End of first week in India

Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to the roof top of one of our fellow students. As yesterday was also makar sankranti, we could see all the kites being flown from roof tops all across Varanasi, with the sunset making magic light as a backdrop. A spectacular view! 

Different places, different challenges: At school we are reminded to close the windows due to monkeys!

Motorcycles and funeral pyres

Today for the first time I got to see the funeral pyres by the Ganges. I had expected it to be scary, nauseating and gloomy. However, it was none of those. It was a shock to come there and see four or five pyres at once, and all the people, cows and dogs around them, but it was quite peaceful, and as everyday as anything else. As today is makar sankranti, people all over the place fly kites, even around the fires. I saw one kite fall on a pyre and burn within a second or two. 

Wood piled for sale for funeral pyres

  

Cows, goats and shopping

In Benares it is cold! Or so thinks the locals. So goats and dogs must also wear clothes (20 degrees in daytime)

Discussing fabrics for kurtas, I got one whole salwar suit (with trousers and dupatta (scarf)) special made for around 1300 rupees - under $20!

Benares Hindu University (BHU)

Botanical gardens at BHU

गंगा - Ganges

पहला दिन वाराणसी में - First day in Varanasi

Everyone told me I would get a shock when I came to India, and that I could not prepare in any way. How true was that!

Just on the shuttle bus ride from the international to the domestic terminal at the airport in Delhi I went from horror, shock and amusement around 50 times. There are literally people absolutely everywhere, on places I as a Norwegian don't expect to see people, like on top of roof cars, strolling by and in the motor ways, moving scaffolds inside tunnels in the middle of traffic etc. And then of course there are the dogs, cows, goats and monkeys, all over the place. The smells reflect this, but I think one gets used to it quickly.

Én uke før avreise

Om én uke drar jeg til India for første gang. Varanasi. Første gang, og da for å være der i fire måneder! Her kommer det bilder og opplevelser.