. Although like we said, other parts of India may well feel very different.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
What a world we live on that you capture so well. Outstanding photography!
Phil & Michaela
Cheers guys