Varanasi Four

We alighted just before a small castle. It had ornate towers made of pale orange brick, wonderfully set off by a green bush growing around the top. We then left the river side and wandered through the streets for a while, grabbing some biscuits along the way. The three of us made our way to a Hindu temple, the first I’ve ever been in. We entered through a large yellow gateway and moved down a long walkway. We gave our shoes to the shoe-keepers and watched the tens of monkeys that ran and climbed on either side of the walkway’s railings. Soon we came to a space floored with marble and made up of several small buildings and sections. There were several statues, and a sacred tree. People walked around slowly, or sat and prayed. No matter what religious temple you go to, when people are praying with a certain degree of faith, and when the facilities are upheld, one get’s a sense of beauty and serenity.

We did a quick perambulation of the grounds and then left. Next we caught a bicycle rickshaw, which took us to a university. Along the way the rickshaw driver tried to convince Rohit that we should pay him more than the average fair, because we were foreigners and could pay more. We went under a large archway and suddenly the cement and brick city passed away to a well-paved street lined with luscious green trees, some with bright red blossoms. The university campus was vast, and the buildings very beautiful with ornate towers vaguely resembling those on the temples. They were a warm yellow with red trim and situated on vibrant lawns dotted with gardens and even a few peacocks. After the dust and dung of the city it was exquisitely beautiful.