Category Archives: Travel

Nirvana Travels lead character

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Nirvana Travels is travel show done by NDTV Good Times TV channel in India.The show looks at the spiritual face of different cities in India. The idea behind the show is to meet people in different cities and see the city through their eyes. They contacted me regarding their upcoming show about Varanasi. Actually in this show they have one lead character and a few other regular but interesting people as well. They wanted to choose me as the lead character for this show because of my tour guiding work, research and social activism. I was kind of surprised when I heard about it first, actually I had no idea why they wanted to choose me only if there are so many other tourist guides, researchers and social activists.

Anyways, I asked them about why me only and they said that there are definitely other tourist guides in the city but no one is as popular as me online because of good references. There are other researchers but they usually study only one topic and never share it whereas I have been studying many different subjects and I write about it online. And finally they said that they did not want to work with any social worker who was a very big name, they wanted to work with new people in the industry. And overall I was doing all these things alone. I had never heard anyone talking all these things about me:)

Anyways, they came to Varanasi with the host of the show named Kaisha Hastu. She had already done other episodes of this show and some other show for NDTV Good Times. We agreed on filming and places and other details. Basically they wanted to film me in my environment, where I usually meet with my friends, the shop where I usually have my tea and such things. The first day they asked me to take them to my favorite chai shop. I was feeling kind of nervous being surrounded by cameras in my own neighborhood but it was fun.

They introduced me as a very popular tourist guide and researcher from Varanasi. At first they asked me general questions about Varanasi, its culture, people, tourism… They already knew that I was very much interested in cultural and religious diversity of Varanasi so they asked me a few questions about it also. Other than this there were questions about my personal life, research, activism… To be honest I don’t really remember how many questions they asked but they asked me questions about almost everything. Other than me they need some help with interviewing other people as well.

They were very much interested in the idea of Nirvana hence wanted to interview someone who had some real knowledge about the subject. I suggested them to meet with the manager of Kashi Labh Mukti Bhawan. Mr. Shukla, the manager, is a very knowledgeable person about the subject of Moskha or Nirvana. I had already interviewed him several times. After interviewing him they showed interest in interviewing some young artist from Varanasi, preferably a tabla player because Varanasi is very famous for its Tabla players as well. I organized this with a very famous and young tabla player from Varanasi named Prashant Mishra. Finally the show was completed with a big interview with me and four-five smaller interviews with other people. I look forward for the show on air.

work with e3 Foundation, Texas

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I got to work with a non profit organization called e3 Foundation from Texas. Their project was very interesting. They were making a documentary about religion and what it means to people. It was a series of documentaries which was based in three different countries. They wanted to make one episode about Hindu religion and this episode was based only in Varanasi. I was was responsible to do research, find different people who were interested in talking about what religion and God mean to them, schedule appointment for interview and do interpretation. But they did not want just anyone, they wanted each person to be different from other so that there is diversity in the show.

It didn’t really take me much time to organize it as I already knew many interesting people. I think my interest in people helped me a lot here. There is a public call booth at Assi crossing which is owned by my friend’s uncle. I always found him different from others because whenever we were sitting next to his shop, he would usually come and stay close to us so he could hear what we were talking. Sometimes he also became part of our discussion. Only a few days before e3 contacted me, the show owner, friend’s uncle, had shown me his diary. His diary was full of poetries written by him.

These poetries were basically about his life, his religious practices, the way regular people practice religion, the world and questions about religion and God. It was really impressive. He had told me once that people who are not curious and do not question things are just like animals. Because the God has given us mind and we need to use it. His another writing which impressed was – Are we really worth getting blessings of God? I was really impressed with his writings. And when I was thinking about right people for the show, he immediately clicked in my mind.

And when I asked him if he would like to be interviewed, he was so happy and agreed on getting interviewed. I took e3 to Kashi Labh Mukti Bhawan also where we interviewed the manager about the idea of death in Hinduism. We also filmed a family who had brought their mother to die a Varanasi. We filmed evening and morning rituals as well at Mukti Bhawan. It was again very intense experience translating the manager, because he loves talking and talks too much and the atmosphere at Mukti Bhawan. Anyways, it went very well.

