We woke up this morning and attended a Mass at the local cathedral which was said in Hindi. The music was absolutely fantastic, with an Indian drummer, singers and even some dancers who led the Bishop down the aisle at the start of Mass.rnrn
rnrnAfter taking a rickshaw ride back to the hotel where we had breakfast, we then took another rickshaw down to the Ganges where we walked to the Little Sisters of Jesus. The Little Sisters were formed by Sister Madeleine in 1956, and quickly spread across the globe and now have fraternities in over 90 countries. Whilst living in different parts of the world, they try to fit in and support the local community in the spirit of Charles de Foucault. They support themselves by taking menial work, which also helps them to integrate with fellow workers.rnrn
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rnrnWe are heading off on the train now to Kolkata.
rnrn6.30 am found us in a boat on the Ganges in time for the sun rise over the river. It was an awesome sight and nothing we had been told about it would prepare us for its splendour.rnrn
rnrnWhilst out in the boat we also had a glimpse of the role that Mother Ganga plays in the lives of the people in Varanasi. We saw many people bathing in the river, meditating and participating in early morning prayer as well as washing their clothes. We leave the pictures to speak for themselves.rnrn
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rnrnWe left the row boat by the oldest part of the city, reputably the oldest living city in the world, and climbing up from the riverbank through unbelievably narrow alleyways, arrived at a Hindu temple with a gold dome.rnrn
rnrnA hearty breakfast (and a spicy one) was waiting for us back at the hotel as was the coach to take us to Sarnath, 10 km outside of Varanasi. Sarnath is the place where Buddha gave his first sermon after his Enlightenment to his original five disciples, expounding the principles of Buddhism. It was the same disciples who had made their way to Sarnath, which was a cultural centre, after they had become disillusioned with Buddha when he was sitting under the Bhodi tree seeking Enlightenment. After his Enlightenment Buddha went in search of these men and preached to them about the Circle Of Life. He then sent them out to spread his teachings. Sarnath is the cradle of Buddhism and a major Buddhist pilgrimage centre.rnrn
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We arrived by air in Varanasi today, and after settling into our hotel, went down through the town to the banks of the Ganges. We will be visiting Mother Ganga at sunrise tomorrow when apparently it is breathtakingly beautiful.rnrn
rnrnWe have also updated the other posts to add some pictures.
This morning we went to Mother Teresa’s Shishu Bhavan, her home for abandoned babies. Some of them had been left in dustbins and were very tiny. They were rescued by the Sisters and are now cared for at the home until they are around six when they are moved to a different house run by the Sisters elsewhere in Delhi. We stayed and played with the toddlers for a couple of hours and found it all very moving.rnrn
rnrnAfter leaving Delhi and taking a 5 hour bus journey along the Indian highway we arrived at Agra and today went to see the beautiful Taj Mahal. The building itself was absolutely stunning, made of white marble and semi-precious stones. After the Taj we went onto a marble shop where they showed us how the marble work on the Taj was produced. It was Kerry’s birthday today and so she chose a present from the marble shop.rnrn
rnrnWe are now heading back on the bus to Delhi where we will catch a plane to Varanasi tomorrow.rnrn
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India is incredible. For the past few days, as well as recovering from the change in time and the long and exhausting flight, we have been exploring the sights, smells and sounds of Delhi.rnrn
rnrnOne of the first things you notice about India is how chaotic everything is. The driving is crazy, with seemingly no set rules of the road: people just tend to do what they want. The horn usage is particularly excessive.rnrnSo far, we have visited Mosques, Temples, Tombs, Forts, Orphanages, Museums and several historical monuments. Many of these visits were concerned with learning more about Indian history and the evolution of Delhi. The contrast between Old Delhi and New Delhi is particularly marked. New Delhi was designed and built by the British, and has wide streets, luxurious houses and roundabouts (which our guide was particularly impressed with), whereas Old Delhi was built by the seventh Mogul King. Taking a rickshaw through the narrow streets of Old Delhi showed the true character of India, with the vibrant colours of saris and the smell of incense burning.rnrnOne of the more poignant moments of the trip was seeing where the great Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in the garden of where he was living. It was here that he was visited by many people, some of them very famous, and where he led prayer meetings. It was at one such meeting that he was shot at point blank range in the garden. The house was the home of a very rich industrialist and Gandhi was his guest. He owned no houses himself. It has been turned into a museum of his few possessions. We then saw the sight of his cremation, in the heart of Delhi, which is now a beautiful memorial.rnrn
rnrnOne constant theme we have noticed in India is the love of cricket, which seems to be shared by both men and young boys alike. While visiting one the local markets in India, we learnt to barter for goods and saw many games of cricket taking place on the narrow streets. Cricket was also being played just outside a famous Mosque in Delhi, which has space for 25,000 Muslims at full capacity. Although it was empty when we saw it, the thought of all those people in prayer together was very moving.rnrnMore impromptu events included a Hindu wedding, which took place at the Hotel on our first evening, and was an energetic festival of light and colour. We have also seen many monkeys, as well as camels, cows and even an elephant. We have constant battles with traders who try to sell us goods at every opportunity, but most of all, these three days have given us an insight into Indian life and culture.rnrn
It is with great excitement that we leave for India tomorrow. Some of us have been organised and are packed, others are still throwing stuff in their suitcase and probably will be until the last second. I think I speak for many of the group when I say that I don’t think we can believe we are off to Udayan: the place we have heard so much about and worked so hard for.rnrnWe will try and keep this diary updated as regularly as technology permits, so make sure you keep checking back for updates! All that remains to say is see you in India!
In less than a week now we will be leaving for India. We are planning to keep an online diary so that you can follow our progress as we arrive in Delhi and make our way down to Kolkata and Udayan.
You can find the diary using the links at the top of the page. Please let others know that this diary is here, so that they too can become involved in our trip to Udayan.