Saving souls in Varanasi

To be honest I didn't really have a massive expectation about Varanasi. I obviously wanted to go there, it's the mecca for Hindu's, one of the oldest cities in the world and one of the most spiritual too - the holy city of India. That said watching families cremate their loved ones on the banks of the Ganges seemed slightly strange to me. Almost vauyeristic. I didn't really know what to expect or more to the point how I'd feel about it. Not sure how I would've felt if 50 or so tourists started taking photos of my grandmothers funeral!

According to the Hindu mythology, Varanasi liberates soul from human body to the ultimate. It is the Ganga Ghats of Varanasi that complement the concept of divinity. Ghats of Ganga are perhaps the holiest spots of Varanasi. The Ganga Ghats at Varanasi are full of pilgrims who flock to the place to take a dip in the holy Ganges, which is believed to absolve one from all sins.

The whole dipping in the Ganges completely freaked me out. My sides nearly split with laughter when a guy told me he was going to bath in the Ganges as another guy he'd met previously had boasted about how he'd done it. 'LIAR' I roared at the poor unsuspecting guy. He was only telling me what he was thinking of doing poor man. Bathing in the Ganges isn't the wisest thing to do seeing as the water is sepetic but hey it wasn't as though he was about to committ murder!! I naturally took great delight in telling the wannabe bathing Ganges man that he would probably end up in hospital for many, many months if he even so much as dipped his toe in the water. He looked horrified. I inwardly applauded myself at saving a soul!!

Sun rise and sun set floating down a the Ganges in a wooden fishing boat was breath taking. Dare I say a real moment. For me watching the sun set over the Ganges was most memorable. We sailed down the Ganges as a sitar (classical Indian guitar) played classical Indian music. Very sereen and peaceful and definately out of the norm in terms of how I usually would spend a Friday night - which would normally include a large amount of vodka, a few packets of Marly's and telling someone how they should live their life and/or offering relationship advice of which I know so much about!!