I introduced the director to a boat rower also who is known for his singing skills. He writes his own songs and most of them are religious. He loves singing his songs when he is rowing the boat and his voice is really beautiful. This interview was also very good and interesting. Other than this we interviewed a lady professor of Hindu religion and definitely her interview was very nice. Overall we did 10 interviews with different kind of people and did some regular touristic things like evening ceremony, morning boat, temples, rituals etc. It was nice working on this project because it was mostly about interviewing people and I got to listen a lot which is always a nice experience for me.

Won Citizen Journalist award

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I had exposed a scam in ticking at Sarnath in Varanasi with help of CNN IBN in September 2011. There was a huge scam of reselling of entry tickets was going at Sarnath and I exposed it and as an impact of my report the corrupt government officers were suspended and a reliable system of ticketing was introduced. For this work I was nominated as Citizen Journalist of the year and finally won the award. The selection process of journalists was divided into two parts- First Phase – when the IBN18 Editorial Board generates a list of nominees in the category of Citizens against corruption and Second Phase – which was based on an online voting on www.ibncj.com.

The award event was organized at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. CNN IBN arranged my flight tickets, hotel and other facilities in New Delhi. The Taj Palace Hotel was just awesome, I was really surprised to see the luxury. Anyways, the event was nicely organized and chief guest of the program was Vidya Balan. When I looked at her first, I just thought that I had seen this girl somewhere because there was a huge difference between the face I see on TV and face sitting in front of me. It again proved that there is a huge difference between real and reel life:)

The event was a delayed by an hour and half but I was not surprised at all as I experience such thing all the time. There were other people also who were nominated and I got to talk with a few of them. It was nice talking and listening to the people who were fighting against corruption. There was a guy from Sonbhadra who was shot, but luckily survived, only because of his fight against corruption in government schemes. I met one other guy who from India-Pakistan border area in Rajasthan who was attacked and beaten so hard that he could not walk properly anymore.

It was a shock to see what could happen if you start fighting against corruption. Anyways, finally my turn came. They showed my story on a big screen, called me on the stage and gave me an award for my fight against corruption in tourism industry. The award was presented by Vidya Balan herself. It was really a nice feeling to get such honor. I had never thought that such thing would ever happen with me. The award motivates me to keep my fight on.

Nandan and Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan gives me the 2012 Citizen Journalist award

 

Work with Gilles Delmas

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Gilles Delmas is a documentary maker and an artist from France. I was introduced to him by a friend of mine from Varanasi. Actually Gilles was looking for an assistant to help him photographing in Varanasi. The theme of the photography was relationship between chair and death. He approached to my friend first but my friend had to no idea what Mr. Gilles was talking about so he brought him to me. Mr. Gilles explained me his project and since I had already worked with so many photographers and documentary makers, I just thought that this project would also be like any other project I had worked on.

I immediately agreed on working with Mr. Gilles but I had no idea how different this project was going to be:) A few really interesting things happened only in the first meeting. Actually Mr. Gilles was staying at Hotel Haifa and it is prohibited for me to enter in this hotel. Mr. Gilles asked me to meet him the next day in the hotel lobby and I told him that I cold not enter in the hotel. He asked me the reason behind it and I told him that hotel owner had told me once that it was their policy that they do not allow locals to enter in the hotel. Mr. Gilles did not tell me anything at that moment but later I got a call that he had already changed his hotel.

Mr. Gilles told me that he doesn’t like racism hence changed the hotel. I had never thought that somebody would even care about my personal problems this much. Anyways, it was really nice of him that he cared a lot about me and I really appreciate it. We met the next day and Mr. Gilles asked me to take him to the places where Sadhus or regular people live to die. I took him to several places and he chose one of them to work. Now he needed chairs which I did not understand. I asked him the reason behind this theme of relationship between chair and death.

