Lungo i Ghat di Varanasi
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 5.08 mi
- Elevation gain
- 144 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 144 ft
- Max elevation
- 316 ft
- TrailRank
- 49
- Min elevation
- 316 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 33 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2782
- Uploaded
- December 15, 2022
- Recorded
- November 2022
near Nagwa, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Viewed 73 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Varanasi (Benares for the British, Kashi for the locals) is a unique place.
Here the Ganges turns north and receives the Varuna to the north and the Asi to the south (hence the name). An ancient city, you go there for the rites on the Ganges that make it unique. For Hindus it is mandatory to go here at least once and bathe in the Ganges. Therefore, in addition to the beauties of the city, people come here to participate (not attend) the rites. Once in the evening, after sunset, the Ganga Aarti, and once at dawn when the Ganges becomes incredibly crowded. The stairways leading to the Ganges are the Ghats.
Here I describe my walk (I'm against touristic and useless boat rides, I like walking, stopping, talking) at dawn, but I've also added photos and videos of the evening ritual.
The experience is absolute, it was worth the trip so far.
There are three most important ghats, the southernmost one the Assi, at the confluence of the river; the intermediate one, closer to the old historic center of the city, the Dashashwamedha Ghat, and finally the most important cremation site, the Manikarnika, the northernmost of this route.
A recommendation: photographing and filming is generally accepted (sometimes even required if, like me, you have a Nikon with a telephoto lens...) but it is impolite to film religious rites and it is really unpleasant to photograph/film cremation rites, to be avoided absolutely if you are respectful of people
Here the Ganges turns north and receives the Varuna to the north and the Asi to the south (hence the name). An ancient city, you go there for the rites on the Ganges that make it unique. For Hindus it is mandatory to go here at least once and bathe in the Ganges. Therefore, in addition to the beauties of the city, people come here to participate (not attend) the rites. Once in the evening, after sunset, the Ganga Aarti, and once at dawn when the Ganges becomes incredibly crowded. The stairways leading to the Ganges are the Ghats.
Here I describe my walk (I'm against touristic and useless boat rides, I like walking, stopping, talking) at dawn, but I've also added photos and videos of the evening ritual.
The experience is absolute, it was worth the trip so far.
There are three most important ghats, the southernmost one the Assi, at the confluence of the river; the intermediate one, closer to the old historic center of the city, the Dashashwamedha Ghat, and finally the most important cremation site, the Manikarnika, the northernmost of this route.
A recommendation: photographing and filming is generally accepted (sometimes even required if, like me, you have a Nikon with a telephoto lens...) but it is impolite to film religious rites and it is really unpleasant to photograph/film cremation rites, to be avoided absolutely if you are respectful of people
Waypoints
Panorama
244 ft
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