Category Archives: Multimedia

Snakes on Indian train

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My 24-Hour Train Ride to a Wedding

A few days ago, I traveled from Varanasi to Ratlam by train to attend a wedding, which meant a journey of over 24 hours. I take the train all the time, but I usually avoid trips longer than 13 or 14 hours. This time, however, I had no other option. The person getting married booked my ticket, and since we were traveling in a group, it was going to be a fun journey anyway. Indian trains have several classes, such as General Class (no reserved seat), Non-AC Sleeper, 3AC, 2AC, and 1AC. I usually prefer 3AC as it’s the most comfortable class at the cheapest price, but my ticket this time was for the Non-AC Sleeper class.

The journey from Varanasi to Ratlam was uneventful, and to be honest, I never got bored because I was with my friends. The return journey, though, was quite an experience. When our train arrived at the Ratlam station, we found our coach door was locked from the inside, and there were people sleeping on our seats! We asked them to open the door, but they all pretended not to hear us. We finally had to enter our coach through another one. When we asked the people to leave our seats, they simply refused to listen. All of them had wait-listed tickets, which means their seats weren’t confirmed.

We started by requesting them politely, then began shouting, and it finally escalated into a full-on fight. After 45 minutes of pleading, shouting, fighting, and what felt like a war, we finally got our seats! I had traveled in the Non-AC Sleeper class several times before, but this journey was unique because I saw something I had never seen in a train. In the Non-AC Sleeper class, anyone is allowed to enter, so all kinds of services are offered by unauthorized people. You’ll see people selling chai (tea), others selling books, and some begging… but this time, I saw snakes in the train.

I saw a group of snake charmers showing snakes to people and asking for money. People were offering them money because snakes are associated with Lord Shiva and are considered holy in Hinduism. I was truly surprised but also amused. It seemed so strange to me—snakes in the train and no one to stop them? Anyway, I was able to film it. Enjoy!

Shivratri in Varanasi

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Girls playing Goddesses

Shivratri is the wedding anniversary of Lord Shiva and the biggest festival in Varanasi. This year, it was celebrated on the 30th of March. The date is determined by the Hindu lunar calendar, so it changes every year. As per the calendar, Mahashivaratri falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna (February/March). I had always wanted to document this festival, and this year I finally got the opportunity. Several temples in Varanasi organize a wedding parade of Lord Shiva on Shivratri. I went to a very big temple called Mahamrityunjay Temple, which is famous for its parade.

Girls playing Goddesses

The ghosts

I tried to contact the mahant of the temple, who was supposed to be one of the organizers, or at least an important member of the committee. But to my surprise, he told me straight away that he didn’t know anything about who was organizing it. I was shocked. I then asked several other people at the temple, but nobody seemed willing to say who was behind the event or who I should approach to get filming permission. Very strange people. I spoke with at least 20 people, and the response was always the same—they didn’t know who was organizing the parade.

The ghosts

Goddess Shitla

Finally, I gave up on this temple and went to another one called Tilbhandeshwar Temple, which is also one of the biggest Shiva temples in Varanasi. The people there were much more helpful. They gave me all the information I needed and permitted me to come on the festival day and film inside the temple. I was really happy to have their permission. I arrived on the festival day around 8 am and was surprised to see that preparations had already been underway for a long time. Hundreds of people were at the temple, dressing up and getting ready for the parade.

Goddess Shitla

Baby Shiva

Since the festival is so important to the people of Varanasi, everyone wanted to participate. A committee was formed to choose the right characters for the parade. There were all kinds of characters, including gods, goddesses, demons, and ghosts. This was because Shiva is believed to have all kinds of followers—even ghosts and demons—who also took part in his wedding. The atmosphere was truly amazing, full of excitement and energy.

baby Shiva

Makeup

There were four makeup artists working non-stop on the characters, and there was always a line of people waiting for their turn. My friend Lane, from Seattle, had come with me just to watch the parade but ended up playing Parshuram! The organizers were so delighted to see a foreigner that they asked him if he’d like to be part of the parade, and as usual, Lane agreed. I interviewed several characters, and the best conversation was with the man playing Lord Shiva. He was fascinating. He told me he had been playing Shiva for the past eight years. When I asked why it was always him, he explained that he takes the role very seriously and calls Lord Shiva into his body, which earns him respect from the community. People actually want him to play Shiva year after year.

makeup

Lord Shiva on his horse

Even more interesting was the fact that his whole family was involved. His real son was playing baby Shiva. After his makeup was done, the man playing Lord Shiva went to the temple for blessings. This is the moment when he is believed to invite the spirit of Shiva into his body. The parade began right after this. All the characters rode on different animals and horses as the procession moved through many neighborhoods. I don’t know how, but thousands of people joined the parade. There was loud music, people dancing, snake charmers performing, and firecrackers going off everywhere to celebrate.

