After eating at the hotel restaurant, then we went
out on a cycle rickshaw tour of the city on the way to the banks of the
Ganges. It was good to be able to see a bit of the city without having
to watch where you are walking, avoiding both traffic -- cars, lorries,
rickshaws, tuk-tuk, bikes, motorbikes -- and cow pies!
It was still a fair walk to the Ganges after leaving
our rickshaw. On our way to the river bank steps and ghats we jostled
our way through a crowded market. Hawkers were everywhere, selling brass
bottles of "holy water" from the Ganges. We were glad when we finally saw
the river waters through the crowd
Varanasi (Benares) is a city in the Indian
state of Uttar Pradesh dating to the 11th century B.C.E. Regarded as the
spiritual capital of India, the city draws pilgrims who bathe in the River
Ganges’ sacred waters and perform funeral rites. Along its winding streets
are some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishwanath, the “Golden Temple,”
dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
|
