The River Ganges - The Wheel of Life

To Hindus, the ancient city of Varanasi - known in the Moghul and British eras as Benares - is the holiest place in the world. This, they believe, is the spot that the geat god Shiva picked as his earthly home after his marriage to the lovely goddess Parvati. The city lies on the bank of The Ganges, a river which, according to Hindu myth, once flowed through the spheres of heaven.

For centuries, Varanasi has drawn pilgrims from all over India. In the past, they came on foot; today, many travel by train or bus but some still walk, for those who joyfully endure the rigours along the route can be sure that all the immoral acts they have committed in this life will be wiped out. Besides millions of ordinary householders making a once-in-a-lifetime journey, Varanasi attracts ascetics and holy men who have renounced all worldly ties and wait only for their release from human bondage. If they die in Varanasi, their souls go straight to heaven, escaping the persistent cycle of death and rebirth that is the lot of other mortals. But Varanasi confers this benefit even on those who have not lived as holy men: many come to the city at the eleventh hour to await death and liberation.

The Ganges is the destination for both the living and the dead in Varanasi. Along the five-kilometre sweep of the citys waterfront, pilgrims congregate at the foot of flights of stone steps, known as ghats, which lead down the river. There while people clean their garments, children splash about, astrologers read horoscopes and yogis perform improbable contortions, the pilgrims immerse themselves to wash away their misdeeds. The deceased are cremated near the ban of the Ganges, then their ashes are scattered on its waters, whence their soul will enter the realm of bliss.

A jumble of temples encrusts Varanasis steep river front. Most of them are dedicated to Shiva, thelord who both destroys and creates, and the citys streets are lined with shrines to the god stone shafts, known as lingas, representing a phallus.

Abigail Sarah Bagraim, Email info@abigailsarah.co.za

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