Varanasi Things to Do

There are many many opportunities to learn Yoga & Meditation in Varanasi.
The problem of 'fake' yoga teachers and gurus is prevelent in Varanasi, as it is in most Indian cities. The target is mainly young single female- however, anyone is vulnerable.
We met quite a few travellers in Varansi who were there specifically to learn Yoga, and most of them recommended Malaviya Bhavan, which is held at Benares Hindu University.
This course is 4 weeks (one hour per day), and a certificate is issued upon completion. Cost is R5000.
There is also available a course on Hindu Philosophy, for which a student visa is needed.
I feel that Varanasi is good for these activities- the city has such a mystical feeling.
Watching the devotees meditate at 5.30am each morning, on the banks of the Ganges- is a truly inspiring feeling.
Many of the smaller hotels offer free yoga lessons on the rooftop areas- please CHECK with anyone taking part about how genuine these lessons are.

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I was finding nice yoga place and after visiting lots of yoga Studio ... finally i visit Yoga Education Training Society, in Bengalitola Area ... infront of Zee Travel upstair second floor ....
These place i firstly felt little confusion because when i was asked him how many rupees you will take he said me how many rupees you can give me ???
after that he explained that he takes donation base so i paid him one an half hour 150 Rs it is o.k. good price and after that i looked there lots of poor children are taking educaiton so i did volutneery work ther for one week Mr, Somit yoga teacher and president of organization said me he takes donation base because he support for children and want to bring changes in their"s life ... i impressed upon him ...
i hope if anybody take interest then try to go there
thanks everyone it is his link
http://www.varanasivolunteer.blogspot.com
http://www.varanasiindiango.jimdo.com

There is a museum there, sacred ruins and a Bohdi Tree where Siddartha conducted his first lesson with his disciples. I really liked the Bohdi Tree. I got to go inside the little area that surrounded the tree and was able to touch the tree. Very nice feeling! We were told it was a tree from a sapling that came from the orginal tree that Siddartha sat under. I'm not sure if this is true, but if it is, that's really impressive. I touched the grandson tree that Buddha sat under!

There was also a Buddhist temple on the sight.

Sarnath is very close to Varanasi, so make this a day trip!

Some years ago I was sat on a train heading to Varanasi, the Hindu Holy city. In a first class compartment three of the seats were taken well dressed men who were clearly in their 'twilight years', the fourth seat was taken by an even older gentleman who was obviously sound asleep.

We entered into conversataion and enjoyed a pleasant hour or two watching the world go by. The conductor duly came round, and the occupants reverted back into an Indian language to conduct a long and drawn out argument with the conductor.

I must have looked clearly puzzled, because after the conductor left it was explained to me that the gentleman in the corner was not in fact asleep but was quite dead, and being transported to Varanasi by his friends ready for cremation and scattering into the Ganges. I have no idea if he had to pay the full adult ticket price (single one-way only !) or if he got a discounted ticket.

The story just goes to show in what regard the city is held by Hindu whose pilgrimages to the city swell the million of the city to alot more.

Many Hindus believe that a cremation conducted here will lead to 'Moksha', a release from the eternal cycle of rebirth or reincarnation.

It is only really in places like this that you can begin to even just glimpse something of the raw power that Hinduism has over its many millions of followers.

One of the most popular activites in Varanasi is to hire a small boat, amybe with a couple of other people and explore the various ghats on the riverside.

You will have to work out for yourself about how comfortable you feel getting near to those who are being cremated at the waters edge. Most boatmen will be aware enough to be sensible about it.

Rather like gondaliers in Venice the price is absolutely negotiable. The one thing you don't do is negotiate with middle men who hang around the hotels and cafes. They are just chancers looking for a unhealthy cut.

Just head down to the waters edge - they will come to you. Most seem to be able to negotaiate a small rowing boat for between 35-50 rupees and hour. Some get fleeced and pay much more, others negotiate hard and get to the 'Indian' price of about 20 rupees an hour.

Sourbugger (of course) came up with a great deal of 4 rupees for the entire day. (to be fair that was now 20 years ago so don't trust my prices). On the downside the boat was spending it's day crossing back and forth across the Ganges delivering dried cow turds. They didn't smell (well just a little bit. In case you are wondering they are are sold as fuel.

Pity I lost the entire set of photographs off the back off a bus going to Shimla.

'Durga Temple,' known also as the monkey temple due to the hordes of macaques that congregate within temple grounds. Chris warns me not to make eye contact, or smile at them, as both are considered signs of aggression and could provoke an attack. I find this excruciatingly hard, as my natural instinct is to laugh heartily at everything they do, they are after all comedians of the animal kingdom. I am told that on Thursdays and Sundays, there are even more monkeys here as a mass feeding frenzy occurs when pilgrims pay their respect. Backpacks have been known targets of the monkey criminals, and to avoid drama there is a strict no camera clause.

The burning ghats are a sight to behold, with bodies burning in full view of bystanders. The dearly beloved gather, while their deceased relatives lay aside, belching out fumes from beyond the grave. Surrounding the mourners are the pilgrims, who bathe on the steps of the ghats each day. It's not just a spectacle, but a ritual thousands of years strong. There is no sign of anything modern here, and I doubt that things have changed much over the centuries.

I take a boat ride at sunset, which is a must-do when in town. The ride lasts about an hour and is a bargain at 200 rupees, after heated negotiations. The rickety boat ventures up and down the river, and I spot pilgrims and ghats along the way. I spot a skull floating beside the boat, dislodged from its former body and bobbing up and down in the murky muddy waters. I'm already having second thoughts about the promise I made to myself that I would bathe in these sacred waters.