Varanasi

Along the banks of the Ganges in northeastern India stands one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Varanasi has drawn pilgrims, philosophers, artists and seekers for more than two millennia, drawn by the belief that death here—and especially cremation at its iconic ghats—grants liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

The Ghats

More than eighty stone steps descend from the city lanes to the river at Varanasi. Dashashwamedh Ghat, closest to the main temple quarter, is among the most active: Brahmins recite prayers at dawn, devotees wade into the shallows to submerge themselves three times, and hawkers move through the gathering. A few hundred metres north, Raj Ghat marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were scattered. At Manikarnika Ghat, burning pyres operate around the clock, and the city conducts several thousand cremations here each year.

The Temples and Lanes

The old city clusters around a tight network of lanes that predate motor vehicles. Narrow passages wind past flower sellers, brass dealers and sweets shops before opening onto small temple courtyards. Kashi Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, stands near the river; its spire was rebuilt in the eighteenth century after the original was destroyed by Mughal forces. Non-Hindus cannot enter, but the lanes surrounding it remain open to all.

Sarnath

Ten kilometres north of the river, the deer park at Sarnath marks where Siddhartha Gautama gave his first teaching after gaining enlightenment, establishing what became Buddhism. A simple stupa, a stone pillar with still-legible edicts, and the ruins of monasteries and temples speak to the site's importance in that tradition. Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka, Tibet and Southeast Asia continue to study here.