Varanasi from the water

More boats in Varanasi! Saturday morning I enjoyed a boat tour of the 80 ghats that line the banks of the Ganga. I filmed the first 10 minutes in hyperlapse so you can enjoy the tour in 2 minutes. That's why everything is moving so fast.

When we reached the end of the ghats, Mohan, a local priest, played some ragas on his flute. As he played the ragas, he explained their meaning. It made a difference hearing the music after learning what it meant.

The river makes up a big part of life in Varanasi. Vendors line the banks selling their wares. People stroll up and down the ghats all times of the day and night. It reminds me a little of the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD. I'll speak more about that in my Varanasi from the land post (which I haven't made yet - that's next!) Here are some pictures of the ghats from the river.

Manikarnika, one of the two cremation ghats in Varanasi is in the center of this photo.

Here's a closeup. I didn't see any fires, so there were no bodies burning where I could see. I wonder about the crowd on the roof of the building. Perhaps there is a body burning up there. The amount of wood gathered at this ghat is astounding. If you die in Varanasi, it's said you are liberated instantly.

Varah ghat is in the middle of the two cremation ghats. The white gazebo is a temple that marks the center point. It is a very sacred spot.

This temple is partially submerged in the river most of the time. It looks more tilted in real life.

It was a beautiful morning on the Ganga!

On the other side of the river, there are some encampments. And a few camels.

At this ghat, each of these boxes represents a temple. There are temples around every corner here.

It was right around this ghat that our boat pulled over and we disembarked. I'll tell you more about those adventures in my Varanasi from the land post. Coming soon!