A snake, a deer and Varanasi
It is not every day that you meet a snake charmer while strolling. Or a lady selling a kasturi or deer musk. Deer musk is a substance with a persistent odor, obtained from the caudal glands of the male musk deer. (Caudal glands lie in a sac located between the genitals and umbilicus and the scent of the gland is used to attract mates). I didn't know what kasturi was. The lady gave me a furry ball to hold. She also rubbed it on the sleeves of my sweatshirt. It had a very sweet odor. Later when I asked her what the ball in my hand is, she very casually replied that it's a deer's navel. Like it's the most common thing in the world. It might be normal for her, but not for me. I dropped it immediately. She said she'll sell it to me at a very cheap price. However, I was in no mood to buy a deer's navel. I don't think I ever will be. I'm no animal rights activist, but I do feel it's cruel. She told me kasturi has a persistent odor, and it did. My sleeves had a sweet odor till the end of the day.
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I don't know if the stuff she's selling were authentic, but they sure seemed intriguing to us. |
So, on my third in Varanasi, I held both a snake and a deer's navel in my hand. Varanasi is not an everyday place. It's a place that has its own charm. A charm I'm sure I can't explain. A charm I thought was strange. Strange in a beautiful way.
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