Varanasi is an ancient city located on the banks of the Ganges River (with some claiming that it’s the oldest in the world), and it has long occupied the number one slot on my list of cities to visit. If you look up places where Westerners are most likely to experience extreme culture shock, Varanasi is almost always near the top of the list. If you know me, then it won’t surprise you that this factored heavily into my decision to visit.
There are a variety of factors that play into this reputation, but one tradition, in particular, elevates it above others: the 24/7 public cremations that take place at a few of the riverside ghats. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi, being cremated, and then having one’s ashes spread in the Ganges will end the cycle of reincarnation and allow them to achieve Nirvana. Thus, many people come here specifically to die. At the Manikarnika Ghat, an eternal flame has been burning for thousands of years, and multiple funeral pyres operate around the clock. The deceased (up to 300 a day) are carried down to the river in nonstop funeral processions, each adorned in colorful fabric. They’re immersed in the river and then left to dry before being carried to the pyres. This ritual is what earned Varanasi the nickname “The City of Death.” Of course, there’s much more to Varanasi than this, and I did my best to capture as much of it as possible.
Being here feels like stepping into the center of the spiritual universe. It gives the impression that you’ve gone back thousands of years to a more mystical, beautiful, and spiritual reality that the rest of the world has left behind. It’s hard to put into words, and even harder to capture in photos, but being here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you just have to be thankful to witness.
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