After picking you up from your hotel, we will start our boat ride from Varanasi's main and busiest ghat: Dashashwamedh Ghat. From the boat you will enjoy a magical sunrise over the Ganges. You will feel overwhelmed by the beauty of the sunrise and the magic light that bathes the historical palaces and temples on the banks of the river as well. During the trip, you will also enjoy, for sure, witnessing local life and photographing the vibrant activity, full of colour and tradition, on the ghats: pilgrims and locals taking the sacred bath, praying, performing ceremonies, doing laundry, sadhus, babas… Also you can observe from the water the sacred rituals around death that take place in Manikarnika Ghat, the principal crematorium of the city. Life &death, tradition & local culture… A gift for senses. Are you in?
After a short snap at your hotel and a good breakfast, I will pick you up again and we will continue exploring Varanasi. We begin the second part of the tour at Manikarnika: where death is celebrated.
From a viewpoint above Varanasi's main burning ghat, one of the holiest cremation sites along the Ganges River, you can observe and photograph the scene while songs of repentance and smoke fill the area and corpses are cremated for eternal peace. I will explain the sacred Hindu death rituals in detail.
After that, we will head to the old town to discover the small and colourful alleys of the centre, historical palaces, sacred temples, traditional ashrams, bazaar and local markets, local culture, tradition and people. Let yourself go and enjoy this hike that will sometimes feel like a journey back in time!