Ganga, Shiva, and Crowds of People

Yesterday, Wednesday, we left Kolkata and went to Varanasi. There was a lot going on and too much to fully process, research, or learn. A few hours later, the next morning, before we go on a sunrise boat tour, I will try to describe objectively in photos, observations, and some personal commentary. 

Varanasi is a city where thousands of Hindus worship every day. It is in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Ganga (original and local name for Ganges) river runs through it. There are several ghats - steps leading down to the river bank where people go to worship. Two of these banks are where cremation takes place. The primary Hindu God over Varanasi is Shiva. 

With that background information the photos will make more sense. You will see large crowds of people in the ghat and the streets of Varanasi especially leading to and from the primary ghat we visited. Tons of vendors selling, people with colored paint and the symbol of Shiva on their foreheads in yellow, red and orange paint mostly. Every few feet we were approached by people with the paint wanting to put it on us. Some children were dressed as Shiva with thick matted locs, blue faces, etc. the term ganga for marijuana also comes from this region.

Side note: Many of the Indians in Guyana descend from what is now called Uttar Pradesh. Many of the Indian food names like      barfi, choka, baigan, and puri were quite familiar. It’s a simple thing but underscores the smallness of the world we live in. 

It was particularly interesting to me that these worship ceremonies in Varanasi  occur every day and that every day thousands attend. The cremation also occurs constantly, never stopping in the primary ghats. In other regions our guide told us it ends around midnight each day. But here it never stops. In Hinduism he said, Varanasi is their Mecca.