Tag Archives: varanasi

Women in Nepal and India

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I noticed that there were more working women in Nepal than in India. Most of the shops were run by women, and Nepali women seemed to be in better condition than Indian women. Nepal appeared to be more progressive in terms of women’s rights compared to India. Women were traveling alone, going to offices, running shops, and even driving auto rickshaws. They seemed more friendly with men, which looked really cool to me. I was happy to see it. I saw many alcohol shops run by women. I had never seen anything like that anywhere in India. Once, I came across an alcohol shop with a woman owner, and I decided to talk to her. I began by asking about the alcohol, and once we became friendly, I asked her about her life.

I asked her if she felt safe sitting alone at an alcohol shop and dealing with male customers who might be drunk. She told me that managing the business was just like any other male member of her family managing a business; there was no difference, so it wasn’t a problem for her. I inquired whether people in society minded women working at alcohol shops, and she said that Nepali society is very progressive regarding equal rights for women. When I asked if she had ever been to India, she replied that she had never visited but had seen India on TV. In reality, she didn’t seem excited about visiting India.

I told her that it was nearly impossible to find women selling alcohol in India and that there was a lower percentage of working women there. She said she was very well aware of the situation for women in India. She mentioned that many Indian families live in Nepal and do not allow their women to work. When I asked her what Nepali people thought of this situation, she candidly said that they think Indians are backward. I was surprised to hear this, but it is true that we are much more backward than Nepal in terms of women’s rights and equality.

The nature in Nepal was stunning. One could easily see that it is still untouched. There were beautiful thick jungles, clear rivers, fewer industries, fewer people, less traffic, and many mountains—it was just amazing. I really enjoyed the natural beauty in Nepal. I also noticed that I saw only five large factories during my entire bus ride from Sonauli to Kathmandu. In fact, two of them were Indian factories, which is nice because it means less pollution. However, this also means fewer jobs and more poverty.

Poverty in Nepal was striking. There were so many family houses along the Sonauli-Kathmandu highway, and I saw people just sitting or talking, seemingly without any work. I had never seen so many young people just hanging around and passing time. Many kids were selling water bottles and snacks on the road. Nepal has been suffering from political instability for years, which seems to be the main reason for the poverty. I don’t know if there are other reasons, but Nepalis do not seem happy with their political system.

Finally, we arrived in Kathmandu by 8 PM, and it was still raining. I had read about a neighborhood called Thamel, which is full of hotels. I wanted to stay there. I asked Babu to ask some locals for directions, but he said Nepali people are often not helpful and might not give the right directions. He suggested that I go to any shop run by an Indian and ask for directions to Thamel. We went to a paan shop, bought a few things, and fortunately, the owner was kind enough to give us the correct directions. It took us about 10 minutes of walking, and after asking a few more people, we finally arrived.

We reached Thamel, which was bustling with hotels; in fact, it is the most popular neighborhood in Nepal for backpackers. We checked several hotels, but their prices seemed too steep. Babu mentioned that we could easily find a hotel room for 500 NR, but none of them wanted to charge us less than 1000 NR. Eventually, we found a place called Annapurna Hotel, where they initially wanted to charge us 800 NR per night. I told them that I was a government-approved tour guide in India and usually receive discounts. They agreed to give me a room for 500 NR.

The hotel seemed nice at first, but later we realized that the pillow covers and bed sheets were used, the cable connection wasn’t working properly, and the telephone was dead. We complained and were promised that everything would be fixed by the next morning, but that morning never came before we left. In any case, I wasn’t there to enjoy luxury, watch TV, or make phone calls, so I didn’t mind too much. We went out for dinner, but most of the shops were closed by 8:30 PM. We finally found an open restaurant and had our dinner there.

I had read several articles about nightlife in Nepal, including dance bars and massage centers. Many articles claimed that the nightlife was safe, while others described it as crazy and dangerous. Several articles mentioned how people spent a few hours at a nightclub, had a few beers and dinner, and ended up paying Rs. 40,000-50,000 for misbehavior. Some articles talked about how 14-15-year-olds are involved in the sex industry and work as pimps. I was curious about what was going on and decided we should visit at least one nightclub while in Kathmandu.

