Exploring Varanasi

The heart of life in Varanasi is centered around its river, the Ganga. The main road runs parallel to it, and most of its sprawl has flowed down the river bank. Interestingly though, the city has only ever occupied the west bank, which still allows cool breezes to blow across the river and through the city. At least, in theory. Most of the time it just felt hot, muggy, and sweaty outside, but perhaps it could have been even worse.

Walking along the main road just behind the ghats is a study in human activity. Specifically, you study how not to be crushed by it. Luckily, David and I learn fast and managed to get through with all our limbs still attached (no thanks to Vidhu's scooter driving). Coming from that, walking down the steps of a ghat is a breath of fresh air, sometimes literally. There's even enough space to pose for a picture without inconveniencing anyone else.

The dichotomy between chaos and calm was actually fairly common throughout our entire visit. Varanasi doesn't hesitate to hit you over the head with sensory overload and crowded experiences in public places, but there are also an unexpected number of quiet pockets. Most tourists who have heard of Varanasi know it as a center of religion, with good reason (temples EVERYWHERE, including one in the middle of a street).

Case in point: the Ganga Aarti

With the overabundance of temples, ghats, ceremonies, pilgrims, and other religious spectacles, it's easy to forget that the city is also an ancient seat of learning, with colleges and universities scattered across its length. We visited a few including the famous Benares Hindu University, and it was always impressive how quickly the noise of traffic dropped away and dust became green lawns.

You can also find quiet just a few minutes outside the city, where urban sprawl turns into farmland amazingly quickly. Vidhu took us on a couple drives around the outskirts of the city, including an excursion to a beach by a village overlooking the Maharaja's fort.

The drive there, on the other hand, showed us just how crazy roads and traffic in the city can be:

In the end, the most worthwhile part of the trip was getting to see, talk to, and goof off with Vidhu and Neelam, who were fantastic hosts during our entire time there. It's definitely a city worth visiting (even if you don't know anyone there), but even with the enticement of Neelam's food, I don't think I could ever live there.

Till next time, Varanasi.