How much do you remember from your life really? Devi smiled as he sipped his chai. You only remember the exceptional moments don’t you? This is why time is only relevant to the quality of ones experiences. I want mine to filled both with intensity and richness ….

Devi Singh, 30, Rajasthan India

The morning light was just starting to pierce through the clouds as I stood and looked at the many who were doing their rituals by the riverbank. Some were praying, others were bathing and others, like me, were observing and wondering how best to take in this amazing scene. When you come to Varanasi, arguably India’s most revered holy city, the most iconic place here are the Ghats. Here a person is reminded of the cycle of life and death with cremations taking place twenty four hours a day and the ashes being spread into the Ganga. I had watched a morning Aarti ceremony which had taken place at sunrise, and was now in a contemplative mood. I wanted to take the famous dip in the Ganga but had not brought anything to swim or dry myself. As I looked at the individuals, families and traders going about their day, a soft spoken and mild man came up and asked if I would like to join him in hiring a boat to take out on the river.

At first I thought, this is probably a scam. He’s just posing as someone who is a tourist, but really just wants to sell me an overpriced ride on a boat. I refused him politely and stood on the banks wondering where I was going to sit. But then I tried to challenge myself as to why did I really refuse? I needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone and take a chance. Maybe this could be a positive surprise? Maybe he was genuine?

I approached this man, who I found out was from Rajasthan, in India and had been also traveling alone for the past four months on a sojourn. We shook hands and introduced ourselves.

I’m Devi, he said, pleased to meet you.”

Funnily enough, he too had spent time in Rishikesh and Vrindavan. He was also searching and here we were, on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi. He smiled when I said that I now wanted to go out on the boat with him.

Great! came his reply, I’ll also buy some food for the birds.

Let’s do this Devi, I said excitedly.

I was now totally invested in this plan. It had always been a dream of mine to experience the Ganga from a boat in Varanasi. Devi skillfully negotiated a reasonable price for the trip and we followed the boatman into a 15 foot skip. As we rowed out, I looked out towards the opposite river bank becoming inspired. The scene made me joyful and I was happy for this change of plan and taking up Devi on his offer. The Ganga was simply majestic. The morning rays shone on her like golden diamonds. The tranquility and sense of serenity here was divine. There with just the sound of the boat with the oars dipping in and out of the water and birds circling around us . Our boatman was a quiet and respectful type, who knew his way around the currents. He smiled and nodded his head to our commands of finding the best place to take pictures. Devi sat at the front of the boat and began to feed the seagulls.

This was a perfect opportunity to capture this.

With both the boatman and Devi calling out, hordes of birds began swooping down to pick up the offerings. Watching all this was as if I had dreamed of this scenario before. As I looked at the light, the misty background and the garlands floating past us in the water, it was like I was connecting back to something that I felt a natural bond with. In a sense, it felt like home. I began to be in the moment. I was happy. There was nowhere else I wanted to be then on this boat, with these two individuals on Mother Ganga, together with the ambience of sound belonging only to the river.

Then Devi pulled out a wooden flute and started playing. Shit! Could the moment get any better?

Devi added to the visual splendor with his repertoire of both Indian and western classics (on flute). However, he then started playing the theme song from “Titanic.”
“Bro! I laughed, that song probably isn’t so appropriate for us right now?!!

Funny moments on a rowboat in Varanasi

Taking in the ambience, we talked and commented on several themes, above all, the challenges that one faces for staying in the present moment. As the boat made its way back, all three of us held our silence savoring the ambience with each of us pondering our own thoughts.

Once on shore, we thanked and payed our boatman. Devi refused to take my money.

It’s on me brother, he said smiling.

So much for my initial judge of character? (Did I really think at first that he was a scammer?!) With this, I offered to take him to a well known place in Varanasi that does an awesome homemade version of Kachori. We began the 45 minute walk along the busy streets weaving in and out of motorbikes, Rikshaws, cars and cowshit as well as the thousands of devotees who are currently here for the Mahar Shivrati festival which is huge here in Varanasi and begins tomorrow.

Over breakfast, we talked about the things we loved in Indian culture as well as our definition of devotion to spirituality. The food was great and the conversation flowed effortlessly. Over a cup of chai, I asked him why as to why he had decided to go on his sojourn:

Devi: I needed to reassess my life. I had to make changes. I needed to get out and just gain new perspectives. This meant that I just had to create new impulses and I couldn’t keep repeating the same patterns that I was doing back home in Rajasthan.

The change of the external is one thing, but it’s the internal transformation I am most focused on. I look at it this way, time is relative right? Do you remember all the times you made your way to and from work? Then you sleep for over half your life. You only remember the things that really make an impression on you, like our boat trip today right? So for me, I want to start filling my life with meaningful experiences because they will be the things that define my life. Do you know there is a hotel here in Varanasi where people come to die, because for them dying here in this holy city will mean that they will perhaps attain moksha? (Freedom from the cycle of birth and death). I want to go there and talk to them about what they think is important to focus on in life?

Devi was talking my own language!

You only remember the things that really made an impression on you, like our boat trip today right? So for me, I want to start filling my life with meaningful experiences because they will be the things that define my life. Do you know there is a hotel here in Varanasi where people come to die, because for them dying here in this holy city will mean that they will perhaps attain moksha? (Freedom from the cycle of birth and death). I want to go there and talk to them about what they think is important to focus on in life?

Devi Singh 17.02.23