Plenty of folks have been inquiring as to the landscape here, in India; or, at least, what I've seen of India. So, here goes:
I can't really speak of Varanasi, which is more-so in central India and a bit to the east, because of it essentially just being a huge city. Imagine Chicago, but built in the medieval era with small winding stone corridors, wild hogs and bonfires everywhere. However, the Ganges River goes right along Varanasi--which I could see with the view of my guesthouse while I was there--and it's a vast river. About as wide as the Mississippi I'd say and considerably clear, considering all the garbage which unfortunately gets tossed into it. The landscape, otherwise, was pretty much like it was in Mathura, Vrindavan or Govardhan (which are all near each other, a bit south and east of Delhi).
To describe the landscape of Vrindavan is a lot like describing the landscape of Iowa: do you want me to describe it before "civilization" took it over, or before? In Vedic literature, Vrindavan is described as a beautiful area, lush with forests, peacocks and greenery. However, now it honestly resembles a lot of Iowa: farms. Vrindavan is very dusty--that's a good one-word to describe it: dusty. Not as in old (albeit it is incredibly old), but sandy sort of dusty. I was reflecting on it and Pakistan came to mind. Not all too surprising considering, when you think about it in relative distances, it's not too far from Pakistan. The Yamuna River runs along Vrindavan, which is as clear as the Ganges, but not as wide. Still nice. There are trees here and there--except in oasis-style special areas where folks have taken care of the greenery for tourists--but they're not exactly like any American trees I've seen. Some palm trees, but also scrawny, reaching big trees with little tuffs of leaves. Makes me think of some of the photos I've seen of Africa. Of course, there's also the occasional huge tree, about as wide as an old American west redwood, but the trunk looks like it's wrapped in vertical vines. Neat looking. As for grass, it's pretty much non-existent--except for touristy-areas. There's some bushes and shrubbery, but again, it resembles the kind I've seen in the American southwest more than our midwestern lush bushes and plants. The sky is clear and blue, once the sun comes out; and the sun makes all the difference between being quite cold and considerably warm. It hasn't rained since I've been here, though for the first week-or-so in Vrindavan, there was heavy, heavy fog, which is typical for this time of year. Viewing ancient Hindu temples or wandering sadhus through a mist of fog is quite the sight, let me tell you.
However, Rishikesh--where I am not--is a fantastic place for the landscape. It's in the foothills of the Himalayas, though even the foothills make some of the American mountain ranges I've seen look like minute hills. They're full of trees, like the mountains in the American northwest. The Ganges River also flows through here, creating the valley-like area where Rishikesh is nested. There's some sandy beaches, but they're gray and spotted with rocks and boulders--not like the silky tan sand of what we think of with beaches or like the nice silky dusty sand of Vrindavan.
Well, I hope that paints a bit of a picture for those of you who have been asking about what it looks like here. No jungles or anything--that's more Southern India, I believe, which unfortunately I won't be able to visit this trip. Maybe next time....
Hari Om,
Dylan
I can't really speak of Varanasi, which is more-so in central India and a bit to the east, because of it essentially just being a huge city. Imagine Chicago, but built in the medieval era with small winding stone corridors, wild hogs and bonfires everywhere. However, the Ganges River goes right along Varanasi--which I could see with the view of my guesthouse while I was there--and it's a vast river. About as wide as the Mississippi I'd say and considerably clear, considering all the garbage which unfortunately gets tossed into it. The landscape, otherwise, was pretty much like it was in Mathura, Vrindavan or Govardhan (which are all near each other, a bit south and east of Delhi).
To describe the landscape of Vrindavan is a lot like describing the landscape of Iowa: do you want me to describe it before "civilization" took it over, or before? In Vedic literature, Vrindavan is described as a beautiful area, lush with forests, peacocks and greenery. However, now it honestly resembles a lot of Iowa: farms. Vrindavan is very dusty--that's a good one-word to describe it: dusty. Not as in old (albeit it is incredibly old), but sandy sort of dusty. I was reflecting on it and Pakistan came to mind. Not all too surprising considering, when you think about it in relative distances, it's not too far from Pakistan. The Yamuna River runs along Vrindavan, which is as clear as the Ganges, but not as wide. Still nice. There are trees here and there--except in oasis-style special areas where folks have taken care of the greenery for tourists--but they're not exactly like any American trees I've seen. Some palm trees, but also scrawny, reaching big trees with little tuffs of leaves. Makes me think of some of the photos I've seen of Africa. Of course, there's also the occasional huge tree, about as wide as an old American west redwood, but the trunk looks like it's wrapped in vertical vines. Neat looking. As for grass, it's pretty much non-existent--except for touristy-areas. There's some bushes and shrubbery, but again, it resembles the kind I've seen in the American southwest more than our midwestern lush bushes and plants. The sky is clear and blue, once the sun comes out; and the sun makes all the difference between being quite cold and considerably warm. It hasn't rained since I've been here, though for the first week-or-so in Vrindavan, there was heavy, heavy fog, which is typical for this time of year. Viewing ancient Hindu temples or wandering sadhus through a mist of fog is quite the sight, let me tell you.
However, Rishikesh--where I am not--is a fantastic place for the landscape. It's in the foothills of the Himalayas, though even the foothills make some of the American mountain ranges I've seen look like minute hills. They're full of trees, like the mountains in the American northwest. The Ganges River also flows through here, creating the valley-like area where Rishikesh is nested. There's some sandy beaches, but they're gray and spotted with rocks and boulders--not like the silky tan sand of what we think of with beaches or like the nice silky dusty sand of Vrindavan.
Well, I hope that paints a bit of a picture for those of you who have been asking about what it looks like here. No jungles or anything--that's more Southern India, I believe, which unfortunately I won't be able to visit this trip. Maybe next time....
Hari Om,
Dylan
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