Once in every lifetime an observant Hindu hopes to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanasi. Some come to wash away sickness and sin in the Ganges River. Others bring their dead to be burned. Still others come to live their last days here, for to die and be cremated in Varanasi guarantees eternal release from the cycle of birth and death.

After a few hours of walking upstream to the outskirts of the city, we decided to take a boat and float downstream. A boat ride along the Ganges river is one of the absolute musts when visiting Varanasi. You have to negotiate the price a little bit because boats are in high demand and many tourists spoil the rates. One boatman offered us a very good price immediately and as it turned out, he had to bring his mother to the doctor at the other side of the town anyway. Good for him and good for us :)

He really knew every building and had a very good knowledge about all the gossip happening in Varanasi. Many owners of the huge buildings along the river live somewhere else in more fashionable areas because for them, the city too busy and too old-fashioned. They rent out their fortresses and only come occasionally to collect the money.

Many of the buildings are (sort of) retirement homes for people who come to Varanasi for their final time because a seat in heaven is guaranteed if you die here. What’s really fascinating is that even though death is part of the daily routine for all the people here, it’s still a place of hope and colours. Especially the colours of the buildings along the ghats are eye dropping.

All in all, Varanasi truly is a fantastic place with lots of amazing photo opportunities, friendly people and yummy food. It’s one of these cities every traveller should visit at least once in a lifetime.

A boat ride along the Ganges river in Varanasi is an absolute must for any visitor!

You can start your boat ride anywhere along the Ghats.

The view of the Varanasi skyline is breathtaking – especially from a boat.

Drying and washing of clothes happens all along the Ghats in Varanasi.

The view of the Varanasi skyline is breathtaking – especially from a boat.

The view of the Varanasi skyline is breathtaking – especially from a boat.

Thousands of people bathe in the Ganges holy water every day.

The view of Varanasi from a boat ride on the Ganges river.

The view of Varanasi from a boat ride on the Ganges river.

The view of Varanasi from a boat ride on the Ganges river.

The view of Varanasi from a boat ride on the Ganges river.

After arriving at the train station, it didn’t take long to realize that some sort of festival was going on. Hundred, thousands of people all dressed in orange hurdled in ever little street corner. I later found out, that this festival was nothing too special (compared to nation wide once like the Holi festival for example). I guess the Indians just wanted to kill some time before they’re off to the Nirvana and a festival is a good opportunity for that :)

The security during these two days was extremely high. Security precaution double red, which is no wonder when 100.000 Indians are celebrating. Days before the festival, workers hammered and built alleys of paddocks for all the crowds of people.

I took a couple of shots but then decided to hit the road since I didn’t want to be in the middle of hundreds of people screaming holy slogans – not only because it’s damn loud but because there were lots of giddy & loony people around. Some of these have definitely said their good-byes to the Western style of living with rad war paintings on their faces. I didn’t want to be in the middle of this … but I’ve definitely got some new ideas for next years Carnival.

Anyway, I tried marching on but it was almost impossible to get away from all the crowds. Out of the blue I came to another temple with hundreds of people waiting in line … no idea what was inside. Some super God statue I guess. Oh well, as I always say “Religion is what keeps the poor from killing the rich”.

Walking on bravely, feeling like a sardine, I arrived at one of the main intersections in Varanasi where a group of people with cloaked bodies crossed my way. At this point, I was so exhausted that I had to rest for a little while. A basin-selling-man didn’t mind my sitting on his steps. From there, I probably had the best view you could get, front row baby! I saw all the float in and out of the city, which included two more dead bodies being transported to the Ghats. The first one was on a jeep and I would have missed the second one, if it wasn’t for the basin-selling-man who screamed: “Look Misses! This car has body inside!”

After an absolutely exhausting day, with 40° in the shade, sweat running down my spine all the way into my shoes and about 2.000 photos, I decided that it was time to hit Alka Hotel. The shower that evening was the biggest luxury ever … and of course I knew that the next day would again be hard yet spectacular, so a good night sleep was all I wanted (and got).

Crowds of people in Varanasi, India. 

Waiting in line like cattle to enter a holy temple in Varanasi, India.

