41 Captivating Photos to Transport You to Varanasi, India

Welcome to Varanasi

Riding in the taxi from the airport my driver weaved through traffic, repeatedly honking his horn. All I could do was sit back and watch the sea of humanity unfold. Needless to say, I was excited! I’d been wanting to visit for a very long time, and that time had finally come. I was visiting solo for ten days, anxious but ready to explore its history, to focus on my photography, and learn more about this ancient holy city. This is a collection of my photos from Varanasi, India.

A thin old man in an orange doti climbs the stairs of a temple in Varnasi, India — Welcome to Varanasi

Everyone has heard about Varanasi and the ghats, right? It’s likely the most bizarre place you can visit as a traveler! Also known as Benares or Kashi (City of Light) – Varanasi is an important holy site for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.

Located in northern India within the state of Uttar Pradesh, it’s the most sacred city in the country. Situated along the banks of the mighty Ganges river, in fact, it’s one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The famed American author Mark Twain once said:

Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.

The story goes that the Hindu god Shiva founded Varanasi by dropping the head of another god thereafter an intense battle. Buddha himself is also believed to have visited sometime around 500 BC after he achieved enlightenment, he shared his newfound wisdom in his first sermon at nearby Sarnath.

Why go?

Varanasi attracts people from all over the world, an eclectic mix of pilgrims, photographers, the dying and their grieving relatives, scam artists, gurus, vagabonds, and spiritual tourists.

Unlike the Western world, you can get up close and personal with death here. Unfiltered and raw. Hindus believe that death in this city will lead to salvation. It’s estimated that over 70,000 bodies are cremated annually. Funeral pyres are burning all day every day.

If a person’s ashes are laid in the Ganges in Varanasi, it is believed that their soul will be transported to the heavens and they will escape samsara the cycle of rebirth. In a culture that believes in reincarnation, this transcendent state is called moksha. The ultimate right of passage for anyone.

It is a strange city where you can feel like a dweller and an alien at the same time. It is ancient, modern, progressive, and sometimes regressive, all at once. -Richa Chadda

VARANASI, INDIA IN PHOTOS

Boat ride on the Ganges river in Varanasi near the burning ghat — A mystical early morning boat ride near the burning ghat.

Sadhu covers himself in powder at sunrise along the ghats of Varanasi — A Sadhu covers himself with ash during a morning ritual.

A man carries a golden carafe of holy water from the Ganges River in Varanasi, India — A man carries water from the Ganges in a gold carafe.

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A baby calf in Varanasi India near an alley door — Moo.

A man bathes in the Ganges at sunrise in Kashi — A man bathes during a serene moment shortly after sunrise on the Ganges

River view of boats and the ghats along the Ganges in Varanasi, India — The Ganges attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year.

A rickshawala sits on a trishaw in Varanasi — Portrait of a Rickshawala

A man walks down a colorful alleyway in Varanasi India — It’s easy to get lost in the maze, but that’s half the fun of it.

A man mixes a lassi at the Blue Lassi Shop in Banares — A man churns a lassi made with creamy buffalo milk, a must try while in the city.

A chanting funeral procession of men carry a body to the burning ghats in Varanasi — Men carrying the body of a deceased woman pass by a bull on their way to Manikarnika Ghat.

A view behind the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, India — Behind Manikarnika Ghat lies the wood sold and used for the hundreds of daily cremations.

A young mourner in white clothing near the Varanasi ghats — A young boy who has come to Varanasi with his family to attend a cremation, wearing white to symbolize purity.

A man washes his buffaloes near a boat in the Ganges River in India — A man gives his buffaloes a bath in the Ganges River.

A man feeds pigeons in front of Chet Singh Ghat in Varanasi — A man feeds pigeons in front of Chet Singh Ghat.

A local Hindu man applies tilak to his forehead at a temple in Varanasi — A Hindu Brahmin man applies tilaka to his forehead before the start of his day.

A sinking temple along the ghats near the Ganges in Varanasi — This temple is sinking…

Young Brahmin boys at the Nepalese temple in Varanasi, India Uttar Pradesh — These boys are Brahmins from the caste of which Hindu priests are drawn.

A young Muslim boy buys mangoes in Varanasi, India — A boy buying mangoes in the Muslim quarter. Muslims make up approximately 30% of the local population.

A young man carries chai cups in a basket on his head in Banares, India — A boy carries chai cups through the galis of the historic district in a basket.

A bull sits in front of a red temple near the ghats of Varanasi, India — Face to face at the entrance of a temple, should I stay or should I go?

An elder Brahmin man sits near his door in Varanasi, India — “Enlightenment, and the death that comes before it, is the primary business of Varanasi.” – Tahir Shah

A hot cup of chai and a jalebi for breakfast in India — A hot cup of chai and a jalebi

Views from the top of Bhonsale Ghat overlooking the Ganges River — Views from the top of Bhonsale Ghat overlooking the Ganges.

A man rolls Banarasi paan in Varanasi, India — Banarasi paan is a tasty concoction of betel leaf and areca nut, dried coconut, tobacco and cloves.

A portrait of a local Sikh man at a flower market in Varanasi, India — A friendly man at the flower market.

An old cracking and crumbling door in Varanasi, India Uttar Pradesh — Throughout it’s history how many people must’ve passed through this old door?

A resting baba laying down in the galis of historic Varanasi — Resting Baba

Nightly Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh ghat in Varanasi, India — The nightly aarti ceremony on Dashashwamedh Ghat offering fire to the goddess Ganga

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Conclusion

Varanasi is a place I’ll never forget. A highly intoxicating destination that is as equally alluring as it is repulsive. I typically went out by 6:30am to wander the ghats in search of photos, only to return to my room by 9am to escape the touts, the smells, and the stifling heat and humidity. After a shower I’d lay on my bed, listening to the monkeys run across the roof of my guesthouse, watching kids play cricket below my window. By 5pm it’d be cool enough to go out again for a few hours. I met some wonderful people along the way, but you have to learn to take the good with the bad.

This is India in its most intense form. Above all, it’s a place that teaches you how to handle difficulties and shows you something about yourself and about life and death. A sacred place that has now become known as one of the most toxic cities in India.

The question remains how can a place like this even exist? This is why we seek, to see and experience the world as it is, instead of what we want it to be…

Have you been to Varanasi or would you ever consider a visit?