"India: Varanasi." Varanasi by Intrepidduck

Varanasi (Banaras in the Pali language) is one of the oldest cities of India. This ancient city is situated in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh and sits on the north bank of the Ganga (Ganges), holiest of all rivers in the Hindu faith.

From time immemorial pilgrims have made Varanasi their destination for the purification of body and soul. This practice, known as a pouja, takes place at any number of the one hundred or more bathing Ghats that are to be found along the sacred waters of the mighty Ganga. Amongst the most holy is the Dasaswamedh Ghat, which is located at the site said to be where Lord Brahma made the sacrifice of ten sacred horses on the return of Shiva after his period of banishment.

From pre-dawn and well into the morning the bathing Ghats are the hub of much ceremony and activity. At the Manikamika Ghat the dead are burnt up on a funeral pyre before their ashes are scattered into the flowing waters of the Ganga. However for those whose families are too poor, the river on occassion is lierally a place for burial. This practice traditionally has been carried out from those of the lower castes such as the so called Untouchables. In contradition it has been this caste which has had a monopoly on the funeral business for centuries. Their low caste statis has allowed them to handle the dead.

One solution by the Indian Government to overcome river burials, and for hygine, has been the installation of an electric crematorium, at a reasonable fee of a few dollars per body. Naturally many devout Hindus have shunned this. For Hindus all over it is a great privilage to make the, and sometimes the last, pilgrimage to Varanasi on that road to Nirvana, or at least to wash away those sins for a better next life.

For the traveller and the non-Hindu alike, Varanasi visually offers an open window inyo the many varied aspects of Indian life and culture. Whether it be the countless temples and shrines, sacred cows, the labyrinth of narrow back streets and bazaars to the majestic flowing holy waters of the Ganga - there is something here for almost everyone. In a world where change is imminent, Varanasi is indeed a place where the modern world is for a time far less relevant.

Maharaja at Ramnagar Fort

On the opposite bank of the Ganga and a couple of kilometres up stream is the impressive, while some how a little dusty, Ramnagar Fort. Here is the home to the Maharajah of Varanasi. Like a prince the maharajahs are the descendants of India's pre Brittish rulers. During the British occupation and colonization of India they were set up and given a level of juistiction over a given region of the country. Since India's independance in 1946 some maharajahs remain through out the country. While they are self maintaining like any wealthy family they are very much a living relic from the days of the British Raj.

• Pros:A Sense of History, Life, Death and Rebirth.
• Cons:Where Is the "real" Hotel Shiva?
• In a nutshell:Bom Shiva!