holy water

it had been a long 5 weeks without a weekend so we figured it was time to get away for a bit. so we decided to make the crazy drive down to haridwar, around 2.5 hours from here... one of the holiest places to visit for a hindu and one of the most interesting and in your faces places for white people. it was a great place to get to see the more "real" india. we sure realize how our life here in mussoorie and woodstock is not typical compared to most indians. people travel from all over to take a dip in the holy, bacteria infested water of the ganges to wash their sins away... we didn't take the plunge, but with the temperature in the high 30's it did look pretty inviting, but no, i only mustered up enough courage to dip the feet in... but along with these flocking pilgrims there are countless beggars, some genuinely down and out, some not... it's tough to know how to handle situations like these...

each day at sunrise and sundown there is a ceremony where people will float their prayers and offerings in small banana leaf baskets full of various flowers and a candle down the holy waters. it was amazing at how quiet and orderly things were. if these ceremonies ran like the majority of other services here like driving and banking... it could have been quite the chaotic affair, but despite the huge crowds it was peacefully quiet except for the noise of the river.

it was a great experience... so different from anything i can relate to