Udayan - a new beginning

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Our third (and last!) early morning started at 5.30am. We met our tour guide who took us down to the River Ganges. We were lucky enough to be able to watch the sun rise from our rowing boat surrounding by many pilgrims at prayer. We were given flowers which held a candle to place into the river, watching them all drift away behind us was a special moment. This beautiful and amazing experience highlighted their dedication and showed how devout they are.

During our boat trip we saw cremations taking place on the banks of the Ganges. The Hindus bring their dead to be cremated and scattered in the river. If a person dies elsewhere in India then the ashes can be brought to the Ganges to be scattered. However, if the cremation takes place at the Ganges then they have to be scattered along the river banks. Hindus believe that this ceremony will allow them to be liberated from re-incarnation which is why so many make this journey. We then walked through the narrow lanes alongside the river passing many temples and markets.

Afterwards, we visited the university in Varanasi, which boasts the largest campus in India. At the university we saw their temple and we all got a chance to jump up and ring the bell. After a much needed breakfast we went on an excursion to Sarnath, about 10km from Varanasi. This site is of great importance in the history of Buddhism as it is thought that Sarnath is where Buddha gave his first sermon. Afterwards we visited the archaeological museum of Buddha. Here we saw many statues of Buddha, some which have sadly been defaced. However, they were still extremely beautiful and relatively well preserved. We came back to the hotel for lunch and to relax for the rest of the day in preparation for our long trip tomorrow on an overnight train to Calcutta.