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@katiecouric : Varanasi is one of the most intense places I’ve ever visited. Massive sensory overload in what’s been called “the city of learning and burning.” We visited the #Ganges river first to watch the sun rise and see the flurry of activity on the street (even at 5:45 am!) We returned to the #ganges for a ceremony of Thanksgiving with a sea of humanity on the banks of the river. It’s called the city of light (vs Paris-lightS) and is one of the holiest places in the Hindu religion. People were bathing there to wash away their sins...some were just taking a dip and others were lathering up, while still others were doing their laundry and hitting their clothes against rocks in the river (ergo the term stone washed) Millions of people come here every year including many elderly people who wish to die in this sacred place and be cremated on the holiest ghats (or stairs) to achieve salvation. We saw at least thirty people being cremated the night we visited. When I asked Ajay our guide if he felt it was intrusive and invasive to have people watching from the river he told me death is a celebration and to bear witness is honoring Hinduism. If a woman predeceases her husband, she is dressed in the same sari she was married in. After we observed the cremations, we each lit a small candle surrounded by roses 🌹 in a little cup and said a prayer for people who had died before placing them in the water. I said a prayer for Jay, my sister Emily and my parents. I was so moved that John (yes that’s his first name) told me afterwards he said a prayer for the same people I did. It was beautiful to see the candles all floating on the river, like little stars on a dark, watery sky. The service was remarkable too. Getting home in a rickshaw was harrowing and very, very (!) loud with all the honking cars, motor scooters, pedestrians and cows in the street. I can’t believe there aren’t more accidents here! I will share some of our adventures in my stories tomorrow (so many pictures!) and realiz