(8 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)

  • Sep 28 - Gear unpacked at Haridwar base camp, Mittal Dham
  • Sep 29 - Devprayag, where the Ganges officially takes its name
  • Sep 29 - On the banks of the holy river at Haridwar
  • Sep 29 - Good looking guy, I must say
  • Oct 02 - The seats getting inflated, the most important item to ease the derriere
  • Oct 02 - The canoe gets christened
  • Oct 02 - The canoe is now called THORNBIRD
  • Oct 02 - Well wishers signing their best wishes. This is Dhruv Dudeja
  • Oct 02 - Thornbird gets carried to the put-in point
  • Oct 02 - Life vest on and secured. Let's rock and roll
  • Oct 02 - A bit about Good Living Organics
  • Oct 02 - The trees were kinder to me this time compared to my last attempt a couple of years ago
  • Oct 02 - A few metres and thirsty already
  • Oct 02 - The main channel of the Ganges, a few kilometres downstream of Haridwar
  • Oct 02 - Down the Holy Ganges. This a little after Bhogpur, about 20km downstream
  • Oct 02 - Tara and Sam prefer the kayak paddle to the canoe paddle
  • Oct 02 - The Sun was setting and we were still a long way away from the destination
  • Oct 3 - Just dig deep and keep paddling
  • Oct 5 - After a day of rest at Bijnor
  • Oct 5 - The river was wide, but shallow, and we got grounded a few times
  • Oct 5 - Miracle on the Ganges, Sam walks on water
  • Oct 5 - Hat tip time to the Ganges
  • Oct 06 - And a calf's breakfast
  • Oct 06 - The family we stayed with, and that's my cot, by the way
  • Oct 06 - The village chief who opened his house for us so graciously
  • Oct 06 - Another day of solo paddling
  • Oct 06 - The GPS does not lie, still some way to go
  • Oct 06 - Sit back, relax, let the canoe drift a few kilometres short of Garhmukteswar
  • Oct 06 - Hats off to me
  • Oct 06 - Interviewing Mr Ashok Sharma, Regional Coordinator for Namami Gange
  • Oct 07 - Preparing for the evening arati
  • Oct 07 - Preparing for the evening arati
  • Oct 07 - The Lord Shiva
  • Oct 07 - Garhmukteswar at sunset
  • Oct 07 - Waiting for the devout
  • Oct 07 - Arati is performed at dawn and dusk
  • Oct 07 - The temple bell
  • Oct 07 - Arati is a must see even if not for religious reasons
  • Oct 07 - Participated in the Ganga arati
  • Oct 08 - The Garhmuketswar river bank
  • Oct 08 - Stopping by at Village Pooth
  • Oct 08 - Mahesh Kewat a NMCG volunteer
  • Oct 08 - The canoe is pulled to shore
  • Oct 08 - With a little help from me
  • Oct 08 - Talking to the locals
  • Oct 08 - With the village elders at Pooth
  • Oct 08 - An apple a day breakfast
  • Oct 08 - This area was full of quicksand
  • Oct 08 - Fell in the water a few times
  • Oct 08 - A makeshift riverbank marketplace
  • Oct 08 - Met some nice people
  • Oct 08 - A twisty wristy affair
  • Stranded mid river after Bijnor
  • Parked at Bhogpur
  • Local boatmen at Farrukhabad
  • The Farrukhabad bridge is very busy
  • Apparently right was the wrong choice
  • Lugging the boat across the sand bar
  • Not so helpful fishermen with directions
  • A wide river narrows again
  • A lazy paddle with no more sand bars
  • Not reaching Kannauj as planned
  • Buffaloes cooling off
  • Helping a local cross the river
  • Met up locals and got invited to the village
  • The whole village gathered
  • Breakfast for the cow
  • Learning self sufficiency
  • Fresh fish for lunch for me
  • With some local kids
  • And more kids
  • Clean India trash bins
  • The morning bath
  • Goverdhani Temple Kannauj
  • Temple near Annapurna temple Kannauj
  • The ruins of of Jai Chand's fort
  • Mosque in the Jai Chand fort
  • Locals bidding me farewell at Chiyasar
  • Back on the river again
  • A bridge to Delhi
  • One of many animal carcasses on the river
  • Paddling is thirsty business
  • My first pee break on the journey
  • The river becomes a cess pool near Kusumpur
  • Lugging the boat, thankfully without quicksand underfoot
  • Showing an inelegant way to enter the boat
  • Conducting water testing
  • Time for some shut eye
  • Another slow boat on the Ganges
  • The sadhu who was my host
  • Another sadhu at Mehandipur
  • The boat parked next to my cot
  • The failing Clean India campaign
  • Geese enjoying the morning sun
  • Paddling under the Grand Trunk Road
  • Is it too much trash or is even one piece too many
  • Do not want to get stuck in these waters
  • Much of the trash is religious in nature
