Varanasi

This weekend 2 other girls and I went to Varanasi. A holy city of the Hindu religion located in the state of Upper Pradesh and a 13 hours train ride away. The train was just the same as last week’s to Varanasi, just twice as long. The temperature in India has started to cool down this week and the nights are quite cold, so the unsealed windows on the train made for a long, frigid ride with only a light fleece blanket. We arrived in Varanasi at about 6:30 am on Saturday morning and decided to find a hotel before doing anything. We went to a few places and decided on a Hotel that other volunteers had stayed at. It was a bit far from the city center, but was reasonably priced ($17/night when converted), clean, and had hot water – this has become a huge luxury! We had some breakfast – eggs which have also become a luxury and are muchly craved and left to go see the Ganges River and the Ghats for which Varanasi is famous.

The Ganges River is very holy in the Hindu faith, and a trip to Varanasi to bathe in the river is a very important pilgrimage. It is said that if a Hindu is to die in Varanasi they escape the cycle of reincarnation and are transported to the afterlife regardless of which caste they belonged to as they were alive. As a result Varanasi is full of elderly and has constant funeral processions and cremations open for viewing. We were told that 300-400 people are cremated along the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi everyday. The bodies are wrapped in cloth and carried by outcasts through town on a funeral procession with the family following. The body is then dunked in the Ganges and is placed within the wood and lit on fire. It takes approximately 3 hours for the whole burning process to occur. The amount of wood required is exact and the type of wood used depends on the wealth and importance of the deceased. Immediate female family members are not allowed to view the cremation. When a woman is widowed she becomes inauspicious and often has a very difficult time making do on her own in society. As a result it was not infrequent for a woman to jump into the cremation fire of her deceased husband, taking her own life. As a result it is viewed that women are not strong enough to handle the viewing and are kept away. Even as we were at the site the only women present were foreigners. Oddly, watching the cremations did not feel creepy or morbid. The spirituality was very much present and felt by all and the place and rituals were peaceful and reflective.

We spent the day wandering up and down the River taking in the sights and people watching. We returned to the hotel for a nap before going to watch the Arti ceremony that night. An Arti is a ceremony with chanting and men doing a slow choreographed fire dance. We were given lotus petals with a candle to place in the River along with Bindis on our foreheads. We ended the night at a bakery that ran a non-profit school and women’s empowerment program, and also served fantastic continental food – spaghetti and chicken sandwiches, and beer.

Sunday morning we got up super early to have a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, a must do in Varanasi. After the stress of haggling for a reasonable price we thoroughly enjoyed our hour on the river. The morning light was beautiful as was watching all the private spiritual moments of those who make the pilgrimage to the river. We were then taken to a silk factory, Varanasi is famous for its hand woven silk, and had the experience of sitting on the floor with the shop keeper showing everything that you might want to see. We all purchased scarves and left to get some breakfast. Back to the hotel to nap and check out before a Ayurvedic massage in the afternoon. Interesting, and VERY naked but relaxing, massage; India’s incredibly modest until you hit the spa. After the massage we went to the mall and saw a movie before getting some McDonald’s for the train ride back to Delhi.