 Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. The oldness is to be seen in the buildings, temples and statues, but more than that, the smell of oldness is in the streets. It is everywhere, the smell of death and the smell of life. One moment you see a dead body passing by, ready to be burned at the riverside.
Another moment and you will see that Varanasi is full of details and full of simple life. Just wander the streets and you will enjoy being here. Little brown children without shoes, their eyes fully outlined with black make-up to scare away 'demons', run out of the corners and touch the hands of Westerners. "Hello, hello!" They scream continuously while they follow every white person around.
You will see that all forms of life are revered here. In Varanasi you must watch out for cows passing through the streets as these streets are narrow. The clickings of their hooves sound like high heel shoes walking on cobblestone streets. When a cow runs down a street where you are walking, quickly jump aside. But don't worry, the cows are considered holy in this country, so they are treated well, and they are friendly to human beings. |
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This is the city of death and life, of extremes, just like the country itself. But at this place the soul of India comes at you more quickly and more intently. Everything is dense; the buildings huddle so closely together that the streets are not wide enough for more than one person to pass through. But once you reach the ghat, which is the name for the riverside, the view opens up and a wide panorama stretches out before you.
One side of the river is lined with the most ancient buildings, but the other side of the river is an empty desert with some tree tops showing in the distance. Your side is alive with humanity intermingled with animal life. Goats are jumping up the walls, cows are stumbling down the stairs, water buffaloes are enjoying the sunshine on the steps and dogs are sneaking down to the 'Burning Ghat', waiting to snatch a piece of burned body that they can steal and eat. |
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| Varanasi is an ancient city of extremes that inspire conflicting feelings of wonder and repulsion. Located in the northeast of India on the banks of the Ganges River, Indians have worshipped the river for centuries and believe that it is a living god. But besides offering the river god the bodies of their dead, their prayers and endless scatterings of flowers, they also give so much trash to this god they revere. The water of the Ganges River is very polluted, but nonetheless seen as something holy. The riverbanks are defaced with all kinds of discarded plastic, yet the locals wash their clothes and bathe in this sacred soup. |
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| The Hindu religion believes that life is like a circle of reincarnations but that a body that is consigned to this river will be absolved from the need for rebirth into this reality. The deceased will be liberated from all the suffering and be freed from the "vicious cycle of life". Every couple of minutes, there is at least one dead body that passes through the city streets, with family members dancing around it, slamming on drums and ringing bells. It is an impressive sight, and it gives visitors enjoying lunch on a restaurant terrace conflicting feelings to witness a cremation procession on its way to the ghat. After a while one grows inured to the sight, and it becomes nothing more than just another dead body passing by. |
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| Many people come here for the big scene, to see these dead bodies being cremated at the 'Burning Ghat.' Before the bodies are burned, the skull has to be smashed or else it will explode under the heat of the flames. This whole happening is considered holy as well, and photography is not allowed. When you try to sneak a picture, there will always be someone to catch you. There are 'special' persons, some Hindu locals, waiting around the corner to see if anyone is breaking the no photos rule. If you are caught, these self-styled photo police will charge you a fee or will follow you everywhere until you give in and pay up. |
But the burning bodies are not the only reason to come visit Varanasi. This city is also a place to enjoy the creative flow of energy. Every night there are free India classical music concerts at almost every corner. Besides that, the sunrises and sunsets are the most powerful moments of the day.
During sunrise you can hire a boat for 50 rupees. As the sun rises behind the opposite banks of the Ganges River, a never to be forgotten scene unfolds in front of you. Your hired boat glides along, and you will view the ghats from the river. Insistent, scruffy children will try to sell you little flower candles so that you can offer a blessing to the Ganges River.
The crescent of the rising sun begins to dispel the darkness, and the noise level rises. Temples bells ring and devotees sing their chants to the new day. Life awakens. Every night during sunset, this ritual happens again in reverse. Hindu Saddhus appear at the Main Ghat. They stand on projecting rocks and dance their sacred dances, accompanied with fire, shrill music and the insistent heartbeat of drums. Then, the city goes back to sleep. |
A Remarkable Event in Varanasi:
There is always something happening in this city. During the summer of 2009, one of the major happenings was the solar eclipse of July 22, visible in its totality from this special place in India. Many people travelled days and hours just to see this three-minute wonder of nature and the universe. People from all over the world lined up at the riverside or in boats, waiting and observing the heavenly event.
