As I mentioned in the introduction most of my time was spent in the Ghats, and I still felt that I haven't spent enough time there. The sights you see there are unlike any other. You would be expecting a typical Hindu pilgrimage atmosphere, but it is completely different.
There are around 80 Ghats in Varanasi, each one totally different from the other. They have their own purposes and functions, also each one has a life and history of its own. A question I asked the people I talked to was which Ghat they were most close to, and their answer came out quicker and with more confidence than any other replies I got. Every one has their own Ghat, and if they do dip the Ganga, they will go to their Ghat.
The Ganga plays a huge part in the lives of the people of India, not just Varanasi. People from all over come here to dip their sins away into the holy river. The faith you witness is awe inspiring. It's amazing to observe the people and their relation with the River. When they enter the river, for them, its like entering a totally different world, with just them and the river, nobody else. The closeness to Siva, the belief in God and the river, their sin-free'ness everything can be seen when a devotee goes in for a dip or a small pooja. I wanted to experience this particular feeling, although I wouldn't grasp the feeling and the holiness as much as them, I wanted to feel a small essence of what they were going through, so I dipped in the Ganga, twice. I felt good. I felt free. Im being overdramatic, but yes, I did feel something, and that something was a pretty nice feeling which has given me the little glimpse into their lives like I wanted.
But the freedom and openness that some people have was something that was a little difficult for me to grasp. Even though I took a dip in, I felt like all eyes were scanning me for some weird reason, a small sense of insecurity was present. I was going into the river half naked and even though there was a sense of awe there was also a tinge of vulnerability.
After that I saw the attachment the people have with the river through a different lens, when they do their poojas or their daily dips, they are putting themselves in a completely vulnerable position, with many curious, leering, amazed eyes on them, BUT they would be totally oblivious to all these antics as their focus is not in this superficial reality in which we live, they are in a completely different place.
There are around 80 Ghats in Varanasi, each one totally different from the other. They have their own purposes and functions, also each one has a life and history of its own. A question I asked the people I talked to was which Ghat they were most close to, and their answer came out quicker and with more confidence than any other replies I got. Every one has their own Ghat, and if they do dip the Ganga, they will go to their Ghat.
The Ganga plays a huge part in the lives of the people of India, not just Varanasi. People from all over come here to dip their sins away into the holy river. The faith you witness is awe inspiring. It's amazing to observe the people and their relation with the River. When they enter the river, for them, its like entering a totally different world, with just them and the river, nobody else. The closeness to Siva, the belief in God and the river, their sin-free'ness everything can be seen when a devotee goes in for a dip or a small pooja. I wanted to experience this particular feeling, although I wouldn't grasp the feeling and the holiness as much as them, I wanted to feel a small essence of what they were going through, so I dipped in the Ganga, twice. I felt good. I felt free. Im being overdramatic, but yes, I did feel something, and that something was a pretty nice feeling which has given me the little glimpse into their lives like I wanted.But the freedom and openness that some people have was something that was a little difficult for me to grasp. Even though I took a dip in, I felt like all eyes were scanning me for some weird reason, a small sense of insecurity was present. I was going into the river half naked and even though there was a sense of awe there was also a tinge of vulnerability.
After that I saw the attachment the people have with the river through a different lens, when they do their poojas or their daily dips, they are putting themselves in a completely vulnerable position, with many curious, leering, amazed eyes on them, BUT they would be totally oblivious to all these antics as their focus is not in this superficial reality in which we live, they are in a completely different place.
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