While wandering in Thamel, I noticed many massage parlors. As we passed one shop with a sign for massage services, I pointed it out to Babu. Suddenly, a boy who looked about 15 approached me and asked what I was looking at. I told him I was just observing the advertisements, but he insisted I was looking for something else, something special. I assured him I was just browsing. He asked again if I needed a special service, and I replied that I did not.

We walked away, but the boy kept following us, asking if we needed a girl. He offered young, beautiful girls at very low prices. He wasn’t alone; there were many pimps around watching tourists. Nevertheless, I managed to return to my hotel safely. The next day, we worked for a while, explored, and did some shopping. It was a nice experience, although I really missed vegetarian Indian food since it seemed to be meat everywhere. On the plus side, drinks were readily available, so I enjoyed trying different kinds of alcohol.

I wanted to use an ATM in Kathmandu but was concerned about international transaction fees. However, Babu informed me that a few Indian banks, like the State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, have ATMs in Kathmandu. I found a State Bank of India ATM near Darbar Square, used it, and didn’t pay any transaction fees. I would recommend anyone with an Indian bank card to look for Indian bank ATMs in Kathmandu. Phone calls to India were also very cheap; I paid only Rs. 1 per minute.

Since we were interested in visiting a nightclub in Kathmandu, we gathered information online. Fortunately, I met a guy at the NGO where I was supposed to work who was a male prostitute. Who could provide better information about nightlife than him? I asked him about it, and he advised against visiting nightclubs in Kathmandu, stating they are not safe for tourists. He echoed what I had read online, so we decided not to visit any nightclubs.

We visited a few temples, markets, and participated in Kathmandu Gay Pride. Eventually, my time in Kathmandu came to an end, and we needed to head home. Babu informed me that there were overnight buses from Kathmandu to Sonauli until 10 PM. We arrived at the bus station around 8 PM, but all the buses had already left. They told us the last bus was at 7 PM. So we had dinner, stayed at a hotel near the bus station, and took an early morning bus to Sonauli, followed by another bus from Sonauli to Varanasi. It was a successful journey full of learning, and I plan to return to Kathmandu sometime for a longer stay.

Varanasi tours

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I recently worked with a travel agency as a mute guide for an Italian group. The group already had an escort who knew Varanasi very well, but he didn’t have a tourist guide license, so I was hired to accompany the group as their mute guide. I had previously worked with many tourists as a tour guide in Varanasi, all of whom were my direct clients, but I had no experience working with a group traveling through a travel agency, so I was excited to take on this opportunity.

I was asked to meet the group at Sarnath, where they would arrive directly from the airport. When I met them, the escort instructed me to stay with him at all the entrance points of the monuments. The group first visited the Sarnath ruins, and I saw the escort explaining something in Italian for about 10-15 minutes. Then he gave the clients free time and came back to me. The clients were left to wander around the ruins on their own, which seemed like a nice idea to me.

After the ruins, we headed to the museum, where the escort explained only four statues before giving the clients more free time and returning to me. Once again, the clients were alone. I asked him if he had checked with the clients about whether they wanted his company or preferred to explore on their own. He replied that he never asks; he just tells them in a very professional way to go explore the place independently. This sounded a little strange to me. I also give my clients free time, but I ask them first. Still, I wasn’t sure if my approach was better than his, especially since the clients never seemed to complain.

After visiting the museum, we headed straight to the hotel, which surprised me because the clients did not get to visit the Buddha Temple and the Bodhi Tree—both significant places for Buddhists and Hindus. In fact, these are the only places where you see people actively participating in rituals, which seemed more interesting than visiting a museum or ruins. Nonetheless, the clients didn’t complain, likely because they were unaware of these important sites.

After checking in at the hotel, the clients had an hour to get ready for their visit to Dashashwamedh Ghat. I finally met them again at Dashashwamedh Ghat, where a boat was waiting for us. We took the boat to Manikarnika Ghat to see the cremation ground. We spent hardly ten minutes there before heading back to Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening ceremony. After the ceremony, the clients returned to the hotel, and I went home.

