Varanasi-Holiest of Hindu cities was unbearable

12.05.2019

Varanasi, a city of 1.5 million, lies on the Ganges River; Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first sermon

Varanasi, a city of 1.5+ million, lies on the Ganges River; Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first sermon

The group took sunset and sunrise boat trips on the Ganges without me since I was suffering from a severe and prolonged case of Delhi belly

The Manikarnika Ghat, one of the oldest in Varanasi; according to Hinduism, it is believed that a dead human's soul finds salvation, when cremated here

The trash and filth were indescribable in Varanasi; for such an important religious site you might expect the faithful to keep it clean but many are very poor and the infrastructure here is minimal

Hindus believe that death in Varanasi will bring salvation, making it a major center for pilgrimage; the city is known worldwide for its many ghats, embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions

Indian Prime Minister Modi represents Varanasi; the old town features narrow alleys full of trash and excrement where you constantly had to keep your mouth closed due to flies

Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and for the spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony; each ghat is associated with a particular temple (there are 23000 temples here)

Locals feed the cows since there is nowhere for them to graze; of the 115 countries I've visited. I'd have to say India has been my least favorite

After a sunrise boat trip on the Ganges, everyone on the tour except me took a yoga class; Jonathan accomplished his first headstand

India has been much more third world than the countries on the SE Asia tour; silk weaving is the dominant industry in Varanasi with nearly half a million Muslims working as weavers, dyers, sari finishers, and salespersons

Bodies are being cremated at this ghat; like other large Indian cities, Varanasi is loud, crowded and chaotic; the locals seemed used to it but for me it was overwhelming

Posted by VagabondCowboy 02:36