Varanasi is pronounced as Baranasi. It’s an ancient city and one of the most holy cities for Hindus. The city is also called Benares by locals. It was my second day in India when I arrived in Varanasi by train. Travelling by train in India is an adventure itself. The train stations are busy and chaotic and a rule of thumb is to follow the crowd.

I thought the hostel was not so far away from the station but after a 40-minute tuktuk ride I arrived at my destination. I believed it was possibly to walk a few kilometres with a big backpack. Well, it is not. Not in India anyway. The dusty roads are full of people, motorcycles, cars, buses, ox-carts, chickens, cows, goats, street vendors selling fruit and vegetables, animal and human feces, garbage and much more. More challenging is the constant noise. Imagine streets where buses, bikes, cars, trucks and humans are lining up and they constantly use their horns.

Varanasi takes time to get used to

I remember my first week in Varanasi and the frustration I felt because of the excessive noise. What the point of using the horn when everyone is ignoring it? I must admit it does work. After a few days you can recognize what kind of vehicle is behind you when they use the horn. Busses and trucks often have a sort of melody or tune instead of a horn. When I walk on the street, and no, there is no pedestrian sidewalk, the horns warn you for an approaching vehicle .So, there is sort of a system in using them. However, it could be used less. But old habits die hard! What else can you expect from an ancient and overpopulated city where 1.2 million people live?

Doing laundry in the world’s most polluted river!

I stayed in a hostel at the southside of Assi Ghat. When the staff showed me, which bunkbed was mine I noticed that the sheets were not clean. There were a few stains on them. Probably old sheets I thought. The next day I walked along the Ganges river and saw women wash sheets from hotels in the river. Usually I wouldn’t care but the Ganges river is not a very clean river. And by not very clean I mean that the Ganges is heavily polluted.

You don’t need to read any reports or articles to proof this. You can see and smell it. If you do read articles about the pollution in the Ganges some people refer to the river as a sewer. The river is used by 450 million people for garbage disposal and also as drinking water. Now I knew where the stains in my sheets came from. That night I used a sarong as a sheet and my own pillowcase. I’ve never been happier with my own pillowcase.

Burning Ghats

Along the riverside in the city centre are 80 Ghats. Most of these ghats are bathing ghats and used for bathing rituals. The Hindus wash themselves in the holy river and they believe it can wash away sins and cure diseases. The last one is a bit ironic because some people get sick after a dip in the river. There are also two burning Ghats. These two Ghats are used to cremate people and are open for public. The Manikarnika Ghat in the Old City is the main burning Ghat. They cremate bodies 24/7 and the ashes are scattered in Ganges. Sometimes when you are lucky (or unlucky) you see a body floating down the river. And no, you don’t see the actual bodies because they are wrapped in a cloth. But the idea can be a little macabre for the faint hearted.

More shocking are the burning bodies in the Ghats. If you don’t want to see it up close you can watch the open fires from a distance. You can hire a boat and the best time to go is at dusk or dawn. I went on a boattrip at sunset and by the time I was at the Manikarnika Ghat it was dark. The fires, smoke and the smell of burning flesh makes the experiences even more fascinating. And scary. When I sat in the boat watching human bodies being cremated I thought for a moment I was watching a movie. 

Exploring the Old City

The next day I explored the Old City. When you walk around  it’s easy to get lost in the small and narrow streets. In this area you will find tiny street shops, local and western style restaurants and many guest houses/ hotels. There is even a part with a few cow-stables. If you walk next to the stables the alleyways are filled with hay and cow shit. It smells like hell. My first thought was; this is what Europe look liked in the Middle Age!

Varanasi is an interesting and colourful city but not for everyone. In the weeks after my visit to this holy place I have talked to many Indians who never visited the city. They have heard stories from friends and family and find the city unhygienic (it is) and fear they get a disease from washing themselves in the river (they won’t be the first). Some of the younger Indians are not even planning to visit Varanasi. Ever!…

The city has a reputation even among Indians. Varanasi was my second city I visited in India after Gorakphur. It was challenging to start with Benares and I recommend visiting other places in India first and save Varanasi for last. As many tourists do. I have talked to a few foreigners who decided not to go because they heard negative stories about Benares. Please don’t chicken out. Try not to let other people scare you because they had a negative experience. It will an unique experience. You can prepare yourself by reading articles and other blogposts so you know what to expect. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Read more

Read more about my almost illegal entrance in India. It’s also my personal storie about my feelings to visit India the first time. Travelling alone is not always easy and India is even more challenging.

Are you planning to visit the Taj Mahal? Read my post about Tips when visiting the Taj Mahal for some useful tips.