Raunchy in Khajuraho, Old in Orchha

They're referred to as erotic carvings, adorning the temples in Khajuraho. Mixed in with scenes of everyday Indian life and beliefs are occasional carvings involving everything from nudity, prostitution, homosexuality, bestiality and group sex. It appears ancient India had rugby league as well.

The carvings are worth seeing for the quality of workmanship and intricate detail then for any titillation factor. Where the scenes from daily life are not, the outside of the temples are still intricately carved. These people had some serious time, skill and motivation on their hands.

Here's a carving of Ganesha, the Hindu god of luck, travel and overcoming obstacles. The jolly little fella pops up all over India. The artists detail in the carving provided for many life like details that lent softness, curve and warmth to the stone, like the hanging belly.

Me pre-op in Khahjuraho (yes mum it's a joke)

If Khajuraho had the raunch (Hindu's Gone Wild), then Orchha had the age. Artifacts from India dating back to 5th century BC are available for viewing in the Orchha museum. Many of the artifacts relate stories or connections to Buddha, who was said to have given his first session with his followers in this area. Ironically Buddhism became strong and survived only after it left India. The archaeological evidence has Buddhists, similar to Christians and Christ, believing that Buddha walked the earth and was for many years merely a normal, if royal, person.

The number of historical monuments in India is astounding, it really is an incredible place. Here workers restore a stupa (which is kinda like a temple for a stone mason with writers block).

Many sights are being restored and maintained, many others don't have the funding for this kind of work. Depending on the money and expertise available restoration work across India ranges from the finest detail and quality imaginable through to merely replacing once carved stones with plain brick of a different colour/stone type, which works none too well.

Varanassi, India's Heartbeat

Even though Udaipur and Varanassi were both cities on the water, seen in close succession, the two places were completely different in feel.














Varanssi is an important city to all Indians and holy to Hindu's. It represents their oldest unbroken location link with India's past, having been populated continuously for around 2500 years according to Western historians and around 5000 years according to the Indians.

Whereas Udaipur had a resort town kind of feel with many white painted buildings, Varanssi was grimier and more earthy. A place strong on Indian culture, it's alleyways near the water were small, dark, claustrophobic and crammed with the sights and smells of Indian life. Down by the water it was like a snapshot of the core of Indian daily life. Here you could observe aspects of commonality of routine that runs like a thread through all the disparate Indian towns and cities. Liked it. Lots.














Varanassi, by virtue of it's Venice connection is also known as a romantic city. Here a dead cow enjoys the sunrise.














On the water in the morning there were crowds of people, swimming, washing clothes and pots. The Ganges river is believed to cleanse the soul.














Being cremated and having your ashes spread here is said to be a shortcut to Nirvana. As you could understand, we weren't exactly lining up to take a dip.

This part of the Ganges is dangerously polluted, later in the trip Gwen and I were fortunate to see the clean green Ganges in Rishikesh as opposed to the polluted brown one here. Despite the pollution Varanassi had a definite appeal.

This is a funeral ghat, where cremations are conducted, photography only permitted from a distance. Laws exist here to protect female foetuses because sons are seen as far more valuable. As an example only a son can do part of the funeral ceremony that ensures the progress of the father's soul to the next life or source.















The ghats near the Ganges in Varanassi are also a powerful place for Indian families from all over the country to come and seek spiritual advice and an understanding of how the Indian bus system actually works.














Meditation, community, prayer, yoga and backflips off the surrounding banks are also daily river activities throughout India.

Udaipur, On the Water

Before arriving in Udaipur we visited the largest Jain temple in India. Jainism being a religious offshoot from Hinduism encompasses range from strict aescitism and huge compassion (carrying a broom at all times to sweep ants safely from the path of ones nasty violent feeties) through to a bit of masochistic content such as achieving a bald head annually by plucking each individual hair with the hands. The CD I had the temple photo's on has died and my back-up copy is currently on a boat somewhere on the globe hoping to find land sometime between now and 2017, so they may be seen later.

Udaipur is often described, not quite sure by who - maybe that guy that somebody always seems to know who knows somebody that does - as the Venice of India.

It represented a contrast to other places that we'd been thus far, from mainly landlocked places or small rivers at most, Udaipur is a city on the water.

Large homes, buildings and the sprawling City Palace are all located around the lake. I think from memory that the lake was created articifically and is actually quite shallow despite appeareances, having previousley been dried to the bottom for the past few years before this years monsoon season, so it was a good time to be there.

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This was one of the beautiful ornate decorated rooms within the City Palace. Cleaning has been outsourced to Burma.

In the centre of the lake the Summer Palace and the Lake Palace can be found, used by members of Indian Royalty and also as luxurious hotel accomodation.

We had a free day in Udaipur allowing us to discover the convienent wonder that is the Wishal Megamart. In tracing the evolution of the Megamart, it's important to remeber its less fantastic brethren, the humble supermarket and to acknowledge the new generation as evidenced by the "Hypermarket" I recently saw fly past me in Kochin.

It was nice to shop in the Megamart, with it's garish lighting, thin fabrics AND FIXED PRICES to have a break from having to haggle over the price of oxgen and today's exchange rate for gravity. I've noticed in all different parts of India that the staff who work in these kind of franchised places, take enormous pride in the jobs they have.

Overnight we took a train back to Delhi, the whole group enjoyed the ride with cards, drinks, lots of laughs and the world's sweatiest game of Celebrity Head.

Here I'd like to pause for a moment and thank my sponsors for the ride, Old Monk XXL Rum and Berger Orange Cream biscuits...couldn't have done it without you guys. From left in the pic, Wendy, Sue, Peter, Chow Mein Denis, The Annoying Drunk Guy from the Bunk Above, Sue, Woody, Idris, Keith and Avril

Arriving back in Delhi along the train tracks allowed us to see the local Delhi Morning Show, the similarities in content with the Today Show on nine in Oz were somewhat disturbing...