Day Eleven - India - 2024

A sunrise-to-sunset tour of the ancient city of Varanasi, including a boat ride on the Ganges and the famous Arti Ceremoy.

1. Ganges River Boat Tour #1

Several boats congregate in the Ganges River while multiple worshipers gather riverside, Varanasi, India.

Varanasi (also known as Banaras, Benares, and Kashi) is a Hindu pilgrimage city on the Ganges River.

Very early the next morning, we made our way down to the Ganges River for a morning boat tour. This is a very standard offering in Varanasi, and certainly one that is not to be missed. Two bits of advice: don’t feed the birds, and by absolutely no means should you touch the water!

Eighteen photographs from our morning boat tour follow.

2. Ganges River Boat Tour #2

Several boats moored along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Varanasi is known for its 84 ghats, sets of steps which lead down to the river.

3. Ganges River Boat Tour #3

Two large yellow boats and two small pink boats are moored besides a tiered balcony, Varanasi, India.

Of the 84 ghats, 82 are used for bathing and ceremonial worship, while two are used for cremation.

4. Ganges River Boat Tour #4

Multiple tied-up boats in the Ganges River rest in front of several temple buildings along the river's edge, Varanasi, India.

The only way to see these ghats is by taking a tour boat along the Ganges River.

5. Ganges River Boat Tour #5

Multiple temple buildings are seen through thick smog along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Many of the ghats were renovated into their present form in the 18th century.

6. Ganges River Boat Tour #6

Worshipers congregate and bathe in front of several temples along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Bathing in the Ganges River is believed by Hindus to cleanse one of sins.

7. Ganges River Boat Tour #7

Multiple boats are tied up in front of temples along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

It is estimated that over 100,000 visitors come to Varanasi daily for bathing and other religious ceremonies.

8. Ganges River Boat Tour #8

Multiple worshipers bathe in the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Worshipers often place floating candles in honor of Ganga, the river goddess.

9. Ganges River Boat Tour #9

Three boats are tied up along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Dying in Kashi is believed to release one from the cycle of reincarnation; as such, many elderly and ill Hindus come to Varanasi to pass away.

10. Ganges River Boat Tour #10

Boats are tied up along the Ganges River in front of multiple brightly-colored buildings, Varanasi, India.

The bodies of those recently passed are often cremated in a funeral pyre in the city, with their ashes placed into the river in a ceremony.

11. Ganges River Boat Tour #11

Several boats in the Ganges River are tied up in front of a temple, Varanasi, India.

Its overall importance means Varanasi is the holiest of the Santa Puri, or holiest cities of Hinduism.

12. Ganges River Boat Tour #12

A small white candle surrounded by yellow and red flowers being held, Varanasi, India.

Hindu and non-Hindu visitors are welcome to place a burning candle into the river.

13. Ganges River Boat Tour #13

The sun is seen through thick haze above the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

14. Ganges River Boat Tour #14

Several bright buildings are seen along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

Each of the ghats are easily identifiable from the river.

15. Ganges River Boat Tour #15

Boats are seen in the Ganges River in front of a hazy Varanasi, India.

16. Ganges River Boat Tour #16

Tourists in boats on the Ganges River feed birds, Varanasi, India.

(Like I said: don’t feed the birds….)

17. Ganges River Boat Tour #17

The sun rises over two boats in the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

18. Ganges River Boat Tour #18

The sun rises over two boats and a man riding a horse, Varanasi, India.

19. Ganges River Boat Tour #19

A stone temple leans above the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

The Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir temple has a dramatic 9-degree lean (for reference, the Tower of Pisa leans at 4 degrees.)

Thanks for your support!

20. Varanasi #1

The sun is seen in the background behind a stone tower and the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.

In addition to its 84 ghats, Varanasi is estimated to be home to 23,000 (!) religious temples.

Back on land, we undertook a short walking tour of the city center. Put simply: Varanasi is a madhouse of activity! There are wall-to-wall visitors and locals crammed into tiny alleyways surrounded on both sides by small temples, storefronts, apartment blocks, and hospice care centers, and in between them come weaving motorbikes, delivery carts, and workers carrying impossibly large parcels and building materials. There isn’t a moment’s rest in this town, and I can’t recall seeing anything like it in my entire life. Thankfully, our guide was able to safely navigate us through the chaos, but -low-key- I was relieved to get out of there.

Six photographs from the city center follow.

21. Varanasi #2

An alleyway with a steep stone staircase, Varanasi, India.

22. Varanasi #3

Boats are seen in the Ganges River through a stone archway, Varanasi, India.

23. Varanasi #4

A jumble of electrical wires in an alleyway, Varanasi, India.

24. Varanasi #5

Electrical wires run above a narrow street in Varanasi, India.

25. Varanasi #6

A painted blue mural depicting a man wearing an orange wrap standing in water appears in front of a motorcycle in an alley in Varanasi, India.

26. Varanasi #7

Three stone towers rise, Varanasi, India.

27. Mulagandha Kuti Vihara #1

A golden Buddha statue sits on a dais, Sarnath, India.

Opened in 1931, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara is a Buddhist temple in Sarnath which houses several relics associated with Gautama Buddha.

After breakfast, we made our way by van north of Varanasi’s city center towards the village of Sarnath, one of the most important sites in Buddhism. Here, we did a walking tour of some historical sites and stopped into the history museum which I didn’t realize housed two of the country’s most prominent archaeological objects (well, by prominent I mean I previously knew they existed.)

