Celebrating the Goddess of Knowledge

So here's what I gathered: Locals give money obligatorily for celebrating Saraswati Pooja (worship of the goddess of knowledge +) . Then the money is spent on contracting stringing of lights along a couple streets around the temple, setting up a temporary tent to display a sculpture of the goddess, some buckets of sweet pebbles that are scooped out by hand to everyone who comes, blaring speakers and dj set, and then another bigger tent with a carpet in front.

The final expenditure is on an entertainment group that consists of a 2 call girls (as called by a friend) dressed seductively and a slickly cool male dancer who clumsily put on a show clearly aimed at lasting as long as the drunk members of the community would continue to hand them cash as tips.

It was saddening to see, and though some people I know here said it was very foreign and unwanted, a decent part of the people stayed far past my bedtime to looped songs. They asked if the US was like that. I said not everyone, not most, not for kids. They said, yeah your sister was modestly dressed - we saw.

As I strolled the block back to my sleeping bag, I passed three kids who had come from bihar a couple months ago. 1 was smoking a cigarrette and clapping. the other two were younger and replicating how the male actress (as called by my friend) would rub his chest against the call girls' chest.

In sight

Other images around my family I am staying with. Sister (Tiffany) came by to visit for a weekend and impressed everyone with her modest dressing and quick pick-up of hindi. I was more surprised by how well she mapped all the family members in her head as well as I had in 1 month.

I feel like where I live is an assembly of things stacked loosely and temporarily. Latrine I use (along with others) has stacked buckets always outside. Most common is stacks of brick and sand stacked on camels. Its a peri-urban area where many are immigrants from bihar and new quickly bricked homes go up everyday (5 right nearby since I've been here).

Tiffany insisting to wash her dishes after Sapna (her host) had served her really good food.

An aunt of the family making roti. Notice how they have the roti resting on the rock at the bottom to access the flames for final puff.

The mother of my family who sweeps the buffalo yard before collecting their poop to set out buffalo cakes to dry.

The Indian Mark pump - the community has these dotted enough as to never have too long of lines at any one. There is no piped water yet.

Showing off to me, she also showed me 4 different ways to fold roti to make parathas. Parathas don't puff so no rock next to flame. The combination of fuel is buffalo dung cake with a wooden log largely to provide a flame for the puff and air/mixing I think.

Santosh taking a bath. He likes particularly lathered baths daily and then dries off on the roof before work.

Varanasi

Varasani - one of the oldest still living city in the world today has a very well-developed 'outsider mixed with local' culture which is a stark comparison to Agra. The skill with which the locals bring foreigners in to see their factories and eventually saleshouses was very impressive. The series of Ghats - waterfront steps - that house various different activities and draw you into the winding streets above plays a central role. I only took pictures when I was not seeing something interesting except for the punch card fabric shop.

Interesting things like a blonde on a bike who spoke sanskrit but not hindi (i did not know this was possible), and 1 of 2 burning grounds where some 400 people are burnt on massive wood piles by priests.

I did have a meeting with an NGO in Varanasi. Then they turned out to not be able to meet me because of 'renovations'?

The workers work 12 hours a day on average, depending on order deadlines. They are paid 70 Rs ($1.5o) a day.

A rich woman in France sends designs that are made into a series of punchcards to make the fabric before exporting the resulting sarees and tablerunners.

Ghat seen from the river. Kids are flying kites. The structures feels very orderly and calm and people-friendly - i don't know how they got that way.

One of the countless paths leading from Ghat into narrow winding streets only for walking - a big difference from Agra's just-big-enough for cycles and bikes, but then no room left for all the anger and frustration generated.

I got steered into an aromatherapy selling trap. In the process I got the 13 ingredients to garam masala and met 5 cows that have grown old without seeing the light of the sun.