Penelope's blog: Hello India! Part 7- Varanasi

Beautiful early morning light on the Ganges

Art work on the banks of the Ganges

A child washing dishes in the Ganges

I arrived in Varanasi, the greatest of Hindu cities, from Rishikesh. An epic journey- my longest in India - partly due to it being the slow train, 22 hours in total.

Varanasi, also known as Benaras, stretches along the crescent of the river Ganges, and it's ghats ( steps to the water) are the most famous in India and where thousands come to bathe in its waters daily. Known to devotees as Kashi ( City of Light) and founded by Lord Shiva, Varanasi is one of the most continuously inhabited and oldest cities in the world.

It is also famous for its 'burning ghats', where bodies are cremated before the ashes scattered in the sacred river. Anyone who does in Varanasi attains instant enlightenment do many elderly come here to live out their final days.

I was in Varanasi at the time of the festival to Lord Shiva ( mentioned in my Rishikesh blog) so the narrow alleyways full of people and animals, were even more cramped and tight than normal as devotees crowded through on their way to the holy ' Vishwanatha or Golden Temple' . The back streets are not always easy to navigate as piles of rubbish are strewn everywhere, animals - dogs, pigs, buffalos and the ever present cows - wandering and picking through the rubbish. Cow dung was an ever present problem too, having to dodge it that is. And on the monsoon rain, it created rivers of very nasty water to wade through. Nice.

On arrival at the station, I managed to avoid the notorious touts and auto rickshaw drivers by contacting my choice of accommodation - Shanti Guesthouse ( near the Manikarnika or Burning Ghat) - and insisting that they collected me ( Alex who I had met in Rishikesh had recommended I do this) and therefore ensuring a 'free' auto rickshaw ride, something I had never received before and didn't expect to again! It was a sound choice, my room was clean ( although without a window) and the guesthouse provided free Ganges boat trips at sunrise and sunset, and I got up early the next morning for the 5am trip to see the ghats come to life as the sun rose.

After checking in and showering, the light of the day was fading so I decided before dark to explore the immediate area. Marnkarnika Ghat, as I mentioned previously, is the 'burning' ghat and as its name suggests, it is the main cremation ground. Burnings happen all day and night, and bodies are carried through the narrow alleyways to the ghat, constantly. It was easy to find yourself in he midst of a burial procession in this area. As I arrived, the ghat was busy with funeral parties and those involved in building the fires ( there are stacks of logs everywhere- being delivered on boats, being stacked or prepared for a pyre, alongside the Doms - the Untouchable guardians facilitating the process of the final release). There were all sorts of people hanging around - those offering to talk you through the proceedings, insisting they were not 'guides', people clearing the scenes of fires or building new ones and the ever present cows, dogs and circling birds.

It was a fascinating scene and I was to revisit a few times, seeing bodies cremated so publicly is not something we are used to. I saw one very clearly, its head visible as the lower half of the body burned. Relatives do not cry so the scene felt strange. I saw two men of the funeral party passing a mobile phone whilst dogs scampered and scavenged amongst the ashes of the burning body. All around preparations were being made for another burning as a body had arrived, shrouded in material and shiny orange and gold paper, the remnants and remains of these were scattered in the filth and debris all around and up to the edges of the water. The smell is not an unpleasant one as you would expect as the bodies are doused in oils, particularly sandalwood. I did notice some recycling taking place too as the bamboo used to make the stretchers carrying the corpses were being collected to be used again.

On the early morning boat trip on the river, I met fellow travellers who I was to spend time with over the next 24 hours. I did a walk all the way down to the southern Asi Ghat with two Irish girls. I have included pictures of some of the things we saw and people we met en route. We went into the narrow alleyways beyond the ghats to explore the Old City and found old temples , stalls, shrines, linghams and paintings on walls amidst cows literally everywhere. We had lunch at the wonderful Brown Bread Bakery Restaurant and Organic Shop which supports a children's charity and women's project from its profits. I have included a link.

Amidst the narrow lanes of the Old City is the Vishwanatha or Golden Temple. Closed to foreigners, you were able to glimpse the gold plating on its massive shikhara (spire). It is heavily guarded ( even more so due to the shiva festival - I heard tales of women scratching each other in attempts to get in ) and there were chaotic scenes at the narrow entrance. It has a troubled history due to its close proximity to a mosque- which too has to be heavily guarded to prevent attacks from Hindu fanatics of which there seemed to be many in town! I got a good vantage point to view the proceedings of youths clad in orange chanting down the narrow alleyways, a man informed me that in the last ten years there have been many outbreaks of terrorism and ethnic violence between Hindus and Muslims in this area.

My last evening in Varanasi ( and India proper as I would be travelling the next two nights) was a special one. Along with the people I had met at Shanti and a group of four Irish travellers, we congregated at the waterside or Lotus ceremony performed at the end of the day on the banks of the Ganga. It was quite something to see the rituals that are so important to Hindus in this most sacred of cities.

We finished the evening back at Brown Bread and chatted about places we had been, shared experiences and traded tips for other cities- for me it was great to pick up some some information for the last two places on my itinerary, Bodhgaya and Calcutta.

I told those assembled that it was my last night in India, and apart from Hong Kong, pretty much the last of my trip and I was asked to share the highlights and what I'd learned in my journey. It was a great night with good people and although low key, one I won't forget. My journey was almost at an end.

Next stop: Bodhgaya then Calcutta ( Kolkarta)

www.brownbreadbakery.com