Beauty & Chaos..

This is Chet Singh Palace, a gorgeous old Fort that sits on the Gunga (Ganges River) not too far from our place. I took this photo at sunrise back in April this year and I simply love the way that the ubiquitous grime and sludge can momentarily disappear and the whole city begins to shine each day at first light. That the grime is gone is an illusion to be sure, but it's worth giving into the illusion, even just for a little bit, and simply bask in the stunning show of ancient beauty this place puts on each day.

I also love the way that even amongst the crazy flooding that's currently going on in our city the locals can take the time to make the most of the rising waters by combining elements that we can all enjoy; stunning ancient architecture - and jumping off tall things.

(All the following photos are taken of the tower on the left in the above image)

When my Winnie Wild Flower came home earlier she said "As I was walking up the path to our house I swear I saw a boy flying through the air over near the Gunga!" Turned out she wasn't half wrong.

 

It's worth noting the white writing on the wall down near the water as it identifies the high water mark from the biggest floods Varanasi had back in 1962. It's only a few more feet before it reaches that spot and the waters are still rising daily so it will be a very interesting next few days to see what happens and whether more parts of the city will go underwater. Prayers for the people of Banaras would certainly be worthwhile.