Death & Rebirth in Banaras Night Walk

Overview

Venerable Kashi, the very spot where Lord Shiva chose to the pierce the primordial darkness on earth with the ray of his celestial light, is known as the city of light, learning and knowledge. Nestled by the hallowed waters of the Ganga this is the city of Lord Shiva who chose it because: “The three worlds form one city of mine, and Kasi is my royal palace therein.”

It is here that devoted Hindus celebrated him with the first of 12 holy Jyotirlingas. And it is Kashi which is the bridge (tirtha) between this world and the next for devout Hindus. For centuries practising Hindus have believed it is most auspicious to die or be cremated in Varanasi by the holy Ganga if they want to achieve moksha, or release from the cycle of death and rebirth. It is believed that Lord Shiva, who resides here, himself intervenes and whispers the secret mantra in the ear of the dying who come to him at Kashi— the 'Mahasamashana' or 'The Great Cremation Grounds'.

The ghats of Varanasi serve as a sacred space for the funerary rites and ritual for the dead. This tour leads you to an understanding of the importance of Varanasi to the Hindu faith through the narratives of these old sacred spaces.

Why you will love it

• Beginning with a fertility temple and ending with the cremation grounds, this tour takes many of the sites of other tours and strings them together in a garland of fantastic sites and experiences.
• See Banaras as 'Mahasamashana’, the great cremation ground.  We visit an ashram of a path of tantric non-dualism, well known for their black-clothed renunciants who meditate in the cremation grounds.
•  You will learn about the conundrum of the Hindu cycle of death and rebirth while discussing philosophy as you wander through the Kali temple to chai shop, eventually reaching one of the cremation grounds and the goddess temple nearby.

What you will experience

Death and Rebirth is the ‘Best of Banaras' tour for sites and stories. The original Varanasi Night Walk is a fantastic way to see the city at any time of the year. We wander through the alleys as the temples shut for the night, seeing final rituals and ceremonies. We typically finish the tour with an astonishing temple service (not available on Fridays)