Monthly Archives: August 2008

Dialysis in Varanasi

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An American student from Boston University, named Andrew, reached out to me regarding his friend Rinat from Uzbekistan, who requires dialysis treatment in India for six months. They had initially contacted Apollo Hospital in Delhi, but found it to be quite expensive and also noted that Delhi’s pollution made it an undesirable option. There were no available apartments near the hospital either. They inquired about dialysis services in Varanasi, and I directed them to Heritage Hospital in Varanasi by providing their email address. Andrew and Rinat contacted Heritage Hospital and discovered that they offer dialysis services for foreigners as well.

I visited Heritage Hospital to inquire about their services and charges. The costs were as follows: Rs. 2500 for the first dialysis, Rs. 1000 for a blood check-up (charged only once), Rs. 1700 for each of the next three dialysis sessions, and Rs. 2500 for the fifth session. This was significantly cheaper than Apollo Hospital, and Varanasi is less noisy and polluted compared to Delhi. Andrew then requested to rent my apartment for six months for Rinat. However, I had reservations about hosting someone who does not speak English and only speaks Russian.

I expressed my concern about the language barrier, but Andrew assured me that they would provide a translator for the first week. I was still concerned about the situation beyond that initial period. I asked about Rinat’s current health and learned that he has only one kidney and very low hemoglobin levels—one-third of the normal range. This situation was worrying, as Rinat’s condition seemed quite critical. They also requested that I contact the Indian Embassy in Tashkent to notify them that I would be hosting Rinat. I was uncomfortable with this, as it would make me responsible if anything went wrong with Rinat’s health.

To better understand the situation, I consulted friends in the US and Canada. While they knew people with only one kidney, they were also concerned about Rinat’s low hemoglobin levels. After discussing with my friends and family, I decided not to host Rinat due to the serious nature of his condition. However, I still wanted to assist Andrew and Rinat. I offered to help by finding a guest house for Rinat, accompanying him to the hospital, speaking with doctors, arranging food and other necessities, and showing them around. They agreed to this arrangement. I have requested them to fax me all of Rinat’s medical reports so that I can discuss his treatment with the doctors.

They want to hire me to assist Rinat throughout his stay. I will meet Rinat in Delhi and bring him to Varanasi. I’ve reached out to students at BHU to find a Russian-speaking student to serve as Rinat’s translator. Additionally, Andrew wants Rinat to learn Hindi while he is in Varanasi, so I have contacted Bhasha Bharti to inquire about a Russian-speaking Hindi teacher and am awaiting their reply. This is proving to be a challenging task, but I am committed to helping in any way I can.

Tour guide for Italians

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I worked with Gianni and Marco, two Italians, as their tour guide in Varanasi from the 19th to the 21st. They were referred to me by Giona, the Italian I had worked with the previous week. Gianni is involved in the events sector, and Marco is an architect. They were staying at the Ganges Views Hotel near Assi Ghat. With only two days in Varanasi, we couldn’t visit all the places we had planned. Unfortunately, we missed Tulsi Manas Temple, BHU Museum, and Kina Ram Monastery.

The weather was quite challenging with heavy rain, and the police had prohibited boat rides during their stay. However, we managed to take two short boat rides—from Assi Ghat to Pandey Ghat—one in the morning and one in the evening. We also attended a religious lecture at Marwari Sewa Sangh, which they enjoyed immensely. During their stay, they purchased several items including a Shivalingam, a bull statue, a large candle holder used for Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, and various toys.

Italian guest visits Aghori society

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I worked with an Italian named Giona Peduzzi, who initially contacted me through Couchsurfing to arrange a meeting for a drink. After a series of emails discussing his tour of India, he asked me to plan his visit to Varanasi. Giona lives in Rome and works for Channel 5, Italy’s largest private TV channel, as a show designer and writer for two Saturday night shows. Giona arrived in Varanasi on August 6th and stayed until August 9th. I arranged his accommodation at my guest house.

During his visit, we explored various sites including Mother Teresa’s Home, an Aghor monastery, Mathas (places where people reside while awaiting death), Sarnath, Tulsi Manas Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple (the monkey temple), BHU, Durga Temple (in Ram Nagar), and we also met Lali Baba. Giona was particularly impressed by the people he met. One memorable visit was to Machali Bandar Math, where we spoke with a Sadhu who had been residing there for over 30 years, waiting for his death. Giona was astonished by this dedication, though it was less surprising to me given my previous experiences working with Sophia, an anthropology student from the University of Berlin.

Lali Baba left a significant impression on Giona. He found Lali Baba to be the most fascinating character he had ever encountered, especially captivated by his elaborate attire for the evening Aarti, his garlands and skulls, and even seeing Lali Baba using a computer to chat. We also visited Mother Teresa’s Home. Although I have mixed feelings about going there—feeling both compelled to help but finding it emotionally challenging due to the many mentally and physically ill individuals—I still find it important to visit. I suggested providing a television for the patients’ entertainment, but the Nun declined, explaining that they had never used one before and preferred to maintain their current approach.

At the Aghor monastery, Giona was surprised by their Guinness World Record certificate for treating the most leprosy patients in the world. I have a great appreciation for this place and visit their hospital every time I am in town. Giona expressed interest in visiting Bodh Gaya for a day and then heading to Mumbai. He wanted to experience a film or TV serial shooting in Mumbai. I reached out to Yogesh, a production manager in Bollywood, who agreed to show Giona around Film City. I hope Giona enjoys his time in Mumbai with Yogesh.

