Lazarus’ Varanasi Retreats

The city of Varanasi runs along the banks of the Ganges and has over 90 ghats covering a distance of 4 miles. Although it’s a place that’s associated with death and dying, it paradoxically carries an unusually uplifting atmosphere, as if the age-old thoughts of eternal life have been imbued within its time-worn structures.

Against a hazy blue sky, the vibrant colours seen on street vendor’s stalls, printed on the cloth of saris and ornately covering religious artefacts and temples, become so pleasing to the eye that you can stop anywhere in this city and be mesmerised for hours. Nothing is ever still in Varanasi yet its ceaseless flow can have the strange effect of stilling a western mind.

This ancient spiritual centre attracts scholars, philosophers and mystics from all over India. In every chi shop and street corner you can find a baba or sadhu discussing the nature of death and muttering homage to corpses being carried by, clad in white linen and strewn with brightly coloured petals and orange flowers.

It’s considered to be extremely auspicious to die and be cremated by the Ganges but especially so at this stretch of the holy river. It’s also believed that if Shiva whispers in your ear here as you take your last breath, you will attain immortal life without the need to ever come back to this particular world. As Varanasi has the Ganges on one side and is densely populated with ashrams and temples connected by narrow roads, there is little heavy traffic apart from numerous rickshaws and bicycles.

Wildlife

Varanasi’s beauty lies in its composition, rather than its nature. Apart from the natural serenity of the Ganges, this city is surrounded by flat rural land leaving the traveller drawn more to the colourful nature of its people and buildings. But you will still find numerous monkeys in trees and on rooftops, large bulls, cows and yaks plus other animals side by side as you wander with the city’s inhabitants, and there are always interesting birds everywhere in India.

Climate

We hold retreats in Varanasi during the winter so the weather is pleasant and not overly hot. It can drop to 7c in the evenings and in the day reach a high of 25c. Please bring warmish clothing and see the ‘Facilities, Health Factors & Practicalities’ section of this website for further details.