Burial in Varanasi. Varanasi - city of the dead

Varanasi, India is one of the most mysterious and controversial cities in the country, where many Indians come to die. However, this tradition is not associated with incredibly beautiful nature or good medicine - Hindus believe that the Ganges River will save them from earthly suffering.

General information

Varanasi is one of the largest cities in the northeastern part of India, known as the center of Brahmin learning. Buddhists, Hindus and Jains consider it a holy place. It means as much to them as Rome to Catholics and Mecca to Muslims.

Varanasi covers an area of ​​1550 sq. km, and its population is just under 1.5 million people. This is one of the oldest cities in the world, and most likely the oldest in India. The name of the city comes from two rivers - Varuna and Assi, which flow into the Ganges. Also occasionally Varanasi is referred to as Avimuktaka, Brahma Vardha, Sudarshana and Ramya.

Interestingly, Varanasi is one of the most important educational centers in India. So, here is the only university in the country that teaches in the Tibetan language. This is the Central University of Tibetan Studies, founded under Jawaharlal Nehru.

The nearest major cities to Varanasi are Kanpur (370 km), Patna (300 km), Lucknow (290 km). Calcutta is 670 km away and New Delhi is 820 km away. Interestingly, Varanasi is located almost on the border (by Indian standards). To the border with Nepal - 410 km, to Bangladesh - 750 km, to the Tibet Autonomous Region - 910 km.

Historical reference

Since Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world, its history is very colorful and complex. According to one ancient legend, the god Shiva founded a settlement on the site of the modern city, making it one of the religious centers of Eurasia.

The first accurate information about the settlement dates back to 3000 BC. - it is mentioned in several Hindu scriptures as an industrial center. Historians say that silk, cotton, and muslin were grown and processed here. Also here they were engaged in the manufacture of perfumes and sculptures. In the first millennium BC. e. Varanasi was visited by several travelers who wrote about the city as the “religious, scientific and artistic center” of the Hindustan peninsula.

In the first third of the 18th century, Varanasi became the capital of the kingdom of Kashi, thanks to which the city began to develop much faster than neighboring settlements. For example, one of the first forts in India and a number of palaces and park complexes were built here.

1857 is considered a tragic year for Varanasi - the sepoys rebelled, and the British, wanting to stop the crowd, slaughtered many local residents. As a result, a significant part of the city's population perished.

At the end of the 19th century, the city became a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of believers - people from all over Asia come here to take part in local festivities and visit temples. Many rich people come to Varanasi to die on the "holy ground". This leads to the fact that bonfires burn day and night near the Ganges, in which dozens of corpses are burned (such is the tradition).

In the 20th and early 21st centuries, the city is also an important religious center, which attracts believers from all over the country and scientists who want to better study the phenomenon of this place.

religious life

In Hinduism, Varanasi is considered one of the main places of worship of Shiva, because, according to legend, it was he who in 5000 BC. e. created the city. It is also included in the TOP-7 main cities for Buddhists and Jains. However, Varanasi can be safely called the city of four religions, because many Muslims live here.

Among Hindus, the pilgrimage to Varanasi is so popular because the city stands on the banks of the Ganges, a sacred river for them. From early childhood, every Hindu strives to get here in order to perform the ritual of ablution, and at the end of his life to be burned here. After all, death for a professing Hindu is only one of the stages of rebirth.

Since the number of pilgrims who come here to die is prohibitive, funeral pyres are burning day and night in the city of Varanasi.

Open air crematorium

Not everyone can die “correctly” in Varanasi - in order to be burned and let through the Ganges, you have to pay a tidy sum, and many believers have been collecting money for a trip to the other world for many years.

On the territory of the city there are 84 ghats - these are original crematoriums in which from 200 to 400 bodies are burned per day. Some of them are abandoned, while others have been burning for decades. The most famous and ancient is the Manikarnika Ghat, where for several thousand years Hindus have been helped to achieve the state of moksha. The procedure is as follows:

Prices in Manikarnika Ghat

As for the cost, 1 kg of firewood costs $1. It takes 400 kg to burn a corpse, therefore, the family of the deceased pays around $ 400, which is a huge amount for the people of India. Wealthy Indians often make a fire with sandalwood - 1 kg costs $160.

The most expensive "funeral" was at the local maharaja - his son bought firewood from sandalwood, and during the burning he threw topazes and sapphires over the fire, which later went to the crematorium workers.

The cleaners of corpses are people belonging to the lower class. They clean the territory of the crematorium and pass the ashes through a sieve. It may seem strange, but their main task is not cleaning at all - they must find precious stones and jewelry that relatives of the dead cannot remove from the dead themselves. After that, all valuable things are put up for sale.

It is important for tourists to know that it will not be possible to photograph the fires for free - “believers” will immediately run up to you and say that this is a sacred place. However, if you pay money, then you can do it without problems. The only question is the price. So, crematorium workers always ask who you are, what you work for, etc. This will determine the price they ask for.

To save money, it is best to introduce yourself as a student - for a week of shooting you will need to pay about $ 200. After payment, you will be given a piece of paper, which you will need to show if necessary. The highest prices are set for journalists - one day of shooting can cost more than $ 2,000.

Types of crematoria

In Hinduism, as in Christianity, it is customary to bury suicides and people who died a natural death separately. There is even a special crematorium in Varanasi for those who died of their own free will.

In addition to the "elite" crematoriums, the city has an electric crematorium where those who did not have time to save up enough money are burned. It is also not uncommon for a person from a poor family to collect the remains of firewood from already burnt out fires all over the coast. The corpses of such people do not burn completely, and their skeletons are lowered into the Ganges.

For such cases, there are corpse cleaners. They go boating down the river and collect the bodies of those who have not been burned. These can be children (it is impossible to burn up to 13 years old), pregnant women and patients with leprosy.

Interestingly, people who were bitten by a cobra are also not burned - the locals believe that they do not die, but are only temporarily in a coma. Such bodies are placed in large wooden boats and sent to "meditate". Signs with the address of their residence and name are attached to the corpses of people, because when they wake up, they can forget about their past life.

All of the above traditions are quite specific, and a number of Indian politicians agree that it is time to stop such rituals. It is hard to believe, but only 50 years ago in India it was officially forbidden to burn widows - earlier, the wife who burned alive had to go to the fire with her dead husband.

However, both local residents and tourists have big doubts that such rituals will be canceled - neither the arrival of Muslims nor the appearance of the British on the peninsula could change the millennial traditions.