Lord Shiva on his horse

Free bhang

There were also free bhang stalls. Since bhang is traditionally offered at Shiva temples, it was distributed as a blessing. The parade lasted more than four hours before finally returning to the Tilbhandeshwar Temple around 6 PM. Once back at the temple, the man playing Shiva performed a symbolic wedding ceremony with his real wife, representing the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. After the rituals, the event concluded. It was incredible to see how people treated the characters as if they were the deities themselves. Many touched their feet in reverence. I was thrilled to have documented the whole event—and yes, I filmed it too! So happy to have experienced it.

free Bhang

 

Vodeo filming for AIDSvideos.org

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I have received a project from an American organization called AIDSvideos.org, which produces videos to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. They want me to create videos in every major Indian language. They have provided twenty-seven different scripts in five Indian languages, making it a long-term project. My tasks include translating these scripts into various Indian languages and then producing the videos. Since there are twenty-two official languages in India, completing the entire project could take several years.

I recently made a Hindi video using one of their scripts for Sanjeevani Booti, but it didn’t turn out as expected. During that time, an American student named Allen Roda from New York University was staying with me and had a high-quality camera. We used his camera to film the video. Without a teleprompter, I had the script printed and placed it on either side of the camera for the speaker to read. While this setup seemed fine on the small camera screen, it revealed issues when played on a larger TV. The speaker’s eyes were constantly shifting from side to side as they read from the different pages, making the video look unprofessional. Therefore, I’ve decided to re-record it.

Ravikant

I am encountering additional challenges. Lane and I searched for teleprompter software and found some that worked well with English scripts. However, these programs do not support Hindi or other Indian languages. Without a teleprompter, recording long scripts becomes very difficult. The script is eighteen minutes long, and it is nearly impossible for anyone to memorize such a lengthy text and present it smoothly on camera.

Our camera setup

I was very excited about this project, but the lack of a suitable teleprompter has become a significant obstacle. The speakers are concerned that they won’t be able to remember the entire script. Additionally, I translated the script into Bhojpuri, which was challenging due to the language’s many regional variations and accents. I aimed to write in a simple Bhojpuri that would be understandable to a broad audience. I’m confident that the translation will work well, but I am still unable to start producing the videos. I hope Lane will find a solution to the teleprompter issue soon. Meanwhile, I am also reaching out to others and searching online for potential fixes. I am eager to get this project underway and am excited about its potential.

Allen Roda

Sewage in Ganga River

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India TV News Channel hosts a competition called “Video of the Day,” where participants are encouraged to submit videos on various topics. Each day, a winner is selected, and the prize is a color TV. I entered the competition with a video highlighting the issue of sewage discharge into the Ganga River in Varanasi. To my delight, my video was chosen as the Video of the Day, and I won the TV. While I was thrilled to win, the process was more complicated than I had anticipated. I had to pay a 25% tax on the prize and make phone calls that cost nearly a thousand rupees. Additionally, there was a lengthy wait of six months before I finally received the television.

I even had to travel to Lucknow to collect the TV and bring it back to Varanasi by bus. I chose the bus over the train because I was wary of potential encounters with the police. In trains and at railway stations, the police are known for seeking bribes, especially if they spot someone traveling with something new or valuable. I wanted to avoid sharing my joy with those who might dampen it. I made this video with Lane two years ago when he was in India. We visited the sewage discharge point in Nagwa and used his small camera to film the footage. I wish we had a better camera for the project.

