We took an overnight train from Orchha to Varanasi, the spiritual city right on the Ganges River. I’ve taken an overnight train before in Vietnam so I sort of knew what to expect – rough ride, lots of noise throughout the night, bumpy, train announcements, being exposed to other people on the train, it was pretty similar. Luckily, I’m a deep sleeper so none of that bothered me.
They gave us a pillow and a towel and a bedsheet. It was actually not bad. There’s an outlet if you need to charge electronics. I slept on the upper bunk which was good because I felt a little bit more distance from everyone else.
After we freshened up at the hotel and ate a little, we went out for an orientation walk in the old city of Varanasi, a holy city.
Our first visit was to the Mata Kali Temple, one of the highest revered places of worship in the city. We went up to have this view of the spiritual city, where millions of people travel to for pilgrimage, to worship, mourn, or die. The moment we arrived here, I already felt a special kind of energy.
We got onto a boat and parked along the other many boats, where there were worshipping, music, performances along the Ganges River.
The next morning, we got onto a boat again for a sunrise ride.
So many people already gathered here at the Ghats along the Ganges River in the morning.
It was quite a surreal experience, watching the sun rise there, where people bathed in the holy water and also cremated their loved ones.
We also partook in the Aarti ceremony, where you placed candles in flowers and float them down the river as an offering to the Goddess Ganga.
After that, we went to visit the museum at Sarnath and the sacred Maha Bodhi Tree. Sarnath is the birth place of Buddhism where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon.
After that, we took Tuktuks back, and on the way I kept seeing these murals of yoga poses.
We came here for our last dinner in India (before we head to Nepal the next day) – and it was amazing!!!
India was extraordinary. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was so glad I didn’t get the Delhi-belly. It completely surpassed my imagination. Everyone was so nice and friendly, and everything I ate was beyond delicious. The architecture was so special everywhere I looked. There’s just so much history and culture to explore and learn about! Next time, I’d like to see South India since I only (barely) covered the North this time!
life on macro. 