What does the city look like outside the “crematorium zone”

The opposite bank of the Ganges is an ordinary village inhabited by ordinary Indians. In the waters of the sacred river, they wash their clothes, cook food and are very fond of swimming (of course, tourists should not do this). Their whole life is connected with water.

The modern part of the city of Varanasi in India is an abundance of narrow streets (they are called gali) and colorful houses. In the sleeping areas there are many bazaars and shops. Amazingly, here, unlike Mumbai or Calcutta, there are not so many slums and dirt. The population density is also less here.

One of the most popular places in Varanasi associated with Buddhism is Sarnath. This is a huge tree, on the site of which, according to legend, the Buddha preached.

Interestingly, almost all the quarters and streets of Varanasi are named either after famous religious figures, or depending on the communities that live there.

Varanasi is a city of temples, so here you will find dozens of Hindu, Muslim and Jain shrines. Worth to visit:

1. Kashi Vishwanath or the Golden Temple. It was built in honor of the god Shiva, and is considered the most important in the city. Outwardly similar to kovils in other major cities in India. It is important to note that this is the most protected temple in India, and you cannot enter it without a passport.
2. Temple of Annapurna, dedicated to the goddess of the same name. According to legend, a person who visits this place will always be full.
3. Durgakund or monkey temple. It stands out from other sights of Varanasi in India, because it has bright red walls.
4. Alamgir Masjid is the main mosque of the city.
5. The Dhamek Stupa is the main Buddhist shrine of the city, built on the site of the Buddha's sermon.

Housing

Varanasi has a fairly large selection of accommodation - only about 400 hotels, hostels and guesthouses. In fact, the city is divided into 4 main areas:

A 3 * hotel per night for two in a high one will cost 30-50 dollars. It is important to note that the rooms in most hotels are decent, and there is everything you need for a comfortable stay: spacious rooms, air conditioning, a private bathroom and all the necessary equipment in the room. There are also cafes near most hotels.

As for guesthouses, their prices are an order of magnitude lower. So, a night for two in the high season will cost 21-28 dollars. As a rule, the rooms here are smaller in size than in hotels. There is also no separate bathroom and kitchen.

Keep in mind that Varanasi is a very popular destination and hotel rooms should be booked 2-3 months in advance.

How to get from Delhi

Delhi and Varanasi are separated by 820 km, which can be overcome by the following modes of transport.

This is the most comfortable option, and many tourists advise giving preference to it, because in the Indian heat, not everyone will be able to travel 10-11 hours on a regular bus or train.

You need to take the subway and get to the Indira Gandhi International Airport station. Then get on a plane and fly to Varanasi. Travel time will be 1 hour 20 minutes. The average ticket price is 28-32 euros (depending on the season and flight time).

Several airlines fly in this direction at once: IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and Vistara. Their ticket prices are about the same, so it makes sense to go to the official websites of all airlines.

You need to take the train number 12562 at the New Delhi station and get to the stop Varanasi Jn. Travel time will be 12 hours, and the cost will be only 5-6 euros. Trains run 2-3 times a day.

However, it should be borne in mind that it is rather difficult to buy a train ticket, since local residents buy them immediately after they appear at the box office. You cannot make an online purchase. It is also worth knowing that trains are often very late or do not arrive at all, so this is not the most reliable mode of transport for a tourist.

Landing must be carried out at the New Delhi bus station and get to the Lucknow station (carrier - RedBus). There you will transfer to the bus going to Varanasi and get off at the Varanasi stop (carrier - UPSRTC). Travel time - 10 hours + 7 hours. The cost is about 20 euros for two tickets. Buses run 2 times a day.

You can book a ticket and follow the changes in the schedule on the official website of the RedBus carrier: www.redbus.in

All prices on the page are for November 2019.

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Varanasi, India is one of the most unusual cities in the world, the likes of which can hardly be found anywhere.

Burning business in Varanasi:

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Killed in the trash roads, dead tuk-tuk, no electricity, 350 rupees, an hour of time and another dream come true. Varanasi, aka Benares, aka Koshi - the city of the dead and one of the most ancient cities of human civilization - meet!

To be honest, reading other people's reports, I had, if not terrible, then at least an ominous idea about this city. This is absolutely not the case, the smile did not leave my face 24 hours a day for all 4 days of my stay.

Firstly, the "horror" is diluted with the usual Indian reality:

Children, forced from a young age to fight for life, have not yet learned to hate.

Secondly, Hinduism has a completely different attitude towards death. Life is just a journey from the creator Brahma to the destroyer Shiva, and death is a return to the beginning of the path and so on endlessly (almost) in a circle. Almost - because Varanasi is a sacred city, just by dying here you can be freed from the wheel of Samsara, that is, the cycle of rebirth, which is what everyone is striving for. Therefore, a bunch of homeless people, old people and cripples flock to old age here. From the number of freaks and unknown characters, you really want to laugh out loud!

Even the local bum got a little crazy about what was happening:

A string of beggars with jars will visually accompany you everywhere.

Well, ominously?

Streets of the old city. Trade, hundreds of homeless people, religion, noise, saris, blissful cows and, of course, the branded mixture of smells of flowers, sweat, urine and spices - all this awaits you in an atrophied amount on the streets of ancient Varanasi. Here life itself meets death.

Here is a tourniquet

So why the "city of the dead"? The answer is simple. Varanasi is not only the holiest city of Hinduism, it is also a round-the-clock crematorium in the fresh (well, how fresh ...) air. Cremated bodies are burned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and this is a very profitable business. To be burned in Varanasi means to get all the possible nishtyaks provided for by religion, nothing is cooler in the life of a Hindu!

How and where are they burning? Varanasi is a city of ghats. Ghats are the former palaces of the rulers of India, enveloping the sacred river Ganges with a crescent moon and subsequently becoming public. There are two special ghats where the crematoria are located. I won’t show them (I’m not interested in filming it, go to Google for perversions, but there’s not much interesting there). If you really want to imagine a crematorium, then substitute a large pile of firewood with charred legs sticking out of there in the photo below:

All the dirty work is done by the untouchables - the lowest caste of Hinduism, in fact, these are people-slaves. Pregnant women and children cannot be burned - their bodies are simply thrown into the water (to the fish). The ashes from the burnt body (and it burns out in three or four hours) and the remains are also thrown into the river. Well, is it good?

Panoramas of the ghats and the city:

Or so :-) The swastika is an important attribute of Hinduism, and it is everywhere. This sacred symbol was many centuries before it was negatively popularized by the Nazis.