  • Boatmen waiting for tourists at Bithoor
  • A lot of plastic trash at Bithoor
  • The entrance to Bithoor ghat
  • This is where Lord Rama's twin children were born
  • The ISCKON temple
  • Massacre Ghat from where I start tomorrow
  • Massacre Ghat where British women and children were killed
  • Can Namami Gange work without citizen participation
  • Satichaura Ghat
  • Satichaura Ghat
  • Memorial Church Kanpur
  • Kanpur is where the Ganga is the most polluted
  • A bridge after Kanpur
  • The birds are always fascinating
  • Camping out
  • My bed for the night
  • Country boat with makeshift bamboo paddles
  • Resting and relaxing
  • Some kids going across the river
  • Yet another ghat amidst ancient ruins
  • I was lucky to film these gorgeous animals
  • Temple at Gidaso village
  • My room mates at Gidaso village
  • It was quite a foggy morning
  • A riverine island
  • Most of the bridges were easy to negotiate
  • Paddling with bamboo poles and no blades
  • Finished with lunch
  • The naga sadhu I stayed with
  • Gokuna Ghat my destination for the day
  • This is a religious practice regardless of the toxicity
  • Entire families take the dip morning and evening
  • And the holy water is carried back home
  • A dip cleans away all sins
  • Caste creed age no bar
  • A wisened old sadhu
  • Even dancing horses are welcome
  • Trash next to a bin, behavioural change is required
  • With CO and members of Ganga Task Force with local pandits
  • Sangam Ghat Allahabad
  • Sangam Ghat Allahabad
  • Fecilitated and humbled at Allahabad
  • Felicitated and humbled at Allahabad
  • Felicitated and humbled at Allahabad
  • Chandrashekhar Azad Memorial
  • Anand Bhavan
  • The goodbyes were heartwarming
  • The felicitation was humbling
  • Balua Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna
  • Under the old bridge on the Yamuna
  • The Allahabad Fort
  • Sangam Ghat
  • Crossing the sangam ghat
  • Each boat of pilgrims sing bhajans
  • Pilgrims and boats headed to the confluence
  • At the confluence
  • Holy water sprinkled on the head
  • The amount of trash is minimal considering the number of pilgrims at the sangam
  • A fisherman hoping for his catch
  • A funeral in progress ahead of Allahabad
  • Time to look for a campsite
  • Campsite on a sand bar
  • Fishing vessels waiting to go out
  • Fishing boats big and small dot the riverside
  • Sand mining in progress
  • An irrigation project at Telaghat
  • The temple camp at Kanigada
  • Was offered this cottage to sleep in
  • I slept in this temple at Kanigada
  • Packed and ready to leave
  • Some villagers who were intrigued by me
  • The canoe drew attention everywhere I went
  • A village elder at Kanigada with dreams of becoming a sadhu
  • Goodbye Kanigada and thanks for inflating my ego
  • A friendly couple of fishermen
  • Some villagers I met on the way
  • Padle paddle paddle
  • Another village and the trash become visible
  • Yet another hairpin bend
  • Another pontoon bridge under construction
  • There was absolutely no current and paddling was hard
  • Another dolphin sighting zone
  • The main attraction of Sitamarhi
  • Lots of shops cater to the pilgrims
  • There were a lot of pilgrims here
  • The dharamshala I stayed at
  • There is a big temple inside the dharamshala complex
  • A boatman awaits some pilgrims for a joyride in the lake
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • Motivation Hall 39GTC
  • My father has a corner at the Motivation Hall
  • Some of his football clothes
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • The Lion Capital
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Sarnath Archeological Museum
  • Wheel of Dharma
  • Dhamek Stupa Sarnath
  • Ramnagar Fort
  • Manikarnika Ghat
  • Arati at Dashashwamedh Ghat
  • A powerloom in Varanasi
  • A Banarasi saree comes to life
  • Maybe one of the last handloom weavers
  • Leaving from Assi Ghata Varanasi
  • Assi Ghat is to the left of the screen
  • There are 84 ghats in Varanasi
  • A boat ride along the city is really wonderful
  • The river is packed with boats carrying tourists watching the arati
  • The birds look much better in reality than on a photo
  • There is a concerted effort to keep the debris from flowing into the river
  • A special boat picking up trash
  • The bridge across the Ganges at Varanasi
  • Prayer flags adorn the canoe
  • Crowd at Jau Vinayak Temple near Varanasi
  • Calm river and following winds
