North-Central Plains People & Culture

a city saturated in holly Indian'ness ,were down narrow winding streets you loose yourself to the smells of chapati cooking , brahmin cows and constant incense to mask the odour of the burning ghats the constant calls of the chai wallah,the mighty Ghanga seething with bodies seeking holly cleansing,cheeky monkeys egging you on looking for some action ,ancient men pulling fat rich people through pot holes to there destiny dodging the the scared ones the litter the streets.....................

The first thing you need to know about Varanasi is to be vigilant in getting from the train station to your hotel as the rickshaw men double as hotel touts, but not the kind who want to talk you into going to their hotel, the kind you trick you into it. If you say you want to go to, say Yogi Lodge (a guesthouse that refuses to pay touts) then they'll take you to New Yogi Lodge, a guesthouse named after the original that does pay touts. If you pull them up on it, they'll tell you that the original burnt down or that it's moved. You're likely to notice that you've been collecting a group of stragglers the closer you get to the wrong guesthouse at which point you'll know you're being dupped as the real Yogi Lodge doesn't send people out to get tourists in (they don't need to). Try to get a cycle rickshaw from the train station, they're not all upright citizens but your chances are better with them. Most importantly study the map before you get there are keep a close eye on street, lane names and be vocal and insistant with the driver, that you know where you want to go and this isn't it! Also, avoid petting the dogs, or puppys, and don't stay in the lanes if you're afraid of cows as it's a tight squeeze getting around them.

Ganges is known all throughout the land of India. This river that runs for 1,560 miles from the Himalayas all the way to the Bay of Bengal is more than just flowing water. This river is life, purity, and a goddess to the people of India. The river is Ganga Ma, "Mother Ganges." Her name and her story is known all throughout the land. It is the story of how she poured herself down from heaven upon the ashes of King Sarga's sons. Her waters would raise them up again to dwell in peace in heaven. Not only that, but anyone who touches these purifying waters even today are said to be cleansed of all sins. The Ganges is a place of death and life. Hindus from all over will bring their dead. Whether a body or just ashes, the waters of the Ganga are needed to reach Pitriloka, the World of the Ancestors. Just as in the myth with King Sargas' 60,000 sons who attained heaven by Ganga pouring down her water upon their ashes, so the same waters of Ganga are needed for the dead in the Hindu belief today. Without this, the dead will exist only in a limbo of suffering, and would be troublesome spirits to those still living on earth. The waters of the Ganges are called amrita, the "nectar of immoratality".

When you go to the Taj Mahal, you will be accosted by so many vendors outside the walls. There is free water bottles and shoe booties just to the left of the ticket window. When you are right at the Taj Mahal itself you will either have to take off your shoes or use the shoe booties... most people don't know they give the booties away for free though and have to leave their shoes untended outside the building.

If you want to witness a cremation first hand its pretty easy to do, just take a boat ride up towards the Manikarnika Ghat just after sunrise. (Note the huge stacks of firewood around the Ghat in this picture....) Just be prepared for some reality here. You may see body parts floating in the river along with the ashes. During our boat ride aroudn here, we saw a full body washed up on the steps of one of the Ghats with some stray dogs picking at it... (a pretty disturbing image...) The name of the Ganges is known all throughout the land of India. This river that runs for 1,560 miles from the Himalayas all the way to the Bay of Bengal is more than just flowing water. This river is life, purity, and a goddess to the people of India. The river is Ganga Ma, "Mother Ganges." Her name and her story is known all throughout the land. It is the story of how she poured herself down from heaven upon the ashes of King Sarga's sons. Her waters would raise them up again to dwell in peace in heaven. Not only that, but anyone who touches these purifying waters even today are said to be cleansed of all sins. The Ganges is a place of death and life. Hindus from all over will bring their dead. Whether a body or just ashes, the waters of the Ganga are needed to reach Pitriloka, the World of the Ancestors. Just as in the myth with King Sargas' 60,000 sons who attained heaven by Ganga pouring down her water upon their ashes, so the same waters of Ganga are needed for the dead in the Hindu belief today. Without this, the dead will exist only in a limbo of suffering, and would be troublesome spirits to those still living on earth. The waters of the Ganges are called amrita, the "nectar of immoratality".

The ticket you buy for the Taj is also valid for the Red fort, Fatepur Sikri and other cultural atractions in and around Agra.

