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’s dead wife, hence the name Manikarnika: “jeweled earring.” Between the Kund and the ghat is what is supposed to be Vishnu’s footprint. Adjacent is Scindia Ghat, with its distinctive, half-submerged Shiva temple, toppled by weight; then Ram Ghat and Panchganga Ghat (said to be empowered by the five mythical streams that flow here into the Ganges), and one of the five tirthas at which pilgrims perform rituals. Behind the ghat glowers Alamgir Mosque, built by Aurangzeb on a Hindu temple he destroyed; note also the almost submerged cells where the Kashi pundits (priests) are freeze-framed in meditation poses. Proceed from here to Gai, Trilochana, and Raj ghats, but it’s best (if you still want to proceed south) to turn back at Panchganga (or explore the north banks further on foot).

Heading South Passing Chaumsathi Ghat, where the temple houses images of Kali and Durga; and Dhobi Ghat, alive with the sound of laundry workers rhythmically beating clothing that have been “cleansed” by the Ganges, you come to Kedara Ghat, notable for its red-and-white-striped South Indian–style temple. Farther south lie Harishchandra Ghat, Varanasi’s second cremation ghat (though less popular because it also houses an electric crematorium); and Tulsi Ghat, named in honor of Goswami Tulsidas, a revered Hindu poet. Nearby is Lolark Kund, where childless women come to bathe and pray for progeny. The final stop (or the first, if your accommodations make a south-north journey more convenient) is Assi Ghat, a simple clay bank situated at the confluence of the Ganga and Assi rivers. From here you can walk to Durga Temple, which lies farther west from the ghat. Note: If you want to walk from Assi Ghat to Dasashwamedh, the trip will take a leisurely 60 to 90 minutes. Although the best time to walk or cruise the river is at sunrise or before sunset, you may wish to see the river in a completely different and relatively quiet “avatar,” in which case take a late-afternoon stroll down the ghats in winter.

The Polluted Elixir of Life

According to religious belief, the Ganges is amrita, elixir of life, “cleanser of sin,” “eternal womb,” and “purifier of souls.” Even from a scientific point of view, the river once had an almost miraculous ability to purify itself—up to 100 years ago, microbes such as cholera could not survive in these sacred waters. Sadly, the Ganges is today one of the most polluted rivers in the world. This is mostly due to the chemical toxins dumped by industrial factories that line the river, but Varanasi’s ancient sewers and a population with equally ancient attitudes toward waste disposal (including the dumping of an estimated 45,000 uncremated corpses annually) are problems the Uttar Pradesh Water Board struggles to overcome. Several eco-groups like the Sankat Mochan Foundation at Tulsi Ghat are working to alleviate the environmental degradation of the Ganges, but as you will find abundantly clear within an hour of being in Varanasi, much more needs to be done. Still, it may be something of a miracle that so many people perform their daily ablutions—with full-body immersions—in the waters and apparently suffer no harm; it’s even a popular stunt with braver tourists.

Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum As is so often the case in India, this museum suffers from poor curatorship, with exhibits—which are marvelous—haphazardly displayed and poorly labeled. You may even have trouble persuading the guards to turn on all the lights and show you the rooms behind the screen—hence the need for a good guide. The miniature-painting collection is superb, as are many of the Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and Mughal artifacts, though again, without a guide there is no way to know, for instance, that the otherwise nondescript coin behind the glass was minted by the Mughal emperor Akbar—and in keeping with his legendary religious tolerance, it has a Hindu symbol printed on one side and an Islamic on the other. Set aside 2 hours to explore.

Benaras Hindu University. www.bhu.ac.in. Admission Rs 100; still camera free, video not allowed. July–Apr Mon–Sat 11am–4pm;