Production work for CBC’s documentary

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Today was Nagnathiya, and the CBC team was in Varanasi to start filming their documentary titled *India Rebron – Myths and Might*. Mr. Shubhranshu Chowdhary called me to inform me about it. I had previously assisted him with researching the characters. I met the team at Veer Bhadra Mishra’s house, where the play is organized in Benares. The crowd was massive, with over 25,000 people attending. Although I had seen the play several times before, this was my first experience watching it from a boat, which was a lot of fun. There were many VIPs around my boat.

CBC’s camera was incredible—it was an HD camera, and I had never seen anything like it before. I stayed with them throughout the play’s filming. Afterward, we went to Dashashwamedh Ghat to film the Aarti, which was the final task for the day. CBC wanted to film Mr. Veer Bhadra Mishra the next morning, something I had been looking forward to. I asked Mr. Chowdhary if I could observe Mr. Mishra’s interview, and he said he would call me when they started shooting.

I was very excited about the interview and eagerly awaited Mr. Chowdhary’s call, but he didn’t call. When I finally reached out to him, he informed me that I wouldn’t be able to attend the interview due to certain restrictions imposed by Mr. Mishra. After Mr. Mishra’s interview, the team spent the entire day filming Raja Babu, one of our characters. After two days with Raja Babu, they left Benares.

Work with MTV Italy

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My brother, who was working as an Italian interpreter for MTV Italy, asked me to assist them in Benares and Allahabad. They were working on a documentary titled *Camminando*, a joint production between MTV Italy and LA7 (Channel 7). They were in Lucknow when they contacted me, and their next stop was Allahabad, where they wanted to film Patalpuri Temple and the ghats, but they didn’t have any contacts or a clear plan for the shoot. I was tasked with selecting characters and scheduling interviews in both Benares and Allahabad, with only four days to complete the work.

I reached out to Mr. Shubhranshu Chowdhary, who had been my boss during the CBC documentary, to see if he knew anyone in Allahabad. He provided me with the contact information of a journalist in Benares, who then connected me with another journalist in Allahabad. The following day, I traveled to Allahabad and met the journalist. We visited all the locations MTV wanted to film, including the Patalpuri Temple, which is located within Akbar’s fort and is now a military base. Despite our attempts to contact the army officers, the process seemed too lengthy given our tight schedule. I decided to leave this part to the journalist and returned to Benares to complete the remaining tasks.

In Benares, MTV wanted to film Sadhus, Babas, and Aghoris. I first visited the Kina Ram Monastery, the headquarters of the Aghor society. However, I was unable to obtain permission to shoot there because previous TV channels had filmed there without proper authorization, resulting in unauthorized footage being included in their broadcasts. I learned that Aghoris are often misunderstood; they do not consume dead body flesh or engage in other extreme practices as rumored. Although they were very open and informative, they did not allow us to film.

I then visited several other Aghor monasteries, all of which shared similar views about the society’s practices, emphasizing that Aghoris no longer partake in such rituals. I also explored Bhagwan Avdhoot Ram Ashram on the other side of the Ganga, which was quite interesting. The ashram operates a hospital recognized in the Guinness World Records for treating the most leprosy patients, as well as a school for street children, a library, and a press. Although the ashram was initially reluctant to allow MTV to film due to previous issues with the Kina Ram Monastery, I managed to persuade them to permit the shoot.

I visited other monasteries that were open to filming, including one with several Italian Aghoris. Despite their limited knowledge about Aghora, MTV was keen to include them. MTV was particularly interested in finding an Aghori who would eat dead body flesh on camera. This was a challenge because, according to Aghoris, such practices had been abandoned over 400 years ago by Baba Kina Ram and were now prohibited. However, I managed to locate an Aghori who agreed to eat dead body flesh. He planned to perform a special puja called Mahabhog once a year, using dead body flesh, and was willing to conduct an additional puja specifically for MTV.

I was shocked by his willingness to engage in such practices for money. He even provided a list of materials he needed, including two bottles of whisky, and assured me he would arrange for the dead body. He explained that when bodies are cremated, some are retrieved by the Doams, who work at the funeral place, and this would be used for his puja. MTV Italy was thrilled to have found someone willing to perform this ritual, but their Rome office ultimately prohibited the footage of the ritual due to ethical concerns. After completing the filming in Allahabad, MTV Italy arrived in Benares.