He told me that he had always wanted to come to Varanasi to photograph death and once he was laying down with his closed eyes in Haridwar along the Ganga thinking about his project in Varanasi. When he opened his eyes, he saw a big chair in the sky with yellow and orange color and it gave him this idea that there was some kind of relationship between chair and death. He thought a lot about it and realized that it was true. He was trying to tell me things that I did not understand at all. He told me that even the people who come to die in Varanasi have to use a chair in their journey, maybe just by sitting on it waiting for a train.

I did not understand anything but at the same time things were becoming more and more interesting. I took him to several shops where they sell chairs but Mr. Gilles did not like them. At some places he did not like the way they were making the chair, at one place he did not like the children of the carpenter and at the same time he was asking me to take him to a right place. I did not know what was going on, it was kind of upsetting for me. I had no idea what was the right place for him. I kind of gave up at this moment and called the friend who had introduced him to me.

I asked him to take care of him as I felt like leaving the project. This friend came and we went to his place along the river side. I introduced my friends father to Mr. Gilles and told him that father also works as a carpenter but he usually makes boats. Mr. Gilles finally said that the father was the best person to make his chairs, big relief. We went to buy the wood and day was over today. I thought a lot of about working with Mr. Gilles and started talking about him with my western friends. They all told me that Mr. Gilles was not different at all, all the artists are same. They do things differently, they are very creative people and we should respect them.

When I met with Mr. Gilles the next day, I saw him with hair shaved. I asked him why he shaved his hair and he said that it was because he was going to start his project. He was wearing orange color jacket and it was also intentional. Actually most of the holy men and other people who come to die in Varanasi wear orange color dresses and since he was going to work with them, he also wanted to wear the same color dress. His devotion for the project made me feel like really artists are different. I realized that it was first time in my whole life when I was working with an artist. His devotion made me respect him and his project more than ever before.

Mr. Gilles had drawn pictures of several different kinds of chairs with different sizes. He needed a chair with really long legs, as long as four feet. Another chair with regular size, one chair one and half feet tall, one broken chair and three chairs as small as a match box. I was thrilled to see the idea of the chairs. The most interesting thing about the chairs were how they were going to look like. They needed to be in two colors- orange in front and yellow in the back. The space of the seat and back needed to be empty, wow. I was thinking that if someone sits on such kind of chair and get photographed then those empty spaces won’t be even visible but it was still very important for Mr. Gilles.

I told about this strange structure of the chair to my friends and they told me that the things which was not visible but still exist means a lot to artists. I was like, wow. I had never thought about such thing. Anyways, finally the chairs were prepared. They looked beautiful and different than any chair I had ever seen, even in my dreams. The chair with the long leg was so big that it would not fit in any taxi or auto so we had to hire a boat to carry them and then lift them to the photography place. Mr. Gilles had chosen one particular ashram called Machli Bandar Math which was situated near to the river and he wanted to photograph one particular Baba.

We arrived at the Ashram the next day with all of our chairs and started photographing. The tall chair was so big that the person could not even sit on it. We had to lift him up and help him getting on the chair, it was so funny. Mr. Gilles sometimes wanted the Baba to sit on the chair, some times just stand next to the chair, sometimes just look at the chair, sometimes walk towards the chair… many different poses. Mr. Gilles was super devoted for his work. Once he started photographing, it felt like he had lost connection from the world. Sometimes he would talk with himself and with the camera. His camera was also very different.

He had three cameras and all of them were roll cameras. One of them was very big in size. I asked him why he was not using a digital camera and he said that since his pictures are poster size, he could not print digital photographs in that big size. I did not know this before. We worked with the wooden chairs for three days and the fourth day something new arrived. Mr. Gilles brought chairs made of cloth. He had two chairs- one regular size and other one as big as a house. He wanted to stick the regular size one on the wall the spread the bigger one on the ground and just have the character look at it.

The big chair was so big that we had to go in a ground. He spread the chair and went on a roof top next to the ground and photographed it. The project was completed successfully but the last day was not happy day. Actually Mr. Gilles wanted to compensate the Baba for his time and we had agreed on a price but on the last day he started asking for ten times more money. I somehow handled the situation by paying the Baba from my own pocket. I did not pay him ten times more but a little bit more than we had agreed.

