Good OLD Varanasi

Varanasi is one the oldest living cities on earth with over 2,000 years of history. It’s also perhaps the holiest city in India. Life here centers around the Ganges River, which draws pilgrims who bathe in the water to purify their soul. It’s considered an honor to be born or die in Varanasi, so celebrating my birthday here must mean that I will have a great year!

My birthday officially began on an overnight train from Agra. I was traveling with two cute Dutch girls, Corina and Jorise, who are cousins. We left the great unwashed masses and bribed our way into the first class cabin ($20 for all three of us). After a marvelous sunrise we arrived in Varanasi to my awaiting car. We spent the afternoon walking around the old city down to the river, which was an amazing experience. We first watched a herd of cattle taking a purifying bath right next to a dozen men taking their bath in the muddy water.

Next, we found one of the two burning ghats on the Ganges, the Harishchandra Ghat. We watched as the family members of the deceased, wearing all white, soaked the colorfully covered body in the Ganges and then built a log pile, adding the body in the middle. One person walked around the body five times lighting the logs with branches. Family members were sitting around, but no one was upset. Sometimes it takes a family a long time to raise the money for the funeral wood ($35), and in any case cremation by the Ganges is a great honor. After three hours the ashes of the body are spread in the river.

We also saw a body covered with colored silk and garland put on a boat, rowed out to the middle and sunk. Apparently there are 6 types of dead who do not need to be cremated because they are already pure like babies, pregnant women, lepers, those bitten by a Cobra… The Hindu religion is full of color and ceremony!

We had a fun birthday dinner of continental food in a garden restaurant, and then Corina and Jorise came back to my room for some cake. I splurged on a great hotel, the Clarks Hotel, which is the oldest in Varanasi. The staff is divine! They upgraded me to a suite and sent up a beautiful cake.

I believe it was auspicious to start a new year in old Varanasi.