Tag Archives: Ganges River

Dippin’ In The Ganges India

Dippin' In The Ganges India

Dippin’ In The Ganges India

Varanasi, India is a special place. Special because, in Hindu culture, Varanasi is a major pilgrimage site. It is said that, if a person dies (or is even cremated) in Varanasi their soul will obtain instant moksha [IT], the release from the perpetual cycle of life, death and rebirth that Hindus are striving to achieve. I don’t know a whole lot about moksha, but I do know that there are a whole lot of people who believe that Varanasi is a holy place. The people that you see in this picture are just such people. They have come to the Ganges River, a body of water they consider the holiest in the world, to get a little purity. One of the great activities in Varanasi for the tourist is to take a boat trip in the morning on the Ganges to observe pilgrims and local devotees in their morning rituals along the ghats, the steps leading down to the river. They gather, they meditate, they drink chai, they socialize, they bathe, they swim and they wash themselves and their laundry. This is quintessential Varanasi.