Varanasi is regarded as the spiritual capital, and the Ganges River is considered the most sacred river in India. Every evening, there's a spectacular religious ceremony Ganga Aarti that takes place by the river, that attracts thousands of tourists and locals to attend. Walking to the waterfront was quite stressful. The streets were jammed with crowds. While you had to make sure you wouldn't miss your group, you also had to make sure you wouldn't be pickpocketed. And to walk down to the boat, you had to squeeze yourself through, avoiding the people who were already sitting on the stadium rows, and making big steps descending in between the spectators, since there was no staircase.
Before the ritual began, our boat sailed a little further away to let us view the Hindu cremation from afar. We were advised not to use the camera when the boat stopped at a closer distance, as a way of paying respect to the deceased.

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