VARANASI – DAY 2

5am and it was still dark outside except for a few flickering lights. I joined the other shadows and headed towards the ghats which had already come to life. As my boat glided along the water it was as if a whole new drama was unfolding in front of my eyes. Women were huddled in small groups offering flowers and fruit to God and the River. A sadhu with his eyes closed and partially submerged offered prayers. Men and women dipped their heads beneath the water in deep contemplation. Newly lit candles started their journey down the river. Just as I was starting to take in the tranquility of the river in the early hours, there was a sudden boom of laughter... and again... some men had gathered for 'laughing yoga' which is supposed to be a fantastic stress reliever and work out! Further along the ghats people were doing 'conventional' yoga, some were singing the morning aarti, others washing themselves and some even brushing their teeth! One of the saddest things about this River is the pollution. There is no denying that the River is heavily polluted with effluent, plastic and other rubbish. But this is no ordinary River. It is revered by devout Hindus who are able to look beyond the dirt and consider the River nothing but sacred. Mind over matter, or however you want to put it.

As the boat ride was coming to an end, I witnessed something that words cannot describe. A lady was praying on the ghats when a stray cow wandered down and started to nibble at the fruit in her bag. Now cows are considered sacred by Hindus, so she appeared to be in somewhat of a dilemma as to how to get rid of the cow in a polite way. She was holding a small bell in her hand (which is commonly used in Hindu rituals) and she started to gently hit the cow on the head with it... at the same time another lady was throwing flowers on the cow from behind and asking it for blessings... all the while the cow continued to munch happily away! Absolutely classic! Nothing is quite what it seems in Varanasi!

After breakfast I headed off for the Temples tour, starting with the impressive Benares University, the world's largest Hindu university with some 20,000 students. It also houses the New Vishwanath Temple which contained many beautiful idols of Lord Shiva and other Hindu deities. From there I moved on to Sankat Mochen Temple, which pays homage to Lord Hanuman and then the Monkey Temple which is devoted to Goddess Durga. It's named as such because there are monkeys everywhere, most of which seem to be after prasad (food blessed by God). One of the fascinating things about India is how religion is intertwined so tightly with daily life. Varanasi is perhaps the truest example.

Varun, my guide for the day, was excellent – knowledgeable, humorous and polite – definitely someone we should use on future tours. He then took me across the river to the small fort town of Ramnagar. The former king had built up an interesting collection of relics and memorabilia, ranging from stuffed animals to a cadillac!

I had the evening to myself and I wanted to sample more of this intoxicating city at night, so I ventured into the market once more. Despite the constant chaos, everyone seems so calm here. People bump into one another and don't bat an eyelid, strangers gladly do favours for each other... it made me realise that back in the West we seem to have lost something. I seemed to walk endlessly criss-crossing the tiny alleyways avoiding the numerous obstacles in my way and finally I found the Lotus Lounge, an open-air chillout style restaurant overlooking one of the ghats. This place would be great at sunset, but unfortunately by the time I got there the sun had long gone. The vegetable curry went down a treat and I reluctantly headed back through the dusty streets and grabbed a rickshaw back to the hotel. It was another mind-blowing day.
- Rahul

VARANASI – DAY 1

Having somehow managed to navigate the chaotic streets in the back of an auto-rickshaw, I finally arrived at the magnificent Hotel Ganges View perched on the tip of Assi Ghat. A lone goat was roaming by the entrance, but as soon as I entered I was immediately struck by the character of the place. The hotel was filled with traditional artifacts and antiques and each room was beautifully done up. The hotel had an enchanting roof terrace overlooking the sacred River Ganges and the staff extremely friendly.

After a brief rest and a quick bite, I set off for Sarnath Temple, some 30 minutes from Varanasi. Sarnath is a holy pilgrimage site for Buddhists, as this is where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining Enlightenment. I arrived there at the same time as a group of Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka. A stream of women dressed in white saris gently trickled through the temple ground. The 110 feet stupa was indeed impressive as were the surrounding ruins of an old temple and other monuments erected by the great Mauryan Emperor Asoka. After a contemplative stroll around the complex, I headed back to Varanasi.

