The river.
The holy town of Varanasi lines the River Ganga; rising high above it's banks. Steps down to holy river are lined with people bathing, praying and blessing most of the day. These steps are broken into sections called Ghats, and there are about 25 in total bordering the cities riverside.
The burning ghats are the most fascinating, and the best way to take a look at them as a tourist are by boat.
The fires burn 24hours, and over 300 people are cremated in them everyday. From the boat you can see the next family lining up to burn and worship their dead. A line of colourfully decorated stretchers lie on the stairs awaiting their turn to be plunged into the river before their funeral fire is built, using the best wood the family can afford, and the 5 selected family members light their loved ones fire and say goodbye.
There are no tears allowed at the burning ghats. This is a holy place and it is an honour to be sent off in this way. For many Hindus, it is in Varanasi that they will achieve moksha, the end of their life of reincarnation and the ultimate liberation.
There is a spectacular ceremony at 6.30pm every night at a Ghat in the centre of town. Hundreds of boats take to the river, containing thousands of tourists and pilgrims alike, to listening to the chanting and watch the colourful celebration of the dead.
A morning boattrip is also a pretty spectacular experience. At 5am Varanasi becomes remarkably quiet, and it's the best time to take to the water to watch the sunrise and witness the city wake up before your very eyes. Groups of family members in mourning continue their 15 days of early morning river blessings ahead of their dead's cremation. Locals wash in the river, people wash clothes, children play.
A riverside view gives you an amazing insight into the highly traditional values that this city has built into its foundation. It is a real honour to be welcomed and given the chance to witness and understand.
(Between 100-150rps per person per hour. We did an hours ride in the morning and evening. Be careful of Mosquitos, and respectful when taking photos.)
The streets.
You're offered tours wherever you go. Everyone appears to be a tour guide, and everyones uncle seems to own 'the best silk shop in Varanasi'.
We didn't do a tour, and although we did spent most of our time in one quarter of the city, we found it to be the best way to soak everything in.
You walk past all the temples, hear the chanting, see the families gathering together in preparation for their send off; the women adorned in beautiful colours and the men with white across their foreheads. Everyday, almost 300 bodies are paraded through these streets prior to their final goodbye on the banks of the river. We saw a pregnant lady being carried on her stretcher which was as hard-hitting as we could really take.
What's crazy is how de-sensitised the rest of the city is to these parades. For them this is the norm, and the holiness of their home city is seeped in every inch of the place.
It's easy to get around because popular place names and hotels are painted in bright colours all over the walls.
Rooftop beers:
There are loads of rooftop bars in the city, some far better than others. Here's our lowdown:
Hotel Alka
We stayed here, and although I wouldn't recommend the hotel, the restaurant was fantastic. Killer views, cheap food cooked fresh and to order and beers for 125rps. The pakoras are lovely, and you can get a great veg thali for 160rps which fed us both.
Puja
Loney Planet liked this place. We didn't so much. The views at Alka were better and despite advertising live classical music at 8pm, when we arrived at 7 there was no other diner in sight. We left.
Dolphin restaurant
Superb view, but you pay for it.
Brown bread bakery
There's two of these so be careful. You want the old one if anyone asks. My advice? Follow the smell of freshly baked pastries and watch out for the logo.
It's about 6 floors up, but it's clear to see why lonely planet loves this place.
We shared a still-hot cinnamon roll and a slice of lemon cake with 2 ice-cold beers and a great view on their surprisingly peaceful terrace.
A bread basket is offered regardless of what you order, and the brown soda bread is great.
A little pricey, but a backpackers hotspot for a reason.
Must dos:
The Yoga Training Centre puts on three two hour drop-in sessions a day at 8am, 10am and 4pm. We were the only two in our class and it was great. Amit and Sunil are both very knowledgeable (Amit, the most flexible man I've ever met), and the two of them took great pleasure in contorting the two sweaty messes that we were. 400rps each is a bit of a bargain too.
Make sure you also find time to pop to the 79 year old Blue Lassi (it's widely signposted). We tried our first Indian lassi there and it was amazing. Served in these cute little clay pots and just 70rps a piece, they were the perfect breakfast.
We left our mark too, by signing the walls along with the other backpackers.
Watch our for animal poo. It's everywhere. So are cows, you have to walk around them like their traffic cones.
Bring ear plugs. I've never heard noise like it at 3am.
