Febuary 2013
Varanasi, Central India (The Ganges River)
This is the holy city which you may remember from geography class. Famous because they burn dead bodies here. I remember my classmates thought it was fascinating. it is the holiest city of the 7 sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism and the spiritual capital of India. The belief is that death at Varnasi brings you salvation. Consequently, if some people feel they are close to dying they will come here. Or their bodies will be brought here by their relatives to be self-cremated.
A very basic cremation costs $200 US dollars which is a lot of money for most Indians. You can tell how much money familes have when they are cremated because the ones that have a lot of money will be able to purchase a lot of wood for the cremation and the ceremony will be faster than if you don't have much money and can only afford a smaller amount of wood.
Small children, pregnant women, suicide or murdered people are not cremated and are taken out to the river with weighted stones. People who cannot afford the costly wood are also put into the river with a small fire ceremony on the shore
Mornings and sunset are popular times to hop in a boat and watch the shore.
The Main Ghat (stairs). There are about 100 sets of stairs but this is the 'Main Ghat'.
Main Ghat.
Main Ghat.
Morning chai on the ghats.
Always walking around the cows.
Washing along the Gagnes is an ancient tradition.
Roof top vew. Monkey land. They getaround quickly.
Bathers, socializing, boat rides, it's all here.
Picnic on the ghats.
It was really cold in the early morning and they were doing the dunk.
I didn't mind the animals here. This is a very wide alley. The narrow alleys were harder to get used to. When cow poop got on my clothes I started to get annoyed.
Thiese are huge stacks of wood for the approximately 200 people
that will get cremated here.
Fire ceremonies are done here at night.
It's big business here at the ghat.
They are selling flowers and water bottles to bring home Ganges water.
This little machine puts the straw in little bundles.
I went to the other side in a boat and walked back.
Water well system.
Little stalls like this are all over in the tiniest little nooks and crannies.
An economical brides headress on the left and the grooms on the right.
Color sold in the markets for putting a holy mark on your forehead and other uses.
The holiest symbol of all. The god Shiva. The shape is a womens vagina and a man's penis, thus being every person's beginning. Hindus believe we did not have a say in how we got here but after that, it is up to each one of us how to live our lives.
