Scindhia Guest House Varanasi

... We travelled past a mini burning ghat, where they cremate the dead and past a larger one further down then sailed back to watch the Aarti ceremony, which is when light from wicks soaked in purified butter are offered to the gods.<br> Our stay has been short and sweet but definitely worth the trip on the Ganges.<br><br><br>Nicola and Darryl x

... afternoon and the guys set up our tents, we passed the time playing cards etc then dinner arrived (all we did today was eat and sleep), and dinner was even better than lunch cos on their little wooden boat the managed to make hot chips, pasta, curry, chapati, and custard. was amazing, and of course more chai. off to bed<br><br>in the morning we got up early (more chai) and then brekkie, porridge, cornflakes, toast and chai, was ...

... the ghats (riverside holy steps and temples) with Wayne meeting me later. Just near the guesthouse and visible from the rooftop is the Manikarnika Ghat or the burning ghat where the hindu people bring their dead to be cremated on wood fires and the ashes tipped into the river ensuring a direct ascent to their heaven place and eternal life. The fires burn day and night and is supposed to be a happy event as the loved one has reached the ultimate of being cremated in this ...

... br><br>So Varanasi and the Ganges has been very nice. We took a boat ride on the river and viewed life on the ghats...people bathing, washing clothes, playing, worshipping, cows chilling in the water, monkey jumping from boat to boat, and kids playing. We watched the sunset and kids spread on rooftops for as far as the eyes could see flying ...

... potato patties, malai koftaswashed down with chai after chai after chai.<br><br>Monkeys<br><br>Gangs of monkeys would make their way onto our rooftop just before sunset everyday when we shout out monkeeeeeyyyyyy time! they create havoc by thieving anything that looks interesting, swinging around in the trees, fighting and eating any food lying around. One day i caught a monkey trying to come in our bedroom door after it had snuck in the roof door then it left a little ...

... magical Agni puja performed by a group of priests at Dasashwamedh Ghat. It's a worship to fire wherein a dedication is made to Lord Shiva, river Ganga and to the sun and the whole universe. Thousands of pilgrims sit on the ground, barefoot and grateful to be there on their holy river's banks. The priests stand on podiums to blow conch shells, wave incense, fire, peacock feathers and bells to the chant of Sanskrit mantras and the clash of cymbals and drums, the river is ...

... to do list. Just riding in a boat while snapping pictures was more than enough.<br><br>The day I finally took that boat trip didn't disappoint. The river is lined with countless ghats. A ghat is basically a large, wide set of steps that descends into the river to facilitate bathing. And with all of those ghats, naturally, there were many people bathing in the absolutely putrid water. It was a peaceful journey on my small boat, however, with just me and the single boatman ...

... plenty of locals jumping in for a dip, in fact every 12 years the largest gathering of people in history takes place, and 30 million Hindus converge on Varanasi for a massive holy bathe in the Ganges. Can anyone say disease much?! <br><br>So basically the rest of Varanasi we just chilled. Danny and I were getting accustomed to the forty degree heat, and the election confined us to our hotel for the next day. We went round the corner and got a Tabla lesson ...

... beyond my control put a damper on my visit. It will remain on my list of places to return to on a future visit.<br><br> <br><br> Next: A morning trip to another important Hindu pilgrimage center and one the four venues of the 'Kumbh Mela' - Allahabad, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. Following this I will board an overnight train back to Delhi where I will catch a flight to the west coast and the former Portuguese colony of Goa on the Arabian Sea.