Colour, Chaos and The Ganges

Varanasi is a place like no other – a place of Pilgrimage and of historic ritual. The buildings are crumbling, rubbish is strewn all over the streets, there is constant noise and danger from the cars, mopeds and masses of people all out on the streets but there is a feeling of intent. The intent is the respect/reverence for The River Ganges. Here the rituals of life and death take place constantly – it provides a solace, a direction for the Hindus.

We experience sights that were uncomfortable (to our Western culture) : naked holy men who wear nothing and appear ghostly white, from the ashes of the dead, that they rub over their bodies; relatives carrying their dead relatives through the streets down to the ghats (shore) to be cremated and families bathing in the holy water. We saw people washing clothing and sheets in the river, given the pollution in the river, a challenging task!

We watched the sun rise and sunset over The Ganges (the sacred mother) We felt bewildered, confused but privileged to have been there.