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2008/2009 Nepal & India

Day 60 – Kolkata, India

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

After a hot, bothered and noisy night we gave up trying to sleep and headed out sightseeing. 

We caught the subway to Rabindra Sarovar to a lake ringed parkland (according to the description in the Lonely Planet) whereas in reality it was a urine filled lake ringed garbage heap, talk about disappointment.  We did a quick loop and gave up.  I don’t understand why Indian men have to urinate next door to a pay per use public toilet which is clean and doesn’t leave the area with the acrid smell of urine.  Same goes for the constant spitting even when there are signs “no spitting on walls” which are covered with spit.

Luckily smell-o-vision isn't available
Luckily smell-o-vision isn

So we got back on the subway (here is some good ideas with sections of seats just for ladies) and headed to Kalighat and the Kali Template.  We were helped there by one gentleman and before you knew it we had a guide, who just wouldn’t go away.  We made a hibiscus offering to Kali, after we left our shoes with a paid minder, buying flowers etc on the way.  We passed the sacrifice point where goods are beheaded, and by the number of goats around, this is a regular event.  Apparently this is to sate Kali.  We then gave blessings to our families etc, and yep that was another donation.  As we aren’t hindu’s we couldn’t visit all the temples nor take photos.  However, it was all the usual manic rush and I don’t want any momentoes of the visit, the sad queue of goats all garlanded up for sacrifice and the huge number of cockroaches I stood on are etched in my memory just outside we had a snack of aloo and puri’s.

Kali Temple.
Kali Temple.

We did not visit Nirmal Hriday closeby which is Mother Theresa’s home for the dying destitute, due to the pollution, noise and heat we both feel and look crap so don’t want them to take pity on us.

We bit the bullet and continued sightseeing catching the subway all the way back to the other side of Kolkata to Belgachia station and the Jain Temple of Digambar Mandir which was an oasis of greenery and birds and five other people in the whole complex.  These Jain Temples do not have a plethora of spooky eyed statues like in Ranakpur, but still the trademark beautiful marble carvings.  It has a tall tower, like a lighthouse, next to the main temple complex which houses a statue.  We discarded our shoes and ventured inside, where SB also had to leavethe backpack (no water) and his belt (no leather).  Jains do not believe in killing any living being even insects.

Animal display at the Jain Temple - as close as we got to a tiger on this trip.
Animal display at the Jain Temple - as close as we got to a tiger on this trip.

We caught the subway to Dum Dum station with the plan of getting the overland local train to Dakshineswar Kali Temple, but at the train station the booking officer suggested it would be easier to get a bus from outside the station.  Only snag, there were no buses due to some strike (and police action – 2 killed), so we had to walk to the next major road which was a heavily polluted walk in the searing humidity.  Finally getting to the main road and with the help of a pliceman only a local bus that was hot but not too packed.  So instead of Rs200 in a tuk tuk, it was only rs10 on the bus.  The conductor dropped us off and another passenger showed us the entrance. 

The Dakshineswar was built in 1807 and was where Ramakrishna started his spiritiual journey.  The complex was undergoing some major paving reconstruction, but worse still there were monkeys.  Anyway the temple was closed for the obligatory lunch break so we sat in the shade watching the queue getting longer and longer with people standing there with their flower sacrified.  SB thinks they have a midday break so they can collect up the flowers and re-sell them in the afternoon. 

Entrace gate
Entrace gate

We caught a riverboat to Belur Math.  The boat doesn’t leave until it is full and I mean squished like sardines, full to the gunwhale, we couldn’t move, but finally got going.  Thankfully spending the majority of the trip close to the shore not that you wouled want to go in the water – holy or not – it is just mankey and must be so polluted it makes your stomach heave just thinking.

Our boat before which we mistakenly thought was quite full.
Our boat before which we mistakenly thought was quite full.

We disembarked at Belur Math, the very swish and spotless headquarters of the Ramakrishnan Mission.  No hoicking up gobs of flem or urinating anywhere you feel like it.  There people do their worshipping in silence and style.  It was therefore disappointing that there were huge signs everywhere saying no photos.  I gave SB my smelly skanky socks and shoes and headed inside the main temple which is lovely and a beautiful complex suited to the ideals of Ramakrishna for unity of all religions.  Built in 1938 the complex uses all styles of religious architecture without looking garish.

We left the main gate and boarded another local bus for the absolute bone jarring ride to Howrah, where the conductor again pointed us in the right direction.  We caught a ferry to Babu Ghat and then SB finally let me splurge on a taxi to a restaurant for a cold drink and a snack of vegetable pakodas.

We headed back towards the hotel grabbing and eating a paneer and vegetable koti roll from a streetside stall and then we shared an icecream with fresh fruit before retiring exhausted and very dirty.