I think a lot about Mr. Gilles and his project and feel like I really learnt a lot. He was a gentleman and super professional person and I really look forward to work with him in future. Mr. Gilles want to come to Varanasi again for the documentary filming project and again I would love working with him.

Shiva Ganges View Guesthouse, Varanasi

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Shiva Ganges View guesthouse is located near Manmndir ghat in Varanasi and is also well known as red bungalow as the whole building is painted red. The location is very nice as it is situated right along the river side and is walking distance from Harishchandra Ghat, the cremation ground. I had a French guest staying there and told me something about the guesthouse which made me write this post. In fact he was staying at Hotel Haifa before meeting me but changed the hotel only because of my report about corruption at Hotel Haifa and I really appreciated it.

Anyways, it was my first time when I got to enter the hotel and my first impression was very good. The hotel is run by an old man named Mr. Tondon whom I saw greeting his guests and doing all the formal things. After a while he asked me about what I do and when I told him that I am a tourist guide, he asked me to meet with him later personally. He said that he has a lot of work for tourist guides and would like to work for him. I knew that I would not be able to work for him as they do not even pay the real wage of tourist guides decided by government of India but I just agreed on meeting with him later.

I knew that if a tourist guide ever gets an assignment through any guest house or budget class hotels then they have to give a cut from their wage to the hotel and I just don’t do this. And in any case, since I charge more than the government rate he would have not been able to afford me. I went to the hotel several times while my guest was staying there and every time I had a positive impression until the day before my guest left. He asked for the final bill and bill indicated the amount different than what they had agreed before the guest checked-in the hotel.

When the guest moved there the first day, Mr. Tondon, the owner, asked for Rs. 3500 per night but on the last day he gave the bill of Rs. 4000 per night. When the guest asked about the difference of Rs. 500, he said that he was not sure about the room he was going to rent. It was crazy, how come a hotel could the tariffs? And in any case if they agreed on Rs. 3500 then it means Rs. 3500. It could not be Rs. 4000 without informing the guest. The guest was very upset and tried to convince Mr. Tondon that it was his fault and he needed to charge Rs. 3500 but Mr. Tondon was very profession in saying that it was not a fault of anyone but it was just a mistake that happened unintentionally.

The guest decided to give up as he just wanted to relax and did not care about Rs. 500 extra but it was really disturbing for me. This behavior of Mr. Tondon made me curious to see the room. I went to see the room of my guest and it just did not look worth Rs. 3500 or 4000 per night. The architecture was old and unique but walls were dirty. It had a strange golden color on ceilings. The washroom was also dirty and I just did not get any feeling of staying there. I would never ever give Rs. 4000 per night for such a room. I often have to book the hotels for my guests and if their budget is over 3000 per night then I prefer Hotel Ganges View, Palace on Ganges or Rashmi Guesthouse.

Palace on Ganges or Ganges View rooms are expensive but they are worth it but Shiva Ganges View rooms were not worth Rs. 4000 per night for sure. Another complaint about Shiva Ganges View was noted by a Hindi teacher named Mr. Binit Mishra who had a student staying there. On the very first day Mr. Tondon asked him for 50% as commission but Mr. Mishra immediately denied to give him anything. Mr. Tondon said that if he doesn’t get any commission then he won’t allow Mr. Mishra to enter in his hotel. Finally Mr. Mishra informed about it to his guest and the guest checked out the hotel.

It is really strange behavior from hotel owners in Varanasi and I often have to encounter through such situation but I never understand how a business owner can do it. What do they think of the business? Do they know anything about how the world is changing and it is becoming easier to find information online? Anyways, it was such a stupid behavior of Mr. Tondon and I hope someone gets to read this post before staying there. I have already made a few reports about other crazy services in Varanasi. But it doesn’t mean that I am trying to target certain people. I believe that it is better to take action than being quiet or keep complaining. And I will be keep writing about anything weird like Shiva Ganges View guesthouse. Peace. Thanks.

tourist guides work for free?

