Gange Godess, Silk a' Plenty and the Holy City of, Varanasi!

2 weekends ago (before I got sick) I had the opportunity to go to, Varanasi.  Varanasi is a holy city in which the Gange River is.  The river itself is considered a Godess, as such, it is worshipped as one.  The first night we got there the 3 of us girls took a rowboat to see some of the rituals.  

 

Children on the beach were selling small bowls with flowers and tea candles for purchase to light and send into the water.

I remember watching a travel show on PBS that showed this staircase...wow being able to see it in person.  The stairs lead right down to the river.

This is one of the ceremonies performed at sundown in the river.  While the river is seen as holy, it is actually VERY dirty.  We were warned by Sarah's mother, who is a nurse to not even let ONE DROP of the water in our mouth as it is full of disease!  Needless to say, we did not participate in this ceremony!  Notice the white dots?  Mosquitos.

This is the kind of boat we were on.

Part of the boat ride beyond this part was a ceremony of the dead.  We were asked not to to take pictures or video of it as it was a very holy ritual.  On the beach were HUGE bonfires that were set aside for the cremation of the bodies lying on the stairs.  As a last right, the oldest son takes the mother or father to the water and bathes their dead body in the river.  He then takes handfuls of the water and puts it in the mouth of the deceased.  It was surreal to see and I can't believe I got to witness it.  After 20 minutes the body is placed on the fire to be cremated and the ashes put in the river.

The priests were performing the ritual while we watched from our boat in the river.  It's hard to see but the ceremony was so incredible.  It's almost like they were dancing and would hold lamps with a fire, turning them up and moving them around and around.  I don't know how to adequately describe it but it was like a dream.

My attempt to be artsy!

One of the worshipers

More of the ceremony.  I had video but that memory card is... just a memory.

The next morning at 5 A.m. we took a sunrise boat ride. It was amazing to watch the sun rise over the Gange.  

Sunrise on the Gange.

One pretty lady!!

Our boat was rowed by two young men.  They rowed us to the bridge and back, in the morning as we photographed life along the river.

From our starting point on the river to the bridge was at least a 2 hour ride.  I fell asleep the last hour!!

 There were men up and down the river doing laundry.

Another thing Varanasi is known for is its silk making.  We had the opportunity to tour a silk shop and see the process from the beginning process to the dying, printing and design.

Art.

This picture is really cool.  You can see the long silk sheet in the background that had just been dyed and was drying. There were several sheets on different lines.

The end of the tour concluded with... a trip to the silk owners shop, of course.

We weren't going to buy anything...

Nope. Not going to buy anything...

The design from the stitching.

This is the long table that is used to dye the fabrics.  You can see the years of dye!

Silk, silk, silk.

Not going to buy anything!!!

Rolls and rolls of silk!

 Ok, maybe just one or two scarfs or 200.00 worth of silk!!!!! This is the shop owner and he unwrapped piece after piece of silk scarves, bedding, material etc... Drowning in a sea of silk!

Varanasi is a holy city, a place to never forget.  I still have to pinch myself as I can't believe I am in India. Buying silk, seeing holy rituals on the Gange, what's next!?