The next morning, I met them again for a boat ride at 5 AM. We enjoyed about an hour on the river before walking through the narrow alleys of Varanasi and visiting Vishwanath Temple (The Golden Temple). The clients entered the temple with the escort while I waited outside. After their visit, the tour concluded. It was a unique experience for me, but I couldn’t help but think about those poor clients who spent only 20 hours in Varanasi—12 of which were in the hotel, 3 in the bus, and hardly 5 exploring a city where one could easily spend three to four days, and even that might not be enough.

After the tour, one of the clients asked the escort to take him to the old city because he wanted to photograph the people and their daily lives. The escort asked me to take him to the Dashashwamedh Ghat area but instructed me not to take the client further away and to give him some free time. We took an autorickshaw to the area, but as soon as I got off the vehicle, I asked the client if he wanted to go alone or if he wanted me to accompany him. I could see he was confused.

He asked me to come along, so I took him to Dashashwamedh Ghat, then to the vegetable market, and finally walked through the alleys where the real life of Varanasi was happening. The client was surprised, shocked, and happy. He told me he had never seen a place like the one I showed him. He took many pictures and asked a lot of innocent questions, making it clear that he didn’t know much about India. When we reached the vegetable market, he asked if it was for people living in the slums. I told him that this is how our vegetable markets are everywhere, and he said he hadn’t seen anything like it during his entire trip.

Once, I asked the escort how much the travel agency charged the clients, and I was shocked to hear that they paid about Rs. 20,000 ($500) per day per person. With six people in the group, that totaled Rs. 1,20,000 ($3,000) for just 5 hours of travel and accommodation in a Taj hotel. They didn’t even visit the Buddha Temple, the Bodhi Tree, or see people going about their daily lives along the river—experiences that I think are the most interesting for foreign visitors to Varanasi. I feel sorry for tourists like that, but maybe they prefer it that way; who knows? Nonetheless, it was a valuable experience for me to work with them.

Dying in Varanasi

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I worked with a photographer named Jane Becker from Canada, who wanted to document widows and hospices in Varanasi. Since I had previously worked with a researcher from the University of Venice studying widows in the city, I already knew the places to take her. About two years earlier, I had also assisted a researcher from the University of Berlin who was interested in people coming to Benares to spend their final days. So I had some background knowledge on the subject. We decided to begin our work with hospices and ashrams. I first took Jane to an ashram near Assi Ghat, where we interviewed a few residents and she took some photographs.

The next day, I brought her to another ashram named Mumukshu Bhawan where more than 2,000 people live out the last stage of their lives. This ashram has separate sections—one for Sanyasis (renunciants) and another for families. The place was vast, filled with residents, and even housed a Sanskrit school. Although we visited, Jane did not photograph there. On the following day, we went to Kashi Mukti Bhawan, which was unlike any other place in Varanasi. The city has many hospices and ashrams where people stay to die, but this place was truly unique.

Kashi Mukti Bhawan is owned by the Dalmia family. The story behind its foundation is that when Mr. Dalmia once visited Varanasi, he noticed the large number of ashrams where people came to spend their final days. His grandmother also wished to spend her last days in the city. Inspired by this, he decided to build a free hospice for those who wanted to die in Varanasi. What makes Kashi Mukti Bhawan unusual is its rule: residents are allowed to stay for only 14 days. This may sound strict, but most people who come here are already in their final moments. The hospice does not admit anyone below the age of 60 or those who do not appear to be close to death.

The building has ten rooms, but during my visit, only one was occupied while the rest were vacant. There is also a temple inside where rituals are performed daily. The manager explained that until about four years ago, prayers were conducted 24 hours a day. However, as fewer people now come, the hours were reduced. In the past, all ten rooms would be full, but today there may be only one or two residents—or sometimes none at all. If a person is dying at Kashi Mukti Bhawan, a priest from the temple recites verses from the Ram Charit Manas for them four times a day, at least for five minutes each time. The belief is that hearing these sacred chants helps the dying soul attain salvation.

