VARANASI

In March 1997, during a two-month trip to North and Central India, I spent a week in Varanasi (also known as Banaras), the sacred city on the Ganges. This web project—created when I had a job at MIT, and originally housed on its site—contains journal entries and photographs from the trip, along with a brief, retrospective introduction. Your comments are welcome, by e-mail or in the RIP-TV guestbook.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION	Traveling in India, a woman alone; neither disasters nor dire consequences; difficulties; temptations; Varanasi.
ARRIVAL	Train journey through Uttar Pradesh; mysterious absence of train personnel; nature; the Hotel de Paris.
DAY 1	An enormous insect; first views of the river; a cheap Yankee afloat; a visit to a temple; ghats, children and dogs.
DAY 2	Transport a problem; holy man no help; Holi a problem; more of the river.
DAY 3	House arrest; lizard battle; Holi from a distance.
DAY 4	House arrest continues; Indian men; child labor.
DAY 5	"I would like to thank the members of the Academy. . .;" Sarnath.
DAY 6	Papu and his family; a shopping spree; a night at the movies.
DAY 7	The exterminator; the river; the watchers.
DAY 8	Tired of India!; a visit to Ram Nagar Fort; Shiva madness.
NIGHTS	Evening thoughts at the Hotel de Paris.
DEPARTURE	Giving up, perhaps, but definitely leaving; the train out of Varanasi.

INTRODUCTION | ARRIVAL | DAY 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | NIGHTS | DEPARTURE | LIZ MACKIE