Varanasi

                                             First view of the Ganges

How do I write about Varanassi?  This is the holiest city for Hindu's.  One of the holiest living cities in the world, it is more than 4000 years – at least 2000 years older than Hanoi. 

And the Ganges – this is the first time we have seen the Ganges.  The river which is the life blood of India.   

Along the river are flights of stone steps (ghats) leading down to the Ganges where Hindus come to perform ritual ablutions.  There are also 2 ghats where bodies are burnt and the ashes scattered in the river.  Hindus believe that anyone who is cremated and has their ashes scattered here will attain instant enlightememt or Moksha.  Our guide, Naveen  told us that some old people who know they don’t have long to live, come here for their last days, living in temples and receiving food through money donated by other Hindus. Like wise with widows. There is strong tradition of generosity by Hindus and Seiks to those who have less.   All the wood for the cremation fires is donated.  At a few Seikh temples in India, where food is made for thousands of people daily, all the food is donated and local Seikhs donate their time to cook and clean up.

Varanassi contains 2000 temples with the most important being the “golden Temple” Kashi Vishwanath dedicated to Shiva.  Foreigners can’t visit here. 

Arrived in Varanasi after a 13 hour overnight train trip from Agra. 

Settled into the Hotel Haifa, a delightful place after Hotel Sheelah in Agra.  Took bicycle tuk tuk’s to the old city to commence our orientation tour.  Not one of the 12 in our group felt comfortable with sitting in the rickshaw while a poor man struggles his way through traffic.  More is written on that in another post. 

   

                       Sunset over the Ganges

And our tour was mainly to do with Hinduism and the Ganges.  Saw the Ganges for the first time.  Holy men have space near the bank where people can come and consult them.  The men who may look like holy men who beg for money are more liable to be homeless people with mental health issues. 

Most of the visitors here are Indians who have come for religious purposes and we stand out.  At about 5.30, we go out on a boat on the river for the most beautiful sunset.  We make wishes, light candles in little terracotta burners and place them together with flowers on the surface of the river and see them float away.

We slowly sailed along the main area of river including past the

Manikarnika or Cremation ghat, where 6 fires were still burning.  Over 200 people a day are cremated here.  Very sobering to think of the emotions that may be involved for the families cremating their loved ones.  How different to home where most death rituals are carried out in private.  Women do not attend this ceremony.

                                        Dashaswamedh Ghat

Dashaswamedh Ghat, not far from the cremation ghat, seems to be the most visited.   Each evening the Gange Aarti ceremony is performed by young priests draped in saffron robes.  We couldn’t quite follow what was happening despite Naveens explanation.  This was a very moving ceremony and obviously special to Hindu people.  I felt very out of place despite the smiles from many of the Indian people around us.

                                Back to the boat for sunrise

                                            Just after sunrise

                              Fishing on the Ganges at sunrise 

The next day, we were up at 5.30am and into the boat to see “the Ganges waking” for the day. Beautiful sunrise.   People were performing their ablutions and laundry men and women were busy pounding their clothes on the wooden benches by the shore and laying out the clean clothes to dry. 

                                                Clothes drying 

After feeling very out of place last night, this was far more peaceful.  I had the feeling that Indian people were getting on with their lives and rituals and weren’t being disturbed by us tourists come to watch.