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The Value of a Guide: A Glimpse into India’s Tourism Reality

Something strange happened to me today that made me realize the current state of tourist guides in India. A few days ago, my brother, who works as an Italian tour escort, called to tell me that one of his friends from Varanasi wanted to start a travel agency and needed my advice. The friend had seen my website and was impressed, so I eventually got a call from him. He wanted my suggestions on unique tours that would attract foreign tourists to Varanasi.

I told him about the distinctive things I show my guests, such as roadside dental clinics, “bull shops,” “Facebook Baba,” and my special walking tours. I even briefly mentioned the concept of LGBT tourism. Everything was going well, and we had a great conversation until he suddenly told me he had a group of foreign tourists coming to Varanasi and needed a guide to show them around. I was about to tell him about the official Incredible India office in Varanasi, but what he said next truly shocked me.

He told me he had heard that tourist guides in Varanasi charge a fee for their work. I was stunned. “Where is a place that they don’t charge a fee?” I asked. He confidently replied that guides in cities like Agra and Delhi work for free. I asked him why anyone would work for free, and he didn’t know, but he was so sure because he had already used the services of such guides.

I knew exactly why some guides work for free. It’s because they are more interested in taking guests to shops than to tourist sites. I told him this, and he asked if there was no such thing in Varanasi. I said I was not aware of any guides who operate that way. I explained that there is a set rate decided by the Indian government, and in fact, Varanasi is the most expensive place to hire a guide because the tourism day begins before sunrise and ends after sunset, meaning guides are often paid for what amounts to three half-days.

Despite knowing that free guides take guests to shops instead of historical sites, he still insisted on finding one. I called my brother and asked if this practice was common in Delhi and Agra. He confirmed that yes, there are such guides who work for free. Once you’re with them, they start telling all kinds of wild stories and eventually take you to a shop where you end up buying something, and they get a commission. I couldn’t believe someone would think tourist guides are a free service.

His guests will be staying at the Radisson Hotel in Varanasi, a place only wealthy tourists can afford. I wondered why, after paying so much money and traveling so far, they would choose to meet a guide who works for free and takes them shopping instead of sightseeing. My brother and many other guides tell me the same story: they are still treated as “entertainers” who tell funny stories, not as respected professionals.

The Lack of Respect for Guides

There is no professional standard for tourist guides in India, and I see this firsthand. I am proud to be a tourist guide because it is a wonderful profession. I get to meet people from all over the world; I teach them about my culture, and they teach me about theirs. I make a good living by Indian standards. We are known for being punctual in a country where delays are common. We represent our country, which is a huge and important responsibility. The Ministry of Tourism even calls us “cultural ambassadors of India.”

I believe the government of India needs to take steps to ensure tourist guides are respected. During my training, I was told the Ministry of Tourism planned to start an annual award for the best guides from different regions to encourage professionalism and interest in the profession. The government’s plans sounded great, but when I look at what has actually been done for tourism, everything seems the same.

I recently visited the Incredible India website, the most famous tourism brand in the country, and was shocked to see how outdated it was. The importance of this brand is clear; if you google “India,” “India tourism,” or “tourism in India,” the first result is the Incredible India website. However, the information there seems from the time of World War II. They are still saluting the medal winners from the Commonwealth Games that happened years ago.

The site requests that tourists use only authorized guides but provides no list of them. There are awards mentioned, but no category for “Best Tourist Guide.” I don’t know when the government will take tourism seriously. Tourism already contributes 5.90% to our GDP, and this percentage could increase dramatically with just a few small changes. I don’t know when the government will start thinking about these issues, but they really need to.

Media, Research, Journalism, Tours, Anthropology, NGOs?

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If you want an escort for a tour of Varanasi or for research or media production, then please check out my tour site – https://divinevaranasi.com.

I work with a lot of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations, social movements, government organizations, and other groups relating to community organization. Check out the About me page or my portfolio on this site if you want to reach any of them.

Email me, Raghvendra “Nandan” Bharat at nandan@groovyganges.org if you need help finding something. Thank you.

