Utmost treasures often turn up in unlikely places, like in Wagah village on the Indian-Pakistan border.
Sometimes referred to as the Berlin Wall of Asia, this little community plays daily host to proud national parades and the flag-lowering ceremony by each country’s ceremonial guards.
Donning colorful turbans and their best uniforms, Indian and Pakistani soldiers goose-step as perfectly as they would at the times of the British Empire closing the gates to uphold the 1947 independence borders, consequentially splitting the village in two.
It had been my fourth time in this part of Asia, and I managed again to discover an India beyond travel guides, an India that has a lot more on its magic plate than carefree hippy beaches in Goa and white domes of Taj Mahal mausoleum.
It takes only half an hour by rickshaw from army-drenched Wagah to reach one of India’s most sacred temples, Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, where Indian pilgrims outnumber the tourists.
One of the founders of Sikhism – a monotheistic religion, one of the largest in the world – Guru Granth Sahib is believed to be always present in this exquisite house of marble and gold, laid with rubies and frescos.
A girl sits near the Golden Temple in Amritsar near Sarovar Lake. Foreign tourists are rare visitors to this place, considered holy by followers of the Sikh religion. (Svitlana Tuchynska)
Dating back to 1604, it stands against the lake Sarovar where pilgrims take baths to purify their souls.
Looking like a fluffy white cloud pitched against the sun, this shrine exudes peace and tranquility that contrasts remarkably with the military spirit in Wagan.
A border guard performes a ceremony at the Wagah border with Pakistan. (Svitlana Tuchynska)
In further search of India’s contrasts free from gawking tourists, I headed north for village Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagara Empire in the 14-16th centuries.
A scene of hypnotic architectural styles that has been attracting hippies since the 1960s, the settlement was planted on the mountainous landscape with the river snaking through.
While some places like Hampi in India shower you with tranquility, others have the power of immersing travelers into deep philosophical moods when contemplating life and death becomes as natural as drinking coffee in the morning.
Among a myriad of temples, the 15th-century Vittala Temple with its ancient halls, long corridors and open-air pavilions with granite statues of gods and an overwhelming array of rich carvings depicting gods, animals and mythical creatures hanging from its pillars was perfect for a quiet stroll.
Those yearning for a miracle here and now will be rewarded with an elephant by the 7th century Virupaksha Temple in the center of the village.
Considered a godly creature in Hinduism, the animal gracefully accepts a rupee coin ($0.02) with his trunk passing it on to his caretaker and then for just a moment carefully touches the tip of the traveler’s head with his trunk.
My observation is that most people feel amused and joyful after this act of “blessing,” which probably has something to do with them feeling relieved that their head is still in one piece.
In their two-wheel passenger carts, local rickshaws whisk travelers around the most important places in Hampi and outside to take in the views of banana groves and endless green rice fields.
An alternative transport would be renting a bicycle and spending a few hours roaming the locale to meet super friendly and curious villagers who will drop their work just to talk to you and push their children to the front to exchange a few words in English.
A man rests on the steps leading to Ganga River in Varanasi. The wharf is a big attraction for Indian pilgrims and tourists. (Photo by Stas Ra)
While some places like Hampi in India shower you with tranquility, others have the power of immersing travelers into deep philosophical moods when contemplating life and death becomes as natural as drinking coffee in the morning. Varanasi, the holy city on the Ganga River, is an unusual place that effortlessly fuses past and present with cremations conducted regularly out in the open next to the markets where people buy food.
One of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, it has been known as a spiritual center for Hindu, Buddhist and Jains for more than 2,000 years. While Hindu believe the town was founded by Lord Shiva, Buddhists and Jains visit the place to pay respects to Gautama Buddha and Lord Mahavir, two supreme beings in their respectful traditions, who are both believed to have preached here.
As the sun rises over the river and a delicious smell of freshly boiled Indian chay (a milky tea with herbs) spreads from tiny tea stalls, priests begin their worship ceremonies on the banks of the Ganga, pouring water over themselves and offering flowers to the river. The Ganga, known as one of the most densely populated and the dirtiest in the world, is also the place where many Hindu find their final resting peace.
To die and be cremated in Varanasi is considered good for one’s karma, so many old people come to the city to die so their bodies could be burnt and scattered across the holy water.Sadu, a Hindu priest who manages the funeral ceremonies at one of the ghats (steps leading to the water) in the city centre tells me in broken English that it takes around 200 kg of wood for the bonfire and up to three hours for one body to turn into ash.
While he is talking, the fire cracks around several burial places sending ashes and flames into the air. There is no stench apart from the smell of burning wood and, quite differently from what one might have expected, the whole scene is strikingly peaceful with the full moon and the pitch black Ganga waters.
Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be reached at [email protected]
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