08/05/2025
Varanasi is a unique experience. It's intense, ancient, and full of contradiction. Over three days, I walked through narrow back alleys and along the riverfront ghats, surrounded by buildings that look and feel thousands of years old — probably because they are!
The city is loud and unforgiving. Honking horns, motorbikes weaving through crowds, and the thick smell of incense, smoke, waste of every kind - and life itself. All multiplied by intense heat.
The Ganges is seen as sacred — people come from all over to bathe in its waters, to offer prayers, and to cremate their loved ones at Manikarnika Ghat, one of the holiest and busiest cremation sites in India. And yet, that same river is heavily polluted. The contrast is impossible to ignore.
There’s a strong sense of duality here. You witness deep religious devotion, alongside commercial survival. While some people grieve, others are selling religious beads, flowers, and boat rides.
Life and death, faith and hustle, all playing out in the same space. It’s confronting at times. Life at the sharp end.
This city doesn’t soften anything. It lays everything bare — the noise, the chaos, the rituals, the resilience.
It made me think about how yoga isn’t about escaping discomfort, but learning to meet it with awareness and presence.
Varanasi doesn’t offer easy answers. But it leaves an impression. One that stays with you, long after the assault on your senses has faded.
I've left with a sense of relief, but also feeling very humble and grateful 🙏