We interviewed a woman who had brought her father all the way from Sasaram, Bihar, so that he could die in Varanasi and achieve liberation. When asked why she chose Kashi Mukti Bhawan specifically, instead of another ashram, she explained that it was a family tradition—her relatives had also passed away here. She believed that not only was dying in Varanasi important, but that Kashi Mukti Bhawan offered the most ideal atmosphere, with constant chanting and spiritual rituals.

We also asked the manager why the stay was limited to 14 days. He explained that in most cases, two weeks is sufficient for someone in their final stage of life. In rare situations, if the person survives beyond 14 days but is still gravely ill, they may be allowed to stay for another week or two. Interestingly, he mentioned that there have even been cases where people came expecting to die, but instead recovered and returned home.

Overall, Kashi Mukti Bhawan felt profoundly different from the other ashrams in Varanasi, and I am eager to learn more about it.

Holika 2010

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Holika Dahan is a festival celebrated on the eve of Holi, which took place on February 28th this year. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the festivities. This festival has a fascinating story behind it. According to the legend, there were two Asura brothers named Hiranyakashyapu and Hiranyaksha, who were notorious for their malevolence and persecution of religious people. Eventually, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha, becoming the arch-enemy of Hiranyakashyapu. After some time, Hiranyakashyapu performed severe penance and pleased Lord Vishnu, who appeared before him and granted him a wish.

Hiranyakashyapu requested immortality, but Lord Vishnu told him that everyone born must eventually die. Therefore, Hiranyakashyapu made a more cunning request: he asked for a boon that neither a human nor an animal could kill him, neither during the day nor at night, neither on earth nor in the sky. Lord Vishnu granted this wish, and Hiranyakashyapu began to exploit his newfound powers, tormenting innocent people, prohibiting religious practices, and declaring himself a god. Hiranyakashyapu had a son named Prahlad, who was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. Despite his father’s strong opposition and attempts to force him to renounce his faith, Prahlad remained steadfast in his devotion.

Frustrated, Hiranyakashyapu attempted to kill Prahlad by throwing him into the ocean and abandoning him in the jungle, but Prahlad miraculously survived both attempts and returned home each time. Prahlad’s aunt, Holika, had a boon that made her immune to fire. She agreed to help Hiranyakashyapu by taking Prahlad to a pyre of wood. Holika sat on the pyre with Prahlad, believing that she would remain unharmed while Prahlad would be consumed by the flames. However, a miracle occurred: Holika burned alive, while Prahlad emerged unscathed. This event is commemorated during Holika Dahan, where people build a bonfire, place an effigy of Holika and Prahlad, and burn it.

On the day of the festival, people traditionally apply a mustard paste to their bodies, and the residue is then discarded into the bonfire. This practice symbolizes the removal of sins and the renewal of body and soul. However, this festival has become an environmental concern due to the practice of cutting down green trees for the fire. This year, for the first time, I saw a group of students educating people about the environmental impact of cutting down trees for the festival. While I support this cause, I doubt that change will come easily.

Benares, already suffering from a lack of greenery, is not alone in this issue; it’s a global problem. For instance, it’s reported that China cuts down over 25 million trees annually to produce chopsticks, and India has lost over 75% of its forests. If such practices continue, the future looks bleak. Education and awareness are crucial to addressing this issue, but the challenge lies in finding effective advocates for change. While we cannot stop the festival, we can reduce its environmental impact by using alternative materials instead of green trees. Please, let’s stop cutting down green trees and instead focus on planting new ones.

Holika Dahan Fire

Josh Massad’s World Through Music

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I’m working with a musician named Josh Massad on a project called “World Through Music,” which focuses on teaching music and other subjects through music. Josh travels globally, teaching music to children in various regions. In the U.S., he introduces American kids to African and Indian music. In Africa, he teaches Indian and American music to African kids, and currently, in India, he’s teaching African, American, and Asian music to children in Varanasi. About a month ago, Josh contacted me to see if I would be interested in collaborating on this project.

Josh with village kids

The project intrigued me, so I agreed to assist him. My role involves organizing his performances at schools throughout Varanasi. To give Josh and his project broad exposure, I arranged for him to perform at a variety of schools, including city schools, village schools, private schools, government schools, play schools, and schools run by NGOs. In total, we planned around 50 performances over 25 days, with 25 performances at village schools where children come from very poor families, 10 at NGO-run training centers for girls, 10 at city schools, and about 5 at schools run by NGOs.

