Varanasi is one of great Hindu cities in India. We arrived half dazed after a 10 hour train journey from Agra. We had the pleasure of sharing a sleeper train with 38 brazilian tourists....amazing how people are capable of trying to travel in such large groups...like a mini pilgrimage !
So how to describe Varanasi...not easy as it is sooooo atmospheric !
It is considered to be one of the oldest surviving cities in the world located on the river Ganges and is home to about 2000 temples. Ghats which are broad steps next to the river are used by people for ritual bathing and to burn the bodies of the dead.
The holy river is soooo dirty...full of chemical waste, sewage, human body and animal remains...its quite astonishing to see them drinking the special stuff...
In the narrow streets of the old town and among the temples you see every kind of character....local hurried businessmen, touts and hustlers, sadhus (saint-like holy men), the frail and the sick, beggars, white clothes wearing yogis, fat plastic- eating cows who make the alleyways their home, disgusting ill looking dogs, bewildered foreign tourists and some hyperactive green parrots. If you dislike dirt you might hate this place.... grey monsoon mud and silt from a few months ago is nicely mixed with garbage and faeces and is visible along most of the river side..... a smelly experience !
On an early morning boat ride we came across two cremation sites: you leave with some unforgettable powerful images...aghoris sadhus who apparently consume the flesh of the dead in pursuit of immortality and supernatural powers look on as human bodies are cremated....opportunistic silver seekers take advantage of the situation and search the waters for jewellery belonging to the dead, father takes his lifeless child wrapped in a cloth to be dropped into the Holy river....enough said....this is supposed to be a happy blog!
Our guesthouse here (Ram Bhavan Kautilya society) is fantastic....in the middle of all the action with a rooftop terrace for perfect guitar playing at sunset while kids have fun flying their kites. At night I sleep with my new friends: the varanasi monkeys that stare through our bedroom window. Our stay here has also coincided with yet another hindu festival (durga puja) so it's alive and buzzzzing....
In summary Varanasi rocks...truely unique unique....!
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