Where Is Varanasi In India ?

Varanasi – an intriguing and beautiful city which is regarded as sacred by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

Varanasi India - off the beaten track in India

If you wanted to bottle the essence of Hindu spirituality, then Varanasi would be the place to do it. Walking along the ghats along the River Ganges in this Uttar Pradesh city is not an experience that any visitor ever forgets.

While this city is very much alive, it is also fundamentally about death and rebirth. Here you can watch public cremation ceremonies at the Ganges by day and witness the Hindu aarti ritual by night. Aarti is a part of puja (worship) where light is offered to the gods at the different ghats.

Holy men (known as sadhus) as well as babas and aghoris all spend their days down at the ghats. The sadhus are holy men, often swathed in orange, babas are so-called spiritual gurus and aghoris drink the blood of the dead and cover themselves in cremation ashes.

Not all of them have good intentions so be careful. It is common for holy men to be naked and covered in powder or ashes, some adorn their penises and even do tricks with them for tourists. Varanasi is certainly not for the faint-hearted.


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