Josh teaching Kanjira

One of the performances is scheduled at a school for children of sex workers in Varanasi. These children often face difficulties gaining admission to traditional schools due to a lack of residential proof and documentation about their parents. An NGO in Varanasi has started a school specifically for these children, and we will be working with them as well. Additionally, we’ve organized performances with children from my educational program and with daytime child laborers in Mehdiganj, where Lok Samiti runs evening classes for them.

Dancing with a kid

Josh carries a map and various instruments from around the world. He starts by discussing geography, teaching about the seven continents and the countries within them. He then shows these locations on a map and introduces the instruments, explaining where each one originates. It was surprising to see that many village kids had little knowledge of geography; some didn’t even know which continent India is on or could name its states. I hope Josh’s lessons will spark their curiosity and expand their knowledge.

Josh teaching map

After introducing his instruments, Josh plays them for the kids and teaches them African songs. One song, in particular, is a favorite: “Fanga Alafia, Ashe Ashe,” a welcome song from Africa. The kids love singing it and joining in with Josh. He also teaches various clapping styles and occasionally introduces basic yoga techniques. The project is progressing well, and seeing the children’s enjoyment makes me happy. However, a few teachers have questioned the relevance of teaching African songs, expressing doubt about their impact.

showing an Indonesian instrument

I don’t expect the children to master all of Josh’s instruments or geography in a single day, but I am confident that his performances will ignite an interest in world geography and music. If they glance at a map even once at home, I’ll consider the project a success. Josh is planning to make a documentary about his work next year and wants me to organize the details. He is also considering starting a mobile school in India and again hopes I can help with the arrangements. He envisions bringing musicians from various places to travel with him and teach music and geography. It sounds incredibly exciting, and I’m looking forward to being part of it.

Kids also love to play the instruments

Shivratri 2010

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It was Shivratri on the 12th, and I was incredibly excited for it. Shivratri is the biggest festival in Varanasi, celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Lord Shiva. There are over six thousand temples in Varanasi, but only 11 of them organize a wedding parade for Lord Shiva. The parade begins at various temples and culminates near the Vishwanath Temple (the Golden Temple). The most popular and grandest parade starts at the Mahamrityunjay Temple and is the final parade of the day. I attended the parade with my friends, and it was absolutely amazing.

Lord Shiva and Parvati

Bhang, which is associated with Lord Shiva and an integral part of Varanasi’s culture, is consumed by many people during the festival as a blessing from Lord Shiva. People take a bath in the Ganges, perform rituals at Shiva temples, offer bhang, and then consume it. The entire city is decorated with lights, free bhang drinks are served everywhere, and people come out to join the festivities. It’s so much fun—I love this festival. It is said that during Lord Shiva’s wedding, a diverse array of characters participated, including gods, goddesses, ghosts, demons, and more. Consequently, the wedding parade featured all sorts of characters.

The parade included people wearing ghost masks, individuals dressed as gods and goddesses, snake charmers, hijras, and various animals like cows, bulls, goats, dogs, horses, and elephants. There were people smoking ganja, and the scene was quite chaotic. One man dressed as Lord Shiva was leading the parade. He was extremely high on bhang, almost sleeping while walking. I had seen the same man in last year’s parade, and I suspect he was deliberately given a lot of bhang, as he was also nearly unconscious last year. He struggled to walk, would occasionally faint, and either walked slowly with his eyes closed, danced, or fainted. I doubt Lord Shiva fainted at his wedding, but Varanasi’s bhang certainly has that effect on people!

ghost

The man carried a trident and a damru, and wore a dhatura garland. He performed the Tandav dance for a short time, then would faint. As he fainted or fell asleep, people chanted “Har Har Mahadev” (a chant for Lord Shiva) and “Jago Baba” (meaning “wake up, baba”) to rouse him. The noise from thousands of people shouting “Har Har Mahadev” was deafening, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m not sure how anyone can survive after consuming so much bhang, but he seemed to be holding on.

