As our train was super late we missed out on a lot of the day. We had to play catch up so was up early the next day for our sunrise boat tour on the Ganges.

We got tuk tuks from the hotel (Hotel Pradeep) which took us to the famous Ganges. It was still dark but as we arrived at the water side, it was breathtakingly beautiful. The water was so calm and still and there were fishing boats out and a lot of people bathing themselves in the water.

We mounted the small powered boats and went down the Ganges. It was sooooo peaceful, you really did feel like you were in the most religious place in India. The quintessential Indian holy city where millions of Hindu travel to for pilgrimage, to worship, to mourn, or to die. We learnt that most people come here to get burnt, however if you die as a pregnant lady or have a disease such as lepracy, they put you straight in the Ganges as they believe your soul should not be burnt. Some trips have seen bodies floating in the Ganges. They also put all the dead animals in there too. The fumes are so strong here, I would say this is the worst polluted area I have visited in India, worse than Delhi!

Hindu pilgrims from all over the world come to wash away their sins and
cremate their loved ones.

We then Walked the narrow twisting alleys, poked around some of the literally thousands of temples and shrines. We had breakfast at a really good bakery where I had pancakes! They were amazing and this was run by a sweet old Man who did the ordering and serving all by himself.

After breakfast most of us went back to the hotel to relax before mounting he boys again in the evening.

Later that day we cruised the Ganges River by boat at sunset and enjoy a candle flower ceremony. This was beautiful, as you lay a flower arrangement with a candle in the middle and think of your loved ones as you place it in the water. As we went further down the river we saw multiple fires, this was were they were burning the bodies. They burn 200 bodies a day at this place! Other tourists and our boat mounted up near the bank watching the rituals they did whilst burning the bodies. It was so interesting but it did not feel like something we should of been watching. Only men are at this event. It takes quite a while for the bodies to decompose and of it doesn’t fully decompose the men crush the sculls and other thick bones with there feet!

We then went further down the river where the women were at the ceremony where there was singers, many candles and lights. This seemed like a far more light hearted affair than the burning!

Overall, I think it’s the most interesting place I have ever been too!

We then went fu