Ghats and entertainment

One of the most beautiful and popular ghats is Kedar Ghat.

He is from afar - the engine is boiling!

The most popular attraction is a boat ride on the Ganges River. The view at sunset is freaky and full of zen in the process! And bandages are floating along the river every now and then (those with which women and children are entangled when thrown overboard) ...

Closer to the night, a stubborn yellow light lights up, and you finally lose the feeling of the reality of what is happening.

After sunset every day there is some kind of show that is a must-have when visiting Varanasi. Complete rubbish! Boats pile up near one of the ghats and hundreds of people watch the most boring performance from the water. It was so boring that I deployed my boatman much earlier than it was over.

All the garbage of the city merges into the river, the works of the crematorium also into the river. And now sweet - since the river is holy, the Hindus bathe in it with joy! Moreover, there is a religious obligation - every Hindu must at least once in his life take a bath in the Ganges, preferably in Varanasi. This is such a concentrate of trash that there will be a separate post just about it.

Typical city street: Hindu, cow patty, dog/goat/pig/cow and lots of rubbish. By the way, get acquainted - this is Rico, my local guide, who led a personal tour for 6 hours and told everything, everything, everything that was possible. Rico is a cool guide and owner of a sports bike (with a broken speedometer, of course), however, it’s scary to maneuver through such streets through cows, even if you have a good experience of riding a two-wheeler.

The action does not end here, it boils here almost 24/7. True, the movement is absolutely stupid and useless, in a nutshell, this is the wheel of samsara of a couple of bucks (the cycle of flowing a couple of bucks from pocket to pocket) and religion.

And the religion is very beautiful and it is a pleasure to walk along the streets of the old city (at the same time you can become a champion in jumping over cakes).

You sit in a cafe, eat lassi ... and then joyful cries like a football cheerleading team - oops, another body was carried. The brain finally takes a vacation from the visual image around.

In general, it’s fun with food - you take street food, bite, and next they again carried the cremated one ... They won’t let you get bored!

They say that being killed by a cow is a great success, you will be reborn as a higher caste. So close, but, sorry guys, I already have everything great and big plans :-)

Panorama of the city of the dead highest point:

Pay attention to the right bank - it is uninhabited, according to legend, there is the kingdom of the dead.

And the sun here is evil and the sunsets and sunrises are just crazy, especially the strip of sun on the water, I've never seen anything like it...

Psst boy...how about some Varanasi?

ATTENTION! There are shocking photos. Impressive viewing is not recommended!

Our planet is full of wonderful surprises from nature and ancient civilizations, full of beauty and sights, and you can also find quite unusual, strange, gloomy traditions and rituals on it. Although it should be noted that for us they are strange and scary, and for some - this is their everyday life, this is their culture.

Each of the billion Hindus dreams of dying in Varanasi or burning their body here. The open air crematorium smokes 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. Hundreds of bodies from all over India and abroad come here every day, fly in and burn. The Hindus came up with a good religion - that we, having given up the ends, do not die for good. Vladimir Vysotsky instilled in us these basic knowledge about Hinduism to the chords of his guitar. He sang and enlightened: "you live right - you will be happy in your next life, and if you are stupid like a tree, you will be born a baobab"

Varanasi is an important religious place in the world of Hinduism, a center of pilgrimage for Hindus from all over the world, as ancient as Babylon or Thebes. Here, more than anywhere else, the contradictions of human existence are manifested: life and death, hope and suffering, youth and old age, joy and despair, splendor and poverty. This is a city where there is so much death and life at the same time. It is a city where eternity and existence coexist. This is the best place to understand what India is, its religion and culture.

In the religious geography of Hinduism, Varanasi is the center of the universe. One of the most sacred cities for Hindus serves as a kind of line between physical reality and the eternity of life. Here the gods descend to earth, and a mere mortal achieves bliss. It is a holy place to live and a blessed place to die. This is the best place to achieve bliss.

The fame of Varanasi in Hindu mythology is unparalleled. According to legend, the city was founded by the Hindu god Shiva several thousand years ago, making it one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country. It is one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus. In many ways, it embodies the best and worst of India, sometimes horrifying to foreign tourists. However, the scene of pilgrims praying in the rays of the rising sun along the Ganges River, with Hindu temples in the background, is one of the most impressive sights in the world. When traveling through northern India, try not to bypass this ancient city.

Founded a thousand years before the birth of Christ, Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been called by many epithets - "city of temples", "sacred city of India", "religious capital of India", "city of lights", "city of enlightenment" - and only recently its official name was restored, which was first mentioned in the Jataka - an ancient narrative Hindu literature. But many still continue to use the English name Benares, and the pilgrims call it none other than Kashi - that is how the city was named for three thousand years.

The Hindu really believes in the wanderings of the soul, which, after death, moves to other living beings. And he relates to death like and especially, but at the same time ordinary. For the Hindu, death is just one of the stages of samsara, or the endless game of birth and death. And a follower of Hinduism dreams of not being born one day. He strives for moksha - the completion of the very cycle of rebirths, along with which - to liberation and deliverance from the hardships of the material world. Moksha is practically a synonym for Buddhist nirvana: the highest state, the goal of human aspirations, a certain absolute.

For millennia, Varanasi has been the center of philosophy and theosophy, medicine and education. The English writer Mark Twain, shocked by his visit to Varanasi, wrote: "Benares (the old name) is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Many famous and most revered Indian philosophers, poets, writers and musicians have lived in Varanasi. In this glorious city, the classic of Hindi literature Kabir lived, the poet and writer Tulsidas wrote the epic poem of Ramacharitamanas, which became one of the most famous works of Hindi literature, and the Buddha delivered his first sermon in Sarnath, just a few kilometers from Varanasi. Sung by myths and legends, consecrated by religion, it has always attracted a large number of pilgrims and believers since time immemorial.

Varanasi is located between Delhi and Kolkata on the west bank of the Ganges. Every Indian child who has listened to their parents' stories knows that the Ganges is the largest and holiest of all rivers in India. The main reason to visit Varanasi is, of course, to see the Ganges River. The significance of the river for the Hindus is beyond description. It is one of the 20 largest rivers in the world. The Ganges river basin is the most densely populated in the world, with over 400 million people. The Ganges is an important source of irrigation and communication for the millions of Indians who live along the river. Since time immemorial, she has been worshiped as the goddess of the Ganges. Historically, a number of capitals of the former principalities were located on its banks.

