This was not the first time that I was in Varanasi. But my first trip doesn’t really count as I had been a small kid back then. The first thing that struck me now was how filthy the city was. Everywhere you looked, there were piles of garbage. Cattle and dogs were feasting on these piles and doing a fine job of scattering them everywhere. Children were taking a dump by the side of the roads. People were littering, spitting or peeing in almost every direction one looked, and with seemingly zero compunction.

As it so happens, Varanasi is one of the holiest places for Hindus. It is also a popular destination for foreign tourists seeking what they consider a “true Indian experience”. Understandably it is crowded. Understandably a lot of garbage gets generated. But what I find absolutely incomprehensible is how less effort seems to be spent in trying to make it cleaner. Perhaps it is all the filth that gives foreign tourists the “true Indian experience”. If that is really the case, then it is such a sorry state of affairs :(

Unlike my usual self, I wanted to be indoors as much as possible. This was probably to

• Stay away from the filth,
• Stay protected from the biting cold, and
• Stay with the nice people at home.

However, walking along the Ganges on the various ghats was definitely a good experience. Nicole (Jana’s Swiss colleague), Jana & I went to the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple, but only I was allowed to enter the temple as I was born into a Hindu family. This pissed me off no end. I would never have bothered to go anywhere where people are discriminated against, and especially in such a brazen manner. But I had promised Prit’s mom that I would make a small Puja worth 51 Rupees at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and for that reason I did go inside. It couldn’t hold a candle to my experience at Tirupati.

Walking along the ghats in the morning is actually really pleasant

The ghats belong to the buffaloes as well

Flying kites with some kids at the ghats

With Nicole and my new best friends - Ear-muffs!

I went to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) - where Jana works - on one of the days, and met some of Jana’s students. BHU has a sprawling campus, and it could surely be better maintained. But compared to the rest of the city however, it was paradise.

Jana with her students at BHU

We hired a small boat so we could watch the Ganga Aarti from the river

Some guy called Kevinos Padre was painting a Shiva at one of the ghats

On one of the days, we made a short day-trip to the nearby city of Sarnath where Gautama Buddha is said to have first taught his teachings after attaining enlightenment.

At the stupa in Sarnath

Gautam And Gautam

With Jana atop one of the ruins

Four days in Varanasi went by in a flash, and it was already time to leave. I asked Jana if she would like to come to Delhi with me and she was more than happy to have the chance to travel a bit.