We filmed all the planned characters, including an intriguing Baba known as Lali Baba, who wore over 350 necklaces weighing more than 40 kg and engaged in various unique practices. MTV considered Lali Baba to be the standout character of the documentary. We also filmed at the Mother Teresa Home. When the shoot concluded, MTV Italy left Varanasi. Unfortunately, they were among the most disorganized teams I have ever worked with. They lacked a clear schedule, had no knowledge of what to do in Benares until just days before their arrival, and were unfamiliar with the characters they wanted to film.

Later, my brother informed me that the entire crew was arrested in Khajuraho for filming inside temples where cameras were prohibited. They had entered the temple by scaling the back wall and spent over eight hours in jail. Their lack of organization was astonishing.

Research for CBC Documentary

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Nandlal Master contacted me seeking information about Doams (people working at cremation sites) in Varanasi. He mentioned that his friend, currently in Varanasi, was interested in making a documentary about the lives of Doams. Since I live near the Ghats and have many friends along them, I could easily gather information about Doams. We met me at Assi Ghat, and we started checking hotels nearby to find his friend, who was staying somewhere in the vicinity. After visiting over ten hotels near Assi, we finally found his friend at a hotel close to the ghat.

When we met, his friend explained that he was a freelance journalist who had previously worked for the BBC but had left a few years ago. Currently, he was working on a CBC documentary titled *Myths and Might*. His role involved finding suitable subjects, scheduling interviews, and obtaining legal permissions. Since he was new to Varanasi, he needed my help to locate the right characters for his documentary. He was specifically looking for a young Doam whose father still worked at a cremation site, and who either attended computer classes or had a computer-related job. The goal was to highlight how Indian society was evolving.

I took him to Manikarnika Ghat, a major cremation site, where I knew a few people. We managed to meet over ten individuals, all eager to participate. We also met some people with wood shops at the site who asked us to return the next day. I consulted with some other friends who lived near Manikarnika Ghat about Doams, and was surprised to learn that Doams still had a king. They mentioned that nothing could be done without his permission. As it was getting dark, we decided to head home and continue our research the next day.

The following morning, we returned to Manikarnika Ghat. We spoke with many more people and asked if their children attended school. It was shocking to find that none of the people we spoke to had children in school. After talking to over 15 individuals, we decided to visit Harishchandra Ghat, another cremation site, where we spoke with many more people. We eventually met a 55-year-old man working at the electric burner at Harishchandra Ghat. His son, Raja Babu, worked for Reliance Money. We visited their home, met the family, and discussed CBC’s project with them. They agreed to participate in the documentary.

Raja Babu had an LLB degree from Banaras Hindu University and worked as an Area Manager for Reliance Money. His story was exactly what we were looking for. They explained that after Raja Babu completed fifth grade, no school would admit him due to the social stigma against Doams. Despite his father’s meager earnings as a rickshaw driver, he wanted his children to be educated. When no school would accept Raja Babu, he continued his studies independently. Eventually, Raja Babu began working as a helper at a doctor’s clinic, where he received training and financial support.

When a wealthy and respected person from Varanasi passed away and his family needed to arrange the cremation, Raja Babu’s uncle, who was working at Harishchandra Ghat, requested that Raja Babu be admitted to school instead of asking for money. The family agreed, and Raja Babu was admitted to Bengali Tola Inter College. Despite facing discrimination, he completed his 12th grade and later pursued a BA, MA, and LLB from BHU. After working for an American NGO called Cash for India, he joined Reliance Money. Raja Babu’s journey was compelling, and we decided to feature him in the documentary.

The next day, we visited the Doam Raja, the king of the Doam community. His home was unconventional—food was cooked using the wood left from cremations, and the house had a peculiar smell. He had a large family and several animals, and he was notably intoxicated when we arrived. Despite the challenging conditions, he agreed to grant permission for filming at Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats. On his roof, we saw two tiger statues, which were part of a local legend. It was said that the Doam Raja and the Maharaja of Benares were never friends. The Doam Raja had a tiger statue erected facing the Maharaja’s palace, which displeased the Maharaja.

The case ended with a court ruling requiring the Doam Raja to either remove the statue or build another one facing the opposite direction. The Doam Raja chose to erect a second statue facing away from the first one. With all the necessary permissions and characters in place, the CBC team was ready to proceed with their documentary project.