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Sadhu Smoking
Followers Shiva – the destroyer and the protector in the Hindu trimurti (holy trinity) – are well known for smoking hashish. They are emulating their God, who is often depicted meditating alone on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, his eyes half-closed from the effects of the hash in his chillum – a traditional clay pipe.
When I spend time in the crush of Indian streets, rubbing shoulders with holy men and drinking masala chai with the locals, I always come away with some new realisation about myself, or the world.
My first visit to Varanasi was not my first trip to India, but it was revelatory. Most of my time – from pre-dawn to post-sunset – was spent on the ghats that lead down to the Mother Ganges: the holiest place in this most sacred of Indian cities (see: Weekly Wanders Varanasi). The shimmering heat in the air had me wandering in a bit of a daze as I watched – and attempted to understand – the richness of life going on around me.
I was travelling with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon; because it was a photographic trip, and not a ‘tour’, I had plenty of time to immerse myself and think about what I was seeing and how I was seeing it. It was easy to understand how Western seekers of a different way of being could get swept up in the magical spiritualism of the place. There is even a name for it: India Syndrome (see: Firstpost, Mythical or Mystical?).
My sense of slight disorientation probably had more to do with the openness of strangers: pilgrims who allowed themselves to be photographed, locals who shared what little they had, and the women, who, just that morning had made offerings to Mother Ganges on my behalf (see: Morning Puja). Of course, mild anxiety about the polluted river water I had allowed to touch my lips as part of the puja, lack of sleep as a result of excitement and early mornings, and/or the rich smells of hashish and incense on the hot air all added to a feeling of unreality.
So, it felt perfectly normal to be invited into a priest’s tent-like enclosure, and sit cross-legged on the floor as his acolytes helped him prepare the charas for his clay pipe.
Although the use of cannabis products among holy men, particularly those who follow Lord Shiva, is ignored by authorities, it is not actually legal in India. When the sadhu’s pipe was passed to me, I bowed my head in reverence, and passed it on without partaking.
Even in a magic place like Varanasi, partaking in illicit drug use with strangers seemed a bridge too far!
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Kids in the Market
Even though the caste system in India is technically illegal, I still get the sense that these children’s future is largely determined by the station of their parents.
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Man on a Stoop
The streets leading to the ghats are crowded with shops and people.
Varanasi Laneway
So much of ‘everyday life’ is conducted in the streets and laneways.
Red Temple on the Ghat
The river and the ghats are busy any time of day or night, but Dashashwamedh Ghat is especially so. Visitors and pilgrims flock to it for the performance of the evening Aarati (see: Life and Death).
Family
People come from all over India to enjoy the
evening ritual.
Women in Red
As the sun goes down, friends and family sit on the steps and wait.
Boats on the Ganges
Other watchers hire a spot on one of the many boats on the water, where the diyas – small lamps with a candle surrounded by flowers – float on the river.
Mixing Lassi
There is plenty of food available in the streets leading away from the darkening ghats.
Selling Pots and Pans
Crowded stores selling all manner of goods line the narrow streets.
Marigolds in the Mud
At the edge of the Ganges River, ritual flowers are everywhere. I was told that these were laid out for a child who had died.
Hands and Offerings
Elsewhere on the ghats, Hindu priests construct elaborate offerings for the Gods.
Buildings on the Ghats
All along the ghats, little shrines are tucked into corners of the rising buildings.
Orange Shrine
Inside the shrine, fresh flowers are garlanded over Lord Hanuman, the monkey God.
Keeper of the Shrine
Hanuman is an avatar of Lord Shiva in Shaivism; my host poses himself with a
trishula, Shiva’s trident.
Sadhu Blessings
Acolyte
The sadhu’s helper is a handsome young man.
Smoking a Chillum
He has earned his place in the smoker’s circle.
Another Holy Man
Haircut on the Ghats
Back in the heat and bright light along the river, …
Having a Haircut
… everyday life continues.
Simple Pleasures
Everyday, this man comes to the ghats with bags of birdseed …
The Birdman
… and takes great pleasure …
Feeding the Birds
… in feeding the pigeons.
Untouchables
Mum watches on as I interact with a little girl who is the daughter of a man who manages the cremation pyres on Harishchandra Ghat.
Flower Girl
They sell ceremonial flowers; naturally, I couldn’t resist!
During our daily reviews back in our hotel rooms, we critiqued the photos we had taken, and mused how they could have been better “… in a perfect world …” with a bit more height or distance, or better light, or less distraction in the background, etcetera.
Certainly, as I look back on these old pictures, I can think of a number of things I’d like to improve.
Even so, they evoke memories of a truly magical time in an other-worldly place that I will always cherish.
Until next time,
ॐ
Pictures: 10-11April2010