Character playing Lord Shiva fainted due to intoxication of Bhang

The festival featured loud music, with drums playing everywhere, but I particularly enjoyed the Nagada drum. The Nagada is a traditional Varanasi instrument used in both wedding and funeral parades. We take pride in our Nagada performances. Josh, wanting to try bhang, bought a glass of bhang lassi without consulting me. He expected it to have an immediate effect like alcohol, but bhang takes time to work. Later, he asked me for more bhang lassi, so I took him to a reputable shop, not realizing he had already consumed some.

Bhang Thandai

After drinking more than half a glass of bhang lassi, Josh said it wasn’t making him high, and I explained it would take some time. He asked how long, and I told him at least two hours. He then revealed he had already drunk a glass of bhang lassi an hour earlier. I advised against drinking a second glass, but he insisted he could handle it. Although I knew two glasses of bhang were too much, he believed he’d be fine. It’s been over 48 hours since his second glass, and he’s still asleep in his room. When I asked if he would ever drink bhang again, he said never.

elephants were also there

Many documentaries have been made about Varanasi and its festivals, but none focus specifically on this one. I had planned to film the festival but couldn’t due to my commitments with Josh’s project and a lack of resources. Now, Josh wants to help me make a documentary about the festival, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll do my best to capture the essence of this festival, and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun. The festival is over now, and I’m already excited for next year. Har Har Mahadev!

Lord Shiva

Arranged marriage of cousin

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My cousin’s wedding was scheduled for December 12th, and I was initially excited about it. However, I was unable to attend because I had to be in Gwalior for my tour guide training exams and interview. The wedding was on the 12th, my written exam was on the 13th, and the party was on the 16th, which was also the day of my interview. In retrospect, I’m relieved I didn’t attend, as the events surrounding the wedding turned out to be quite chaotic. My cousin, who worked at a travel agency in Delhi and was 30 years old, wanted to marry and had his parents arrange the match.

My uncle, who had a relative in Benares seeking a groom for his daughter, acted as the mediator. The wedding was set for December, after being arranged in May. Although my cousin and the bride had met secretly, as her father disapproved of pre-marital meetings, they got along well and seemed happy. However, a few days before the wedding, the bride’s father, who seemed rather superstitious, insisted on having my cousin’s horoscope rechecked by a prominent Brahmin. According to traditional beliefs, horoscopes are matched on 32 different qualities, and if fewer than 16 match, the marriage is considered inauspicious.

The bride’s father was concerned that my cousin was a “Manglik,” which supposedly posed issues related to Mars in his horoscope. Despite these concerns, the horoscope was revalidated, and the wedding proceeded as planned. On the wedding day, as the groom’s procession arrived at the bride’s home, a commotion erupted. It was discovered that the bride did not want to marry my cousin because she was in love with someone else. Her boyfriend, accompanied by an advocate, was present and expressed his wish to marry her. The bride, who had left her home just before the wedding procession arrived, took refuge at a neighbor’s house. Her father and others forcefully brought her back.

Amid the chaos, the bride continued to protest and expressed her desire to marry her boyfriend. Despite this, my cousin chose to proceed with the wedding. The bride’s family then physically assaulted the boyfriend and his supporter, imprisoning them overnight, and the marriage was forcibly conducted. The bride was quickly brought to the groom’s home, where she reiterated her feelings to my cousin and asked for his help to reunite with her boyfriend. However, my cousin insisted she accept their marriage, given the circumstances.

It’s difficult for me to understand why my cousin went through with the marriage despite knowing the situation. He often spoke of his age and his fear that he wouldn’t find a partner if he waited longer, which might have influenced his decision. I also struggle to understand why the bride didn’t disclose her relationship with her boyfriend earlier or why this issue was only addressed on the wedding day. Arranged marriages are still common in India, but there’s a growing opposition to the practice. While I don’t have an issue with arranged marriages per se, the circumstances surrounding my cousin’s wedding make me uneasy.

The situation was handled poorly, and it’s distressing to see such forceful measures taken. I’m unsure whether to hope for my cousin and his wife to work things out or consider separation, but one thing is clear: if the bride were to act on her previous desires, it would create significant problems for my cousin and his family.

