The "Chemist" that supplied much needed meds

I was sick.  A combination of stress, all the bouts of flu and an abscess under a crown in my mouth prior to departing for India caught up with me.  Even though I had been on a couple of courses of antibiotics during the year I don’t think any of them really got rid of what was lurking in my body.  Add long distance travel and wet freezing weather and you have a recipe for disaster where your health is concerned.  I always go well prepared for health problems, but flu/strep throat wasn’t one of them.  On my first morning in Varanasi I asked Himmat to find me a “chemist” so that I could purchase something to help me feel better.  I was amazed at the products in the shop he took me to – some of the items on sale I haven’t seen in South Africa for many many years.  Sanatogen for instance – goodness knows why that was stopped, but go to Varanasi and you will find some.  Contrary to what I have been told, antibiotics are not for sale over the counter.  In fact, doctors in India have a stick up their bums about them these days, and so I resorted to treating the symptoms – a futile exercise, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

After the visit to the chemist, it was time to visit Sarnath temple, which is located 10 kilometres north-east in Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers.  Varanasi is in Uttar Pradesh.  The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dhamma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna.

A mouth-full I agree, but just from that tiny bit of history, you will agree that Varanasi is pretty special to the Indian people and for many more worldwide.  This is the only place I insisted on visiting for two reasons – Firstly to attend the ceremony that is performed every night at the edge of the river Ganges, and secondly to have a boat ride on the river.  Further than that, I wasn’t too interested in the city itself.

The gardens and ruins were interesting enough I suppose, but my irritation levels kept increasing until I reached the Ganges.  Oh my word, I was so happy to finally be there.  The one thing that did surprise me is how busy Varanasi is – oh yes, the irony of that statement isn’t lost on me.  India is busy of course, but Varanasi is the busiest place I’ve visited yet.  Just standing still, absorbing where I was wasn’t easy.  Because of its spiritual/religious attraction, millions of people make the pilgrimage daily throughout the year which makes it a perfect place for beggars.  This is the first time in India, that I was constantly approached by beggars.  Add to this the constant barrage of people wanting to sell mostly cheap rubbish, you will have a fair idea of how disappointed I felt until I got into a boat and was gently rowed down the river.

We slowly made our way to the other side, and from the boat I was able to see so much.  Fact - water makes me happy.  I got to see all the beautiful things I had so looked forward to.  The buildings at the water’s edge, the cremation fires a little way off – this is where many people bring relatives to be cremated, or the ashes are brought to the Ganges to be scattered.  Birds being fed from one of the other boats.  I could quite easily have stayed on the river all night.  When we got to the other side, everyone on board was given the opportunity to get out of the boat and take a stroll on the river bank.  I so badly wanted to do this, but because of the blisters on my feet I played it safe – an infection on my feet would have been the bitter end.  Instead, I bought a candle and sent it down the river with a blessing for my family.

As the sun was going down we made our way back to the steps where the ceremony was to take place.  After some time we found a fantastic place to view the proceedings – it is also possible to watch from a boat on the river.  I discovered that simply putting my finger to my lips and saying “shhhhhh” was extremely effective in getting rid of beggars and hawkers – if I hadn’t done this I wouldn’t have seen the ceremony at all.

It is really difficult to describe what it’s like seeing a spectacle like the one I watched in Varanasi, after imagining it and dreaming about it for so long.  Of course I had seen it a thousand times on Youtube and TV, but actually being there was something else entirely.  I have no idea what it all means, but I loved it and I was so happy to be experiencing it firsthand.  I was so pleased that I wasn’t disappointed.

All too soon the spectacle was over and we were walking back down the streets of Varanasi.  We stopped along the way to have a cup of chai.