Day 15 - Varanasi

Early morning, 5:30 am departure from hotel.  We drove down to the Ganges, boarded a boat for another cruise on the river.

From the boat, we watched people on the ghats , stairs, performing yoga, washing clothes, taking a dip in the river, and offering flowers and incense to the river.

Laundry

Bathing

The young in training to become priests

Floating flowers with candle - offering to the river

Priest 

The river is a circle of life, very interesting.

Back the hotel around 8:00 for breakfast.  Greeting the doorman.

Next was Sarnath, the ancient Buddhist learning center.  This is where Gautama Buddha preached for the first time.

The pilgrims put gold foil on the bricks as an offering.

We walked clockwise around the stupa 5 times - good luck.

Nearby is the new statute of Buddha to replicate the one destroyed by the Taliban. 

Tomorrow, a yoga and meditation class, flight to Delhi, and flight back home.