Whenever I mention how much I liked my first trip to India, friends look at me like I’m bananas. Why the hell would I want to go there? India was really not on my radar and I only agreed to go when a friend suggested we go to Bhutan for a week. No point in going anywhere for just a week so we decided to throw in India. Including Varnasi was a no-brainer. Another friend who had lived in India gave me the best advice “if you go to Varanasi, don’t get a fancy hotel out of town. Stay on the ghats in Varanasi.” (Ghats are the steps down to the river). The guest house where we stayed was lovely and had a wonderful vegetarian restaurant. However, walking to the guest house from the airport van that dropped us a few blocks away had me second guessing my decision.
India, and especially Varanasi, is not Disney World. You need to be prepared to see abject poverty, wandering cows, cremation of the dead, dirty and crowded alleys, and the extremely polluted river Ganges where people bathe, wash their clothes, and clean their animals. On the other hand, you will be rewarded with an enriching immersion of a fascinating culture, a nightly spiritual ritual, friendly, gracious people, and beautiful mornings on the Ganges.
The nightly celebration of Ganga Aarti
There are several highlights to staying on the ghats in Varanasi. One is the nightly celebration of Ganga Aarti, a mesmerizing ritual in which seven priests offer prayers to the sacred river, Mother Ganga. It’s accompanied by hymns, incense, and the flickering flames of diyas (gas oil lights). Tourists in hundreds of boats are off shore watching the ceremony. But we had the best ringside seat to photograph the spectacle. Don’t believe me? Look at these two images! (Click on images for full view.)
Explore the labyrinth of alleyways
The best way to see life on a daily basis is to get out on the the ghats and start exploring the alleys. Immerse yourself in the mixture of smells, the shops, the markets, the architecture, and street food. Embrace the chaos and charm of the alleyways for an authentic glimpse into the heart of Varanasi.
On the waterfront
Strolling the ghats is one treat after another. Watch people bathing, washing clothes, their animals and more. India is one of the few places I have traveled where the locals REQUEST that you take their photo! Heaven to a photographer.
Viewing Varanasi
Another treat when you are in Varanasi is to view it from Mother Ganga, the River Ganges. We hired a young man to row us down the river at dawn to view the morning ceremony of Ganga Aaarti. Not as spectacular as the one at night but still moving. It’s fabulous to see the ghats from the river’s point of view.
Don’t want to go to India? I totally get it. I didn’t either. But note what I wrote in the first paragraph. I said ‘first trip’. I can’t wait to get back. I’ve already starting planning.
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