DAY 179 - BENARES

179) FRIDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - BENARES

 

Our campervan has been under reparing in the garage …. and it was my third relaxing day in Varanasi , doing nothing ! 

 

AVARANASI Market - Photo : Jorge Royan (wikipedia.org) / Bing images search

WIKIPEDIA: The earliest known archaeological evidence suggests that settlement around Varanasi in the Middle Ages in the Ganga valley (the seat of Aryan religion and philosophy), began in the 11th or 12th century BCE, placing it among the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. These remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by Vedic people. However, the Atharvaveda (the oldest known text referencing the city), which dates to approximately the same period, suggests that the area was populated by indigenous tribes. It is possible that archaeological evidence of these previous inhabitants has yet to be discovered. Varanasi was also home to Parshva, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and the earliest Tirthankara that is accepted as a historical figure, in the 8th century BCE.

  

DAY 178 - BENARES

178) THURSDAY, 22 DECEMBER 1977 :  0KMS. - BENARES

The second day of rest, one more relaxing day in VARANASI / BENARES.

 

 

Doing daily laundry in the Ganges - Photo ; images.lpcdn.ca / Bing images search

WIKIPEDIA :  According to legend, Varanasi was founded by the god Shiva. The Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata are also stated to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and bramhanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra war. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities ...

DAY 177 - BENARES

177) WEDNESDAY, 21 DECEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - BENARES

 

Just a lazy relaxing day in BENARES ……. 

VARANASI Sadhu - Photo : traveladvisory.in / Google images search

WIKIPEDIA : Varanasi, also Benares, is a city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It is holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism and Jainism. Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest in India.
Unfortunately many of its temples were plundered and destroyed by Mohammad Ghauri in the 12th century. The temples and religious institutions in the city now are of 18th century ... 

DAY 176 - BENARES

176) TUESDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - BENARES

 

Our campervan was in a garage for repair (again), it was  boring but no choice for us.  If we do not get it repaired, it will be parked for good and we can prepare to  return home.  

It was also just another day for  washing clothes. 




 

Offering in the Ganges river - Photo : lonelyplanet.com / Google images search

DAY 175 - BENARES / VARANASI

175) MONDAY, 19 DECEMBER 1977 : 239KMS. - BENARES / VARANASI

 

We encountered the same old problem  this morning…... Tilo could not start our campervan. We had to ask for assistance from villagers to help pushing it to a nearby garage but it did not help much. Repair cost  RS. 5.- .  Finally, a truck driver volunteered to tow it about 200 meters  and it could be started.  So we drove further  to DEHRI, SASARAM, MOHANIA.

Munshi Ghat, VARANASI - Photo : wikipedia.org / Bing images search

 

Shortly before arriving in  BENARES (VARANASI) ,  a truck collided slightly against a signal light on the front bumper of our campervan, on the right side where I sat.   It was broken but luckily I was not hurt.  Because of the small accident, we arrived rather late in  VARANASI, we got to a camping site at  the Tourist Bungalow, where we paid RS. 2.- for each (to sleep in our campervan !)  and RS. 1.- for parking fee.