A morning tour of Patna where our first stop was a HUGE Sikh temple where they were celebrating a major something or someone. Very strict dress code – no shoes or socks and compulsory head coverings. A couple of hours sliding around on cold wet marble as we wended our way through thousands of Sikh devotees and very loud music and prayer readings and chanting. Needless to say we stuck out like sore thumbs looking like a bunch of western twats as we were forcibly coerced into appearing on live global Sikh TV…….trying to look cheerful as frostbite set in.

A huge kitchen where free meals were being prepared for the thousands of pilgrims and attendees. A Sikh thing apparently…..

Then a trip across town to see an enormous stupa like granary built by the Brits in the 18th century to try to avoid another devastating famine. In 1770 & 1771 millions starved to death due to drought and the appallingly abusive behaviour of the English East India Company.

Designed to be filled from the top – using lots of cheap/slave labour it was never used, as some idiot designed the doors at the bottom to open inwards. Which of course, once filled, it would be impossible to open….

Then back to our ship to set sail, through the fog, downstream on the Ganges, east and then south towards Kolkata. It was by this stage becoming apparant that I was not alone in arriving on board with the lhurgie as there was much coughing and spluttering going on amongst all 17 of the passengers. All apart from me had been cooped up together on a train for 12 hours the day before.

The next few days became a bit of a blur as our floating “petri dish” made its way downstream and we struggled to keep apace of the twice daily shore excursions. I, and several others, took to our cabins as “Delhi Belly”, due to something we ate on board, added to the discomfort and malaise. Onshore “facilities” were virtually non-existent and pretty horrific so my stock of imodium took a hammering!! This despite take all the recommended precaution.

Our passage involved passing through a pontoon bridge which had to be opened specifically for us, much to the relatively good natured traffic that was stopped while various bits were removed and then replaced.

Another ruined University Monastic compound. Much smaller than that at Nalanda but quite impressive none the less.

A small museum containing the few statues and relics that had not been pillaged during the rediscovery and excavation process.

A hilltop ruined palace outside somewhere that used to be owned by one of the Nawabs or Nabobs – it all gets very confusing!!

Getting to these sites usually involves extremely bumpy tuktuk rides through towns, villages and markets. Poverty, squalor and garbage everywhere. Malnourished animals – cows (Sacred!!) goats and dogs feeding mainly on the garbage that is omnipresent and sometimes burning. All struggling to stay warm and alive but at least not eaten!! Some of the goats wear warmer cloths than the humans with whom they cohabit: but suffering from neglect nonetheless!!

Some get some attention and care

But the majority not!!

Can’t bring myself to photograph much of it as it is an appalling abuse of our fellow creatures and the suffering that then endure.

Through a ferry crossing and then a lock to traverse the Farakka barrage. Another masterpiece of Indian misdesign built to divert the Ganges and reduce the flow of silt and the need to dredge the river on its way to the Bay of Bengal. Almost precipitated a war with neighbours Bangladesh whose water supply it cut off, not to mention the impact that it had both above and below the barrage. A total cockup in other words. This time not the fault of the Brits. And this is a country who just managed to land a exploration module. on the moon. The mind boggles………..

Will post this now and then get back to the sites – you do not need the sounds!! – on the next post.

We are not a happy or healthy bunch of travellers with more succumbing and keeling over as we head south. We are now on the Hooglie river as the Ganges has now become. A lot greener and more fertile at least!!