The largest cremation ghat in the city is Manikarnika. About 200 bodies are cremated here a day, and funeral pyres are lit day and night. Families bring here the dead who died of natural causes.

Hinduism has given those who profess it a method of guaranteed achievement of moksha. It is enough to die in the sacred Varanasi (formerly - Benares, Kashi. - Approx. Aut.) - and samsara ends. Moksha is coming. At the same time, it is important to note that cheating and throwing yourself under a car in this city is not an option. So moksha is definitely not visible. Even if the Indian did not give up in Varanasi, this city is still able to influence its further existence. If a body is cremated on the banks of the sacred river Ganges in this city, then the karma for the next life is cleared. So Hindus from all over India and the world aspire here - to die and burn.

The Ganges embankment is the most party place in Varanasi. Here are sadhu hermits smeared in soot: real ones pray and meditate, tourist ones pester with offers to take pictures for money. Fastidious Europeans are trying not to enter into sewage, fat Americans take pictures of themselves against the backdrop of everything, frightened Japanese walk around in gauze bandages on their faces - they are saved from infections. It is full of rastamans with dreadlocks, freaks, enlightened and pseudo-enlightened, schizos and beggars, masseurs and hashish dealers, artists and other people of all stripes in the world. The incomparable diversity of the crowd.

Despite the abundance of visitors, it does not turn out to be a tourist language to call this city. Varanasi still has its own life, and tourists have absolutely nothing to do with it. Here a corpse is floating along the Ganges, next to it a man washes and beats linen on a stone, someone is brushing his teeth. Almost everyone bathes with happy faces. "Ganges is our mother. You, tourists, do not understand. You laugh that we drink this water. But for us it is sacred," the Indians explain. And indeed - they drink and do not get sick. Native microflora. Although the Discovery channel, when filming a film about Varanasi, handed over samples of this water for research. The verdict of the laboratory is terrible - if one drop does not kill a horse, then it will certainly knock it down. There are more nasty things in that drop than in the list of potentially dangerous infections in the country. But you forget about all this when you get on the shore of burning people.

This is the Manikarnika Ghat, the city's main crematorium. Bodies, bodies and more bodies everywhere. They are waiting for their turn in the fire, of which there are dozens. Burning, smoke, crackling firewood, a chorus of disturbed voices and the phrase endlessly ringing in the air: "Ram nam sagage." An arm stuck out of the fire, a leg showed, and now a head rolled. Sweaty and squinting from the heat, the workers turn over the parts of the body emerging from the fire with bamboo sticks. The feeling is that I got on the set of some kind of "horror movie". Reality is slipping out from under your feet.

Corpse business

From the balconies of the "trump" hotels, the Ganges is visible, and with it the smoke of funeral pyres. I did not want to feel this strange smell all day and night, and I climbed into a less fashionable area, but away from the corpses. "Friend, good camera! Do you want to shoot how people are burned?" - rarely, but offers are heard from pestering. There is not a single law prohibiting the filming of funeral rites. But at the same time, there is not a single chance to take advantage of the absence of a ban. Selling pseudo filming permits is a business for the caste that controls the cremation. Five to ten dollars for one click of the shutter, and a double - at the same price.

It's impossible to cheat. I had to watch how tourists, out of ignorance, at least simply directed the camera towards the fire and fell under the most severe pressure of the crowd. It was no longer a bidding, but a racket. Special rates for journalists. The approach to each is individual, but for a work permit "in the zone" - up to 2,000 euros, and for one photo card - up to a hundred dollars. Street mediators always specified my profession and only then started bidding. And who am I? Photo student! Landscapes, flowers and butterflies. You say that - and the price is immediately divine, 200 bucks. But there is no guarantee that with a "filkin's letter" they will not be sent to hell in the end. I continue my search and soon I reach the main one. "Bi-i-i-g boss" - they call him on the waterfront.

Call Sures. With a big belly, in a leather vest, he proudly walks between the fires - he controls the staff, the sale of wood, the collection of proceeds. I also introduce myself to him as a beginner amateur photographer. "Okay, you have 200 dollars, and take off a week," Sures delighted, asked for 100 dollars in advance and showed a sample of "permishin" - an A4 sheet with the inscription a la "I allow it. Boss." A piece of paper for two hundred greenbacks again did not want to buy. "Varanasi City Hall," I said to the tuk-tuk driver. The complex of two-story houses was very reminiscent of a Soviet-era sanatorium. People fuss with papers and stand in lines.

And the petty officials of the city administration, like ours, are slow - they fiddle with each leaf for a long time. I killed half a day, collected a collection of autographs from the big shots of Varanasi and drove to the police headquarters. Law enforcement officers offered to wait for the boss and treated him to tea. From clay pots, as if from a "Ukrainian souvenir" shop. After drinking tea, the policeman smashes the "glitch" on the floor. It turns out that plastic is expensive and not environmentally friendly. But there is a lot of clay in the Ganges and for free. In a street eatery, such a glass, along with tea, even cost me 5 rupees. Hindu - and even cheaper. A few hours later, an audience was held with the chief of police of the city. I decided to use the meeting to the maximum and asked him for a business card. "I only have Hindi!" the man laughed. "I offer an exchange. You tell me - in Hindi, I will tell you - in Ukrainian," I think up. Now I have in my hands a whole stack of permits and a trump card - the business card of the main man in Varanasi in uniform.

Last shelter

Visitors are frightened staring at the fires from afar. Well-wishers approach them and allegedly disinterestedly initiate them into the history of the burial traditions of India. "The fire takes 400 kilograms of firewood. One kilogram - 400-500 rupees (1 US dollar - 50 Indian rupees - ed.). Help the family of the deceased, donate at least a couple of kilograms of money. People collect money all their lives for the last bonfire" - the tour ends as standard. Sounds convincing, foreigners take out their wallets. And, without suspecting it, they pay for half a fire. After all, the real price of wood is from 4 rupees per kilo. In the evening I come to Manikarnika. Literally a minute later, a man comes running and demands to explain how I dare to expose the lens in a sacred place.

When he sees the documents, he respectfully folds his arms to his chest, bows his head and says: "Welcome! You are our friend. Ask for help." This is 43-year-old Kashi Baba from the highest caste of Brahmins. He has been supervising the cremation process here for 17 years. He says that work gives crazy energy. Hindus really love this place - in the evenings, men sit on the steps and stare at the fires for hours. "We all dream of dying in Varanasi and having our bodies cremated here," they say something like this. Kashi Baba and I also sit down next to each other. It turns out that the bodies began to burn in this place 3500 years ago. Since the fire of the god Shiva did not light up here. It burns even now, it is monitored around the clock, every ritual fire is set on fire from it. Today, between 200 and 400 bodies are reduced to ashes here every day. And not only from all over India. Burning in Varanasi is the last will of many Indian immigrants and even some foreigners. Recently, for example, an elderly American was cremated.

