The Circle of Life

Millions of pilgrims- and tourists- annually visit Varanasi. It’s much like the Islamic hajj to Mecca, Catholic forays to St. Patrick’s Cathedral or Ole Miss fan trips to Oxford. It’s packed with pilgrims, holy cows, tourists and trash. But what draws the crowds is the Ganges.

Hindus believe the Ganges holds the power of salvation in every drop. It is one of the most sacred places in the world and serves as the spiritual heart of India.  Although its water is fouled by pollution of both the living and the dead, Hindus believe it has the power to cleanse the sins of one’s life and therefore is just the spot to be cremated.

Tiny pedicab drivers negotiate the narrow lanes and packed bazaars, negotiating a sea of scooters, pedestrians and livestock to drop us along the waterfront where we join the throngs boarding small wooden rowboats to experience Varanasi at sunset.

Over 80 ghats, or steps, line the water, each with its own significance and use. Many use the steep stairs each morning for their bathing rituals, to meditate, to practice yoga or to dry laundry along the shore.  But at night, Manikarnika Ghat is our focus.

It’s hard to describe the scene. The funeral pyre at the ghat has burned 24 hours a day for over 1,000 years. Huge piles of wood are ready to add to the blaze and holy cows nuzzle the embers in search of tasty flowers among the ashes.  One after another, wrapped bodies are immersed in the Ganges and added to the flame before a full cremation.  A funeral at Varanasi is a celebratory, albeit expensive send-off for an Indian family. Although illegal, some bodies are weighed down and buried in the river as the funerals are too expensive for many Hindu families.

There are others that are not burned in Varanasi’s fire- pregnant women, small children, holy men, those bitten by a cobra and those who died from small pox. Hindus believe Gods already live in these bodies and shouldn’t be burned.

Boats gather at the end of the evening at Dashashvamedh Ghat for Ganga Arti, a flame-filled prayer ceremony with singing, chanting and dancing with lighted lamps. Both pilgrims and tourists purchase small marigold rings dotted with wax to be lit and floated on their way carrying wishes and prayers for loved ones who have passed on.

Namaste.