The Holy Ganges
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
38
103
Trip End
Jun 24, 2006
Varanasi,
India
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Miles travelled: 25410
After taking a 13-hour overnight train (at least there were sleeping berths, though still fairly tight on space), we arrived in Varanasi, on the banks of the river Ganges. This is one of the holiest cities in Hinduism, and pilgrims come here from all over India to offer prayers and bathe in the Ganges in order to absolve sins. There are a number of "ghats", or steps down to the water, and temples and shrines all around. In addition, cremations happen at two of the ghats, where funerals are held, bodies are burned, and the ashes scattered into the Ganges. It's quite eerie to see the piles of wood stacked up nearby, available for purchase for this purpose.
Interestingly, nearby Sarnath is also a holy place for Buddhists, as this is the place that Buddha preached his first sermon in the 6th century BC and began his movement within Hinduism that eventually evolved into its own faith. At the ruins of the monastery, his followers built a "stupa", a solid dome-like structure that marks the location of the sermon. Buddhists make pilgrimmages here to worship and pray, and we saw many clothed in burgundy robes walking around the stupa, chanting and praying, and putting dabs of gold leaf onto the structure as part of their worship.
