Kuajuraho Temples

Kandariya Temple at Kuajuraho

 Well, it was worth the difficult trip to see the temple complex here.  There used to be 85 temples at this location, today twelve have been restored. Each has a granite base with carved sandstone above. These temples were rediscovered in 1936, overgrown with forest. These temples are among the only ones in Northern Indian to survive destruction from the Muslims during their many empires. The major temples have five layers to them. The carvings are meant to be read left to right from darkness into the light. Gods are represented as human or animal with multiple hands or heads, people appear normally, and the nether world usually has snakes (actually they look like dragons) in the carving. On each temple we see various forms of Kama Sutra - making love to be closer to God. "How better to celebrate the perfection of God on earth than in the joy of sex." There are many voluptuous women - dancers, flute players, writers, etc. As the figures are making love in various positions or with animals, you see other figures turning away in disgust, peeking, or eagerly waiting their turn. These temples were amazing, reminding us of Angor Wat in Cambodia.

Exterior figures on temple

We flew to Varanasi in the afternoon, a city with a written history that is 4000 years old. Also known as Goshi - the city of light or learning. This is where the god Shiva lived, so it is the most important holy city on the Ganges, the holiest river. People come here late in life, hopefully to die here and be cremated on the shores of the Ganges. In the evening, we rode a rickshaw and then walked through the crowds to one of the major cremation sites. Bodies are first shrouded in white, then covered with a gold shroud. The body is dipped in the water before being placed on a funeral pyre. Afterwards, the major celebrant (usually the eldest son) with shaved head and wearing white robes throws the ashes into the river. We saw several pyres as well as the eternal embers in the temple from which the pyres are lit.
We were accompanied by a Hindu priest who recited the mantras to thank god as we put our prayer lamps in the river. Finally we heard the conch horns calling us to Aarti, the sacred light ceremony. There were seven priest on a raised platform above the river. This is the ceremony they performed:

• purify with incense in four directions.
• invoke the god with incense
• swing a pyramid of lamps while chanting
• remove the lamps
• use a large circular lamp with a new chant
• pacify the god by waving a peacock fan 
• put the gods back to sleep

It was impressive with the huge crowds on shore and in boats surrounding the ceremony. Then we walked and rode again through the large crowds to get back to our hotel. With the steps up the bank, the crowds, and trying to get into and out of the rickshaw, this was quite an adventure for Mary.