some more snaps from varanasi...

festival of light, when the gods come down to the river ganga to celebrate!

Ragu who wore wonderful jumpers and helped us put together 151  (auspicious number) of candles
- we filled earth cups with mustard seed oil and lit the cotton bud wicks saying prayers for friends and family.

all along the river banks the ghats were lit up with thousands of candles, very twinkly

an ellie passing our window

saris drying on the ghats

face painting at the children's hostel

not so keen!

they boys all wanted pink and purple colours!

dawn boat ride on the river ganga

washing, making prayers, bathing all goes on side by side

missing our dog guinness and her puppies

grrrr I'm a tiger

my daily walk up the ghats

reading the morning papers

always happy to pose for a photo

dung patties for fuel

the flute man, played every day outside our window in Varanasi for 5 weeks - we learned to love
the single tune he played!

Basic Human Needs School

preparing to feed 100 children for lunch

lunchtime

Class 2 who I helped out with each morning

The school also provides a drop in centre for children of beggar parents as they go out 'to work'.   Older brother and sisters look after their younger siblings.

grace before lunch

The older children help out, topping up with spoons of nutrient rich dal

This child was actually 3 years old, suffering from serious malnutrition.  The headmistress Kati had removed 5 maggots and a dead fly from his ear earlier that week.  Such is the effect of malnutrition this child will be mentally impaired for life and never really recover from this terrible start in life.

another school that I taught in for a few afternoons a week 

a passionate national anthem rendition at the end of class

like me, not sure about Harry's beard!

my new indian husband

The amazing Kati who is headmistress at the school ' Basic Human Needs' and she lives in the hostel with the children.    She recently married her German husband in a traditional style Indian wedding.  She invited us over to the children's hostel one afternoon and we played fancy dress in her wedding outfit. 

The beautiful Rhada who I taught at school