Tonight we had a “Sandbank party” somewhere along the river. Some locals showed up to watch. Tour members and crew had fun under the setting sun and by the bonfire.

Some pictures from today’s cruise, some highlights from the trip, and some pictures that may not have made the final cut.

First, we are not near the collapsed bridge.

Chhath celebrations began well before dawn this morning.

Celebration continues into the morning. Drums and amplified music started about 4:30 this morning. Fireworks have been going off sporadically – mostly loud, but some “regular” with colorful bursts.

No excursion today. Sand-bar party this afternoon – we’ll wear the “traditional” clothes we purchased In Murshidabad.

The annual Chhath festival is underway here. Prayers during Chhath puja are dedicated to the Sun (or Solar) God, Surya. It is a time of thanksgiving. The main rituals occur tonight at sunset and tomorrow at sunrise.

We had a cultural event before dinner this evening – a local dance troupe performed traditional dances. They included a dance about Chhath.

Afterwards, crew from the ship floated candles, offerings of thanks, down the river.

After breakfast we took horse-drawn carts to Katra Mosque, built 1723-1724 by the first Nawab of Murshidabad.

Then, back in the buggies:

We visited Hazarduari Palace, built during the reign of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah (1824 –1838). The palace has more than a thousand real and false doors in the vast corridors, and is filled with colonial era antiques, artwork and manuscripts. Opposite to the Palace is a vast Imambara – built by the Nawab for worship.

Afterwards we walked back to the ship – just in time for lunch.

Our afternoon excursion was to Baranagar, home to
several temples dating from the 18th century (1714 – 1793). Built by Rani (Queen) Bhabani, the landlady of Natore, the brick temples are considered to be among the best examples of Bengal terra cotta art.

Then, we walked back to the shore to catch the skiff back to ship.

We started the day with a pre-breakfast walk through the village of Matiari, known for metal workers.

After breakfast we learned how to put on traditional clothes: the turban, dohti, and sari.

We continued upriver, sailing past the battlefield of Plassey, where Robert Clive of British East India Company defeated the Mogul Nawabs in 1757.

We visited Khushbagh (Garden of Happiness), complex built by Nawab Ali–Wardi–Khan, housing his family’s private mosque and the graves of family members and three Eunuch bodyguards. His grandson Siraj-ud-Daula was defeated by the British East India Company at the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

We continued upriver, docking at Murshidabad where we rode into town to purchase traditional clothing for an event on Tuesday evening.

We weighed anchor in Kalna this morning after breakfast. We took the skiff to the ferry landing and rode rickshaws to the town center.

Our first stop was the Nabakailas Temples built in 1809. 108 temples in two concentric circles. The outer circle consists of 74 temples containing alternating black (night) and white (day) lingas. The lingas always point north. The inner circle consists of 34 temples containing white lingas.

Across the road is the Rajbari temple complex. Pratapeshwar Temple, built in 1849; the Lalaji Temple, built in 1739; the Krishnachandra Temple, built in 1751-55; and the Giri Govardhan Temple.

We visited the fruit and vegetable market:

The fish and meat market:

Then walked back to the ferry landing to take the skiff back to the boat.

After lunch we sailed up the Ganges River and passed the Hare Krishna Temple – the largest domed building in the world.

Sunset on the Ganges River

On the bus to start our tour. Bathing on the river bank. Remains of Kali effigies pulled from the river.

First stop one of the market areas.

Town Hall (white) and High Court buildings. Kolkata was the capital until 1911, this High Court is the oldest in the country.

St. John’s Church, built in 1756 by Lt. Colonel James Agg. It houses India’s oldest functioning pipe organ. On the church grounds are memorials and several tombs of British Generals who lost their lives during the Siege of Kolkata in 1756 by Nawab Shriaj Ud Daula.

Marriage carriages – grooms ride to ceremony in one of these.

Queen Victoria Memorial Museum

Ride back to boat, which moved up river, for lunch.

Bandel, a port founded by Portuguese settlers in the 1800s. Our visit includes a tour of the Hooghly Imambara (completed in 1861), an important Shia
pilgrimage center with a clock- tower lookout that boasts views of the Ganges. The structure contains a working clock with a winding key weighing approximately 20 kilograms (44 pounds).

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we left for the airport to catch the plane to Kolkata.

On our drive through the city we saw old Austin cabs, totos (tuk tuks), and rickshaws. There are still approximately 10,000 man-drawn rickshaws in Kolkata. We also saw some marriage carriages and even a man riding a horse.

We stopped to visit The Mother House – Mother Teresa’s home and memorial.

We also stopped to use an ATM on the way to the ship – our first adventure among the locals.

Diwali is celebrated nationwide. In Kolkata, bamboo structures are erected to hold lights. Also, temporary temples are erected to house Kali statues (rice straw, covered with mud, and then painted). The Kali Puja ceremony, where statues are taken to the river for immersion, is typically performed on the full moon night of Diwali,m. This year the full moon was on Tuesday which is the night of the mother goddess, and some devout followers wait an extra night to perform the ceremony.

After breakfast at the hotel, we boarded buses for a tour of Delhi. First stop was Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Then we rode through old Delhi.

Then we stopped at Humayun’s Tomb, a 16th century landmark of Mughal architecture on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we visited Qutab Minar, another a UNESCO World Heritage site.

India Gate.

Monkeys

Views from rooftop bar:

Today we flew from Bhutan to India where they are celebrating Diwali. Most decorations were on the ground outside of the shops, but some were on the floor inside and some where hanging in front of the shops.

Built into a sheer cliff face above the forested Paro Valley, the monastic retreat Paro Taktsand is the most famous temple in Bhutan.