I and Giona

Tawayaf culture in Varanasi

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An anthropology student from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, named Megan contacted me recently. She was referred by my friend Adam Sergent, an anthropology student from the University of Chicago, who had stayed at my guest house a month ago while learning Hindi in Varanasi. Megan is currently in her fourth year of research, focusing on Tawayaf culture, sex work, and HIV. Adam had mentioned my NGO to her, and she was interested in learning about my experiences working with these issues. I was intrigued by her interest in Tawayaf culture; while I had some knowledge about them, I hadn’t delved deeply into their world before.

This has sparked my curiosity, and I plan to research more about them. Megan mentioned that she was already collaborating with an NGO in Varanasi that works with sex workers but wanted to expand her contacts to other cities as well. I provided her with information about a few NGOs in Azamgarh and Mau that I am familiar with. She also requested a written document confirming her work with sex workers, Tawayafs, and HIV in Varanasi, which she needs to secure funding from her university. I will consult with my legal advisor to see if I can assist her with this request.

We had an extensive discussion about our respective experiences, and we’ve agreed to collaborate in the future. I’m looking forward to working together and supporting her important research.

Purification in Varanasi

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I encountered a group of more than 15 French tourists on a train recently, and I was struck by the sight of so many of them with freshly shaved heads. Most of them were quite young, and it seemed unusual to see so many bald heads together. Curious, I asked one of them why they had chosen to shave their heads, and they explained that it was part of a ritual for purification. They mentioned that they were aware of the tradition where many Indian pilgrims shave their heads when they visit Varanasi, and they decided to partake in this practice themselves.

When I asked if they felt purified, they described a sense of amazing happiness, inner peace, and a release from stress. Despite their enthusiasm, they seemed to have a limited understanding of the reasons behind the practice, only noting that it was done for purification. I inquired where they had their hair shaved and learned that it was done at Dashashwamedh Ghat. I personally would avoid getting my hair shaved there, as I’ve found that the barbers at the ghats don’t always maintain the highest hygiene standards. While their razors are changed frequently, the actual razors aren’t always properly cleaned, which is concerning.

I used to think that Westerners were very particular about hygiene, but this experience made me question that assumption. It was quite a sight to see this group, and as we parted ways, I commented to the girl I was speaking with, “You are very brave, and you have a lot of brave people with you.” Whether or not they truly felt purified, I was intrigued by their experience. If I were to consider such a ritual, I would certainly bring my own razor to ensure proper hygiene, rather than relying on the ghats’ barbers.

Kamasutra

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While waiting for my train at Delhi railway station, I met an intriguing 85-year-old man named Lance Dane. I had arrived at the station about two hours before my train’s departure, and Lance took a seat next to me. We struck up a conversation, and I was fascinated to learn that he was a specialist in coins and had authored over 40 books on the Kamasutra. His father was Indian, his mother British, and he was born in South India. He grew up in India and speaks fluent Kannada and Hindi. It was remarkable to meet someone with such expertise in Kamasutra.

Curious, I asked him many questions about the Kamasutra. He explained that the Kamasutra temples are not just about depicting various sexual positions but encompass a comprehensive view of human life. This matched what my brother had previously told me, and it reinforced my understanding. Lance shared detailed information about different Kamasutra temples across India. He also discussed the Nepali temple in Varanasi, which features some Kamasutra sculptures. According to him, this temple is relatively new and has been influenced by the Kamasutra temples in South India and Khajuraho.

Lance was traveling to Varanasi to attend a conference on the Art and Archaeology of Kashi (Varanasi), where he was invited as a chief guest. I expressed my interest in the conference, and he kindly extended an invitation to me. He took my mobile number and promised to call me the next morning. True to his word, he called after reaching Varanasi to confirm the invitation. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn so much about my own city from someone with such deep knowledge.

Interview with Musahars in the village

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During my time working for the Financial Times in Varanasi, I had the opportunity to spend time with the Musahar community, a group still considered untouchable in Indian society. Traditionally, Musahars are known for collecting and making bowls from Pipal leaves, a craft that has become increasingly obsolete as plastic bowls have replaced their traditional products. We visited a Mushahar village near Mehndiganj, Varanasi. The village consisted of simple clay huts, and the interviewee was a 24-year-old married woman whose husband worked as a rickshaw driver.

The family of six included her husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and two daughters. Despite their dire economic situation, none of their daughters attended school. Her husband earned only Rs. 25 (50 cents USD) per day, and due to their caste, no one in the local community wanted to ride in his rickshaw. During the harvest season, Mushahars get some temporary work cutting grains on other people’s land. Ironically, while they cut and handle the grains that others eat, they are not allowed to sit on the same rickshaw or access the same resources due to their caste.

Their payment for this labor is often in the form of grains rather than cash. They typically receive around 150 kgs of grains per year, valued at Rs. 2000 ($50), which is not enough to sustain a family. The traditional occupation of making leaf bowls has lost its significance due to the widespread use of plastic, further impacting the Mushahar community’s income. Although this practice persists in smaller towns, cities like Varanasi are slowly abandoning it. During the interview, the interviewer was shocked by the family’s meager income and gave Rs. 500 to the interviewee as a gesture of empathy.

The local guide suggested distributing the money among the villagers. However, this led to a heated argument among the community members. The interviewee insisted on keeping the initial Rs. 500 for herself, while the villagers argued that it should be shared. The situation escalated into a conflict, and we had to leave quickly to avoid further violence. The village had only a hand pump and a well for water, both of which often dried up during the summer. Being near a Coca-Cola plant, they faced significant water scarcity issues. The local people, aware of their caste, would not allow them to use their water resources. As a result, the women of the Mushahar community, who are responsible for fetching water, had to walk 2-3 kilometers daily to get water.

When we arrived, the villagers brought out a Khatia (a rope bed) for us to sit on. However, when they asked about my caste and learned that I am a Brahmin, they refused to sit with me due to the caste differences.