3.00 PM

After i saw this video, i realy want jump to the River..

Varanasi Market

If you like everything about hindusm , this market will be a heaven. Why..? 87% area here sale religious stuff.

Like God and Goddes stone, prayer bell, joy stick, mantra cover, rudraks etc.

One that you can't miss to buy from Varanasi is Saree. Yes, Varanasi is the famous place to buy best quality saree with the cheap price.

The secret to shoop here is Bargain , bargain and bargain. If they know you are foreigner they will give very bad price. For example, if they give you 400 Rs for some stuff you like, ask for 100 Rs, if they say no, just move and try another store.

It took patience if the shop here, because all sellers will come to you forcing you to buy, and will be followed you wherever you are even you say no, no, and no a hundred time.

Close your ear, do not care about them , try not to angry even if they yell to you.
It's india style market, noisy and annoying.

2nd night at Ganga Aarti

This day, I'm trying to enjoy the experience night in ganga. For looking ganga aarti from different sides.

I walk down and take a boat, for 45 minute night ganga aarti you need pay for boat 150 Rs. If you want get good position in the river, you must come early. Because after 6 pm, many boats jockeying each other to get places, where the tourist can get a nice view. For the front space you need to pay more expensive. I just think in this pure place still many people try to steal money and get advantage in the name of Goddes Ganga. Ya it's world :)

Usualy after the ganga aarti end, people will burn the light and give to the River. This is a symbol for a wish, for a hope and for a offering.

I try to make some conclusion. The River was a human life story, with the light that lit up on it, hopefully the flow will be easy to achieve the goal and destination.

I burn my light, I start pray, for my self, for my family, for a birthday wish, and for all ...

4.30 AM

"Together is wonderful place to be.."

Mother's Day

Dear Mom in Heaven,

Forgive me, if i was so rebelious and stubborn (even Dad gave up with me) to catch my dream.

I remember, how you wait me everyday after school just to accompany me eat even i always come home late you never angry.

I remember, how you fight with dad, just to let me raise a little chicken to be my silly pet.

I remember you never forget make me a glass of iced tea and cook a spicy meat soup, and you still make it in my 22 years old and try persuade me to eat it even i say Mom Im Vegetarian now :)

I remember how you sit everynight with sleepy face just to accompany me finish my homework even it's 2 am over.

I remember, you never say no, when i ask, can i go hiking tomorow ?, can i go to rock concert?, can i cut my hair? . You teach me my life is my responsibility and You 100% trust with all my decisions.

I remember you call me everyday , 40 day before you leave me forever, just to say don't late eat.

I remember how you try hard to wait me , just to say Good Bye before God call you. (The hospital say my mom already coma in tuesday, but she just wake and talk with me when i reached hospital at thurshday 4 hour before leave me forever when she lay her head in my soulder)

I just feel special and lucky to be your daughter.

Although you are not beside me anymore, but as my promise to you 9 years ago, I always try to be your good daughter, follow all your old rule and tradition in the crazy modern world.

If i become a mother someday, i want be a mother like you ..

Mom, I love you ..

PS : Happy Mothers day all , have you say thank you today to your mother?

7.30 AM

"Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy"

Good Morning Varanasi

It’s around 3.30 am when my alarm woke me up. Cold weather make me lazy to fold my blanket. But I remember today i make promised with my self, I want wake up early and do some meditation behind the river.

Than I go down , sit beside the river, that make me surprised is all activity already start here at 4 am , children sale the flower, the boat man wait the tourist, a sadhu start chanting, the Brahmin take a holy dip…

For mostly some old tradition (even my grandma told me the same) , Morning is great time to make some contemplation, They call it “brahma mahurat “ a period time that start from 4 am till 6 am. This is the best time for a person to engage in meditation and prayer. Those who wake up at this time are able to soak up nature's energy in order to invigorate their minds and rejuvenate their bodies.

Early dawn is thus the most suitable time for spiritual and intellectual growth. At this time, man through prayer and contemplation, is able to experience the vastness of the supreme consciousness. Man is able to go beyond the narrow confines of his brain, but, dwell in the limitlessness of his thoughts. Those who follow this principle of getting up early and praying are able to unlock the infinity of their minds.

So I search some quiet place, sit and silent, I ask with my self, How I can be here this time..? What I was looking for…?

My mind blowing an stuck , because the beautiful sunshine this morning.

And I think not all things need a reason to be happen, and the process of looking for a reason that's the real answer.

Om Shanti..Shanti..Shanti..

The Orange Ganesha in Varanasi

Why orange?

Orange/deep saffron colour is the religious colour for hindusm.

What the meaning?

Orange/deep saffron colour associated with :

Sacrifice..

Religious abstinence...

Quest for light and salvation.

Aroma Restaurant - Pure Vegetarian Resto

It's cold spot in the middle of The crowded Godowalia street.

Even the price little bit expensive than the other place, but the taste is amazing.

The recomended one for vegetarian lunch time :)

The Address :
Aroma Restaurant
Dashashwmedh Road, Godowalia, Varanasi, India 221001
+91-542-2451805

The Sadhu - साधु

Sadhu is someone who have chosen to live a life apart from or on the edges of society in order to focus on their own spiritual practice.

