Varanasi was not part of our initial itinerary, but since we had several free days after shortening our time at the ashram, Selma and I decided to visit. It was a great choice 🙂
The highlight was the Ganges river ceremony, known as the aarti ceremony, which has occurred every evening for the last 600+ years. In essence, they pay tribute to the river for providing life. It was a humbling experience, due to the passion and dedication of the priests. There was also a full moon, which contributed to the vibrant energy. With VIP seats, we had a superior view high above the throng.
Really early the next morning, we enjoyed a boat tour on the Ganges, and comfortably watched the sun lazily rise. This was followed by an eye-opening visit of a crematorium by the shores of the river. Poor people who are unable to have a proper burial are able to be burned on a pyre. Special wood, gathered by boat 500km away, masks the smell of burning flesh.
The gentleman who explained everything has been doing this volunteer work for the last 35 years. He does it for karma, so him and his family will be well provided in this life (they don’t believe in reincarnation). I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of this area, and I’m quite sure you don’t want to see bodies being turned into charcoal anyway.
In other news, Selma dropped my camera, so I’m not able to take proper pictures for the next several days while it’s being fixed. I took a few photos with my camera, but obviously the quality is not the same. To compensate, here’s a video of a honking session during a mild evening in Varanasi.