#1 Must Do In Varanasi: A Boat Ride Along The Ganges River.

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. It will cost you between 150 – 400 Rupees, depending how far you want to go.

Start upriver; this means you walk upstream as far as the University complex and negotiate a boat ride from there. Don’t mind any dead body floating by … this is nothing too special in Varanasi, since lots of Hindus come here from all over India for their last days to die along the holy Ganges river.

A boat ride along the Ganges river is essential for a real Varanasi experience.

Hindus believe that they have three mothers: the mother who has given them birth, Mother India and Mother Ganga. Therefore, a ride along this majestic river is an absolute must when visiting Varanasi.

#2 Must Do In Varanasi: The Area Around Malviya Bridge.

Now you’ve already seen the Varanasi skyline from a boat view, but to be near the action, a stroll along the Ganges downstream all the way to Malviya Bridge (originally called The Dufferin Bridge) is a great experience.

The bridge is a double decker bridge, that carries rail track on lower deck and road on the upper deck. It’s interesting to watch all the different vehicles & trains cross and see the people living underneath the bridge and its corners, where they are protected from sun and rain. Malviya Bridge is the “end” of the inner holy area of Varanasi. This means if one dies in this inner circle, he will reach eternity immediately and this is also the reason why lots of “homeless” people call this bridge their home.

Walk across it and start strolling back in the direction of the city. It’s an impressive sight to see (& fell) trains cross as you stand on the riverbank. Eventually a boatman will come along and row you back upstream.

Malviya Bridge is not only an impressive sight, but also an important lifeline, since it’s also the way to Mughal Sarai train station.

Malviya Bridge in Varanasi, which was inaugurated in 1887 (originally called The Dufferin Bridge), is a double decker bridge over the Ganges river. It carries rail track on lower deck and road on the upper deck.

#3 Must Do In Varanasi: A Stroll Along The Ghats.

Every Ghat has its own meaning and use. Some Ghats are “reserved” for washing clothes and doing laundry. For example Assi Ghat is a prominent bathing Ghat, while others are dedicated to worshipping, and some are for cremation like Manikarnika Ghat, downstream from Dasaswameth Ghat (also called Main Ghat). Bathing near Tulsi Ghat is believed to get rid of leprosy. So as you can see, there’s not only lots to see, but also lots to learn about each Ghat along the Ganges river.

Taking a stroll along the Ghats in Varanasi is a must for every visitor.

Kids jumping into the Ganges river while walking along the Ghats in Varanasi.

The skyline of Varanasi is one you will never forget.

#4 Must Do In Varanasi: Varanasi From Above.

There are many hotels with roof terraces – either with a restaurant, or a private balcony adjoining the room. We suggest to have lunch at one of these places to see Varanasi from above. Good places are: Alka Hotel, Ganpati guest house and Temple Hotel. Alka hotel and Ganpati guest house are good options for your entire stay in Varanasi.

Again, you’ll most probably see the occasional body floating by, which is about as normal as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The water of the Ganges river is holy and many visitors bring is back home in carafes.

The view from the balcony of the Alka Hotel in Varanasi will give you several amazing photo opportunities.

#5 Must Do In Varanasi: Exploring The Winding Side Streets.

The old town is dotted with small alleys, so just leave the main road, turn left or right and you will come to see some unusual places. Don’t worry about getting lost, because sooner or later you’ll end up either in front of the river or on a main street. A compass or Google Maps is a good choice not to lose direction.

Out intention was to find the place where the bodies arrive in the city. We asked our way through some stores, until one guy finally told us that we should stroll around the area near the town hall. We sat down in a hardware store at the corner and the owner was very keen to explain all the things surrounding a body’s arrival…

The old city of Varanasi extends about two kilometres back from the river and is a maze of alleyways and streets.

There is something new and colourful to explore around every corner in Varanasi.

#6 Must Do In Varanasi: Experiencing Varanasi During A Festival.

Hundreds, or better thousands of people all dressed in orange hurdled in every little street corner during festivals in Varanasi. The police forces are relentless, worshippers have to line up and obey all the rules that are enforced on such festival occasions. Police will not hesitate to use their bamboo sticks to keep things in order. It’s a security measurement to keep such big hordes under control. Try to get somewhere on top so that you can watch the crowds from above.

Crowds of Hindus during a Krishna festival in Varanasi, India.

#7 Must Do In Varanasi: Getting A Haircut Or Beard Trim At A Local Barber.