Hustle & Bustle in Varanasi, India.

A “Sadhu” in Varanasi, India.

Music is a must during the festival in Varanasi, India.

Burning grounds at the Ghats in Varanasi, India.

A Good Start To Explore Varanasi.

A good start for an unforgettable stay is if you book a room in a hotel along the holy river Ganges. This is where all the action happens 24/7. It’s best of course if you get a room that overlooks the river (Alka Hotel / Room 105 is a great bet).

There are many must-visit places in Varanasi, and a good start is a walk along the Ghats, which will be a very rewarding experience. Every minute you’ll get to see something interesting. People bathing, shampooing, shaving their hair, resting, placing flowers on to the water or the occasional corpse drifting downriver. Not everybody is cremated, that’s why this is nothing out of the ordinary: pregnant women, children, people who died from a snakebite and holy people. They are “set free” into the Ganges River and well, their bodies occasionally show up at the surface again. You will also get to see (if you’re “lucky”) dogs gnawing on bones which were not cremated properly … yes you will get to see things that you only see in India.

The cremation process itself work like this: the bodies arrive strapped to the car roofs at a certain place outside the old city and is then carried through the little alleys down to the cremation Ghats, where hectic activities are going on all day long. Some Indian guy told us that about 100 people are cremated every day. This needs a lot of firewood and a lot of people to build the fireplaces. Certain wood is used for the cremation process, to keep the smoke and the smell as little as possible.

Walking through the small alleys of Varanasi is like walking through a maze … you need a while to manage this but after a while you’ve got the knack of it. If you stroll away from the main attractions you get to see curiosities like a local gym for example. Imagine, 45 degrees outside and people working out …

There are also some rooftop restaurants, which don’t get to see many foreigners but never the less; they have great food and very attentive service. You simply have to be eager to check out things, this is most important in every city if you ask me.

After a long day walk, crossing the double-Decker bridge across the Ganges river to the East is interesting as well because on top is the local traffic and underneath pass the trains. The bridge is huge and fluctuates especially when a train crosses (somehow a bit scary). The bridge is very high above the river and about one kilometre long. After arriving on the other side, we started walking back to Varanasi along the river shore and got hold of a local fisherman who was very happy to row us upwards the river back to our hotel. He was chewing some leaves all the time and we were wondering what it was. He explained that the leaves give him some sort of “boost” to keep him rowing. I guess they worked because he was one hell of a fast rower. It was clear that he know what he was doing and even the strong current didn’t bother him.

The days in Varanasi went by really fast, too fast actually, therefore we will be exploring this very exciting city in summer again!

The city of Varanasi has grown along the arc of the Ganges, with the river as a focal point in one direction and growth of the city taking place in a semi-circular direction.

Alka Hotel offers one of the most spectacular views of Varanasi’s skyline.

A simple stroll along the Ghats in Varanasi will give you hundreds of wonderful photo opportunities.

Dogs roam the streets of Varanasi.

You’ll never get enough from walking through the side streets of Varanasi. It’s a real colour explosion.

The best way to explore the city is to get lost in the alleyways – the sounds, sight and smells are unbelievable. Walk along the ghats and up to the sights, this will give you the best impression of the city.

Varanasi is sacred to Hindus and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In many ways Varanasi epitomises the very best and worst aspects of India, and it can be a little overwhelming.

There are several markets in Varanasi that are well worth a trip.

Mark Twain, who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Varanasi, once wrote: “Benaras (as Varanasi was once called) is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

The best way to explore the city is to get lost in the alleyways – the sounds, sight and smells are unbelievable. Walk along the ghats and up to the sights, this will give you the best impression of the city.

People use the Ganges river for bathing, laundry, washing, eating, cleaning utensils, and brushing teeth.

We randomly ended up in this local gym in Varanasi.

Malviya Bridge is a double decker bridge over the Ganges river in Varanasi. It carries rail track on lower deck and road on the upper deck. It is one of the major bridges on the Ganges.

There is some resentment for tourists trespassing through the cremation ghats in Varanasi. You can take photographs from a distance, but you shouldn’t come too close out of respect.