The city of Varanasi is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world

In Hinduism, Varanasi is a sacred city where people believe that dying and being cremated on the banks of the Ganges River can lead to moksha, or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation

Who after all, wants to reincarnated as a fly or wasp? 

This belief is rooted in the idea that the Ganges is a holy river that can purify the soul and allow it to escape the cycle of rebirth

By the side of the river are funeral pyres, where the dead bodies are laid and where they are cremated with the ash being swept in the Ganges 

Against this backdrop Hindus also believe bathing in the Ganges river is a powerful ritual for cleansing sins, purifying the soul, and attaining spiritual liberation

The river is considered holy and is believed to have the power to wash away negativity and purify the body and mind, leading to a fresh start filled with vitality and purity

I have to admit, I didn't actually go in the Ganges, it's a strange gray colour and has ash floating on it, but I pretend in my mind I did

I'm a great believer that any form of spirituality comes from inside of us and our actions

In the end, Varanasi is not just a city, it’s a living symbol of life, death, and the eternal search for meaning

The sacred Ganges flows as both witness and participant in rituals that span millennia, offering the faithful a path to moksha and spiritual renewal

Whether through cremation rites or the simple act of bathing, people come here to connect with something greater than themselves

And while I didn’t step into the river’s gray, ash-laced waters, I’ve come to believe that the deepest cleansing doesn’t always require physical immersion

Sometimes, it’s enough to stand still, reflect, and recognize that the truest spirituality is found not in where we go, but in who we choose to be