Uttar Pradesh

A morning trip on the Ganges to see the devotees bathing – the fog made this difficult. The weather cleared and we spent the afternoon exploring the ghats.

Our second day in Varanasi started with a more in-depth exploration of Hindu culture, including a visit to the New Vishwanath Temple at Banaras Hindu University and several other temples in the Varanasi area. In the afternoon we visited the weaver district where most of Varanasi’s famous silk is manufactured. This a poor and primarily muslim district and work conditions are horrible. Later in the day we ventured into one of the city’s main bazaars.

When planning our trip to India I was determined to visit Varanasi, the holiest of cities for Hindus on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. I had seen countless TV programmes and read many stories about Varanasi but I wanted to see it for myself.