Around the Next Bend

The Ganges River is considered one of the holiest rivers in the world. At 2510 km long draws from the Western Himalaya's in Northern India, flowing southeast to Bangladesh where it drains into the Indian Ocean. The river is home to millions of people, whose religions, traditions, and way of life have been shaped from centuries of living along its banks.

The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in Northern India. Unfortunately the Yamuna is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world. New Delhi, the capital of India, dumps more than 50% of its waste into the river, which remains stagnant for nine months of the year. Millions of people depend on the polluted Yamuna water.

Vrindavan lies on the bank of the Yamuna river, 150 kilometers south of Delhi. The town was built upon the forest of Vrindavana, where Krishna spent his childhood. The town is a major pilgrimage destination for many traditions of Hinduism. Thousands of temples have been erected over the centuries.

The Taj Mahal lies on the bank of the Yamuna river in the city of Agra. While Agra is probably best known for the Taj and other historical buildings from the same era, it is also renown for its handy crafts, marble and stone inlay work and its sweets. The leather industry is also among the most traditional and original industries of Agra.

With over 1.18 billion people, India houses roughly one sixth of the world's population. Unfortunately, it's estimated that over 400 million Indians now live under the global poverty line of one dollar and twenty-five cents per day. High population growth rates and ineffective food management have resulted in fluctuating levels of famine.

In India the summer season begins in early March and lasts until late June. Much of Indian life during the summer is spent indoors and out of the sun. Daytime work is often abandoned between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Even so, the extreme heat claims thousands of lives each year. Even those acclimatized to such conditions are not immune to the power of the sun.