Sunrise on the Ganges

Varanasi is an assault on the senses. There’s honestly no other way to describe it. It’s noisy, chaotic, colourful and messy. It’s simply seething with people, traffic, and animals. Garbage, dirt and clutter surround you at every turn. The air is hazy and filled with acrid smoke from burning pyres – you can often smell and taste it in equal measure.

This holy city of 1.4 million sits on the left bank of the Ganges River. For centuries it’s played a central role in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu religion. It’s known globally for its many ghats, and broad stone steps that lead down the river’s steep bank to the water’s edge. Thousands of pilgrims come to the ghats daily to perform rituals in the waters of the Ganges seeking purification, healing and redemption.

Two sprawling ghats, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, are used by Hindus to cremate the dead. On any given day you’ll find burning timber pyres on stone platforms, each topped by swaddled corpses. Manikarnika Ghat is often photographed by tourists thanks to the Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir (also known as Matri-rin Mahadev, or Leaning temple of Varanasi). This temple leans noticeably towards the sloping riverbank thanks to uneven subsidence of its foundations.

Our small tour group spent two days and one night in Varanasi soaking in its hustle and bustle. This included a dawn boat ride on the Ganges during our second day in town. The boat gave us an unparalleled view of the ghats and their distinctive towers, as well as the river’s right bank. Conversely, the opposing shore is a sweeping curve of broad sandbanks. Their broad expanse sits in stark contrast to the clutter and chaos on the left bank. This post’s opening image captures its relative serenity.

The ghats are best viewed from the water. Imagine gliding silently along the shoreline propelled by a local oarsman as pilgrims perform their water-born rituals. Women in colourful saris stand knee-deep in its murky waters, others stand up to their waist bathing and collecting its holy waters. Elsewhere bare-chested men can be seen immersing themselves and washing their bodies. Behind them all stands a chaotic clutter of buildings, temples and platforms bathed in the soft, warm glow of the early morning light.

Later that day we spent time wandering through brief sections of Varanasi’s more famous ghats including Dashashwamedh Ghat, the city’s main ghat. We returned to it in the evening to watch its renowned Ganga Aarti ceremony. This is a daily ritual prayer offering made to the river. It’s held at dusk and always attracts a large crowd. Several priests perform the ritual on a platform overlooking the river. This mainly involves them carrying deepam (a type of oil lamp) while moving them rhythmically in time to chanting and bhajan musicians.

In addition to the ghats, during our first day in town, we visited some of Varanasi’s other well-known sights. Our first stop was Dhamek Stupa. It’s a bulky stone pillar built in 249 B.C. by Ashoka the Great (304–232 B.C.), an Indian emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty. He eventually came to rule most of the Indian subcontinent during his decades-long reign. The 43-metre high stupa marks where Siddhartha Gautama reputedly delivered a rousing speech to five men upon attaining enlightenment. This event set in motion a religion that today boasts a following of 500 million.

We then moved onto the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. This ornate structure sits on the banks of the Ganges behind the Dashashwamedh Ghat. It’s popularly known as the ′Golden Temple′ due to the gold plating done on its 15.5-metre-high spire. Apparently, more than a tonne of gold was used in its cladding.  

Crowds were heaving when we visited. I’ve subsequently read 45,000 people visit the temple complex daily. According to our local guide, a visit to the temple and a bath in the river is believed to lead one towards spiritual liberation. As a result, Hindus from all over the world try to visit Varanasi at least once in their lifetime. 

The endless piles of logs and firewood lining laneways behind the city’s two cremation ghats were equally memorable. Cremation on the riverbank is incredibly popular. Up to three hundred people are cremated daily, a ritual that continues year-round. It takes up to 400kg of wood to cremate one body. As a result, timber is delivered by boat in an endless stream throughout the day. 

The type of wood used to build the pyres depends on the family’s choice. The rich prefer sandalwood while the poor are happy with any kind of wood. Bodies are generally dressed in a white shroud and sacred ash called “Vibhuti” is applied on the forehead. As you can imagine there’s smoke everywhere, accompanied by a steady trickle of ash. 

After two incredible days exploring the wonders of Varanasi, my small tour group of three made our way back to the central railway station for another overnight train back to New Delhi. It took us about 14 hours to make the 700km journey, arriving early morning on Saturday 2 March.

It was hard to believe how much I’d seen in seven days. Since leaving New Delhi, I’d explored the royal city of Jaipur, hunted for tigers in Ranthambore National Park, seen the Taj Mahal at dawn, wandered the desolate corridors of Fatehpur Sikri, and cruised the banks of the Ganges.

With a weekend to fill before returning to the office I spent time exploring central New Delhi. This included some of its popular landmarks such as Humayun’s Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate. Incredibly, I explored them on foot from my hotel, the opulent and centrally located Oberoi. I’ll share more in a future post.

The Indian management team was astounded that I toured the city without transport. Apparently, this wasn’t the done thing. In hindsight, I can see why. I distinctly recall the piles of human excrement and litter dotting the pavement and fence lines wherever I went. No doubt my attire also set me apart from the locals, making me a prime target for a mugging.

I eventually departed India on 12 March 2002. I returned in August, visiting Mumbai for the first time, and again with my CEO in tow in January 2004.