Ghosts haunting the neighbors

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There is a Yadav family living next door. The family consists of six members: three daughters, their parents, and their grandmother. None of them work. The grandmother, a retired nurse, receives a pension, and they also rent out a few rooms in their house, which provides their main source of income. I doubt their monthly earnings exceed Rs. 13,000, which should be sufficient for a family of six in Benares if they lead a very simple life. However, this family is constantly in trouble because they spend most of their money on exorcists.

They believe their entire family is afflicted by ghosts. The most troubling aspect is that even the grandmother, who used to work as a nurse at BHU, believes their home and family are haunted. The mother of the children suffers from severe gastric problems and burps incessantly, so loudly that I can hear it from my own home. She also experiences constant stomach pain and sometimes feels as if her whole body is burning from within. Despite these symptoms, the family insists that these issues are caused by ghosts.

They claim that the sound of her burping is the noise of the ghosts and that the stomach pain and internal burning are also ghost-related. They believe that the ghosts attack her every evening and night. When the grandmother discussed this with my father, he advised her to take her daughter to a doctor. However, the grandmother insisted that she had already consulted several doctors without any relief, and maintained that only exorcists could help. She asked my father if he knew any good exorcists, but he suggested a few doctors instead, which she refused to consider.

She described how her daughter screams uncontrollably when the ghosts attack, and claimed that someone had sent the ghost to kill her daughter and the entire family, asserting that the ghost would not leave until it had succeeded in its mission. I have also heard strange noises coming from their house and seen peculiar people performing rituals there. A few months ago, they wrapped a thread around their house and placed a large bamboo on the roof. Every evening, they burn something that fills the house with smoke, causing everyone to cough violently.

The husband of the woman with gastric problems performs this ritual, and during this time, the rest of the family stays inside their rooms, fearing that the smoke will drive away the ghosts and protect them from being seen and attacked. Sometimes, I hear them shouting at night, saying things like, “Look, he’s coming! Kick him out! Why are you here?” and other family members respond with, “Go to hell! What are you doing here? Who sent you? Why do you want to kill us?” It’s quite chaotic. They are always looking for new exorcists. I overheard them talking to someone who suggested they visit a tomb near Lucknow.

This exorcist claimed that anyone who went there had successfully rid themselves of ghosts. He mentioned that the ritual at the tomb costs Rs. 15,000 for the entire family. Spending Rs. 15,000 on exorcism seems excessive to me. While Hinduism does acknowledge the existence of ghosts, there are also simpler and more cost-effective ways to address such concerns. For instance, the name “Ram” is considered a powerful mantra that, according to belief, can dispel all kinds of evil spirits and ghosts. If I were to address the issue of ghosts, I would prefer using this straightforward and economical method of repeating the name of Ram, rather than spending a large sum on exorcisms.

Child sponsorship in Varanasi

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I recently connected with a Hungarian individual named Attila, who is a computer engineer in Hungary and volunteers with a Hungarian NGO (www.afroaid.hu). This NGO operates a child sponsorship program in Africa. Attila expressed his desire to volunteer in Varanasi, India, with plans to come next year with his wife for a year. He was particularly interested in NGOs focused on children’s education programs. I introduced him to various NGOs in the area, and he showed interest in several of them. Given my own interest in similar initiatives, I suggested to Attila that we consider starting our own program in Varanasi.

Attila was enthusiastic about this idea. He shared that he had a great experience working with children in Africa and was eager to apply his expertise to establish a similar program in Varanasi. We discussed how to initiate the program and decided to begin with some preliminary research. We visited several local schools to estimate the cost of education per child. Attila was also keen on providing one meal a day to the children to alleviate the burden of meal preparation at home. We decided to start with 30 children: 10 from the city area and 20 from the village area.

We made a trip to Mehndiganj to visit Lok Samiti, which runs an education program that Attila wanted to see. We toured Lok Samiti’s school and training centers, interacted with the children, and heard some heart-wrenching stories. Lok Samiti offers evening classes for children who work during the day, which is my favorite program among their offerings. It was striking to see children working 12-hour shifts and still attending evening classes. There were more than 30 children at the evening center.