Contrary to tourist fables, cremation is not very expensive. To burn a body would require 300-400 kilograms of wood and up to four hours of time. A kilogram of firewood - from 4 rupees. The entire funeral ceremony can start from 3-4 thousand rupees, or 60-80 dollars. But there is no maximum bar. For the smell, richer people add sandalwood to the fire, a kilogram of which reaches up to 160 dollars. When the Maharajah died in Varanasi, his son ordered a fire made entirely of sandalwood, and scattered emeralds and rubies around. All of them rightfully went to the workers of Manikarnika - people from the Dom-Raja caste.

This is the lowest class of people, the so-called untouchables. Their fate is unclean types of work, which include the burning of corpses. Unlike other untouchables, the Dom-Raja caste has money, as even the "raja" element in the name hints at.

Every day, these people clean the territory, sift and wash ash, coals and burnt soil through a sieve. The task is to find the jewels. Relatives do not have the right to remove them from the deceased. On the contrary, they inform the children of the house-raj that the deceased, say, has a gold chain, a diamond ring and three gold teeth. All this workers will find and sell. At night over the Ganges glow from fires. It is best viewed from the roof of the Manikarnika Ghat's central building. “If you fall, you’ll go right into the fire. It’s convenient,” Kashi says, while I stand on the visor and shoot the panorama. Inside this building - emptiness, darkness and walls smoked for decades.

To be honest, it's creepy. Right on the floor, in the corner on the second floor, sits a shriveled granny. This is Daya Mai. She does not remember her exact age - she says, about 103 years old. Daiya had spent the last 45 of them in this very corner, in a building near the cremation shore. Waiting for death. He wants to die in Varanasi. This woman from Bihar first came here when her husband died. And soon she lost her son and also decided to die. I was in Varanasi for ten days, almost every one of which I met Daiya Mai. Leaning on a stick, in the morning she went out into the street, walked among the piles of firewood, approached the Ganges and again returned to her corner. And so the 46th year in a row.

To burn or not to burn? Manikarnika is not the only place for cremation in the city. Here they burn those who died of natural causes. And a kilometer earlier, on Hari Chandra Ghat, the dead, suicides, victims of accidents are given to the fire. Nearby is an electric crematorium, where beggars who have not collected money for firewood are burned. Although usually in Varanasi there are no problems with funerals even for the poorest. A tree that did not burn out on previous fires is given free of charge to families who do not have enough firewood. In Varanasi, you can always raise money among locals and tourists. After all, helping the family of the deceased is good for karma. But in poor villages there are problems with cremation. Help someone. And a body symbolically burnt and thrown into the Ganges is not uncommon.

In places where dams form in the sacred river, there is even a profession - a collector of corpses. The men row the boat and collect the bodies, even diving into the water when necessary. Nearby, a body tied to a large stone slab is being loaded into a boat. It turns out that not all bodies can be burned. It is forbidden to cremate sadhus, because they have abandoned work, family, sex and civilization, devoting their lives to meditation. Do not burn children under 13 years old, because it is believed that their bodies are like flowers. Accordingly, it is forbidden to burn pregnant women, because there are children inside. You can't cremate a leprosy patient. All these categories of the dead are tied to a stone and drowned in the Ganges.

It is forbidden to cremate those killed by a cobra bite, which is not uncommon in India. It is believed that after the bite of this snake, not death occurs, but a coma. Therefore, a boat is made from a banana tree, where a body wrapped in a film is placed. A sign with the name and home address is attached to it. And let them sail on the Ganges. Sadhus meditating on the shore try to catch such bodies and try to bring them back to life through meditation.

They say successful outcomes are not uncommon. “Four years ago, 300 meters from Manikarnik, a hermit caught and revived the body. The family was so happy that they wanted to make the sadhu rich. But he refused, because if he takes even one rupee, he will lose all his power,” Kashi Baba told me. Animals are not burned yet, because they are symbols of the gods. But what shocked me most of all was the terrible custom that existed until relatively recently - sati. Burning of widows. The husband dies - the wife is obliged to burn in the same fire. This is not a myth or a legend. According to Kashi Baba, this phenomenon was widespread some 90 years ago.

According to textbooks, the burning of widows was banned in 1929. But episodes of sati still happen today. Women cry a lot, so they are forbidden to be near the fire. But literally at the beginning of 2009, an exception was made for the widow from Agra. She wanted to say goodbye to her husband for the last time and asked to come to the fire. There she jumped, and when the fire was already blazing with might and main. The woman was taken out, but she was badly burned and died before the doctors arrived. They were cremated in the same fire as her betrothed.

The reverse side of the Ganges

On the other bank of the Ganges from the noisy Varanasi - desert expanses. Tourists are not recommended to appear there, because sometimes the village chantrap shows aggression. On the opposite side of the Ganges, the villagers wash their clothes, and pilgrims are brought there to bathe. Among the sands, a lone hut made of branches and straw catches the eye. There lives a hermit sadhu with the divine name Ganesh. A man in his 50s moved here from the jungle 16 months ago to perform a puja ritual - burning food in a fire. Like a sacrifice to the gods. He likes to say, with or without reason, "I don't need money - I need my puja." In a year and four months, he burned 1,100,000 coconuts and an impressive amount of butter, fruits, and other foods.

He conducts meditation courses in his hut, which is how he earns for his puja. As for a man from a hut who drinks water from the Ganges, he knows English very well, is very familiar with the products of the National Geographic channel and invites me to write down his mobile number. Previously, Ganesh had a normal life, he still occasionally calls back with his adult daughter and ex-wife: “One day I realized that I no longer want to live in the city, and I don’t need a family. Now I’m in the jungle, in the forest, in the mountains or on the bank of the river.

I don't need money - I need my puja." Contrary to the recommendations for visitors, I often swam to the other side of the Ganges to take a break from the endless noise and annoying crowds. Ganesh recognized me from afar, waved his hand and shouted: "Dima!" But even here , on the deserted bank of the other side of the Ganges, one can suddenly shudder.For example, seeing dogs tearing apart a human body washed ashore by the waves.To see, shudder and remember - this is Varanasi, the "city of death".

