Varanasi is one of the holiest (and I guess/hope filthiest) places in India. Hindu pilgrims come here to wash away their sins in the sacred waters of the Ganges, to cremate their loved ones or...to die - expiring in Varanasi offers moksha (i.e instant Nirvana, liberation of the cycle of birth and death).
Varanasi is very overwhelming. The streets and temples are full of breathing corpses, collecting money for sandalwood that will neutralize the smell of their burning flesh. Rituals are being performed everywhere and you get the constant attention of touts. Traffic is louder and worse than Nepal. Sacred cows are napping on the highway. The labyrinth of alleys is an open sewer. When wandering the ghats and ghalis you have to be careful not to step in dog, cow or goat poop (or bump into the animal itself) or human excrements - particularly challenging at night. It is impossible to get used to the thick ammonia smell. Still thankful for the 10 dollar hiking boots that I bought in Lhasa...flipflops would have been a nightmare.
The city is at its best at dawn. The early morning light turns the riverside into a magical place. From little rowing boats, you can watch the fascinating mix of pilgrims and locals take ritual baths, brush their teeth, perform puja, do yoga, offer blessings, wash their cloths (or buffalos) or just hang around. Not sure what a bath does for you...water safe for bathing can have no more than 500 faecal coliform bacteria in every liter of water, samples show that the water of the Ganges has 1.5 million. Did I mention they also drink the water?! Aaah, accidently stuck my toe in the water. Hope it will not fall off...
At Manikarnika Ghat, the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated, bodies are burning 24 hours a day - one body takes 3 hours. The bodies are handled by outcasts. After having been transported through the city and their final bath in the holy Ganges, they are cremated under a carefully weighed pile of firewood. You are asked to make a donation in kilos of sandalwood... The bodies of young children, pregnant women and lepers arenot cremated but directly thrown into the Ganges.
The German lady was right, being in Varanasi is torture! Only when looking at my pictures (that do not smell), start to appreciate it bit by bit.
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Location:Varanasi, India
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