The children were incredibly innocent and curious. They asked Attila questions about his life in Hungary, such as whether he had goats, what he grew on his farm, how he came to India, and how much money he earned. Given that these children earn about Rs. 1,000 per month, Attila found it challenging to answer their questions. We also visited some of Lok Samiti’s training centers for girls over 14, where they receive training in sewing, embroidery, dance, and basic education. The aim of these programs is to empower the girls to become self-sufficient.

We asked Nandlal Master, the president of Lok Samiti, to select 20 children from his program who are both impoverished and eager to continue their education, with supportive parents. We conducted a similar search in the city and identified 10 children from impoverished families who were interested in learning. One of them was a 12-year-old girl named Rashmi, who had previously attended an English-medium private school but had to quit due to financial constraints.

Rashmi impressed me deeply. She had attended school up to the 6th standard, and my niece, who was also a student at Rashmi’s former school, told me that Rashmi was well-regarded by her teachers. Rashmi was the only child who clearly articulated her future goals. When Attila asked her what she wanted to become, she replied, “an engineer,” and specifically, “a computer engineer.” Rashmi explained that she wanted to develop computer programs to help poor people. Both Attila and I were taken aback by such a thoughtful response from a 12-year-old.

All the children we met were eager to attend school, but many faced obstacles. Some had already stopped attending school due to financial difficulties, while others who were capable of attending better schools were stuck in government schools that offered only minimal education. We have selected a few schools and plan to enroll the children in the nearest quality school to their homes starting in March 2010. Some of the children will need basic English language training to thrive in English-medium schools. We are organizing two-hour evening classes for the selected children. With this initiative, thirty families now have hope, and I feel a strong responsibility as a local supporter.

Attila has returned to Hungary but has already secured some supporters and hopes to find more for all the children. We have decided to keep office expenses minimal until we reach 50 children. Attila and his wife will be living in Varanasi for a year and managing the program’s administrative work. We aim to forgo formal office space to ensure that all funds directly benefit the program. I am excited to be involved in this project and look forward to working closely with Attila.

Voting Day 2009 in Varanasi

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Voting day in Benares was on the 16th. Everyone was supposed to have a voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India, but once again this year, not everyone received theirs, including me. Three days before the elections, I read in the newspaper that voters could use 16 different types of documents instead of the voter ID card. Since I didn’t have a voter ID, I went to vote with my ration card and PAN card (income tax card). I first went to Assi Crossing, where assistance centers for all the major political parties were set up. This year, there were four assistance centers: BJP, Congress, SP, and BSP. I needed to get a slip with my serial number from any of these centers to verify my name on the voting list.

I chose the Congress counter because it had the least number of people, whereas the BJP counter was the most crowded. After getting my slip at the Congress counter, I decided to visit the other counters as well. At the Congress Party counter, I saw something quite unusual: they were offering breakfast to people visiting their counter, which is an illegal activity. The counter was on the main road, but the breakfast was served inside a room. They encouraged people to go inside, have breakfast, and then vote for Congress. It was surprising to see how many people switched their support this year. Those who were at the BJP counter during the last elections were now at the SP counter. It’s amazing how quickly political allegiances can change.

The BJP candidate, Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi, called me a day before the election. Usually, political campaigns use automated calls, but this one seemed personal. At first, I thought it was a computer call, but the responses matched my questions, so I believe it was Mr. Joshi himself. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry and couldn’t talk to him much. I would have liked to have a longer conversation with him. Mr. Joshi asked me to vote for a suitable candidate. While he never explicitly asked me to vote for him, he did identify himself at the end of the call, which was a clear hint. Since he was my preferred candidate, I voted for him, though I would have liked to ask him some questions before casting my vote. Maybe next time.

When I went to vote, I noticed there was less security than usual. There were only four or five security guards at the polling booth, whereas polling booths are typically guarded more heavily. Various party representatives were urging me to vote for their respective parties. Some individuals had Fevicol (a type of adhesive) and other chemicals, advising me to apply them to my finger before voting so I could remove the ink easily and vote multiple times for their party later in the day. They were also keeping track of those who hadn’t voted yet and planned to send someone to vote in their names. Despite these manipulations, I was content to vote only in my name.