Kriyaban

This story today starts at the end, but that's just how it came out.

I'm at the Varanasi train station to head to Bodh Gaya and I'm waiting for my train to leave, well, rather, for it to arrive. This is my first train in India, naive me, this morning I even took a rickshaw to be on time at the station. The train was supposed to leave at 10:05; "I've been sitting on a sofa and it's 14:51". The train is scheduled for 16:20, but every hour it gets half an hour more delayed, it feels like time stretches and you never reach the clock hands. I know more than one person is laughing at my naivety, reading that I was worried about being 5 minutes late to catch a train: IN INDIA!

I've gone "out there" several times to negotiate a taxi to Bodh Gaya; I'm still sitting on the sofa because today the spirit of a good negotiator has abandoned me and every time I go "out there" I feel like a walking dollar bill and today I just can't seem to shake it off my face.

Why do I say "out there"? Well, let me tell you...

Yesterday, walking through Varanasi, I had the good fortune of visiting Lahiri Mahasaya's house, which was very special to me. I was very excited and fulfilled my promise: I sat for a good while at the door.

I took the opportunity to let my imagination run wild and think about how Yukteswar and Yogananda's parents had been there, touched the wood of the door knowing how many times Lahiri had touched it, and all the things a "Follower" does.

Sitting at the entrance door of Lahiri's house

I decided to walk from the hotel, which allowed me to navigate the alleys and be quite amazed by the experience. Sometimes I even thought I was going too far in my exploration and for a moment feared for my safety. Along the way, I discovered a little shop with local sweets that made the walk delightful. However, the next day, those sweets along with the lunch I improvised at a roadside stall were eager to discover the background color of my toilet; my first diarrhea in India.

Delicacies counter. Chaos. Me, preparing photos

From the door of Lahiri's house, I decided to keep walking to the pier to see the famous "ghats"; I loved how suddenly the last alley spat me out to the sea.

After walking around, I decided to walk back to the hotel, and in this second phase of the "exploration outing," I became aware that I was in India. Until now, I hadn't ventured into such a populated place. In this second phase, like the straw that broke the camel's back, it became clear and mercilessly settled in me that India has two faces; when you're calm, secluded, or even isolated from the outside, everything is very special and you discover that India is a country to repeat. But when you go "out there" this country is sheer madness; it's impossible for a European to like this second side of the coin, and if you do, I know plenty of self-help, meditation, yoga, and psychology books that I would gladly recommend, even my hairdresser could advise you on how to get your mental state back on track.

Leaving one of the most famous ghats on the docks of Varanasi

Finally, my train arrived in Bodh Gaya at 19:00, as you can deduce, with a 9-hour delay, but this is normal here. I was lucky to meet Cristian, a guy from Vienna, to whom I clung like a limpet; if it weren't for him, today I would be in Delhi due to having taken the wrong train or something similar.

The journey was in a bed; a board covered with faux leather that accumulated the sweat of many bare feet and micro-residues of all kinds of food, but little by little I'm leaving my modesty behind and blending in with the environment: I start to get dirty, I start to smell, and my wild black hair starts to tangle easily.

Useful Information

Transport:

Taxi from Allahabad to Varanasi; cost: 2000 rupees.

Hotels in Varanasi:

Travelling Troopers Homestay

Sivoy Grand

Places to visit:

Khajuraho Temple.

In the evenings, pujas are performed at the ghats (or docks).

Boat ride on the Ganges.

Ashram of Lahiri's grandson.

Lahiri's House: D-22/3 "Satya Lok", Chausatti Ghat, Varanasi - 221 001

Important:

If you haven't read the Considerations section yet, don't forget to do so. In this section, you will find very valuable information that can save you many headaches. In particular, there are details related to credit cards and mobile phone use that are essential.