Process timeline

If a person died in Varanasi, they burn him 5-7 hours after death. The reason for the rush is the heat. The body is washed, massaged with a mixture of honey, yogurt and various oils, and mantras are recited. All this in order to open the 7 chakras. Then wrapped in a large white sheet and decorative fabric. They put it on a stretcher of seven bamboo crossbars - also according to the number of chakras.

Family members carry the body to the Ganges and chant the mantra: "Ram nam saga" - a call for everything to be fine in the next life of this person. The stretcher is dipped into the Ganges. Then the face of the deceased is opened, and relatives pour water five times with their hands. One of the men of the family shaves his head and dresses in white clothes. If the father died, the eldest son does it, if the mother - the youngest son, if the wife - the husband. Set fire to branches from the sacred fire and go around the body with them five times. Therefore, the body goes into the five elements: water, earth, fire, air, heaven.

It is possible to kindle a fire only in a natural way. If a woman has died, her pelvis is not completely burned, if a man is a rib. The shaved man lets this burnt part of the body into the Ganges and extinguishes smoldering coals from a bucket over his left shoulder.

At one time, Varanasi was an academic center, as well as a religious one. Many temples were erected in the city, universities worked and magnificent libraries with texts from Vedic times were opened. However, much was destroyed by the Muslims. Hundreds of temples were destroyed, bonfires with priceless manuscripts blazed day and night, people were also destroyed - carriers of priceless ancient culture and knowledge. However, the spirit of the Eternal City could not be defeated. You can still feel it now, walking through the narrow streets of old Varanasi and going down to the ghats (stone steps) on the Ganges River. Ghats are one of the hallmarks of Varanasi (as well as any sacred city for Hindus), as well as an important sacred place for millions of believers. They serve both for ritual washing and for burning the dead. In general, the ghats are the most popular place for the residents of Varanasi - they burn corpses on these steps, laugh, pray, die, walk, get to know each other, chat on the phone or just sit.

This city makes the strongest impression on travelers in India, despite the fact that Varanasi does not look like a "tourist's holiday" at all. Life in this sacred city is surprisingly closely intertwined with death; It is considered that it is very honorable to die in Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges River. That is why sick and old Hindus by the thousands strive to Varanasi from all over the country to meet their death here and free themselves from the hustle and bustle of life.

Not far from Varanasi is Sarnath - the place where the Buddha preached. It is said that the tree growing in this place is planted from the seeds of the Bodhi tree, the same under which the Buddha received self-realization.

The embankment of the river itself is a kind of huge temple, the service in which never stops - some pray, others meditate, others do yoga. The bodies of the dead are burned here. It is noteworthy that only the bodies of those who require ritual purification by fire are subjected to burning; and therefore the bodies of sacred animals (cows), monks, pregnant women are considered already purified by suffering and they are thrown into the Ganges without cremation. This is the main purpose of the ancient city of Varanasi - to give people the opportunity to free themselves from everything perishable.

And yet, despite the incomprehensible, and even more sad mission for non-Hindus, this city is a very real city with a million inhabitants. In the cramped and narrow streets, people's voices are heard, music is heard, the cries of merchants are heard. Shops are open everywhere where you can buy souvenirs from ancient vessels to saris embroidered with silver and gold.

The city, although it cannot be called clean, still does not suffer from dirt and overcrowding as much as other Indian large cities - Bombay or Calcutta. However, for Europeans and Americans, the street of any Indian city resembles a giant anthill - there is a cacophony of horns, bicycle bells and screams around, and even on a cycle rickshaw it turns out to be very difficult to squeeze through the narrow, albeit central streets.

Deceased children under the age of 10, the bodies of pregnant women and those with smallpox are not cremated. A stone is tied to their body and thrown from a boat into the middle of the Ganges River. The same fate awaits those whose relatives cannot afford to buy enough timber. Cremation at the stake costs a lot of money and not everyone can afford it. Sometimes the purchased wood is not always enough for cremation, and then the half-burnt remains of the body are dumped into the river. It is quite common to see the charred remains of the bodies of the dead floating in the river. The city is estimated to bury about 45,000 uncremated bodies at the bottom of the river each year, adding to the toxicity of its already heavily polluted water. What shocks visiting Western tourists seems quite natural for Hindus. Unlike Europe, where everything happens behind closed doors, in India every aspect of life is visible on the streets, whether it's cremation, laundry, bathing or cooking.

The Ganges River has somehow miraculously been able to purify itself for many centuries. Even 100 years ago, germs such as cholera could not survive in its sacred waters. Unfortunately, today the Ganges is one of the five most polluted rivers in the world. First of all, because of the toxic substances discharged by industrial enterprises along the riverbed. The level of contamination by some microbes exceeds the permissible values ​​hundreds of times. Visiting tourists are struck by the complete lack of hygiene. Ashes of the dead, sewerage and donations float past the faithful as they bathe and perform a cleansing ceremony in the water. From a medical point of view, bathing in water in which corpses decompose carries the risk of infections with numerous diseases, including hepatitis. It's kind of a miracle that so many people dip and drink water every day and feel no harm. Some tourists even join the pilgrims.

Numerous cities located on the Ganges also contribute to the pollution of the river. According to the results of the report of the Central Office for the Supervision of Environmental Pollution, it follows that the cities of India recycle only about 30% of all their sewage. Now the Ganges, like many other rivers in India, is extremely clogged. It contains more sewage than fresh water. And along its banks, industrial waste and the remains of cremated
corpses.

Thus, the First City on Earth (as Varanasi is called in India) produces a strange and incredibly strong, indelible impact on tourists - it is impossible to compare it with anything, just as religions, peoples and cultures cannot be compared.

“My expedition, having passed Delhi, Rajasthan, visited Indian gypsies and Mumbai prostitutes, froze the whole night at the Agra night station, entered the hero city of Varanasi by the new year 2015,” says exclusively for Bigpikchi Pyotr Lovygin.

(Total 32 photos)

1. Varanasi is a special city for Indians. Not everyone dreams of living in it, not everyone has time to die in it, but every Indian dreams of being burned on the banks of Varanasi and falling ashes into the Ganges. Varanasi is a special burial city for them. But I am not Indian. I chose Varanasi to meet the new year 2015. It does not matter that on January 1 the water supply and sewerage suddenly turned off in the city, and in our room in December frosts there were no glass in the window. We laid it with a map of India in a frame that we removed from the wall. The roof was shamelessly leaking, because the first day of the new year it rained from the sky all day. But despite this, Varanasi is a great city.

