When I was in India, I kept intersecting with the Ganges River and I’m happy that I did! Here’s a little bit of what I learned. If you are a Hindu, and about 80% of Indians are Hindus, the Ganges River is a holy river. In Hinduism, there are several million gods, and the river is sacred.

And as a Hindu, you are supposed to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanasi on it at least once in your life. And I believe it’s also a tenant of the faith to have your ashes placed into the river upon your death. Because the river water is holy, people bathe in it, drink it, take it to their houses to use for healing purposes, and probably many other uses. At several locations near the river vendors sold red plastic containers, so pilgrims could take water back to their homes.

At first, I saw the river at Varanasi. At that place, both on land and by boat, I started to learn about the ghats, the beaches or landings on the river where people can bathe, swim, drink the water or deposit ashes of deceased relatives. There are 84 ghats or locations, and two of them operate as places for cremation and placing ashes into the river. You can also place petals of flowers, floating candles on the river and many other things.

At Varanasi , we walked next to the river for a long time and saw holy men talking with pilgrims, pilgrims and local people bathing in the water, swimming in it, etc. This is where I also saw a Sardu. A Sardu is an aesthetic Hindu, who has turned their back on earthly pleasure, including possessions, temptations, and even clothing. They often walk from the mountains to Varanasi as part of a pilgrimage. I encountered one who seemed to be living in the area next to the river. They’re distinctive, often with white hair because they’re placing the ashes into their hair and all over their body. The Sardu I saw was completely unclothed.

I next saw the river at Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the river is smaller, but fast flowing. In Rishikesh, my partner and I stayed directly next to the river, and we could hike down to it where it was wild, undeveloped, and truly beautiful; at our hotel, we slept two nights with the sound of the river as background music — really unforgettable! In Rishikesh, I also saw one additional Sardu.

And my partner and I went up river to Devprayag the place where the Ganges is formed. Two rivers meet there to make the Ganges and this is a pilgrimage location, also. I could dip in the water a little bit, and I received a blessing from a holy man.

We also went briefly to Haridwar, another major city for pilgrims to the Ganges. However, I was less impressed with the commercialization around the river and the overall rundown nature of things.

As our guide told us,  understanding the river helps dramatically to understand India and its culture. It’s a constant in the background of Hindus in the nation, and in the nation in general. Fascinating!