Thirteen photographs from our visit to Sarnath follow.

28. Mulagandha Kuti Vihara #2

A wall painting of Buddha, Sarnath, India.

Frescoes depicting key events in Buddha’s life are painted on the walls of Mulagandha Kuti Vihara.

29. Mulagandha Kuti Vihara #3

Large stone towers rise above a temple, Sarnath, India.

Mulagandha Kuti Vihara was completed primarily with private donations.

30. Mulagandha Kuti Vihara #4

Besides Mulagandha Kuti Vihara is a garden with prayer wheels and …

31. Mulagandha Kuti Vihara #5

A series of statues depicting Buddha giving a sermon to followers, Sarnath, India.

… A depiction of Buddha’s first sermon, which took place nearby.

32. A Modern-Age Miracle

In 2000, only about 14% of Indians had access to basic plumbing or sanitation; by 2022, this figure jumped to about 78%.

33. Sarnath #1

In 528 BCE, Gautama Buddha chose Sarnath as the site of his first sermon after achieving enlightenment.

34. Sarnath #2

A large stone brick tower rises above a small brick wall, Sarnath, India.

The 43 meter / 141 foot tall Dhamek Stupa marks the location of Buddha’s first sermon; considering this tower was constructed in the 6th century, it is considered an incredible engineering achievement.

35. Sarnath #3

Close-up of a large stone tower, Sarnath, India.

While time has worn many of the stoneworks down, the Dhamek Stupa’s exterior is still adorned with images of flowers and geometric figures.

36. Sarnath Museum #1

A stone pillar depicting lions, Sarnath, India.

The Mauryan leader Ashoka constructed a pillar at Sarnath in 250 BCE following his conversion to Buddhism; atop the pillar stood a lion capital from which two features -the wheel and the lions- were used in imagery for both the flag of the Dominion of India and the state emblem, respectively.

37. Sarnath Museum #2

An ancient statue depicting Buddha praying, Sarnath, India.

Buddha Preaching his First Sermon is a statue from the 5th century showing Gautama Buddha in a teaching pose; it is considered the preeminent depiction of Buddha.

38. Sarnath Museum #3

Sarnath Museum contains some 6,800 sculptures …

39. Sarnath Museum #4

Exterior of a large stone building behind a manicured lawn, Sarnath, India.

… And is the oldest museum of the Archaeological Survey of India.

40. Giant Buddha Statue

A large Buddha statue in front of a long lily-filled pond, Sarnath, India.

In Sarnath, there is a 25 meter / 82 foot tall statue of Buddha, believed to be the largest statue of Buddha in India.

41. Arti Ceremony #1

A dais containing Hindu religious items prepared for an evening ceremony, Varanasi, India.

An arti ceremony is a Hindu ritual in which a flame is waived to venerate deities which is often accompanied by singing; the evening arti ceremony in Varanasi is a significant attraction within the city.

We had one last order of business to attend to in Varanasi: the world-famous nighttime arti ceremony along the Ganges River. There are four types of seating for this event: the first is atop the gigantic stone steps of the surrounding ghat, second is on one of the river boats behind the ceremony, third is on the carpeted floor directly in front of and besides the ceremony, and fourth is atop little wooden platforms nearby to the ceremony; our tour guide managed to secure (read: pay) for us the latter option, and we sat with arguably the best view of the proceedings. Obviously geared for tourists (foreign and domestic alike), the arti ceremony is all the same a quite entertaining spectacle of fire, smoke, and light. I don’t normally go in for tourist-oriented shows like this, but I cannot recommend attending this enough if you happen to find yourself in Varanasi one day.

Sixteen additional photographs from the arti ceremony follow.

42. Arti Ceremony #2

A man prepares a religious ceremony, Varanasi, India.

Each night, the arti ceremony is performed at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the largest ghat in Varanasi.

43. Arti Ceremony #3

Multiple men wearing orange-colored religious garb sit atop a dais, Varanasi, India.

44. Arti Ceremony #4

A crowd gathers to watch a religious ceremony, Varanasi, India.

45. Arti Ceremony #5

A man wearing an orange religious outfit conducts a religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

46. Arti Ceremony #6

A man wearing an orange religious outfit waves incense during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

47. Arti Ceremony #7

A man wearing a religious outfit creates smoke during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

48. Arti Ceremony #8

49. Arti Ceremony #9

A crowd lights candles during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

50. Arti Ceremony #10

51. Arti Ceremony #11

Three men hold large metal candle holders above their heads during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

52. Arti Ceremony #12

A man holds a large metal candle holders above his head during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

53. Arti Ceremony #13

A man holds a large lit lantern above his head during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

54. Arti Ceremony #14

A man holds a large lit lantern during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

55. Arti Ceremony #15

A man wearing an orange religious outfit prepares flowers during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

56. Arti Ceremony #16

A man wearing an orange religious outfit throws flowers during a Hindu religious ceremony called arti, Varanasi, India.

57. Arti Ceremony #17

With that complete, we made our way back to the Meraden Grand for one last night in Varanasi. The following day would be another travel day, this time making our way back to Delhi by air before checking in again to our first hotel, the ITC Dwarka. We had a farewell dinner of sorts at a restaurant in the Embassy district of the city before turning in for the evening. While we’d be departing India the following evening, we still had one more day of exploring left!

Back to India - 2024

Varanasi