The Holy Ganges -Varanasi

Early morning boat ride


20th October . An overnight train from Kolkata-8.15 pm to Varanasi 9.45am.

The Lonely Planet states " Brace yourself!" and they are not wrong. This city was previously known as the "City of Life"- Kashi. This is one of the worlds oldest inhabited cities and one of the holiest places in India. Intimate rituals of life and death are performed here for all to observe.

It is colourful, chaotic and 'apologetically indiscreet'. Your olfactory system will be heightened to the the smell of rubbish, cows and buffalo, curry and excrement .

Hindu pilgrims come to the many ghats which line the river Ganges to bath themselves and the buffalo , cremate their loved ones, and discard their rubbish, some of which are carried out simultaneously.

On arrival I just stood and looked and thought why on earth did we come here! After a nights sleep we braved the city and yes it is true, it is amazing , unbelievable, disgusting, and very memorable for all of these reasons.

The Ganges

Fact: Water safe for bathing should have less than 500 faecal coliforms of bacteria per litre of water . The Ganges has 1.5 million! In some places the water is actually septic.
There are 32 points of raw sewerage flowing directly into the river
Not one of the 116 cities along the river stops sewerage from entering.

There is a campaign to clean up the Ganges by the development of sewerage treatment system and according to what I have read this could occur by 2014 if the government support this and don't do another 'U' turn on it .

We took an early morning river cruise ( 5.30) up the Ganges stopping at some of the Ghats where people were bathing, doing their teeth , washing clothes and sitting chatting whilst bathing.( photo) and fishing ( photo)


Above - Fishing and Washing clothes( not ours I hope!)

The rubbish

Cremation

Many of the ghats are also used for cremation of loved ones. The main burning ghat is Manikarnika . The deceased person is first wrapped in cloth and carried on a bamboo litter to the ghat and dipped in the river. After it is dry the body is placed on the special wood and burned on the ghat over night. In the morning the ashes are collected and cast in the river . The eldest son makes all the arrangements.

There is also a crematorium along on the river where more western cremations occur and the ashes are then cast into the river.