{"id":1710,"date":"2018-04-22T18:38:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-22T16:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exoticca.net\/blog\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2019-04-03T13:40:58","modified_gmt":"2019-04-03T11:40:58","slug":"varanasi-the-ganges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exoticca.com\/ca\/blog\/varanasi-the-ganges\/","title":{"rendered":"Varanasi & The Ganges"},"content":{"rendered":"
Varanasi is best known for being home to the Ganges and has a reputation as being a life-changing place to visit, due to its spiritual importance and the fact that life and death are both so visible and prominent here. This Indian city is the ultimate destination for all Hindu pilgrims, who believe that the River Ganges, which starts at the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas, was born from the Goddess Ganga and has the ability to wash away all sins and bring the bather closer to spiritual enlightenment. Many pilgrims visit during the later stages of their lives as it is thought that dying by the Ganges brings salvation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Throughout Varanasi there are kilometers of \u2018Ghats\u2019, steps that lead from the street directly into the water, enabling direct access to the powerful waters of the Ganges. Both pilgrims and locals bathe in the waters, some on a daily basis and feel this is a significant part of their religious practice. On these Ghats, public cremations are an everyday occurrence, and some days up to 200 cremations take place, right in the open air for all to see. The ashes are swept directly into the river and dissolve in the holy waters. This is a part of life for locals in Varanasi, but for travelers, this can be an eye-opening and thought-provoking sight.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n