Varanasi is the most holy city in Hinduism and the spiritual home of India’s Sadhus, or holy men who have renounced the worldly life. They are revered by Hindus as representatives of the Gods and sometimes worshiped as Gods themselves. They are ascetics and wanderers and are often displayed as private, dignified, selfless people, respected for their Holiness and feared for their curses.
varanasi
Varanasi 2015
Once in every lifetime an observant Hindu hopes to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanasi. Some come to wash away sickness and sin in the Ganges River. Others bring their dead to be burned. Still some come to live their last days here, for to die and be cremated in Varanasi guarantees eternal release from the cycle of birth and death.