23rd February, 2016. Delhi to Varanasi (Day 5 and Day 6 )

After a couple of wonderful days seeing both Old and New Delhi we are scheduled to depart the beautiful Oberoi Delhi and fly to Varanasi.

Our flight is scheduled for 11.45AM but unbeknown to us our guide Peter advises that the Prime Minister Mr Modi, is also scheduled to arrive and visit this sacred river city beside the River Ganges.

Hence our departure is scheduled for 9.00AM with our flight scheduled to depart at 10.45AM arriving in Varanasi at 11.50AM.   But despite the best efforts we are held up and our flight departs something like 20 minutes later and then we find out that the next 15 flights are delayed and grounded for the Prime Minister to leave.

Security at the airport is very tight but we all get through quite quickly.  We depart late and arrive at 12.15PM and disembark the aircraft and walk through the lounge to where we are greeted by our representative and guide.

We then are taken to the Hotel a Taj Central Garden property which is very comfortable. Our luggage is picked up and transported to our Hotel and in our rooms before we arrive.

At 2.45PM we depart the hotel for an excursion and visit for the afternoon sight seeing to the famed Archeological / Buddhist site at Sarnath as well as the National Museum (Archeological).  We enjoy a particularly enjoyable excursion with several important sitesand also visit the site where Buddha makes his first address.  We are surprised that National treasures in the National Museum are hundreds and thousands of years old and priceless but not particularly well preserved.  The displays are fabulous and quite amazing.

We return from our trip and dine in the Varuna Kebab Restaurant.  It is another terrific day.  Later we depart to visit the Ganges from where we undertake a boat ride and later witness the nightly crematorium and washing of the bodies in the Ganges before they are then burned under the cremation ritual with a fire of 600kg of wood.  this is a sacred sight and goes 24 X 7 and the priests and families bring their deceased love ones to the water cremation ceremony where there is singing and special services.

It is a moving and memorable process and we are fortunate to see the process.   There are hundreds of people and there is constant chanting.   The process is eerily quiet at certain times.

After some 40-50 minutes watching about 7 services and ceremonies we then depart and travel further down the river where the Buddhists are preparing for the evening prayer services which will be led in front of somewhere like 10,000-20,000 people and it is very much like a celebration with signing , dancing and the fire act to conclude.  we all throw marigolds and candles into the river Ganges following preayer.  

Then back to the Hotel at about 10.45PM with an early start tomorrow.

The alarm rings at 4.30AM and we are showered and dressed to depart at 5.45AM because we are about to withness the famed ritual of the swimming in the Ganges.  to go back Varanasi is one of the world's oldest cities nestled on the banks of the sacred River Ganges.  Varanasi has welcomed pilgrims since the 6th Century BC all blessing and purifying themselves inthe river's celebrated Holy Waters in sacred daily celebrations and ceremonies.  We have an amazing 2 hours firstly traversing the city centre and the thousands of shops and also many beggars.  We then ewalk down the Ghats ( High stairs) to the water where we board a small craft with our guide and then sail further down the river and sit off shore to see the beautiful sunrise and also celebrate our presence in the holy shrine.

At about 6.15AM the people come to begin the Holy process of bathing and swimming.  It is an amazing process and ritual with loud Buddhist signing.  We watch with amazement a golden sun rise over the far bank and throw an eclectic range of colours across the many coloured castles and Hotels where people now come often to spend their last months prior to their death and then undergoing the traditional process of cremation beside the Ganges.

We return to the hotel all somewhat mystified but emotionally shaken by the cremation procedures as the amazing evening prayer service, followed the next morning by the bathing and purifying processes.  These have been anazing experiences.  You cannot describe the emotionally charged atmosphere and the thousands of people everywhere in apparent squalor but happy and committed to their life and their religion.