As the moon slowly covered the sun, animals seem to become confused. Birds flapped frantically suddenly disoriented by the darkening and the sudden unexpected need to find a place to roost. The crowd grew restless as cultural memories reminded even the educated ones that, during such a celestial event, Hindu mythology tells of two demons, Rahu and Ketu, who swallow up the sun and take away its life giving force. Many also believe that it makes food uneatable and water undrinkable.
With the sudden darkness covering the city like a blanket, the temperature dropped and stars appeared in the indigo sky, silencing nervous locals and eliciting whispers of amazement from locals and sophisticated visitors alike. At the reappearance of the sun from behind the moon and the return of daylight, a whisper of relief went through the crowd, and people screamed, "Mahadev", which means "God is good" or "most powerful God." Chanting and singing, declared that a wonderful miracle had just happened. After all, it was a kind of miracle of planetary alignments and a unique event for those lucky enough to be in the right place to experience it.
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Varanasi is a city that will give you culture shock. You need to be cautious as there are certain people who will try to cheat you or trick you. But if you are certain of yourself, confident enough, there is nothing to worry about. If you are a woman, be sure that you dress discretely with shoulders covered, no knees showing and no cleavage. Indian men love anything that looks round to them.
Walking on the ghats (the riverside) is always a trial as well. If you try to enjoy the view of the river and the cool breezes, good luck. Every five minutes, there will be an India man, Saddhu, boat driver or silk seller that will follow you asking sometimes impertinent questions. They don’t seem to understand the word 'no', for even if you scream it in their faces, they persist.
"You want hash?"
"No, I don’t smoke or do drugs."
"You want weed?"
"No, I just told you, I don't smoke or do drugs."
"Opium?"
"Mister, are you listening to me or not? I said no, no, no!"
Then they finally stop, look down disappointed and move away. But before you know it, another man jumps out from around the next corner. Some begin with being overly friendly. They appear as a very good friend that just wants to talk to you, but soon you will find out that every person needs something in return.
This city is full of 'wanting' eyes, 'needing' eyes. The kids are begging and stare at you in craving and self-pity. It is hard, but very necessary to say, "No". Money doesn't help them; all they need is some love and compassion. If a little beggar girl comes up to you, don't give her money, but start to play with her or tell her a story. She will love it and often will reward you with a smile.
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| Accommodations Near the Ghats of Varanasi: |
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You can rent cheap rooms for not more than 400 rupees a night, right at the riverside. The rooms are reasonable, but not luxurious. It is always a surprise whether you will find electricity or not, but in the end you will realize that electricity is not always needed anyway. Some guesthouses have a balcony, but most of them have a big rooftop or roof terrace where you can enjoy the wide view of the Ganges River, while sipping your coffee.
If you enjoy the big scene of the burning bodies and Hindu rituals, stay the Burning Ghat or Main Ghat. If you prefer quiet areas, stay at Assi Ghat. Situated at the confluence of Ganga and Asi rivers, Assi Ghat is the southernmost ghat in Varanasi, where pilgrims bathe before paying their homage to Lord Shiva in the form of huge lingam situated under a peepal tree
Burning Ghat (or close to Main Ghat):
There is one guesthouse that is named Mishra Guesthouse. You can rent rooms that have a view over the burning ghat. It also has a big rooftop where you can see almost the whole river, where you can order your food or your drinks and spend the whole evening just enjoying the view and the peace. The rooms are reasonable (besides the electricity which is a main problem of varanasi anyway), and you can get a double room with attached bathroom and balcony for 300 ruupees after bargaining. The people seem quiet, but are nice.
Assi/ Shivala Ghat:
I stayed at Om Guesthouse for one month. It's a small guesthouse with a family atmosphere. The owners will come by many times and try to start a friendly conversation with you. The attendants are very friendly and open. There is a small rooftop that has a view of a green field, two temples and the river. The area around the guesthouse is full of little houses where poor families live, so if you walk out of the guesthouse, little children will welcome you and say 'hello' all the time. The rooms are reasonable, there is electricity 24 hours and attached bathrooms. They just don't have balconies. The double rooms will be around 300/400 ruupees a night if you bargain.
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| Yes, this is the city of burning and learning, of being aware and being ignorant, of being harsh and being friendly. Staying here does something to a person. It changes everyone in a way. This is the only place in India that is so ancient and shows the real 'raw' side of India, of how it used to be back in the old days. It is the city of wonders and extremes. |
PHOTO CREDITS: Timothy Bieler, Sarah Mulders |
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