Kolkata - Jaipur: Indian Extremes

An excursion to the Mother House and orphanage of Mother Theresa's Sisters Of Charity was heartbreaking. The nuns care for the poor, orphans and children with medical problems. There could not have been a greater contrast when we flew to Jaipur, the "Pink City. In Jaipur we stayed at the Rambagh Palace Hotel, a former royal palace now turned into a gigantic and luxurious hotel with extensive peacock-filled gardens. - Dan

Guptipara And Chandannager

In the village of Guptipara we visited an 18th century mansion and two shrines devoted to the worship of the fearsome Kali, an incarnation of the Hindu destroyer deity Shiva. At Kali temples bulls and goats are sacrificed. Our last stop in the village was a place where clay pottery is hand made on the wheel. The former French-run town of Chandannager - which was returned to Indian sovereignty in 1952 - has some buildings left from the French occupation of the trading post. There is a "Grand Promenade" along side the Hooghly (Ganges) river. It's the only promenade we've ever seen with cows freely walking along the sidewalk. The former French Governor's residence has been turned into a museum, and has some interesting maps, Indian art, French 19th century furniture and many other dusty artifacts. Finally, before returning to the ship we visited the Roman Catholic Church built in 1875; today there are 120 Catholic Families in the town. - Dan

Mapayur

Onboard activities included a talk on the complex pantheon of Hindu dieties, a demonstration of how to wear a sari, dhoti and turban, and temporary tattooing using henna, one of which Jim had applied to his hand. In the afternoon there was an excursion to the temple complex of the Hare Krishna sect. The temple is very active, filled with statues of Krishna and other gods, worshippers, and music praising Krishna, a god of universal love. Incense filled the air and one could imagine the same type of Hindu worship a thousand years ago. After another delicious Indian dinner onboard, there was a special surprise at 9 pm, when the ship's tender released dozens of oil lamps on the river Ganges, illuminated by fireworks and the full moon. - Dan

Murshidabad And Baranagar

The former capital city of Bengal, Mushidabad, was important until the Bengal main city was moved to Kolkata. A local horse-drawn carriage took us to the Katra Mosque (1723-1724,) an early example of Muslim architecture in India, with its great minarets and domes. Then we visited the huge Palace of 1000 Doors, Hazarduari. Designed in neoclassical style in the ninteenth century by scottsman McLeod Duncan, it has great exhibition halls and a domed Durbar or royal audience hall which is circular. The Hazarduari Palace faces a large Muslim center, or Imambara. Jim opted for an optional market tour and shopping opportunity after the palace tour. After lunch on board featuring both Indian and other assorted cuisines including a pasta station, we enjoyed a break before our late afternoon tour, a short boat ride in our sanpan to the village of Baranger. This is a rural village where farming and country ways of life continue showing visitors how life has been lived for centuries. The main atraction here was a set of four Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva, built by the queen Rani Bhabani, a beloved local aristocrat and generous philanthropist. The terracotta reliefs show te tales of the Hindu gods, and the temples are still inuse. On the way back to the boat our guide explained the game of cricket and two men from our tour group played for a time with a group of locals. - Dan

Mitiara On The Ganges

The village of Mitiari in Bengal is a center of metalworking. We took a fascinating walking tour through the village. Images of Kali and other deities hung over the doors indicated that the family house was devoted to that particular god. Cows and goats roam freely and country life is communal, as in the cities. At one shop Jim bought a polished copper bangle and we also invested in a small statue of a good luck Hindu god, Ganesha, who is presented as a hefty human with the head of an elephant. - Dan