If you’re travelling through India, you’ll notice that the hairdressers you’ll pass along the streets are barbers for men only. Lady hairdressers are mostly hidden behind closed doors or curtains. If you insist enough though, even a local barber will give you a nice wash and blow dry … and if you’re really lucky (and you’re up for it) even a haircut. Don’t worry, hair grows again… after all, no risk, no fun. Plus it’s quite relaxing when you’re out all day in a crowded city like Varanasi.

Local barbers can be found in any city or village in India, Varanasi is no exception.

A typical barber shop along the Ghats in Varanasi.

#8 Must Do In Varanasi: Eat & Drink At The Crown Bread Bakery.

So Indian food is one of our favourite foods. But when traveling though India for a couple of weeks in a row, cravings for a delicious cake or western-style food (that actually tastes like it should) arise. At the Brown Bread Bakery, all your hard effort will be rewarded. Prices are a bit higher than average, but that’s because they pay fair wages and only use organic products!

Tip: Don’t stay on the ground floor, but walk up all the way to the top for a good relaxing atmosphere without the noise or bicycle or motorcycle horns.

The rooftop terrace of the Brown Bread Bakery is not only the highlight of the bakery, but Varanasi itself.

You can truly relax and enjoy the beautiful rooftop terrace of the Brown Bread Bakery in Varanasi.

The ground floor of the Brown Bread Bakery also offers a few seating possibilities and is bet used when you don’t have much time.

The Brown Bread Bakery is a famous spot in Varanasi and pretty much everyone can guide you the way here.

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.

Since I had travelled through Africa many times already, nothing could really bother me any more. I was not particularly excited to see India. Back then I was more focused on Africa.

It was a windy January day and after checking into the hotel, Nisa and I took the free shuttle bus to Connaught Place. From there we hired a Tuk-Tuk. “Where do you want to go?” the driver asked. “Well just drive around for a while. I want to see the real life in India.” I replied.

Tuk Tuks waiting for customers at the train station in New Delhi, India.

Then the trip started; first of all, I didn’t feel all that comfy in this little 3 wheeler with all the traffic but no risk, no fun. Right and left were big buses and the driver had the nerves like a leading lion between his flock. He seemed to know what he was doing. With his driving skills, he squeezed through the smallest loopholes in this gigantic traffic-mesh. I held Nisa and just thought that if it has to happen, it has to happen. Anyway, it didn’t take long for me to get used to the fact that Tuk-Tuk drivers in India are drive the way they drive.

On the first roundabout with a concrete pedestal in the middle, a bunch of kids – not older than 6 years – were sleeping around a traffic sign post; dirty, filthy, wrapped in rags … this was one of those sights that I will never forget. I looked at Nisa (who was around 10 years old back then) and cold shivers went up and down my spine.

Estimated a quarter of the Indian population live in slum areas and nobody knows exactly how many people there actually are … But one should never forget that there is a very small minority of really (!) wealthy Indians too. Sometimes you’ll read about these in the news papers around the world. For example: “Richest Indian built multimillion dollar skyscraper in Mumbai!” When reading these headlines, I wonder what these “richies” actually think of their fellow citizens?! To build something gigantic like the most expensive home in the world (with a price over 1 billion US$) in a city that has hundreds of thousands of homeless people doesn’t seem appropriate at all! What a douche bag! I wouldn’t feel comfy in my billion dollar home when I saw what was going on right around the next street corner … but that’s just me. Oh and while we’re talking about millionaires … there’s absolutely no such thing as a real “Slumdog Millionaire”. It was a weird example, created by Hollywood screenwriters sitting in their luxury houses while writing such nonsense to just make more money. Some of the child actors still living in slums. Seriously?! Many years ago on a trip through California, we bought a fridge sticker which said “Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich“. If you’ve ever been to India, you’ll know it’s true …

The next “Slumdog Millionaires”? If it’s up to Hollywood, yes.

Anyway, many years have passed now and we’ve been to India a few times and many very strange sights have crossed our path. For us Westerners, it’s not normal to see people dying in the streets, bodies being transported on roof racks, watching kids sniff glue which they found in the rubbish or even seeing corpses floating by while your eating breakfast – in India this is reality and part of the daily routine.

Carrying a dead body to the Ganges river in India.

Usually the deceased are lowered from the roof of the car and carried to the cremation area by relatives or friends. Only holy people, pregnant women and children are not cremated – these bodies are “buried” directly in the Ganges river with the result, that a lot of them surface after a while and float down with the stream. People bathing right next to a body is not unusual, especially in the very holy cities like Varanasi or Hardwar along the Ganges river. And believe it or not, you can also have the … unexpected experience of seeing a dog gnawing on left over hands or feet of not fully cremated bodies (maybe because the rain interrupted the process).