My home city for a good two decades ... can give you loads of tips ... tell me if you want ... sadly, our lovely house, surrounded by gardens, is no more there, and all of us have moved to New Delhi... else could have offered you a stay there too as many have indeed stayed ... litterateurs, artists and so many others .... and even though none of the culture and grandeur and charm of the city remains now (for it is now a choking, criminalised, congested, characterless hotbed of ugly North Indian politics) ... if you do go there, do try and salvage the ruins of whatever little lingers on ... whatever version of the famous Kakori or Galauti kebabs you can lay your hands on, the Islamic heritage of Chowk, the crowds of Aminabad, the Imam Baras, the bookshop of Mr Ram Advani, a stroll down Hazratganj, the dilapidated boredom of the Residency, La Martiniere College (now a school, my school too for all a decade, but began as a fort built by Frenchman Claude Martin during British rule in India - he is buried under its impressive structure... he built two other sister schools in Calcutta, India and Lyon, France but they're nowhere as impressive), and whatever little courtesy and refinement you come across ... leave the rest to memory or imagination ... and let not any sight or sound or smell of malls, slums, shops, cars or other urban aspirations siezing the city (like so many other cities of India and the world) distract you so ...

The best entertainment in Punjab once again, Ludhiana........ Waddi Haveli where tradition and culture is sustained in the atmosphere from feet tapping songs to colourful performances......... an evening to live in..... Every weekend, outdoor live performances from 8 till midnight. Dont miss it!

Like Lucknow, Allahabad also used to be a high point in India's literary and cultural life... for now, you can see the three rivers meet at the Sangam and throngs flood the city during Kumbh Mela...or at any time, in fact...

yatharthyogashram.org (open on internet explorer!)

Ganges River - most famous attraction in Varanasi. The best time to go is at 6:00 a.m. to catch the many boats that take you along the river. There you can see a myriad of people bathing, praying and just dipping in the waters that they deem to be holy for the Hindus. Cremation takes place 24/7 in the ghats that line the riverbanks. Silk fabrics and the sitar (a wooden musical instrument) are what make this city famous.

Agra houses one of the beautiful buildings in the world, the Taj Mahal. There is also another town not far from Agra itself called Fatehpuhsikri which has some amazing ruins. The way to get there is by a bus which usually costs around 15 rupees (beware of bus drivers hiking the price). Also be warned to not drink mango juice from the side road stalls, as they add ice cubes into them (eventhough they insists they dont add anything).

so if you're looking for "the kamasutra temples", the name of the place is khajuraho. best idea to get around is to rent a bike here.

A bike ride through Orchha and the countryside is a good excursion if you have a half day free. Just be careful crossing the bridge as there are no guard rails and it gets very crowded with both pedestrians and vehicles.

A gem in the centre of India ... reach there by taxi from Jhansi and stay at the Bundelkhand Riverside Hotel if you can (a property of the Maharaja of Orchha now converted into a hotel) ... the rooms have fabulous views of Betwa River and you can just step from them and reach the banks ... do visit the Jehangir Mahal for some intricate architecture and the Lakshiminarayan temple for some really fabulous frescoes ... and the more modest birthplace of the ancient poet Keshav Das housed in school compound and a bit more difficult to find ... worth fixing up the same taxi guy for getting you into Orchha, sightseeing within the city, and any trips out it, if you are going to Khajuraho for instance...

Famous for the Taj Mahal Agra is most popular with tourists therefore being very crowded. Foreign tourists have to pay way over the odds to get into see the Taj Mahal than Indian tourists, so its worth knowing that fridays are free.

One of the worst cities in India, in my opinion. Get in, see the Fort and the Taj, and get out! The touts are the most vicious I've ever encountered. Yikes!

a door stop to shove on the inside of the door when you are sleeping comes in very handy...gives you a heads up if someone tries to break in so you can have time to grab something to throw or at least yell out!!

Most come here to see the Taj Mahal. Its worth knowing fridays are free. Usually foreigners have to pay above the odds, alot more than Indian tourists to get into see it. Agra is a fab place though and if you like monkeys yo'll be glad to know there is a lot of wild ones running around the streets! Bring some bananas, but be careful of your hand!

Kashmir has been a complicated issue and it finds itself in the news almost on a daily basis... The territory of Kashmir was hotly contested since the time before India and Pakistan won their independence from the British in 1947. Under the partition plan, Kashmir was free to accede to India or Pakistan. The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, was Hindu and his people predominantly Muslims... The Maharaja wanted to stay independent but once armed men from across the Pakistan border invaded Kashmir, he decided to accede to India, signing over key powers to the Indian Government - in return for military aid and a promised referendum fifty years later which hasnt been held yet. Since then, the territory has been the flashpoint for three wars: the first in 1947-8, the second in 1965, and a third in1999, when India fought a brief but bitter conflict with Pakistani-backed forces who had infiltrated Indian-controlled territory in the Kargil area. In addition to the rival claims of Delhi and Islamabad to the territory, there has been a growing and often violent separatist movement fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989. Srinagar has several beautiful mosques. Ladies be careful to cover your heads with a scarf or something before entering the mosque compound to comply with Islam.