Sādhus often wear ochre-colored clothing, symbolizing their sanyāsa (renunciation).

For a person to become sadhu needs viragya. Viragya means desire to achieve something by leaving (cutting the attachments with family and society) the world (earthly attachements).

There are two primary sectarian divisions within the sadhu community: Shaiva sadhus, ascetics devoted to the God Shiva, and Vaishnava sadhus, renouncers devoted to the God Vishnu and/or his incarnations, which include Rama and Krishna

All sadhus have a common goal : Nirvana, moksha no rebirth again.

A milion Sadhu in india, how to know they are real or fake ..?

Real sadhu mostly focust with his spiritual activity, they dont interesting with you or your money.They just quietly and did worship. They will give you free blessing without ask how much money you must give.

I have another story about fake sadhu in Varanasi. I met him while im walk after ganga arti. He wear interesting cloth and attract my attention. He smile and say's picture picture, 50 Rs. I come to him take a picture and give him 50 Rs.

Why i do that?, just because my emphaty sense. It's around 9.30 pm, he stand with the smile in the middle of rush street with the heavy custom and complete make up in his face. Even i know he is fake sadhu but from all that he do, it's not easy job right?

With 50 Rs, he deserve to get a cup of hot chai for his long day :)

The Ganesha Vastu

When I start roam around Varanasi, I found many interesting and unique view of india home building. Especialy about, how they build the doors. Like in many cultures around the world, in India, doors and thresholds have deep spiritual and symbolic meaning.

It’s the transition between one space and another - between the dust and grime of the streets and the purity and cleanliness of home, the outer world and the inner sanctuary.

In Vastu doctrine, thresholds and doorways play an important dual role: allowing positive energy (prana) into a space while keeping negative energy at bay. Linking the thresholds, at the core of the home, are hallways, which distribute incoming prana throughout the rest of the house. The most significant threshold in any property is the front door. The front door is the main point of contraflow for incoming and outgoing energies and in Hindu symbolism the front door equates with one’s mouth.

Yes, some of india community still follow the Vastu rule. Vastu is "science of construction", "architecture" based on ancient doctrine which consists of precepts born out of a traditional and archaic view on how the laws of nature affect human dwellings.

One of the important rule is decorate their front door to attract good fortune. Like paint Ganesha , Lakshmi , Swastika, Aum etc. In my picture all the door shows “Ganesha” picture (click the picture to make it inlarge). Ganesha should be installed on the top of the entrance of the house to deflect all negative energies and to remove the Vastu defects of wrong position of the entrance.

Yes, Ganesha is a symbol of prosperity and profound knowledge and is believed to be destroyer of all obstacles which come in our way in our undertakings.

If you are interest draw a ganesha picture on top of the entrance of your home, one thing that you must remember from Vastu rule do not install Ganesha with the trunk to His right and yes make it with oranges/red colour because beside it's holy colour for ganesha, also give a fancy look :)

Who is She?

I met this woman when passing by to the market. Sitting near the crowded street with the deeply eyes looking on me.

I guessed her age around 78 years, Old enough to work.

Don't know why, her face reminds me of one song from Alanis Morisete,

"What if God was one of Us"

So I stopped briefly , see what she was selling and what can i buy, than i pick some sendoor package, and make her smile.

Evening Ganga Aarti in Varanasi

What the meaning of Aarti ?

Aarti/arathi/aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja in which light from wicks soaked in purified butter (ghee) for offered to one or more. deities. The reason is to develop the highest love for God.

"Aa" means "towards or to", and "rati" means "right or virtue" in Sanskrit. It is sometimes thought the word is from a type of cloth or as followers wore over the bodies during the ritual, or a "shiny cloth" means they wear it for a religious practice

Where and When?

Aarti for holy Ganges will be held every evening around 7 pm in Dasaswamedh Ghat.

What will happen there?

One hour more you will see the precious spiritual activity. Yes aarti is waved in circular fashion. in clockwise manner around the deity. After every circle (or second or third circle), when Aarti has reached the bottom (6-8 o' clock position), the performer waves it backwards while remaining in the bottom (4-6 o' clock position) and then continues waving it in clockwise fashion. The idea here is that aarti represents our daily activities, which revolves around God, a center of our life. Looking at God while performing aarti reminds the performer (and the attendees of the aarti) to keep God at the center of all activities and reinforces the understanding that routine worldly activities are secondary in importance

The flower represent the earth, the water and accompanying handkerchief correspond with the water element (lliquidity), the fire/lamp/candle represent of heat component the peacock fan conveys the precious quality of air (movement), and the yak-tail fan represents the subtle form of ether (space). The incense represents a purified state of mind, and one’s "intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and order of offerings.

What you can do ?

Come, sit quietly and enjoy every moment there or if you are interested you can join the ceremony. Just come more early so you can get space in front, and join sing aarti to worship Ganga.

It’s extraordinary experience for me. Do you know why? I am not a Hindu and I do not understand at all about the ceremony, but I get some special feel like all the elements of nature come together inside my body. Winds coming from the Ganga River mingled with people prayers and incense smoke blowing.

and I just feel the happiness mind come in end :)

Now, i understand why so many people enthusiastically waiting for this ceremony. I think tomorow i will come again to this place.

To be continued..