Musings of a Wandering Mind

Varanasi / Banaras / Kashi – Life on the Ghats

Auli -> Rishikesh -> Corbett National Park -> Varanasi -> Agra

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In all the days that I was in Varanasi, I never missed morning and evening walks on the ghats. I would start from Assi Ghat where I stayed, and walk up to Dasaswamedh ghat, and sometimes to Manikarnika ghat. Twice, I took the boat but decided that the walks are more appealing. Each day there was something new and interesting to see and experience.

A view of the ghats from the boat early in the morning

Religion and religious practices are the most dominant experiences on the ghats. No matter what time you are there, you always see someone indulging in a ritual or the other. It could be as simple as a woman going round the peepul tree, a holy dip or a sadhu meditating, or a celebration as complex and elaborate as the Ganga Aarti.

A Sadhu makes offering(arghya) to sun god

For a keen observer, Varanasi has much more than the religious extravaganza. In the days that I walked on the ghats, I was amused to see even Mynahs, pigeons and water buffalos take time to bathe in the same holy water!

Water buffalos having a good time!

While the Mynahs hopped in and out of water, buffalos were blissfully happy to cool off in the river. Mynahs were lucky to be fed by the pilgrims every now and then. I liked it when they walked very close to me without any fear.

Myna’s Bath!

There were plenty of monkeys too that begged from the pilgrims and sat in a huddle when they had enough of food. Parakeets dwelling in the holes in the walls always made ruckus. I saw kingfishers diving into the black water and emerging out with fish in the beak. Street dogs did what they always do – fight within each other and bark at strangers. Some dogs keep trying to steal food from babas. They all make up a small animal kingdom that is oblivious to the eyes of most people.

A parakeet peeks out of it’s hole!

The ghats also take the role of a mini-mall. Many items of worship can be bought at Dasaswamedh ghat. Guesthouses, hotels and restaurants are frequently seen all along the ghats, but chai shops seem to be omnipresent.

One of the many chai shops

And every chai shop came with its share of squatters who never seem to be in a hurry for anything, and so, never seem to leave. There are children all around hoping to sell flowers(deep) or asking you to come and visit the business that their elders are running. Enterprising as they are, I heard them attempting to speak French and Spanish to potential customers from across the world!

Woman drying a sari at the ghat

There are washer men washing the clothes while their women spread the saris to dry on the steps. There are ads on the walls of the ghats offering every kind of service to the curious tourist, including those of guesthouses, restaurants, music classes and silk shops.

A family resting on the steps

And people of course, are always in plenty at any point of time. Herds of pilgrims are most common. Sometimes priests escort them and sometimes they are on their own, but almost always in groups. They indulge in their holy bath and hurry to visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple, or spend time performing shraddha karma and other rituals, or just take the famed boat ride on the Ganges.

A group of women enjoying the boat ride

Jain Munis walking on the ghat

Sometimes they just squat exhausted watching life on the ghats or waiting for the evening aarti to commence. Surprising to me, few people who take a dip in the river seemed to be bothered about the sewer like condition of the water. Only once did some one talk to me sad-faced. gangaji ka itnaa pradooshan ho raha hai.. – Mother Ganges is being polluted so much.., he said, and I nodded in agreement. It is really sad to see India’s most revered river being one of the most polluted too.

Busy ghats crowded with pilgrims early in the morning

The other set of people whom I often bumped into are the tourists. They come from all over the world, and each of them seems to be fascinated by Varanasi. They come with many motives. Some come to understand India, its life and religions. Some people come to learn music, meditation and Hinduism. Some of them are so fascinated that they stay on for months. A few people are photographers who come to capture the life at Varanasi. But most are casual backpackers who have heard so much about the place and want to check it all out in a short visit. These trotters are happy to take a boat ride, take a look at the burning corpses and bathing pilgrims like objects of exhibition, and quickly zip to their next destination which is typically Agra or Jaipur.

A tourist making notes

Despite wandering on the ghats for a week, there was much more to learn, see and understand about the ghats. I could not explore much of the network of confusing gallis besides the ghats which are a big marketplace besides being much more. There was plenty of Varanasi, including the ghats and the gallis that I wanted to photograph but a week was not enough. When I left, I left with a wish that I should have spared more time for Varanasi. And I left with the intent to return.

Read more about Varanasi on paintedstork.com
* Images of Varanasi
* Travelling to Varanasi from Corbett
* Arriving at Varanasi
* Many perceptions of Varanasi
* First day at the ghats
* Boat ride on the Ganges
* An encounter on the ghats
* Photo Essay: Ganga Aarti
* Life
on the ghats
* About Varanasi