Varanasi: The City of Burning, Bathing, and Learning*

So after a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment with some American friends (see picture above from the potluck eating frenzy), we chose to fly to Varanasi for our three day weekend along with Waciuma.

Simply put, Varanasi is an incredible city. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited city in the world and throughout the north bank of the Ganges river, Hindus ritually bath in the holy waters, pray to the river, light small candles on leaves to float out as prayers, sing and chant prayers, cremate their loved ones, wash their laundry, feed the cows, wash their water buffaloes, play cricket, sell flowers, sell flutes, visit with the holy men and priests who roam the river steps (and avoid a few fakers that pose for the delight of the tourists) ... well, you get the idea.

It is an amazingly fascinating place. Visiting there you feel the pulse of what it means to be Hindu. This is most particularly felt at the Burning Ghat area where families bring their loved ones to move on to the next life. We watched the various steps of the process many times (as the entire process takes around 4 hours) but each time we were in awe and silence. I won't go into too much detail, but suffice it to say, we both came away from the experience with no sense of shock and gore but with an indescribable feeling of peace and understanding.

We took three boat rides at varying times of the day to get the most out of the different colors and shades that the sun brings. Pre-dawn and sunrise for the lighter tones, the 'magic hour' after sunrise for brighter colors, and at night witness the fires from the river worship ceremony and cremation areas. It was truly magical to float down the river being rowed by a smiling local.

As you can see, it will never really be possible to convey the emotions from this trip but if you've traveled to some intense places and are open for anything, give this place a try.

*Thanks to Ellen Lindgren for the inspiration behind this title