Life Along the Bhagirathi

Friday, 20 February 2015

Laundry and bathing are ever-present along the river. Notice that the buffalo are upstream of the launderers and bathers.

Schoolgirls on their bicycles waiting for a ferry to take them across the river.

Another ferry filled with two-wheelers -- both human-powered and motorized.

Wherever they can find space, boys will set up a cricket game. We figured the goats must be the umpires.

A river-side shrine.

I have no idea what was special about this fencepost, but clearly it has some significance.

At Baranagar (next post), we got to go into the courtyard of one of the village homes. The non-monsoon cooking area is near the middle of the photo. (The non-monsoon kitchen is under the overhang.) Sleeping rooms are along the sides. Everything is neat and orderly.

Along the Bhagirathi: Farakka to Murshidabad

Friday, 20 February 2015

First on the schedule today was to go through the lock at Farakka. The ship was lowered about 2.5 meters to match the level in the channel that will take us to the Bhagirathi River.

Entering the lock.

Leaving the lock.

Photography while in the lock is strictly prohibited. Soldiers were videotaping the entire time, getting photos of the entire crew and passengers.

Below the Farakka Barrage, the river changes in character. It is navigable by large ships, so there is more industry along the banks. The area is also noticeably more populated. We were now passing large ships and many more ferries and small watercraft.

The channel that connects to the Bhagirathi River below the Farakka Barrage. Haze and smoke fill the atmosphere.

A common kingfisher maintains a vigil atop a channel marker.

This part of the river is navigable by large ships, and coal was transported by barge to a number of power plants along the way.

As smokestacks go, these were not putting out as much pollution as most. Even so, the center stack was clearly emitting brown smoke, and the other two were putting out white smoke (not steam). The general haze and murkiness of the atmosphere obscures the emissions.

A sharp, eroded corner on the bank as we round a bend.

Villages were now much more commonly seen along the river.

Ferries crossing the river. The only "propulsion" was hand-pulling along the ropes. They had to let the ropes go slack and sink to the bottom so that we could proceed across their path.

These ingeniously designed boats were very common. They are fashioned out of a single piece of corrugated metal and paddled like a canoe. Most often they were used as fishing boats.

Surprise!

Thursday, 19 February 2015

The daily schedule said a "surprise surprise" was planned for early evening. What a surprise it turned out to be!

Unlike the town side of the river, our ship was able to get close enough to an island across the way so that we could simply take the gangplank down to land.

The surprise: The crew had set up a BBQ grill and bar for us. So as the sun set we munched on kabobs and beer.

Of course, this is India, so there are cows grazing in the background. Someone had done a great job of clearing cow patties from the area we were in.

The center of the circle held a campfire.

More surprises: As it got dark we launched eight "aakaash kaandils" (sky lanterns).

Waiting for a sky lantern to fill with hot air.

Success!

And for a finale, everyone got a sparkler to enjoy.

The evening concluded with aerial fireworks. As the smoke thinned, it was time to board the ship and head for dinner. Great "surprise" evening!

Farakka Town

Thursday, 19 February 2015

We had a chance to walk along the riverfront in the town of Farakka. We didn't actually see much of the town, just the waterfront area.

There were no facilities for a large ship to dock, so we used the "country boat" to come ashore. The gangplank is bamboo, as is the hand-held "handrail".

This boat is propped on its side to make repairs.

This young boy seems skeptical of us!

The road along the river -- a very pleasant walk. Would that there were such places in Vapi!

A cycle-rickshaw with a full complement of passengers.

It's not uncommon for a tree to become a shrine. The lingam shows that this tree is devoted to Shiva.

A more traditional temple just a bit further along the road.

It's difficult to resist photographing Nandi.

This cow was doing a remarkably good job of weeding, rather than eating, the flowers.

Along the Ganga: Raj Mahal to Farakka

Thursday, 19 February 2015

We did not cover much distance today as we sailed about 50 km from Raj Mahal to Farakka, and waited for our Friday morning passage through the lock at the Farakka Barrage (dam).

The Ganges delta starts at Farakka. From here we will follow the Bhagirathi River distributary towards Kolkata, while the river named Ganga flows from here into Bangladesh. At the point where tidal influences start, the Bhagirathi will change names and become the Hooghly.

Remnants of 4:00 AM thunderstorm.

This boat of hay was being towed by foot (the blue tow rope is just barely visible) and poled by a second man on the boat.

A boat filled with firewood.

The bright green irrigated rice paddies contrast with the unirrigated scrub behind them.

Gathering cow dung.

The most common bird along this stretch was the black-headed ibis.

In the distance is the Farakka Barrage. This dam regulates the water flow into the main Ganges channel that goes to Bangladesh, and the Bhagirathi River that flows through India towards Kolkata.

Village near Raj Mahal

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Just to the east of the ruins of Raj Mahal, and 4 km east of the current town of Raj Mahal, is a small village along the Grand Trunk Road. We took a walk through the village -- it was a great opportunity to get off the ship, get some exercise, and interact with rural India.

This is India -- greetings from a cow at the start of the village.

Of course, cows are not confined to the edges of the village, but can found at almost every house.

The village is along the Grand Trunk Road -- an ancient trade route through India also known as the Northern Path (Uttarapatha). The route is at least 2,000 years old, and connects the eastern side of India (now Kolkata) with Lahore (Pakistan) and Kabul (Afghanistan).

The village clearly expected us -- it was obvious that a cruise ship had pulled up to the dock, and most of the time the shore excursion includes a village walk. We felt like we were a parade, with villagers taking photos of us with their cell phones, and us taking photos of them.

Some families watched from their rooftop.

Standard "mass-transit" in this part of India.

Children carrying bags of firewood.

These "loaves" of cow dung and straw will be sliced into patties and used as fuel.

Beehives in a mango grove on the outskirts of the village.

Today's Ganga view. Agriculture comes to the edge of the river.