Varanasi: City of Life and Death

Wherever you go in the world, you can witness life, you can experience life, and you can ponder life...

But Varanasi is the only place in the world where you are guaranteed to confront both life and death. It is a city where the full cycle of life is embraced on a daily basis. Death is literally floating in the air! Whether it is the flicker of a funeral pyre or the smell of a burning body, one is constantly reminded of mortality while walking along the ghats (steps) of the Ganges River. Spirituality seeps from this city. It is saturated in history and enlightenment...

It is at first very shocking to see dead bodies engulfed in flames. After about 3 hours of burning, they are completely reduced to ash and smoke, only to be carried away by the wind and water. But quickly the experience becomes rather calming and relaxing. The power and significance of this event is too great to feel sad or uncomfortable for too long. It opens your mind to say the least, especially if you are used to a normal funeral at the cemetary...

There are two main "burning ghats" where people take their deceased loved ones. But first there is a procession through the streets of the old town, where the body (wrapped in cloth ranging from a simple red to lavish golden and orange, depending on gender and caste) is carried on what looks like a bamboo stretcher. The body is eventually taken down steps to the Ganga (as they call it), where it is given a final bath, and then placed on the destined pile of logs. Different wood can be chosen, and each type has a different price (sandalwood powder is the most expensive). There are specific men who weigh out the wood with scales - it is said that weighing just the right amount of wood for each different body is considered an art. Indian men are the only ones who watch the burning, as women have been known to become so upset at the sight that they throw themselves on the fire! As one guy told me, only "strong men" are allowed to watch. The bodies of the lower castes are positioned closer to the river, while the higher castes burn higher up the slope and farther from the river. Cows sit and occasionally gaze over, completely indifferent to everything. People just stare quietly, deep in contemplation, as smoke fills the air. Temples long ago stained black from the smoke provide the backdrop of this dramatic sight. Boys from the lowest castes eventually scoop up the ashes with a shovel, which are then given to the Ganges River...

The first time I experienced the ghats of Varanasi was in a rickety little boat rowed by an old, bearded man. The colorful ghats that lead down to the river from the narrow alleyways of the old city all seemed to have unique atmospheres. Some were crowded, and some were desolate. Temples, shrines, and palaces loomed over the water like a canyon of history. The current was peaceful and slow, almost nonexistent as it carried the ashes of the deceased into the oceans of the world. For all that my eyes were seeing,all I could really hear were children laughing, bells and cymbals occasionally being struck, gulls squawking, and the sound of the river lapping against the boat and paddles. The discrepancy between my vision and hearing was something to marvel at. It was the ultimate boat ride.

The newer parts of town have a peaceful chaos about it that I grew to like. Sure, there is dirt and garbage (also tons of cow dung everywhere, watch your step!). The traffic is dense mostly with honking motorbikes and rickshaws, as speakers emit exotic Indian street music from a secret location above the roads. Flea-ridden dogs and holy cows roam the streets. Young children caked in dirt beg for money while people try to sell you drugs and peddle boat rides. Sadly, the Ganges is literally septic, with dozens of sewers constantly spilling into it. But in the end, these are mere sidenotes to the entire experience that occurs along the river (the beating heart of Varanasi). While death is something that most people are afraid to think about, we all know it will eventually come. In the end we hide from it and push it under the rug, only to briefly think about it occasionally. For people who inhabit or visit Varanasi, the imminence of death remains in your thoughts at all times. Time does not seem to exist here sometimes. Powerful stuff...

It is not just death that is here - it is also the full range of life. Here people pray, bathe and do their laundry in a river that they believe enhances both their life and afterlife. People connect with their gods and the spirits of their family members and friends who are no longer here, while young married couples sit by the water, connecting in only a way they will truly know. Kids laugh and play cricket along the banks of the river, yet at the same time beggars and street people hold dearly onto life. Such life experiences are walking distance from burning ghats, where day and night bodies are lit on fire and disappear, only to become a memory. Life and death really do coexist on a permanent basis here, and in plain view.

Varanasi (or Kasi as they used to call it) most represents India to me - like India, Varanasi inspires every single human emotion. The great and the horrible will surround you at the same time, and never seem to leave. If there is a sight, smell, sound or feeling that isn't in India, it doesn't exist. Varanasi is a microcosm of India, which in itself is the world in concentrate. Nothing is watered down or covered up here. Take it or leave it.

When compared to every other city I have seen, Varanasi is like a wise, old guru who knows everything about life and is willing to share its secrets with whomever seeks them. The maturity of this city is impossible to surpass, and a visit here is more than highly recommended. It is one of the most surreal and amazing places on Earth...