Boats on the Ganges

Tourists to Varanasi usually take a boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise. However, on the day we were there, the boatmen were on strike.

On Dashashwamedh Ghat

A ghat is a series of stone steps leading to the banks of the Ganges. Varanasi has about a hundred ghats, and this, Dashashwamedh, is the largest and busiest of these, It is used for ritual sin-absolving bathing in the Ganges.

Pandas at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

Pandas (priests) sit under bamboo umbrellas at the ghat. They help devotees doing the ritual circuit of the ghats recite statements of intents and preform rituals.

Keeping clean

A man performs his morning ablutions, while another fishes some of the spent flower offerings out of the water.

Deep (Flower-lamp offerings)

One traditionally buys flowers, marigolds and strongly fragrant roses, with a candle from street children to give to the river as offerings. The wish one makes as one sets the flowers in the water is meant to come true. These are ours - they did not seem to want to flow away, but hugged the shore instead.

The day begins at Dashaswamedh Ghat

The pink building on the right is a temple, containing the lingam, or phallic symbol, representing the god Shiva the Destroyer. Each ghat in Varanasi is marked with a lingam.

At the top of Darbhanga Ghat

This ghat is a little ways south of Dashaswamedh. In the background is the palace of the Darbhanga Maharani (Queen) of Bihar.

The Ganges as seen from the Darbhanga Ghat

Idle Ganges boats

Tourists at the Ghat

Note the very authentic menu offered at the German bakery, as advertised on the wall.

A sleepy morning at the ghat

Bathing in the Ganges

Bank Myna

(Acridotheres ginginianus)

Morning Haze over the Ganges River

In the distance one can see the Dhobi (or laundryman's) Ghat.

Some of the myriad of monkeys at the ghat

Two men at the entrance to a temple.

Above Dashaswamedh Ghat.

Closeup of another Rhesus Macaque

Rhesus Macaque

Trying to warm up on a chilly morning

A chai (milky spiced sweet tea) seller pours for one customer, while another customer sips.

Flower-eating monkey

The flower offerings are often fished up, and then stolen by the macaques.

Macaques share the stolen holy flower offerings.

Various merchants set up shop for the day at the ghat.

A devotee of Shiva the Destroyer.

Shiva is held to be the founder of the city of Varanasi, also known as Kashi, the Luminous, the City of Light: legend has it that after his marriage to Parvati, Shiva left his dwelling in the Himalayans to come and live in Varanasi with all the gods in attendance.

Watching the sunrise over the Ganges at Dashaswamedh Ghat

One of the Brahmin pandas has a customer.

In the cramped lanes of the old town of Varanasi

The cows may be holy, but that does not necessarily save them from having to eat trash to survive.

The lanes of Old Varanasi.

Benedikt and Agatha talk maths while walking through the lanes of old Varanasi.