2. Ganga is the vein of the city. If there were no Ganges, there would be no Varanasi. The city owes everything to her. The Ganga embankment is a kind of city square. Every evening here comes the time of Puja, a Hindu ritual, when a dozen young people, with a large crowd of people on land and a myriad of boats on the water, bring food, fire and other gifts to their deities. Right there, barbers cut people's hair, Hindu meetings are held, yogis bend their limbs for the good of the Universe.

3. Ghats (descents to the water) Ganges is also an open-air public bath. Pantene Pro-V pours from their steps into the water by the liter. Fat-bellied men plunge into the water. The heads of holy elders with long beards stick out of the water, and it is not clear how they find their mouths among all this snow-white growth when they want to eat.

5. In one beautiful book with pages rustling in the wind, I read that the Indians had long ago connected one end of the Ganges to the other. And now it flows in a circle. Then they built a sacred power plant with a perpetual motion machine.

6. Laundry is being washed. The cattle is washed.

7. Laundry is dried on such dirty surfaces that there is no point in washing. It immediately becomes the same as before. This is the specificity of all Indian laundries: there is constant employment! I washed it - I put it to dry - it got dirty - I started washing it again - I washed it - I put it to dry - and so on ...

8. The sky over the Ganges is occupied by the war of kites. The fishing lines from them stretched from one bank of the Ganges to the other so that all these mountains of linen, washed in its waters, can be dried across the stream. In the meantime, women in saris have not thought of this before and simply lay out these shirts and shirts, shorts and kilometer-long sheets in the sun so that the magic symbol Om can be read from the satellite.

9. And one old man took and built a new road from Varanasi to Allahabad from cow cakes.

10. But the main attraction of Varanasi is the two ghats where the bodies of the dead are burned. Shooting here is strictly prohibited. These shots were taken at my own peril and risk, since my camera has the ability to go unnoticed. The queue of wood reserves begins long before the approach to the water.

11. It takes several hours and about 400 kilograms of firewood to burn a person. Setting fire to the Indians is bad. I have a friend who, in any rain, from one match ... up to 70% of the skin. And of course, in addition to firewood, the most popular product here is the fire starter.

12. The camera does not allow you to get close to the corpse. But, passing by, at a distance of half a meter, you can see that the corpse is far from fresh. Let's just say, "lying down." And obviously not a week, but more. Like the gypsies in Moldova, the dead man lies for several weeks and no one is in a hurry to bury him.

13. All Indians, to the extent possible, ensure that photographs are not taken. At the exit from the main gate, I was caught by the hand with a request to show the last shots: they say, we saw how you just filmed (in fact, they didn’t see anything, they just decided that if they had a camera, then they filmed). With cheerful exclamations: “Shuher! Garbage! We shed!” we quickened our pace through the narrow streets of Varanasia. Not one of his compatriots responded to the call of the vigilant Indian to punish the strays.

14. At the same time, three to six bodies are burned on each of the two ghats. The procedure is quite ordinary, albeit gathering a crowd of onlookers - both Indians and foreigners.

15. Of course, the attitude of Indians to funeral matters is also pleasing. Processions with a corpse go straight through the streets of the city to the ghats, they are easily distinguishable by a) the body carried on a stretcher, b) a large number of rejoicing people. They beat drums, dance and have fun, as if India had just won another cricket match.

16. On my first visit here, I had a wonderful boatman who rode us along the Ganges. Parking near the shore, he hit his stern against the head of someone's corpse lying in the water. Another one was burning in a fire nearby. Burnt legs stuck out among the firewood on one side, on the other, a head was smoldering.

17. And again, five meters from me and this "crematorium on the water" a group of Indians performs dashing dances. And it seems that a little more - and the holiday of Ivan Kupala will come, they will find a fern and jumping over this fire will begin.

19. And there are those who themselves or their poor relatives are not able to find money for firewood. And then the corpse is thrown into the Ganges just like that.

20. He will land on its banks just downstream. Will become food for stray dogs.

21. Striped embankments of Varanasi.

22. Many locals walk along the embankment with the inexhaustible task of "who else to burn." As soon as they see an ownerless body, they begin to shake it and look into the pupils. The body wakes up. “Alive! There it is in a swing ... ”- the Indians lament.

23.27. And in the depths of the streets, in the twilight, and in such open-air eateries, where grubby guys will put you with your hoist tray in the very center of the table, they will start asking something about Russia, and, as usual, their knowledge will be limited to the name Vladimir Putin, and then the chef will put you additives directly with his own hand, and it is not known what he did before with it. Eating in India is always walking through a minefield.

28. In that same beautiful book with pages rustling in the wind, it is also written that in India everyone has long since entered the astral plane. You rarely meet anyone on the street, and even those Japanese tourists. Now the Indians are engaged in the transfer of cows into the astral plane. By the World Cup in Russia, the transfer of cows to the astral plane was promised to be completely completed.

32. And yet Varanasi is a fabulous city. City with a face. And it doesn’t even matter that the whole first day of the new year it rained incessantly and ordered all the sewerage and water supply to live for a long time, and the window blew uncontrollably. We have nothing to look at. If only the funeral business of Varanasi lived and flourished.

Varanasi (Skt. वरणासी), Kashi (Hindi काशी), Benares (Hindi बनारस) are all names of one of the most ancient cities in the world. In these internets of yours it is often referred to as "Varanasi City of dead". In fact, there are far fewer dead people in this place than in any other city, because they are burned here. The Hindus do not stockpile their dead, unlike the Abrahamic cults. So many Hindus come here to leave the body. That is why you should definitely visit Varanasi, because this place will forever change your attitude to such concepts as life and death.

Story

According to one of the legends, Varanasi was founded 5000 years ago by Lord Shiva himself. It is believed that Varanasi is the same age as Jerusalem and the oldest city in India. Varanasi is mentioned in the very first and oldest of the Vedas - the Rig Veda, and according to another version is the same age as Babylon. At various times, it was a trading and economic center, a center of learning, sciences and arts. It was completely destroyed several times and survived Muslim raids. Varanasi was the residence of the kings, many scientists and prominent figures lived in it. This ancient city, on the western bank of the sacred river Ganges, is one of the most revered holy places in many spiritual currents.

