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Varanasi
The Holiest City in India
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Varanasi is often referred to as the spiritual centre of India and it is considered the holiest city for Hindus. Most of the religious ceremonies take place along the Ganges River (or River Ganga) which in itself is considered a sacred river.
The most famous landmark in Varanasi are the 84 Ghats which dot a 7-km stretch along the River Ganga. These ghats are essentially stone steps built along the river banks. Some of them were built by Hindu Kings who wanted to die close to the sacred river hence the many majestic castle-like buildings sit along the river. Most of them have been turned into modern hotels today. Alongside are also ghats built by temples for devotees to bathe in the river and also for the cremation of bodies. From day to night, there is always a flurry of activities at the ghats.
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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.
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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.
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Varanasi is a place where many Hindus hope to be cremated in order to escape the cycle of rebirth and death (Samsara). It is believed that if a person is cremated in the River Ganga in Varanasi, he or she will be able to receive Moksha which is to have one's soul transported to heaven to achieve liberation from Samsara.
The cremation ghats are open 24/7 as there is a constant stream of bodies to be cremated. To remain respectful to the dead, I have not taken any close up photographs. Neither was I there to gawk at the burning bodies. I was more keen to learn about the culture and rituals of a Hindu cremation and what it means to Hindus.
Below is a view of a cremation ghat from the boat. The cremation is carried out using wood logs which are stockpiled high in the boat alongside as well as on the banks of the river. Billows of black smoke rise from the pyres where the bodies are cremated.
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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.
Old Varanasi
"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.
Ganga aarti
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.
Evening Walk along the Ghats
On our second day in Varanasi, we had some time in the evening on our own without a guide and we decided to take a slow and leisurely walk along the ghats. Seeing the ghats up close instead of from afar from the boat definitely gave us a chance to look more intimately at the activities on the steps of the ghats.
Bathing in the River Ganga is believed to wash away one's sins and it is a ritual observed by many of the pilgrims who have come to visit Varanasi. For some, it is a time of quiet contemplation and reflection while taking a dip in the Ganges.
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For some, it was a boisterous affair like the group of pilgrims below. The men went into the water first and were happily splashing water at one another having fun. They were shivering from the cold but kept at the splashing.
Then it was the women's turn to take a dip into the water. As you can see from the faces of the men, they were having a ball of a time pouring the water over the lady's head as she waded into the water. There was lots of screaming and chuckling going on, much to the amusement of passersby.
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A lone musician was playing his instrument and serenading the Ganga. Very often, while we were walking, there were people who broke into spontaneous chants or singing as they walked. We were taken aback initially but it seemed like a way of life for the locals. It was almost Bohemian in nature but no, he was not singing the Bohemian Rhapsody!
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The weather was cooling and perfect for an evening walk. Contrary to many reports of how it is unsafe to walk about in India, never at any point in time did we feel unsafe. Of course, common sense prevails not to walk into some dark alley or unfamiliar side road. We stuck to the main streets and the walk was pleasant.
India is a place of organised chaos, the vehicles on the roads do not seem to obey any form of rules, yet the traffic still gets on with the vehicles getting an occasional minor dent or scratch. Looking past the controlled chaos, therein lies perfection in the imperfections. There is so much to be in awe of the history of the India. The buildings are a mix mesh of new and old, some restored and some left in a dilapidated state but somehow things just seem to coexist.
Varanasi is one of the oldest places in the world which has continuously been inhabited since 800BC. The architecture, the people, the activities and the colour of the place simply cannot be replicated any where else in the world. Photographs do not do justice to the place, you have to hop on a plane to be there to see it for yourselves.
Sarnath
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.
The Grand Indian Wedding
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.
The Low Key Wedding
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.
Streets of Varanasi
India is such a colourful country that there is no lacking in photo opportunities to shoot the street scenes. I have many shots taken but I am posting only those which I think are a little more interesting and aptly bring out the essence of India.
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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.