Varanasi is a shock to the senses: it is pure India at a “full speed ahead” mode. Crowded, dirty, and bizarre, this city is both fascinating and exciting at the same time. It is a hugely important destination for Hindus, and that feeling hangs heavily in the air. Cows are gods. Rats are revered, and eat the railroad ties, causing crashes. Mother Teresa is revered as a Saint. Nuclear weapons are aimed at Pakistan. A war rages on the Saichen Glacier. But for over a billion Hindus, none of those things really matter in comparison to a pilgrimage to the Ganges. India is more than a country: it’s a world, a state of mind, a state of being. And Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi will bring salvation.

9 mins reading time
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