India - A cleansing bath in Varanasi

"Brace yourself. You're about to enter one of the most blindingly colourful, unrelentingly chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth. Varanasi takes no prisoners..." (LP)

And it is true, Varanasi - the beating heart of the Hindu universe - is intense. And hot, this time we had 47 degree. If you think that the city is a big tourist trap, well I don't think it is. Yes there are souvenirs, but they are for the pilgrims, not for the few Western tourists who usually don't understand too much of the rituals anyway. I haven't been to Rome, but from what I have heard, this is much more real. People come to pray and immerse themselves in the holy spirit of the city.

The interesting bit is the Old City along the Ganges, the holy river. Here you find one ghat besides the next one - all along the wateredge with a lot of stairs. Most ghats are used for bathing, but there are also some burning ghats where bodies are being cremated and the ashes spread in the river. Every night there is a big 'puja' - an offering with prayers. Thousands of pilgrims come for that, light a floating candle on the river, take their bath and pray. The Old City itself is a maze of little backstreet even too small for a rickshaw - well but never to small for a cow.

And no, I didn't take a bath in the Ganges. If, then I would probably not be able to write as the water is freaking toxic and full of rubbish - I guess a strong belief kills bacteria...
more images

The Ganges with its 80 ghats.

'Boat, you want boat?'
 - there is no lack of boatsmen who take you around for R100 ($2) an hour

Actually yoga in water is not that easy

Once the sun rises - at 5am - pilgrims of all age...

...and condition...

...and shape, gather along the river to bath, pray...
(by the way, watch the guy in the back - he is cleaning his tongue with a string)

...and fish (would you eat the fish?)...

...fight with the feral dogs...

...watch other swimmers...

...and wash their clothes.

Mixed bath today

Once the sun goes down, pilgrims start to gather for the puja

Flaoting candles, flowers and...well, yes, mostly rubbish.

Best seats are on boats

It is getting crowded quickly!

Boats are in demand

South Indian women shave their heads as an offering - I wonder what
happens to all the beautiful long black hair?

The burning ghat - they cremate bodies 24/7 here

The price of a cremation is determined by the amount and type of fire wood

With 47degree even the cows come to rest in the shade

Rapunzel, Rapunzel lass Dein Haar herunter - ah, no it's her saari