Dead body floating by in Varanasi, India.

Yes, you need to be a tough fella if you want to experience the real side of 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.

Colors of India.

Red.

Red stands for purity and therefore is the preferred color for a bride’s wedding garment. Red is also the color associated with one of the most revered goddesses in Hindu mythology – Durga. Her scarey image is enhanced by her red tongue and almost red eyes (othing for a good-night-story…).  In the southern half of India, red is the color of violence and disruption.

Women sitting on the Ghats in Varanasi, India.

White.

White is the acceptable color at funerals and ceremonies that mark death in the family (which I think is much better than black…). It’s also the only color widows are allowed to wear. White is also widely (not only in India) accepted as the color of peace and purity.

Portrait of a man with white cloths in Varanasi, India.

Orange.

Orange is the most dominat color in all of India. The orange (dark saffron) in the Indian flag stands for courage & sacrifice.The Hindus belief, orange represents the “sacral chakra”. Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Orange dressed men on the way home from the Ganges in Varanasi, India.

Blue.

Blue is the color of the sky and ocean; It’s perceived as a constant in our lives. In India the color blue is associated with Lord Krishna, one of the most favored Gods in India. If you think of the color blue & India, the city Jodhpur (known as the “Blue City” or “Sun City”) might also come to your mind. A sea of aqua blue houses are beautifully arranged side by side. The city is based right in the Thar desert, which makes it even more impressive…

Blue fabric at a market in Gangtok, India.

Green.

Green symbolizes a new beginning, harvest and happiness. It also symbolizes nature and therefore is a manifestation of God himself. Green is also the revered color of Islam; a large religious presence (about 30 %) in India.

Woman with a green Sari in Varanasi, India.

Yellow.

Yellow symbolizes sanctity and is an essential herbal ingredient applied on the body and face by women in India. When I think of yellow & India my firsth though is a yummy curry ;)

Yellow curry powder at a market in Kolkata, India.

Black.

In India, black is referred to with desirability, evil, negativity, and inertia. It represents anger and darkness and is associated with the absence of energy, barrenness, and death. It’s used as a representation of evil and to ward off evil.

Black crows in front of a slaughter house in New Delhi, India.

If possible plan ahead.

I know this is not so easy, but it definitely helps. Always remember, there are over 1 billion Indians, so trains are full at any day. If you want to travel in your preferred class, you have to plan ahead.

The perfect train-search is Iindianrail.gov.in. There is a link on the left side of the page, which gives you the availability at major stations. That’s a good way to start; type in your point of embarkation and all trains for the next 7 days will show up. I know it’s a bit of fiddling around, but a great start for your the next steps. As a foreigner you unfortunately can’t book through this site. You have to book through Cleartrip.com. On this site, it will be a lot easier if you already know which trains and classes are available. The different classes can be checked out at Seat61.com, a great train travel site for any train travel around the world. The guy who maintains this site deserves a huge “Thank you”!

So, once you have booked your ticket, you can go to Iindianrail.gov.in again and check out the left sidebar to find the train schedule with all the stations the train is going to stop in. If you print out this schedule, it helps to know if the train is late and where you are while on the train.

Once at the station there are signs on which platform the train arrives or leaves. Sometimes the platforms change, they say it through the speakers. But if the platform changes shortly before the train enters the station, everybody starts running and this is a good indication that the train will arrive at a different platform, so go with the flow. Train carriages are indicated with little signs overhead on the platforms, or just ask someone if you need help. The trains are almost always arranged with a system. You also find all this information on Iindianrail.gov.in under information – train type information, but it’s a bit time consuming.

1st class.

Easygoing with electricity supply. It’s pretty comfortable with clean linens and it only lacks the real Indian experience. Why? Well, for example in the train stations, food sellers always tend to stay away from the first class carriages because they don’t sell a lot (most Indian travel 2nd or 3rd class). Even the pantry car guys seem to forget first class, so ask the conductor to send one guy over to order food.

I had my water kettle with an extension cord for my mobile phone, laptop, etc. with me, so brewing tea and coffee was easy.
Most Indians who travel first class are very educated people (University professors or doctors), so most of them speak very good English and therefore a nice conversation is possible.

Comfy first class on an Indian train.

2nd class.

More people travel second class and therefore the contact with the locals is more frequent. I was offered all sorts of delicacies from families who brought them onto the train. Sleeping is not as comfy as first class but you also get a pillow and blanket. There are some power plugs for re-charging you electronics.