Varanasi is located between the two rivers – Varuna and Asi, but it is also known by two other names. Amongst Indians it is more commonly known as Benares and it is also occasionally referred to by its older name, Kaasi. For consistency I will stick to calling it Varanasi. For Hindus, the Aarti ceremony is an important ritual and Varanasi is famous for its spine-tingling Aarti on the Ghats of the river (ghat is the set of steps by the river). It was approaching 6pm, so along with the guide I jumped into a boat at Assi Ghat which then made its way to another ghat for the aarti. The river was buzzing with activity. Boats with other tourists stared in disbelief at the spectacle unfurling before their eyes, local kids hopped effortlessly between boats offering tea and flowers. The sun had set and in the distance on one of the other ghats numerous funeral pyres were being lit as the dead were offered to the mighty River Ganges. We told the boatman not to go to close, as I felt somewhat uncomfortable spectating on someone else's grief. Hindus believe that if someone is born and then cremated by the River Ganges, then he or she will end the cycle of reincarnation. Lotus flowers with candles bobbed up and down in the water, gradually drifting off in the distance carrying someone's prayers.

There is something very special about Hindu ceremonies with the colours, flowers, incense and flames, but this Aarti ceremony was on an altogether different level. The ghat was packed with people and then seven men mounted on pedestals stood at the edge of the ghat offering incense, flowers, and lit diyas (lamps) as the aarti was chanted on the loudspeakers. The boats came to a standstill as everyone watched on. This must have lasted some 15-20 minutes but I had totally lost any concept of time in the process. One cannot even start to put the amazing sense of calmness afterwards into words. It was a privilege to watch and be a part of.

Afterwards I headed into the main market area and was confronted by activity entirely on a different scale. Varanasi is made up of thousands of narrow alleyways, crammed with people, saffron-robed sadhus (Hindu holy men) carrying holy pots with burning incense, scooters jostling for space, sacred cows ambling through with people stopping to take blessings, shops selling everything from trinkets, statues of deities and silk, for which Varanasi is famous. I eventually headed back to the hotel for dinner on the roof terrace where I could see this fascinating city lit up at night.

You can't help but be infected with Varanasi's energy and mysticism. I still feel on a high from the aarti and the walk through the market. Tomorrow starts with a 5am boat ride at sunrise. I can't wait. Really.
- Rahul

DELHI - VARANASI

Train travel is one of the highlights of travel in India and Indian stations are always teeming with activity from someone selling garam chai (hot tea) to someone offering joota polish (polish shoes). I eventually boarded the Delhi-Varanasi overnight train and the sun started to set as the train chugged its way out of the hustle and bustle of Delhi leaving behind a cacophony of hawkers and coolies (train porters).

I was booked into 2nd class AC sleeper, which was remarkably clean and comfortable. One of the common gripes of Indian trains is cleanliness, but there was no such issue on this journey. You can never go hungry on an Indian train with food and drinks continuously being offered as vendors boarded the train at various stops tempting the traveller with all kinds of delicious Indian snacks. I got chatting to a few other passengers on the train all looking forward to Varanasi, especially as they were going back to visit their families to enjoy Diwali, the biggest Hindu festival. I'd read much about India's holiest city (and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities), and my excitement was fuelled all the more by fellow passengers explaining how Varanasi is the epitome of ancient India and that nothing can really prepare the first time visitor.

The seating berth cleverly converted to a bed with a few simple manoeuvres. I lay down, closed my eyes and drifted off... around 7am I was woken up for breakfast, which was hot stuffed aloo parathas (a type of Indian bread stuffed with potato) washed down with a cup of hot masala chai. I looked out of the window and villagers were going about their daily work with bullocks ploughing the fields. Within a matter of minutes the train made its final approach into Varanasi ... I quickly got my bags together, took one deep breath and stepped out on to the platform. I was as ready as i could be for the adventure that lay ahead.
- Rahul