Varanasi: The Eternal City of Shiva on the Ganges

Varanasi (Benares, Kashi) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth — occupied for at least 3,000 years, with some claims of 5,000. For Hindus, it is the holiest city in the world: dying in Varanasi and being cremated on its ghats is believed to guarantee moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). The city is the embodiment of the Hindu philosophical tradition made physical — the Ganges, the cremation fires, the sadhus (holy men), the ritual bathing, and the 88 ghats (stone stairways to the river) where all of this happens simultaneously.

Varanasi is confronting, beautiful, and impossible to be indifferent to.

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The Ghats

The 88 ghats line the western bank of the Ganges for 6.5 km — a continuous stone stairway descending to the river, each section managed by a different community, religious organization, or maharaja. At dawn, the ghats host simultaneous bathing (pilgrims), yoga, cremation, boat launching, and the morning prayers of the temples above.

The dawn boat ride: The definitive Varanasi experience — a wooden rowing boat on the Ganges from Dashashwamedh Ghat (the central ghat) north and south at sunrise (5:30–7 AM). The view from the water, looking at the ghats and the rising sun, is one of the most powerful visual experiences in India. Negotiate boat hire the evening before; fixed-price boats from the Tourism Centre are S/400–600 for a 1.5-hour sunrise ride. Private boatmen charge ₹200–500.

Dashashwamedh Ghat: The most important and most crowded ghat — the site of the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony and the main bathing ghat. The Brahmin priests who manage the ghat have been doing so for generations.

Assi Ghat: The southernmost major ghat — less commercial than the center ghats, with a more local character. The evening here (yoga practitioners, music, food stalls) is the best casual experience of Varanasi’s daily life.

Manikarnika Ghat: The principal cremation ghat — fires burning 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Approximately 100 bodies are cremated here daily; the families of the deceased arrange the wood purchase (the price of a cremation depends on the quality and quantity of wood) through the doms (the caste community that manages cremations).

Photography at Manikarnika: Do not photograph the cremation fires or the bodies — this is a serious religious site and a genuine funeral. Walk past respectfully; the doms may invite visitors to observe from a distance as part of the understanding that death is public here.

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Ganga Aarti

Every evening at sunset at Dashashwamedh Ghat — a ceremony of 7 priests performing a 45-minute ritual with fire, incense, conch shells, and coordinated movements, the entire ceremony accompanied by drums, bells, and chanting. The ceremony is performed facing the Ganges; the river is the deity being honored.

The crowds for the evening Aarti are significant (thousands gather on the ghat steps and in boats on the river). The best view is from a boat; arrive 30 minutes early to secure a position. The ceremony is genuine religious practice that happens to occur in front of tourists — treat it accordingly.

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The Old City (Lanes Behind the Ghats)

The lanes (galis) behind the ghats are among the most compressed urban environments in Asia — lanes too narrow for motorbikes in some sections, lined with shops, temples, shrines, and residential doorways. The density of temples (400+ within the old city) means that every 50 meters is a different deity, different caste community, different ritual in progress.

Vishwanath (Golden) Temple: The most sacred Shiva temple in India — the current building dates from 1780 (the Mughal emperors demolished two previous structures; the mosque built on the demolished temple’s plinth is still adjacent and visible, the source of significant Hindu-Muslim tension). Non-Hindus cannot enter the main shrine but can see the golden spires from the surrounding buildings. Security is heavy; cameras not permitted.

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Sarnath

10 km north of Varanasi — the site where Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) gave his first teaching after his enlightenment, approximately 500 BCE. The Dhamek Stupa (500 CE, 43 m) marks the spot of the teaching; the surrounding deer park is the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, still maintained by Buddhist monks. The Sarnath Museum (next to the site) has the Lion Capital of Ashoka (250 BCE) — the original of the symbol used on the Indian flag. One of the most significant sites in world religious history.

Accessible by auto-rickshaw from Varanasi (₹200–300 round trip, 30 minutes each way).

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Practical Notes

• Getting to Varanasi: Flights from Delhi (1.5 hours, ₹2,000–5,000) and Mumbai. Overnight trains from Delhi (Kashi Express, 12 hours) and Mumbai (12–14 hours)
• Getting around: The old city (ghats + lanes) is navigable only on foot — the lanes are too narrow for vehicles, and the ghat path runs 6 km. Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws for ghat-to-station or hotel connections
• Accommodation: The best choice is a guesthouse directly on the ghats — waking to the sound of the river and stepping directly to the boat is the Varanasi experience. Brijrama Palace (on Darbhanga Ghat) and Hotel Ganges View (Assi Ghat) are the most atmospheric mid-range options
• Best time: October–February for comfortable temperatures (15–25°C) and clear Ganges. Summer (April–June) is extremely hot (40°C+). Monsoon (July–September) floods the lower ghats