Part 10. Varanasi

Varanasi is a large city in the far eastern Uttar Pradesh state, on the banks of River Ganges. It has been a holy city since the 6th century BC. Devout Hindus also call it Kashi ("light-filled"), and believe that it was founded by Shiva himself. For them, it's the most sacred place on Earth, the center of the Universe.

At the ghats, Varanasi.

Student artists, Varanasi.

The life of the city rotates around the ghats - sets of riverfront steps. Millions of pilgrims come here to bathe in the sacred (but heavily polluted) river, try meditation and/or yoga, or to die and be cremated on a ghat (it's said to be a surefire way of attaining nirvana).

Pilgrims, Varanasi.

Along the ghats, Varanasi.

Pilgrims, Varanasi.

The ghats are faced by palaces, temples, pavilions and hotels, some over 300 years old. But the most interesting part of the 6-km walk along the 80+ ghats is watching the people, colorful and never boring.

Laundry worker, Varanasi.

At a ghat, Varanasi.

Street in the Old City, Varanasi.

The Old City above the ghats is a maze of narrow streets, shops and temples. Tourism brought with it the usual characters: touts selling dirty hotel rooms, and 13 year-old boy geniuses in charge of Internet cafes.

Stairs into the Old City from the ghats, Varanasi.

Streetside shops, Varanasi.

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) watching sunrise, Varanasi.

Amazingly, this crowded city still has some wildlife. Bands of macaques patrol the roofs, birds hunt for flies and other insects, and a few river dolphins manage to survive in sewage-filled waters of the Ganges.

White-breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Varanasi.

Morning at the river, Varanasi.

Green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), Varanasi.

In a way, Varanasi is like a miniature version of India: desperately poor, appallingly dirty, terribly overpopulated, totally hopeless, incapable of any significant change, but pleasantly warm, surprisingly friendly, charmingly full of life, wonderfully colorful, and infinitely interesting.

Red-necked grebe (Podiceps griseigena), Varanasi.

Morning yoga, Varanasi.

Part 11: Central India

Back to Part 9

Home