We started the day at dawn with a boat ride along the ghats. It sounds cliché to say this but the boat ride with the sun rising and the river slowly coming to life was cosmic in feeling. To view the centuries old buildings on one side and the sun rising on the opposite side makes you ponder and succumb to the Hindu belief that there is no absolute start to time,

"Space and universe is infinite and cyclical"

just as the sun rises and sets everyday.

For Singaporean readers, I am sure we are familiar with our MRT station called Dhoby Ghaut which means washerman's place in Hindi. There is a real Dhoby Ghat in the photo below where you can see bedsheets spread out on the slopes to be dried after they have been washed. If you look carefully, there is also a man practising yoga by the river bank. There are many yoga schools along the ghats catering to many foreign tourists who are drawn to the spirituality of Hinduism.

Later in the evening, we came across another cremation ghat. Quietly we stood at the steps near the cremation ghat to observe the cremation rituals being carried out. The bodies covered in an orange shroud are of married women while men or widows are covered in a white shroud. The cremation ceremony is only attended by males as it is believed that women will cry at the cremation and tears are not supposed to be left on the bodies of the deceased. The bodies are carried and carefully dipped in the river before it is brought back near the funeral pyre for a priest to perform the last rites. After some chanting, the body is then placed on the pyre of wood and set ablaze. The bodies are supposed to burn to ashes after 3 hours on the pyre and the breastbone of the deceased is then tossed into the Ganga River by the eldest son. The ashes and bones are also strewn into the river.

What struck me was how there was very little sadness or crying at the cremation ceremony. Apparently, Hindu funerals are performed to show respect and not sadness. It is also believed that the dead will be in a better world. Perhaps it is just a macho front put up in public by the males, I am sure many will grieve in private.

However, what was also striking was that on the ghat immediately next to this cremation ghat, a wedding was taking place. There was not a hint of taboo that death and marriage was happening side by side. One a sad event and the other a happy one - all happening simultaneously.

"Benares (Varanasi) is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

-Mark Twain, Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World (1897)

After our morning boat ride, we were taken by our guide for a walk in the old backstreets of Varanasi. These buildings were built long before cars came along hence the streets were narrow and sometimes only wide enough for carts to pass through. We had to stand aside and look for doorways to allow for carts and motorcycles to pass. We were early so not all the shops were open but locals were walking along the alleyways. Some were up having their breakfast at the stalls, some were already busy transporting their wares and children were all getting ready for school.

Every evening at the Dashashwamedh ghat, Ganga aarti is performed by priests in honour of the Hindu god Lord Shiva. The priests chant mantras, sing and dance with flames in the presence of a mix of locals and tourists. There is a carnival like atmosphere with many street vendors touting their wares and tourist jostling for a seat on the steps for a better view. There are also boats with open air seats docked behind the stage for a close up view of the ritual. At the end of the performance, free food is given out to queues of people.

Varanasi is not only of historical and spiritual importance to Hindus but also Buddhists because it was at Sarnath, in Varanasi, that the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. The spot where Buddha sat in meditation is found in the grounds of an ancient temple called Mulagandha Kuti Vihara and it was rebuilt in 1922. A Bodhi tree in the temple grounds marks the spot and devotees still sit below the tree with monks delivering sermons.

As we reached our hotel at the end of the first day, there was a wedding procession taking place along the streets. I gatecrashed the wedding and tagged along with the wedding guests to watch the unfolding of an Indian wedding. The groom was on a horse dressed up like a maharaja. I tried looking for the bride but she was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she would appear in the dining hall later in the event. I did not have the privilege of attending the wedding dinner to watch the later parts of the wedding.

The wedding was definitely a noisy affair - lots of fireworks, dancing, traditional drummers and even a marching band. There were also lantern bearers who walked along the sides with the guests. The whole entourage took up nearly one whole entire lane of the road and caused a traffic jam to build up. Cars were honking and trying to get past the wedding but the men and women guests dressed in their fineries seemed oblivious to the traffic. They were too busy dancing and celebrating the wedding to notice the honking going on.

It was really interesting to watch. There was so much going on that I was overwhelmed. I did not even know where to point my camera! I gave up and decided to capture the wedding on video. Have a look at the video and see what I mean by there was so much going on all at the same time.

In contrast to the grand wedding I witnessed, I saw this couple in a tuk-tuk. Presumably heading home after their wedding. It was the wedding season in India because during the months of November and December, the weather is dry and perfect for weddings. We could also hear and see fireworks going off in different parts of the city from our hotel room and they were from the different weddings taking place all over the city.

The back story of this photo below was that we were in another tuk-tuk when I saw this pair of newly weds. It was the perfect photo opportunity for me so I whipped out my camera to take some shots. As you can see, the bride was rather coy and shy. It was a challenge to focus manually in low light and also, the constant rocking of the tuk-tuk did not help. When we stopped, they moved and vice versa. I tried a few shots which all turned out blurry and I knew I had to do something quick before I lost them to the traffic. In the end, I gave up and shot a short video clip of them before they indeed disappeared within seconds. This photo is a still taken from the video. I am glad I managed to capture this scene - one of the more memorable ones for me on this trip. Not a real 'photo' in a true sense of the word but I am happy I got the moment captured nonetheless.

With this, our 2 day trip to Varanasi came to a close. I would not hesitate to visit again just so I can take a walk along the ghats again.

Bulls and cows are sacred and revered in India. Even in urban built up areas, they are free to roam wherever they want. They have the right of way even on a busy highway! Cars would usually wait patiently for them to move out of the way before continuing with their journey.

Nonchalantly squatting and keeping his balance while reading the day's news.

A sadhu walking to the main ghat.

Everyday life.

Open concept barber shop.

Sugar cane juice on a hot day.

Love birds preening each other.

Care Bears.

Not Starbucks.

Taking a brick.

This is Nandi the bull that serves as a vehicle for the Lord Shiva. Look at those well worn ears. It is believed that due to the close relationship between Nandi and Lord Shiva, if you have any wishes or requests to Lord Shiva, you may whisper into the ears of Nandi and he will try his best help to tell Lord Shiva your wishes.