Padmasambhava, the great 8th century Buddhist saint and teacher, is thought to have landed at this spot after flying over the mountains from Tibet on the back of a tigress, thus bringing the teachings of Buddhism to Bhutan. The primary temple was built around Padmasambhava’s meditation cave in 1684.

After breakfast we boarded the bus for a 30 minute drive to the trailhead of the hike to the Tiger’s Nest. Horses are available for the first leg and several members of our group took that option.

Round trip, the hike was around 5 miles, with a 1,979 ft elevation gain (from 8,395 – 10,176).

The first leg of the hike was about 45 minutes to the cafe where we rested, had tea, and used the facilities.

Second leg was to the temple. You actually hike above the temple, then down to a bridge by a waterfall, then back up to the temple.

Unfortunately they do not allow cameras inside the Tiger’s Nest. We visited three temples, then hiked back to the cafe for lunch.

Tsa-Tsas are miniature Stupas that are memorials to the dead (they may contain ashes of the deceased) or offerings created on the advice of an astrologer. There were several places along the trail where Tsa-Tsas had been placed.

On our way back to the trail head, this water-driven prayer wheel was in operation.

Some pictures from our ride back to the hotel.

It seems fitting that on our last night in Bhutan, my hotel room faces west.

Another beautiful morning. Our hotel was just below the college/nunnery that we visited yesterday.

We head back through the Dochula Pass on our return to Paro (home of the International Airport).

Photo stop – Masagang (7194m), third highest mountain in Bhutan.

Rest stop at Dochula Pass.

Bicyclists headed up to the pass.

Rest stop at Indo-Bhutan Friendship Bridge.

We stopped for lunch in Paro

After lunch we visited Paro Dzong Rinpung Dzong, the “fortress of the heap of Jewels”, built in 1646. Our visit ended with us crossing the cantilever bridge.

There was time for shopping in Paro before heading to the hotel.

Short cultural show before dinner with group participation.

Sunrise from my room, and views from the restaurant. Our hotel is above the clouds – at least today.

Bus ride to Nezigang, the starting point for a hike to the Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten, a shrine recently built by the royal family.

We ate lunch beside the river and then walked to, and across, the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan.

Last stop of the day was a Buddhist College and nunnery further up the mountain from our hotel.

The road to Punakha takes us over the Dochula Pass (3100m/10170ft).

We stopped outside of Thimphu for a giant Buddha photo-op. The smoke is from cooking. Across the road was a migrant-labor camp.

We stopped at Dochula Pass to visit the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang (temple), the Druk Wangyal Chortens (108 memorial stupas built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother) and enjoy the view.

Sights along the way: a cow resting peacefully in the middle of the road, donkeys, Tsasa (miniature stupas) alongside the road, and rice fields.

The last stop before lunch was at ChimiLhakhang, the fertility temple dedicated to famous Buddhist Lama Drukpa Kunley.

The road was one lane and unpaved but all three buses arrived safely.

Lunch was across the river and up the mountain – good food and great views.

Our last stop of the day was at Punakha Dzong, a 15th century fortress standing on an island at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers.

Today was a full day! Our first stop was the Folk Heritage Museum.

The we visited an Arts and Crafts school. Students choose to study one or two of the 13 disciplines taught here. It is a six year program with 90% dropout rate. Students are 7 years old and up.

Our next stop was Changangkha Lhakhang. Built in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Thimphu Valley.

After lunch at a local restaurant we visited the Memorial Chhorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan.

Then we rode the bus into the mountains to the giant (51.5m) Statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. There was a month-long festival in progress here. Hundreds of people seated under canopies and along the walls. There were lots of makeshift tents set up in the vicinity of the temple.

The last stop for the day was the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to several local breeds of animals including the Takin – the national animal of Bhutan.

Today was a full day! Our first stop was the Folk Heritage Museum.

The we visited an Arts and Crafts school. Students choose to study one or two of the 13 disciplines taught here. It is a six year program with 90% dropout rate. Students are 7 years old and up.

Our next stop was Changangkha Lhakhang. Built in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Thimphu Valley.

After lunch at a local restaurant we visited the Memorial Chhorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan.

Then we rode the bus into the mountains to the giant (51.5m) Statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. There was a month-long festival in progress here. Hundreds of people seated under canopies and along the walls. There were lots of makeshift tents set up in the vicinity of the temple.

The last stop for the day was the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to several local breeds of animals including the Takin – the national animal of Bhutan.

Today was a full day! Our first stop was the Folk Heritage Museum.

The we visited an Arts and Crafts school. Students choose to study one or two of the 13 disciplines taught here. It is a six year program with 90% dropout rate. Students are 7 years old and up.

Our next stop was Changangkha Lhakhang. Built in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Thimphu Valley.

After lunch at a local restaurant we visited the Memorial Chhorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan.

Then we rode the bus into the mountains to the giant (51.5m) Statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. There was a month-long festival in progress here. Hundreds of people seated under canopies and along the walls. There were lots of makeshift tents set up in the vicinity of the temple.

The last stop for the day was the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to several local breeds of animals including the Takin – the national animal of Bhutan.

Today was a full day! Our first stop was the Folk Heritage Museum.

The we visited an Arts and Crafts school. Students choose to study one or two of the 13 disciplines taught here. It is a six year program with 90% dropout rate. Students are 7 years old and up.

Our next stop was Changangkha Lhakhang. Built in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Thimphu Valley.

After lunch at a local restaurant we visited the Memorial Chhorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan.

Then we rode the bus into the mountains to the giant (51.5m) Statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. There was a month-long festival in progress here. Hundreds of people seated under canopies and along the walls. There were lots of makeshift tents set up in the vicinity of the temple.

The last stop for the day was the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to several local breeds of animals including the Takin – the national animal of Bhutan.