Environment training at Tarun Bharat Sangh

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Wall Paintings at the TBS Office

I recently had the special opportunity to visit Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) and receive training on environmental issues, especially rivers, directly from Mr. Rajendra Singh. He is a member of the Ganga Basin Authority and has also been involved in the Coca-Cola issue in Varanasi. My colleague, Mr. Nandlal Master, who leads the Coke movement in Varanasi, introduced me to him. Mr. Singh was deeply concerned about how the Government of India was handling the Ganga. He strongly advocated for a proper river policy, greater transparency, and active community involvement. I share his belief that communities must be directly involved in nonprofit and environmental projects.

wall paintings at TBS

Our Group at a TBS Work Site

Mr. Singh wanted to start a campaign in Varanasi and needed support from local communities and organizations. He asked Mr. Nandlal Master to mobilize people, and Nandlal requested me to organize the boat rower community. Together we arranged two meetings between the boat rowers and Mr. Singh. Seeing our dedication, he invited us to attend a five-day training program at TBS in Alwar, Rajasthan. We formed three groups of five participants each, including boat rowers, my team, and members of Nandlal Master’s NGO.

My whole group

TBS funded our train travel and provided lodging and food during our stay. On arrival, we were welcomed by Mr. Kanhaiya Lal Gurjar, the General Secretary of TBS, who had been entrusted with our training. Our sessions included both classroom learning and site visits. The first session introduced us to TBS, its work, the local geography, and its people. What fascinated me most was their success in reviving five dead rivers by educating communities about traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable water use.

A Small Dam Called Johad

Mr. Gurjar explained that these rivers had dried up because communities had forgotten their own ecological wisdom and had become dependent solely on government systems. TBS built small dams called Johads to ensure water remained in rivers throughout the year. To instill responsibility, they asked communities to contribute 25 percent of project costs, even though TBS had enough funds to cover everything. This model helped create a sense of ownership and accountability.

small dam calld Johad

This River Has Water All Year

The Johads not only restored rivers but also recharged groundwater. People living far from rivers started finding water in their dried wells again, which strengthened support for TBS. Villagers from distant areas began approaching them to replicate the model. I found this approach inspiring and even used a similar system in the Chance India Program, which worked successfully.

This river has water all year long

Such Pools Once Dry Are Now Full of Water

Of course, challenges remained. Without accurate maps, TBS first had to conduct extensive surveys of ponds, wells, and canals before deciding where to build dams. With this data, they developed strategic plans. The emphasis on combining traditional knowledge with modern planning was eye-opening.

such pools used to be dry but now they are full with water

Community Money is Always Involved in TBS Projects

In ancient times, communities were careful in their water use, adjusting irrigation depending on rainfall. For example, in years of low rain, they reduced water usage from wells. Today, such practices are disappearing, with people even growing water-intensive crops like rice in unsuitable areas. Mr. Gurjar emphasized that education and awareness are essential if we want to prevent misuse of water resources.

community money is always involved in TBS’s projects

Mr. Gurjar Explaining a Site

For three days, Mr. Gurjar took us to project sites. I was amazed to see rivers full of clean water, often in remote areas without roads or human settlements. The sheer dedication of TBS left a lasting impression on me.

Mr. Gurjar explaining a site

Mr. Singh Training Us

Finally, Mr. Singh returned, and we spent two days learning directly from him. His first class on river ecosystems felt like a blessing; I left feeling deeply informed. His second session was about the Ganga and the river policy he had been drafting. He spoke with incredible depth, knowing every tributary of the Ganga and its ecological importance.

Mr. Singh training us

Mr. Singh and I

We spent several hours in discussion with him. The draft river policy, developed through suggestions from thousands across India, was comprehensive and inspiring. He patiently answered all our questions. During the training, we also planted over 300 trees together on the TBS campus, which was already full of greenery.

Mr. Singh and I

Mr. Singh Training Us

After five days of training, I felt much more informed about river ecology, especially concerning the Ganga. The experience has motivated me to stay involved in this cause, and I would love to work with Mr. Singh and TBS again in the future.

