Varanasi

March 13 - Varanasi is an interesting city, but not a place you need to spend more than one day. Situated on the Ganges, it is one of the holiest places in India because this is where Hindus come to bathe, a ritual that washes away their sins if done during sunrise. The riverbank is accessed through streets called ghats, which all end in steps into the Ganges and are designated for a particular region of the country or a specific religion (i.e., there is a ghat for those people travelling from Jaipur). We had our sunrise boat ride on the Ganges and then walked around the old part of the city. There is high security in the city because on March 7 there were two bombings — one at a temple and the other at the train station. We also travelled to Sarnath, which holds great significance to Bhuddhists. Sarnath was the location of the third important event the life of Buddha — the preaching of the first sermon and where he laid the foundation of the order of monks. There is a great archaeological museum here.

Photos of Varanasi

Photos of Sarnath

Jaz and I were supposed to take a 17-hour train ride and 8-hour car ride to our next destination, Udaipur, but that was cancelled (see above re: journey to Varanasi).