3rd class.

Well, what can I say? If you didn’t book early enough and everything else is full, this often is the only possibility to continue your travels without waiting time. It’s packed but people are very friendly and I had the impression that stealing is not a problem. Not so fun: It’s noisy with up to 20 ventilators running and bright neon lights, so sleeping can be tough. In sleeper your best bet is the upper bunk. The conductor will help you get your space if you are helpless getting it yourself (Indians don’t seem to care about sear numbers…). The bonus of travelling third class (or as I like to call it “cattle class”): It’s so cheap that you should treat yourself to a better hotel room upon arrival. I think I paid something like 5 Euro for over 700 km.

Important Gadgets To Bring:

• Sleeping mask and ear plugs for 3rd class.
• Travel food: Bananas – even if you don’t like them, you will start to love them; no mess, easy to peel, no need to wash them & they fill the stomach without feeling stuffed up.
• (Moist) Toilet paper – in general, the toilets on trains are clean. They clean the sanitary rooms with high-pressure cleaners every few stations.
• A small towel.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me for assistance. There’s still a lot to be said but for this post, it’s enough for the moment.

India’s train stations are crowded any give time of the day.

Dead Bodies Floating In The Ganges River.

No place along its banks is more longed for at the moment of death by Hindus than Varanasi. It is the holiest place in Hinduism and often referred to as “the holy city of India“. Those who are lucky enough to die in Varanasi, are cremated on the banks of the Ganges & granted instant salvation. There are exceptions; pregnant women, children, holy people and people who died from a snake bite are not cremated but are lowered into the river. Sooner or later they will show up at the surface again … Everything might be holy in Varanasi but nobody bothers if a dead body floats by … and they float by quite often. This is something we have never seen before but it’s nothing special in India. We would say: “dawn of the dead reality show daily from your hotel terrace” … To some of you, these photos of corpses might be too much but this is the brutal reality.

Pollution Of The Ganges River.

Unfortunately this also means that there’s a lot of pollution: the Ganges river suffers from extreme pollution levels. Sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through densely populated areas. The problem is that many poor people rely on the river on a daily basis for bathing, washing, and cooking.

The people in Varanasi don’t seem to care about the pollution of the Ganges – or at least often they don’t have a choice. As I said before, for many the Ganges river is the only opportunity to take a shower. Additionally Varanasi (already a city of millions) is visited by many thousands of pilgrims each year who want to take a holy dip in the Ganges. Only this city releases around 200 million litres of untreated human sewage into the river each day…

The swiftly moving Ganges in Varanasi, especially in its upper reaches, where a bather has to grasp an anchored chain in order to not be carried away, is considered especially purifying.

The Ghats in Varanasi are always full with people, bathing, washing or praying. What the Ganges removes, however, is not necessarily physical dirt, but symbolic dirt; it wipes away the sins of the bather, not just of the present, but of a lifetime.

A snake charmer playing with an Indian Cobra in Varanasi. Snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotise a snake by playing an instrument called “pungi”. Although snakes are able to sense sound, they lack the outer ear that would enable them to hear the music. They follow the pungi that the snake charmer holds with their heads. The snake considers the person and pungi a threat and responds to it as if it were a predator.

Family fun in the Ganges river. Hindus consider the waters of the Ganges to be both pure and purifying. Nothing reclaims order from disorder more than the waters of the Ganges.

Man shaving his hair on the Ghats before taking a “holy dip” in the Ganges. Shaving the head before visiting the Ganges is thought to bring spiritual purification.

A man washing his buffaloes in the Ganges in Varanasi, India.

The old city of Varanasi extends about two kilometres back from the river and is a maze of alleyways and streets. The view from a boat floating along the Ganges river is breathtaking.

A dead body floating in the Ganges river in Varanasi. No place along the banks of the Ganges river is more longed for at the moment of death by Hindus than Varanasi, the Great Cremation Ground. Those who are lucky enough to die in Varanasi, are cremated on the banks of the Ganges, and are granted instant salvation. If the death has occurred elsewhere, salvation can be achieved by immersing the ashes in the Ganges.

If the ashes have been immersed in another body of water, a relative can still gain salvation for the deceased by journeying to the Ganges, if possible during the lunar “fortnight of the ancestors” in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin (September or October).

In Hinduism, the river Ganges is considered sacred and is personified as a goddess known as Ganga. It is worshipped by Hindus who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and liberation from the cycle of life and death. Pilgrims travel long distances to immerse the ashes of their kin in the precious water of the Ganges.