  • The Slow Boat Team
  • Off and away
  • Raghu becomes a copaddler
  • Passing some local fishermen
  • A couple of fishermen trying to catch some fish
  • Buffetted by 20kmph headwind
  • The Ganges really does flow upstream here
  • Kaithi ghat
  • Getting ready to cast off at Kaithi Ghat
  • Chandru and Raghu with Golu our host at Kaithi
  • Story of two boats
  • Fliers and sailors
  • Silhouette against the morning sun
  • Lots of birds at Kaithi
  • Bridge at Saidpur
  • This one was very close
  • A bamboo pole for propulsion
  • The boat needs a rinsing
  • Medhwa Ghat with accompanying litter
  • Chandru and Raghu meet me at Medhwa Ghat
  • Curious locals welcome the boat at Medhwa
  • The inflatable never ceases to amaze the onlookers
  • Off from Bara
  • Time to leave Uttar Pradesh
  • And quiet flows the Ganges
  • Chatting with some fishermen
  • Bamboo scaffolding for fishing nets
  • A closer look
  • Sandbags act as a retaining wall to prevent erosion
  • Bodhgaya temple entrance
  • Flower bedecked temple compound
  • The Mahabodhi Temple
  • Footprints of the Buddha
  • The sanctum sanctorum at Bodh Gaya
  • Monks and nuns at the Mahabodhi Temple complex
  • Monks are everywhere here
  • The Bodhi Tree
  • Another view of the Bodhi Tree
  • Monks prostrate facing the Temple
  • The Dalai Lama was in town
  • There are monks and nuns from all over the world
  • Bodhgaya is the holiest place in all of Buddhism
  • It is a very humbling place for a practicing Buddhist
  • Patipul Ghat Patna
  • Patipul Ghat was full of trash
  • I renamed this place Pottyfull Ghat
  • People bathe wash and drink the water here
  • Ravi Shankar Sharma our host at Mokama
  • Lots of locals to lend a helping hand
  • Off from Mokama
  • Fog ensured very poor visibility
  • Couple of fishermen fixing their nets
  • Nearing the end of the days paddle
  • Locals take joyride in the canoe at Samho
  • Villagers from Samho
  • Locals really enjoy paddling Thornbird
  • Helpful volunteers wash the boat
  • I got a lot of help at Samho
  • A tractor ride to the roadhead
  • A bunch of villagers on the tractor
  • Sunset en route Samho village
  • This guy was an incredible horseman
  • Clean Ganga appeal wall painting
  • Beware children get stolen here
  • Munger is part of the badland of Bihar
  • Mausoleums of Mir Quasims sons
  • Launching from Samda
  • River port being constructed at Samda
  • All this paddling has developed many muscles
  • Boy is this guy handsome or what
  • A boat made of corrugated aluminium sheet
  • Racing a country boat
  • Welcome party at Sarkanda Ghat
  • Again lots of help from the locals
  • Once again happy local paddlers
  • Sarkanda Ghat is newly constructed
  • Lots of help deflating the boat
  • Ravi Shankar Sharma interviewing me at Mokama
  • The Farakka Barrage
  • Looking upstream from the Barrage
  • Dustbins go natural
  • When will people develop civic sense
  • Sunset on the Feeder Canal
  • On the shores of the Farakka Canal
  • Some say it is good to have a train passing overhead
  • Was lucky to have a healthy tailwind
  • There are roads alongside both banks of the canal
  • Both banks are thickly populated
  • The expedition is nearing its end
  • Rest relax and drift along
  • Locals bathing and washing
  • A ferry boat
  • Met some locals
  • Raghu pushing the boat away into the canal
  • Jahan Kosha Cannon
  • Katara Masjid 1
  • Katara Masjid 2
  • Katara Masjid 3
  • Katara Masjid 4
  • Kathgola Palace
  • House of Jagat Seth
  • Entrance to Mir Jafar house
  • Mausoleum of Mir Jafar
  • Burial ground of Mir Jafar family
  • Nashipur Palace
  • Start of the final push to Calcutta
  • I had the tide in my favour
  • Lots of old structures in and around Chandannagar
  • This is also an industrial belt
  • There is a lot of floating vegetation in this section
  • There are a lot of big ferries on the river
  • Time to drift one last time
  • A temple complex just outside Calcutta
  • The Bally bridge and the gateway to Calcutta
  • The tide rises and the river swells
  • First sighting of the Howrah Bridge
  • People at a jetty waiting to be ferried across
  • The paddle was becoming very difficult against the tide
  • The last kilometre took more than two hours paddling
  • Just crossing under the bridge took more than half an hour
  • Finally reached the destination
  • And it is a wrap

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