Day 29 - Varanasi

I'm in Varanasi... holiest of holy towns, after an overnight train from Agra. Holy cows are everywhere (and holy cow poo too). Sadhus on every street corner, and begger girls sell garlands and candles to float on the river.

I can see the Ganges from my balcony - the river is wider and slower flowing than in Rishikesh, and a dull brown colour. Everything is going on here - births and deaths. 30 sewers feed into the ganges, and bodies are contantly being cremated on the burning ghats and sprinkled into the water, whilst right next to all this hundreds of people immerse themselves in the river and use it to wash out their mouths and eyes - it's craziness. But no-one bats an eyelid - the Indians believe that the Ganga is so pure that it cleans everything instantly. It is not rare to see a body float by the boat, thumbs tied to toes, whilst the boatman simultneously leans over to drink from the river.

Shiva's presence is said to be in Varanasi, and all the death ceremonies that go on here are due to the belief that if a Hindu were to have his ashes sprinkled in the Gangta he or she would skip 7 cycles of death and rebirth - even better, if they were to die here they would go straight heaven. So the city is full of people waiting to die - but everyone is somehow quite joyful because they know they will fast-track it to heaven! So, all a bit crazy.

We went to the ghats at sunset to see the ceremony - lots of clanging and music whilst Brahmin priest waves incence and torches around in synch, very cool. Then we had dinner and coffee in a Pizzeria, enjoying the smell of incence on the breeze and a cool wind after a day of burning sunshine - bliss!