a large section of the bus stand in Gokarna, Karnataka is reserved for buses of pilgrims coming to visit the important Hindu temples in town. many buses arrive daily from distant locations. during festivals such as Maha Shivratri the number of visitors skyrockets and the town is packed way beyond capacity.
we arrived a few days after Shivratri when most of the crowd had already left but the town was still buzzing with activities in the aftermath. some pilgrims prefer to avoid the overcrowded conditions and arrive a week or so after the main event. typically the group would have been travelling for 1 or 2 days on the bus and are relieved to arrive. with them they have food for the journey and all the equipment necessary to prepare and serve the food.
when the bus arrived the cooks broke out the stoves and the huge pots and everything and began to cook. by the time we came the meal was being served and folks were relaxing and enjoying. the local cows know where to go to get something to eat and they are more or less welcomed by the pilgrims.
though sharing their plate is a bit too much to expect
the cooks are sure to make enough food so no one goes hungry
these guys noticed i was taking their photo so they summoned me to come join them. they offered me some food which was very gracious of them and normally i would have been happy to accept but i was there to catch a bus and it being early in the morning, i do not do well with spicy breakfasts, especially before travelling. anyway they were as curious about me as i was about them and we chatted as best we could with my limited hindi and their limited english.
when the pots and dishes were washed they were ready for the day's program so i turned my attention to the section of the bus stand for scheduled traffic.
our bus arrived but it would be another half hour before departure so i had plenty of time for some more shots to help pass the time. since there are so many visitors, in addition to sufficient toilets the bus stand also provides a decent facility to take a bath. before entering any temples pilgrims are more likely to take a dip in the nearby sea
or the man-made pond at Koti Tirth
but for many who will be getting back on a bus for a long night's journey home, taking a proper bath may seem like an excellent idea.
meanwhile locals are coming and going or perhaps patiently waiting
when their bus arrives civility disappears and there's a rush for everyone to get on and find a seat
some cheekily reserve a seat by passing their bag through the window
so we boarded our bus and found seats but that did not stop me from continuing to take shots
then suddenly right under our window, a couple arrived on a motorbike but the driver was careless and drove straight into this guy's parked bike. he was not happy about it at all.
a big loud discussion broke out with a bit of scuffling that seemed like it could quickly turn into an open fight but luckily did not.
tempers eventually cooled after repeated assessments by a number of people with the right to express their opinion of the damage, which objectively seen was present but minimal. some settlement was being made
when our bus driver sat down, started the motor and off we went