Facelifts for the Scared

view from the jeep somewhere from between the border of Nepal and Varanasi.

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The way of life in Varanasi is intriguing. I wish we would have spent more time there, absorbing it. It is known for its spiritual significance along side the holy waters of the Ganga River, and whether you believe the religious folklore or not, as a westerner you cannot deny the looming, almost eerie, feeling of death. The Ganga riverside is dotted with 'ghat's, long staircases the run into the water. Each ghat has a purpose, such as being sacred place of worship for a particular manifestation of a god or for burning the remains of a loved one in honor of the gods and cultural traditions. The 'burning ghats', as they are called, are main attractions for most foreigners and Indians alike. The dead body is wrapped in cloth, carried through the cities narrow allies, down the steps and drenched in the Ganga before being placed on a table of wood and incense then lit and left to burn.

This one is for LeNora :)

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This seems like such a morbid sight, and it is. Seeing flesh and bone melt is not your every day occurrence in the states. It was not until I had a brief conversation with a man while walking by a burning ghat that I found a real respect for the ritual.  He urged us to sit and watch the body burn with the mourning men of the family ( it is solely the men who stay to watch it burn). I kindly rejected, stating that I did not want to intrude on the family, and that is was sad. "Sad!" he said, "No, no. It is not sad, it is happy; it is our culture. Come see." I still rejected, exlaining that it is not my culture to watch the body burn and that I had no desire for it. I wish I would have thought about my answer to him a bit more, in all honesty, I would be interested to see exactly how the ceremony happens from beginning to end; Death is not such a grand experience in my culture as it is here; too much caution is taken to preserve the body, which if you think about it, seems to be an odd custom in the Christian religion and culture.