What are the odds of me coming back to Nepal, going to Lumbini, and finally visiting Gorakhpur? I don’t think it was likely, so while I was in Bhairahawa why not hit roads to Gorakhpur India.

I had been to India just once before, took a flight from Kathmandu to Delhi, took a cab from Delhi airport to All India Medical Institute, and same way back to Kathmandu. My point is I haven’t seen true India. Gorakhpur would definitely give me more insight, and I would also get opportunity to visit Gorakhnath Temple.

I don’t know if it is a myth or there is a touch of truth, my acquaintances were worried of possible harassment by Indian Police. I was firm believer in law and would argue that unless we break law the police have no rights to obstruct. But my acquaintances, being knowledgeable of those parts, stuck with their task and rented a jeep with Indian license plate. The driver was frequent traveler through the boarder and very familiar with Gorakhpur. My acquaintances suggested me to not carry my bulky DSLR, fearing it will be seized by Bihari cops citing some phony custom rules. They shared some of their stories; I couldn’t believe how Nepalese were being treated. I was taught to stand up to those Bihari cops, if they smell fear in you they will rip you off. No one however could stop me from carrying a point and shoot camera.

The drive from Bhairahawa to Gorakhpur was about 3 hours but Sunauli, the boarder, was just about 15 minutes. I was excited; after I get back to States I could boast my colleagues that I visited India as well. The Tata Sumo was fairly comfortable, the roads were pretty good, and songs from the movie “Om Shanti Om” was refreshing.

The only thing scary so far was the speed of other vehicles; I felt they moved way fast than the limitation of road, sometimes even posing threat to us. I could request my driver to move slower but seeing other over crowded vehicles moving at 100km/hr with passengers hanging like Tarzans was real scary. People might call me a coward for showcasing my “Americanized Safety Concerns”, but being in America I learnt true value of human life, better safe than sorry. I wished I had taken picture of those over crowded vehicles, for some reason it didn’t cross my mind at all.

Other thing that I was appalled with was the indecency of the male highway travelers (as well as the locals) to pee almost every where, front on. I know we have that problem in Nepal as well, we don’t have enough highway rest areas, but Nepalese people at least had decency of going far off to the bushes or pee showing their back.

Gorakhnath Temple

Gorakhnath Temple was at the edge of the city limit, so that was our first stop. Unlike Nepalese Temples Gorakhnath was very clean. There were ‘Baba’s’ (priest) standing in every corner inside the temple (in their booths), they will call you up and give ‘Tika’ and ask blatantly for ‘Dakshina’ (money). I got a sense that these Baba’s have to submit a tender to claim those spots. I had no change, all IRs 100 bills so I asked him if he accepts dollar bill, he enthusiastically obliged. I gave him $1, the Baba was happy but my acquaintances gave me a big glare. They were afraid that Baba will make someone to get after me as he now knows I carry Dollars.

No matter how clean the Temple was, the toilets were pathetic. I noticed this in Lumbini too. I don’t know why the eastern culture is not willing to invest much in the sanitation. I remember my school’s principal saying when I was a kid “if you want to know how clean a family is then don’t be fooled by their sitting room, check their toilet”.

I have already written a post about the traffic, population density etc in Kathmandu. What I saw inside Gorakhpur was off the charts, problems of Kathmandu seemed way dwarf in comparison.

To be continued………