Christmas at the Ganges

Our first hour in Varanasi we already knew this is a very special place on our beautiful planet. Walking in the dark with our backpacks, winding our way through the narrow streets of the old city trying to find our hotel. Hundreds of small shops that sell absolutely everything, squeezing our way past the big bulls and cows blocking the ally ways, being pushed out of the way by a family carrying their dead beloved to the burning ghats, we finally found it. We walked to the roof restaurant of our hotel and were blown away by the Mother Ganges. Little lampions floating on the river, chanting from the ghats and some last flames of the burning (cremation) ghats. Very impressive...

Varanasi is the most holy place for Hindu's to die. Many pilgrims come here to wait for their death, people of Mumbai and all over India get flown here to be cremated on the ghats.

Varanasi has 60 ghats, we are just 2 ghats away from the Burning Ghat. A large quantity of wood is piled up against the wall, small groups of people stand around the fires, one body after the other comes out of the narrow ally ways to the ghats. They are dipped in the Ganges before they are put on the pile of wood and set alight. Women are wrapped in red cloths, men in white. Women are not aloud to be at the cremation ceremony because there have been a few incidents of them jumping on the fire of their beloved. Women cry aswell, and crying is not aloud because then the soul has trouble with passing on. Children and pregnant women aren't aloud to be cremated so they are just set adrift on the river. (thank god we haven't seen that..) It is a very impressive thing to witness. Death is such a different thing in the western world. It is very much a part of life here, a new beginning so to say. For us it is the End. After the cremation the ashes are put in the river. (a ghat downstream people are bathing and drinking and doing their laundry..) Camera's are, needless to say, not aloud on this ghat.

Walking past all the ghats you see the most amazing things. Men and women bathing, Sadu's sitting around very stoned, covered in ash. people doing their own rituals to pay respect and honour the Mother Ganges.

On Christmas morning Dunc and I woke up at 5.30 and took a little row boat out on the river. It is amazing to see the sun come up and see all the magic happen around you on the ghats. Very romantic but for me the cristmas feeling was non existant. We had met some 'lonely travellers' who we adopted for a great christmas curry and lots of beer. After that, the 8 of us hopped in a boat again and saw the sun go down behind Varanasi and all the rituals for the Mother Ganges unfolded before us again. Duncan decided that he ould cleans his soul, free himself of sins, stripped down to his underware and bathed in the river. (Thank lord not completely immersed.) I just thought dangling my feet over the edge of the boat was enough..

A great Hindu christmas that was..

Lots of love from Incredible India,

Duncan and Ellen