Plantation

My Whole Group with Mr. Singh After Plantation

My whole group with Mr. Singh after plantation

Alwar, Rajasthan

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My Trip to Alwar with Tarun Bharat Sangh

In July, I had the opportunity to visit Alwar, a district in Rajasthan. Honestly, I was a little nervous before going — Rajasthan in summer has a reputation for unbearable heat, and I expected to see desert, dry winds, and parched land. To my surprise, Alwar was nothing like I had imagined. It was green, hilly, full of rivers, wildlife (especially peacocks), and the air was humid and wet. I traveled with 14 colleagues, and together we enjoyed nature’s beauty every single day we were there.

My whole group with Mr. Singh after plantation

The Journey to Bheekampura

We started our journey by taking an overnight train from Varanasi to Agra, then a bus to Dausa. From there, we hired a jeep to reach the Tarun Bharat Sangh office in Bheekampura. The drive took about an hour and gave us our first glimpse of the stunning Rajasthani landscape — hills covered in greenery, small villages, and a culture that felt so different from my part of India. The food, clothing, and lifestyle were new to me. Even though it was hot and humid, it was not at all unbearable. On our very first day, we already knew this trip was going to be unforgettable.

My whole group

Immersing in Rajasthani Villages

We stayed in Bheekampura for three days, and each day Tarun Bharat Sangh arranged tours with guides and taxis. They took us to remote villages, some so isolated that they didn’t even have proper roads. Communities had created makeshift arrangements for themselves, showcasing resilience and self-reliance. One cultural detail stood out to me — the prevalence of hookah smoking. Many people in Alwar villages smoked hookah, and they claimed it helped treat small health issues like coughs and colds.

Having chai in a local market

Another striking observation was how women covered their faces and heads far more strictly than in other regions I had visited. Men wore large, colorful turbans that not only looked beautiful but also served a practical purpose — protection from the intense summer heat. While some people explained face-covering as protection against the weather, I couldn’t ignore the reality that Rajasthan has long been known for its male-dominated traditions.

Covered faces

Sariska Tiger Reserve

One highlight of our trip was visiting the Sariska Tiger Reserve, about 40 km from where we stayed. As someone deeply concerned about the declining tiger population in India, I was thrilled at the chance to see one in the wild. Although we spent more than eight hours in the reserve, we didn’t see any tigers. Instead, we encountered deer, jackals, chital, sambhar, nilgai, and other animals. We also visited the Pandupol Temple, believed to be the site where Hanuman met Bheem during the Mahabharata era. The Hanuman statue there had a unique style that I had never seen before, distinct to Rajasthan.

Can you believe it is Rajashtan?

An Unexpected Encounter

On our way back, we stopped at another temple tucked away at the foot of a hill, surrounded by thick jungle. The setting was surreal — quiet, isolated, and filled only with the sounds of wind, birds, monkeys, and peacocks. To our astonishment, a solitary Baba lived there. We first saw him standing alone on the rooftop of the temple. He welcomed us warmly, offered chai, and shared stories of his life. He told us he had left home at the age of seven and had spent his life wandering, living in ashrams, and dedicating himself to God. Interestingly, he had even lived in Varanasi during the 1980s.

Lord Hanuman

The Baba gave us a tour of the temple, built on the samadhi of a famous saint, and told us about his encounters with tigers during the dry season. According to him, animals were far more understanding than humans — they always knew who was a friend and who was not. His words stayed with me long after we left.

Rajasthani woman

Reflections on the Trip

After days of exploring villages, temples, and wildlife, we returned to the Tarun Bharat Sangh office, tired but grateful. This was not the kind of trip any travel agent could organize. It gave us access to hidden places, genuine communities, and unforgettable experiences. On our way back, we boarded a train from Bandikui to Varanasi, ending our journey. But Alwar left a lasting impression on me — the hospitality of Tarun Bharat Sangh, the resilience of the villages, the warmth of the people, the breathtaking wildlife, and the colorful traditions of Rajasthan.

This trip was truly one of a kind, and I will always cherish it.

Kids

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!