On The Banks Of The Ganges Friday Surf & Culture Report
Lost Boys & Co...
The Ganges is the holiest river in India. Like Mecca for Muslims and Jerusalem for Jews, it is a destination for devout followers of the Hindu religion. Many believe that by coming to the banks of the Ganges at Varanasi they can be purified and skip a few steps in their journey to Nirvana. Many people who are old and infirm come here to die and in a country where there are 1.2 billion people, that ends up being a considerable number. We took a boat out into the river (#1) at sunset and watched the ritual bathing, purification and eventual cremation from the water...
Too windy this morning, but 10 miles visibility under a hazy sun. The air temp was 53.6 and the water has taken a hit and is down to 56.8. Low tide at 10:41am +0.1' and high tide follows at 6:17pm +3.4'. We have a west swell out of 265º at 5.2' and it was a rough 4' to 6' and pretty disorganized... Maybe mañana...
In #2 we're approaching the Manikarnika Ghat. The ghats are spots along the river where there are temples or holy sites. The Manikarnika Ghat is one of the several that is used for the cremation of bodies in funeral pyres. On the left by the water is a group of men who are ritually bathing a body. The body is wrapped in an orange shroud and only men take part in the ritual. The group of mourners on the stairs is lead by the chief mourner, who has had his head shaved and will officiate. Once the body is purified it's placed on the pyre and the chief mourner walks around the body five times offering prayers. Then the fire tenders take over and supervise the burning of the remains. Fire tenders are a special caste and the job is handed down from generation to generation. They supply the wood and the fire that comes from an eternal flame...
The scene becomes post-apocalyptic once the sun goes down (#3). On the far right there is a smoldering pyre. Then there is a group of men with a body that has just been washed, taking it up to the site they have chosen. To the left of the steps are two burning pyres. Then on the left there is a really big conflagration. That's not a pyre, but the spot where they burn all the stretchers they bring the bodies down on. The men near the water are gathering the ashes of whatever remains and they are taken away. They used to put them in the river, but in an attempt to clean up the river they now remove them...
Speaking of post-apocalyptic, further down at the Dashashwamedh, Ghat, they were having this enormous religious service (#4). It was impossible to imagine how many people were there, but it had to be in the thousands. They had nine or ten holy men with these great candelabras that they waved around in time to chanting and a cacophony of bells, horns, drums and cymbals. There was incense and the scent of spices in the air. It was unbelievable! Even more unbelievable was the fact that they do this every night! As a side note, those two pillars on the right measure the height of the river. During the monsoon season the river rises all the way to the platform on the top, about 40'!
Laurel Tavern...
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"When the surf breaks, we'll fix it"The Professor!!
