Varanasi

Well the train to Varanasi wasn't too bad. We arrived at the station in plenty of time and were able to eat the snacks prepared by the hotel before boarding the train at 10.30. We were issued with sheets, blankets and pillows and allocated bunks, 3 deep with 6 in each compartment and two others on the opposite side of the corridor. We were lucky as six from our group shared a compartment, but some of the others shared with people who came off the train at different times in the night so they were more disrupted. We both actually slept reasonably well till 6 a.m. After four more hours we were in Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world and also one of the busiest. It was straight to the hotel then out for a meal before our rooms were ready. Everyone was so tired that the plans for the day were changed and we rested before the evening visit to a Hindu school and to the river to see the famous ghats and a river boat ride.


The Hindu school takes boys from the Brahmin caste from the age of about 8 or 9 for 4 years. They have an intense education, learning the Sanskrit language and the ceremonies of their religion. The caste system has been explained to us but does not always make sense or seem fair. It's such a priviledge to share these experiences and to meet people like this, certainly very well behaved boys but since they only accept 10 out of 200 applications each year then they certainly should be well motivated. They are dressed in saffron and have bare feet and only go out one day a week.

For Hindus Varanasi (previously Benares)is their most holy city. Hindus want to come to Varanasi to die and you see many old people along the banks. Cremations are carried out at two places along the banks of the Ganges, known as the burning ghats, and these go on 24 hours a day. There are huge piles of wood stacked up on the steps of the Ghats. There are too many interesting things about Varanasi to put on the blog so that will have to wait for the slide show. We took part in a candle flower ceremony where we could make a wish, one of the many occasions we have been invited to make a wish in India.

The boat took us down river to see the ghats and naturally we did not take pictures once we saw the funeral pyres close up. We were told that no one is sad as it is a great wish of Hindus to die and be cremated there. The boats then gathered opposite another ghat site to watch an evening ceremony, half prayers and half sound and light show. A cycle rickshaw took us miles to a restaurant well beyond our hotel. We were so sorry for the poor man taking us such a distance that after paying him 100 rupees (about one pound 30) we gave him the same again as a tip. Some people don't earn their tip but he certainly did. The policeman directing traffic caused us great amusement as he was using what looked like a light sabre in the dark. Sadly we didn't get a picture but then again we might have been arrested. The restaurant was very pleasant and we were pleased to sit down with food and drink after such a busy day.