City of Varanasi India. Early morning. View of the embankment from the middle of the Ganges

The heart of the city is the embankment, with its numerous temples - ghats, standing along the banks of the Ganges. There are 84 of them in total. In some of them there are operating crematoria, in some of them maharajas lived, in some now there are guest houses and you can live. On the stone steps of the ghats, life is usually in full swing: people bathe, wash clothes, meditate, someone is preparing to leave the material world, and someone is already being cremated.

Varanasi. View from the Ganges to the ghats.

It is believed that death and cremation in Varanasi destroys the karma of hundreds of lives, and if it does not elevate to higher planets, then it gives a better birth - that's for sure. Therefore, many people come here, to the banks of the Ganges, to leave the body and receive the next incarnation. In the Kashi Purana it is said that one who wants to come to Varanasi gets rid of the sins of the past life. One who goes to Varanasi gets rid of the sins and karma of several lifetimes. Well, the one who came gets rid of all sins.

Kashi was not built to any design. Its streets arose spontaneously, naturally forming narrow, dark labyrinths through which one could only walk. In these ancient labyrinths you can meet anything: even resting cows or a flock of monkeys. Artisan shops, music schools, Sanskrit schools or yoga classes can all be found on the streets of the old city.

Varanasi India. You can meet anyone on the street.

Varanasi - how to get there

Every day there are several night trains from Delhi to Varanasi. A reserved seat without air conditioning will cost only 300 rupees and will give a ton of unforgettable experiences. The night train is the gentlemen's choice. You can view the train schedule and buy a ticket. There are also regular and very cheap flights from major cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai. You can buy an air ticket for a couple of thousand rubles, for example.

There are no direct flights or trains from Varanasi to Goa. You will have to fly via Delhi or Mumbai. In addition, a visit to Varanasi can be combined with a trip to Agra. Agra is on the same railway line as Delhi. All you have to do is buy a Varanasi-Agra ticket and don't miss your stop in the morning.

Ghats

Ghats are the gem of Varanasi. In total, along the coast, there are 84 of them. Two of them are active crematoria, some are active temples, and some are abandoned. It is best to view the ghats from the middle of the river in the early morning. The rising sun will bathe the western shore in warm light, and there will be an opportunity to take great pictures. Naturally, for this you will need a boat, excursions on which you will be offered at every turn. The competition is strong and you can safely bargain. Usually, an hour tour costs about 200 rupees.

Manikarnika Ghat

Manikarnika is a working crematorium, the fire in which has not been extinguished for several thousand years. Manikarnika is mentioned in the Narada Purana. It is believed that this is where the place of creation and destruction of the world is located. It is here that the universe will be cremated at the end of the cycle of time.

Bodies are brought here in a continuous stream 24 hours a day to be ceremonially and set on fire. Thus, the current incarnation will be completely completed and the soul can move on in accordance with its karma. The view of the nightly funeral pyres, casting glare on neighboring buildings, makes you reconsider values ​​and think about the meaning of existence.

Like thousands of years ago, the bodies are burned with firewood, which is stacked in even piles around the Ghat. Firewood is brought on rafts over the water and is expensive. The ashes are subsequently thrown into the Ganges. The waters of the Ganges that come to Varanasi are already very dirty, and after everything that is thrown into it, the level of pollution is simply extreme. Despite this fact, the locals perform ablutions, brush their teeth and even drink water from the Ganges. Local guys assured me that the water is so clean that sometimes dolphins swim in it.

Sadhu

For thousands of years, Kashi has been a powerful center of pilgrimage, attracting followers of various spiritual movements. You can meet a huge number of sadhus during big festivals such as Maha Shivaratri. At this moment, thousands of hermits come to the city from afar. On any ordinary day, there will always be different sadhus near the ghats, with whom you can easily chat. There are several criteria for distinguishing a real sadhu:

• he never dresses up like a clown
• he never asks you for money
• Sadhu does not take pictures for money
• sadhu does not pester tourists

Many Shaivite sadhus smoke hashish as part of a religious ritual. Legend has it that Shiva drank an ocean of poison, and his followers repeat this feat by taking various intoxications.

There were cases when sadhus treated tourists with datura (datura) seeds and people went on a trip for three days, followed by partial amnesia. All these three days a person can be completely unaware of what is happening and in the end find himself in an unknown place under absolutely random circumstances. In some cults, the use of datura is also part of the practice.

Bhang Lassi

One of the secret calling cards of Varanasi is the sacred drink. bhang lassi. Bhang is a form of hashish, a substance used in religious ceremonies not only by Hindus, but also by Sikhs and even Muslims. Lassi is a folk Indian fermented milk product (a cool thing, by the way). So Bhang lassi is a drink that causes intoxication, and sometimes very strong. I just have to warn you about this. The trip will be long and very strong. Make sure you're ready for it and that you need the experience at all.

Bhang lassi is sold freely on the streets, made by the same guys who make tea. There are several coffee shops in Varanasi serving the best bhang lassi in town. And besides, there are special shops where they sell bhang. Some of them are proudly called the Government Shop (state store).

Accommodation in Varanasi. Where is the best place to stay

Kashi has a lot of cheap accommodation, with an average price tag of 1000 rubles per night. Personally, I like living closer to the ghats, the most interesting of which are Manikarnika and Dasashwamedh. On this map, they are in the upper right. Take a closer look at the embankment of the sacred river Ganges. This is where the most interesting things happen in the city.

It is best to rent accommodation in Varanasi through Booking.com. I usually use this service.

What to do and what to see in Varanasi

Lifehacks Varanasi

• Settle close to the Ghats.
• Get up early before sunrise and go on a boat tour. At sunrise, you will see much more than in the evening.
• Do not leave your things unattended, and also keep the windows and doors in the room always locked. Do not leave things on the terrace or open space. Packs of wild monkeys are operating in the city, which can easily drag even a heavy backpack.
• Drink only bottled water (applies to all of Asia)
• As soon as you get out of the taxi or rickshaw, you will be surrounded by many beggars and "helpers". Ignore everyone, listen to no one.
• Show respect for faith and traditions. Do not photograph the funeral pyres on Manikarnika. Even if the local punks take you to a "safe" place where you can take pictures, it's better not to do it.
• Do not let yourself be drawn into dubious adventures with strangers.
• There are two railway stations in Varanasi. Keep this in mind if you travel by train.
• Taxi will not be able to take you to the waterfront. You will be dropped off on the road and continue on foot, as the streets are very narrow.
• Don't flirt with street food.
• It is best to eat in establishments where there will be many Europeans. I trust Shiva Cafe / German Bakery the most.