Early Morning Boat Ride on the Ganges

VERY early….4:45 a.m. early. The sun is still sleeping, but we’re not. We have a guide and boat and a date with Mother Ganga. We’re sailing down the river in order to see all the religious ways this holiest of cities wakes up.Varanasi is the epicenter of 3 of India’s religions, Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. As such it is a pilgrimage destination for millions of people each year. Varanasi, also known as Benares, is treated as an embodied divine, and millions view it as their cultural destiny. The River Ganges is viewed as a divine spirit as well, similar to the symbiotic yet divine attitude of First Nations toward nature. The river is a unifying force of this very religiously diverse area, and is a national deity. 3-4 THOUSAND people a day have a “living relationship” with the river. Hindus believe in the power of DARSHAN, eye to eye contact with a god, and so they desire to see, to bathe in, and be one with Mother Ganga.
As we descended the ghats (literally steps in Hindi) there were some early bird Shiviites performing their morning puja with incense and the holy lamps and bells. See short video clip attached for the real deal.
As we began our journey, we learned from our guide that there are 84 such ghats (series of steps leading to the river) along the shores of Mother Ganga in the city of Varanasi. Above the ghats are an assortment of palaces (from the Moghuls, or other rich people who wanted their private place to approach the river), Hindu temples, Jain temples, and all other things imaginable. There are 5 particularly important ghats, and some are solely cremation ghats. The River Ganges is the holiest of rivers, in the holiest of cities, so several thousand pilgrims (and many cows) arrive here daily to bathe in the river, perform a ritual by taking some water from the river and sprinkling small drops at one of the 3,000 Hindu shrines or temples in the city. The cows are just along for the ride, however; I’ve not seen any cows taking a dip. (See pic to the left.) As a side note, it’s worth mentioning that this city, which is 38% Muslim (as opposed to the 11% nationally), also has 1,400 Muslim shrines and mosques, 12 churches, 3 Jain temples, 9 Buddhist temples, and 5 Sikh temples. Varanasi, also known as Benares, is the United Nations of religious cites. In addition, this is Lord Shiva’s city (can’t remember how this became his hometown) and this is Shiva month, so there are extra people in town. Rather like a Big 10 Football Saturday in Iowa City, with the traffic and out-of-towners. However, it’s much calmer than other cities we’ve been in, and I think perhaps all the sacred cows roaming the streets does something to calm the traffic….a bit.We got off the boat when we arrived at the cremation ghat, with all its wood piles and places for the closest relative to get his head shaved. We walked behind the scenes, as it were, to the alley behind the ghats, and saw shops for buying shrouds, shops for buying the bamboo stretchers for bodies, and a great garam masala shop. Of the 3, I just bought the garam masala. There were shrines or temples at every turn, with people performing pujas at each. Many people take a water vessel to the river, fill it, and then go from shrine to shrine in the city sprinkling a drop or two on each. I thought the stations of the cross were a big deal as a kid, but this level of devotion makes it pale in comparison. We visited the area of one of the most holy of the Hindu temples, a Shiva Temple, and were only allowed access to the outside, which still entailed a severe frisking by armed guards at the entrance. It is heavily guarded after a terrorist bombing a few years back.
We got back on the boats and floated back down the river, this time to larger crowds who were performing morning pujas as well as others daily living chores such as laundry, bathing, and all their body function needs. The pollution of the Ganges is a huge problem, and later that morning we visited a man who is heading up local efforts to clean it up. He told a tale of politics, bureaucracy and broken promises which was perplexing, to say the least. He is a hydrolic engineer by training who has identified a 3 point plan for cleaning the river which includes stopping industrial waste, stopping human sewage from entering the river (all the sewage of Varanasi currently is directly dumped into the river) and natural treatment plants so the water can be reused. I’ve been drinking bottled water since I got to India, but I stayed very clear of Mother Ganga’s “water”. Interestingly, later that day we had a local guide, a university professor religion, who gave us his opinion about this man’s efforts, or lack of efforts. He described him as a money machine who has gotten millions and done very little to nothing. I think we need to talk to a third person to get yet another opinion! It was a very instructive morning, and nothing substitutes for the experience of seeing all the varied activities that draw so many to this holy water.