Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India located along the Ganges River, the sacred waters where life and death are honored on a daily basis. Also known as Benares, Varanasi is home to more than 1.3 million people and some 23,000 temples. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi are lined with more than 80 ghats, which are large wide steps that lead down into the river and are used for bathing, ceremonies, and rituals. Each ghat has a different name and two are used exclusively as cremation sites. At the time of cremation bodies are wrapped in colorful fabric and draped with flowers and then carried on a bamboo stretcher down to the river for the last rites to be delivered in the water of the Ganges. The bodies are then burned in large fires built with piles of wood right out in the open in full public view. After the fire burns out the ashes are washed into the river. There are cremations happening all day and night in Varanasi creating a constant reminder of the impermanence of life on earth. I found the open cremations to be extremely intense and personal to witness and chose not to hang around for long around the cremation areas.
Bodies of certain deceased people either considered too holy or too unholy to be cremated can also be placed in the Ganges River so it is not that uncommon to see a body floating down the river. In this same river we saw people swimming, bathing, brushing their teeth, and doing laundry. I seriously hope the laundry we had done by our hotel was not washed in the Ganges.
Hindus believe in rebirth and death is not usually considered as much of a morose affair as it is in the west. Some Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi and getting cremated at the Ganges River will allow them to break the cycle of rebirth and attain salvation or nirvana. Many Hindus come to Varanasi toward the end of their life for this reason.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the most famous Hindu temples in Varanasi. The line to enter this temple went on for many blocks when we were there. We did not brave the long line to go inside but saw hundreds of devotees patiently waiting while holding their offerings to give to Shiva.
At sunset one evening our tour group took a boat cruise down the Ganges River. From the boat we released floating candle and flower offerings into the river as is the tradition. We also gathered at Dashashwamedh Ghat along with a hundred other boats and a couple thousand other people to watch the nightly ganga aarti, which is a fire ceremony and ritual offering prayer to the Ganges River.
Rob and I enjoyed wandering the small alleyways of Varanasi’s old city. There are countless auto-rickshaw drivers vying to give you a ride and endless shops selling scarves, souvenirs of deities, and traditional Indian clothing. There is also a great deal of street food being prepared and many restaurants as food is a way of life here. We went to Mark’s Cafe near our hotel twice where we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast of tofu scramble, roasted tomato, fruit salad, toast, hashbrown, and mocha coffee with soy milk. We also ate at Vegan and Raw twice where we were able to enjoy a vegan version of a lassi made with almond milk and dates and a masala chai made with soy milk. We also tried their raw pizza and the spinach mushroom burger. These healthy options were a nice break from all the traditional North Indian cuisine we have been eating and they were easy on our tummies. My stomach has been on the mend from the bug I picked up more than a week ago so I have been trying to take it easy on the spicy food until my digestive system is back in balance.
We also took a day trip by auto-rickshaw to Sarnath, the city where Buddha gave his first sermon after he achieved enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Sarnath is about 10 km from Varanasi, but took quite a while to reach due to heavy traffic. When we arrived we went to Mulagandhakuti Vihara, a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple with a series of murals depicting Buddha’s life on the interior walls.
Nearby there is a statue of Buddha giving his first teaching. There are many monasteries, schools, and temples within walking distance of each other in Sarnath as well as a small museum. I particularly enjoyed the Thai temple, which has a giant standing Buddha statue and some lovely lotus ponds and gardens. The ride back to our hotel took almost two hours in the auto-rickshaw due to the very heavy traffic.
We enjoyed our time in Varanasi. I have heard it described as intense and that seems accurate. The streets are absolutely packed with people and cows, dogs, and goats wander about freely. In the old city funeral processions heading toward the river on foot pass by often. The blend of Hindu spirituality and people working really hard to make a buck everywhere you turn makes for a unique atmosphere.
