Varanasi
The river city where Hindus bring the dead to be cremated, and a place long tied to ascetics, Tantric lore and the Aghori.
Practised and told of here
Best time: November to February, when the river is calm and the air cool; Dev Deepawali in November shows the ghats lit with lamps.
Varanasi, also called Kashi, is a pilgrimage city on the Ganges. Hindus hold that to die here and be cremated at the river ends the cycle of rebirth, so funerals go on at the ghats day and night.
Death and its specialists
At Manikarnika Ghat, the Dom community tends the pyres and keeps the sacred fire. Next to the ghats live ascetics of many orders, among them the Aghori, who take the cremation ground as a place of practice and reverse purity rules as a discipline. Scholars point out that their reputation for shock is larger than their numbers, and that tourist photographs have made it larger still.
Healers and astrologers
Along the river are pandits who cast horoscopes, read palms and prescribe mantras, and the city is also known for Sanskrit learning. Not all claims made to visitors are honest, and fees for rituals at the ghats have drawn complaints.
Visiting
Photography at the burning ghats is forbidden or discouraged; follow the signs and do not point a camera at a pyre or mourners. Ignore touts who say a family needs money for wood. Ask before photographing any ascetic.
A respectful visit to Varanasi
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- Dashashwamedh Ghat Watch the evening river rite from a boat or the steps, which is made for visitors and pilgrims alike.
- The old city lanes Walk to Kashi Vishwanath temple and see the shops of beads and rudraksha.
- Harishchandra Ghat Stand away from the pyres and learn about the cremation tradition.
- Sarnath Cross to the nearby Buddhist site for a different tradition of the same region.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Varanasi" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pitru Paksha: Firoz Shakir, CC BY-SA 3.0, source