Few places are as spiritual or colourful as the western banks of the Ganges in the ancient Hindu city of Varanasi. AMY PACKER takes an unforgettable tour of the north of the country

EASING myself out of the bicycle rickshaw after a half-hour bumpy ride through the labyrinth of Varanasi's back streets, it takes a few seconds to absorb the scene that greets me on the riverbank. A sea of saris in every imaginable colour sparkles with sequins and gold thread, while Hindu "pandas" (priests) look resplendent in rich shades of ochre and saffron, their skin painted ghostly white with ash.

The air is filled with the smell of incense, burning sandalwood, cow dung and camphor. Beggars tug at my clothes to solicit alms as I walk gingerly down the wide, stone ceremonial steps to our "bajra", the low wooden boat that awaits me. There is a cacophony of bells, drums, chanting and clapping. This is one of the holiest places in India, where Hindu pilgrims come to wash away a lifetime of sins in the Ganges river or come to cremate their loved ones.

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We are gathered for the Aarti, the Hindu ceremony of light, which takes place every evening at dusk. Priests light large lamps filled with ghee (clarified butter) or camphor and swing them in unison as they pray with the crowds below them.


Before our boat pulls away I exchange a few rupees for a floating candle and, once out on the water, release it and watch it sail into the darkness to join hundreds of others. In the distance I can see the burning embers of half a dozen funeral pyres glowing ominously.

Varanasi is known as India's city of "learning and burning". Hindus believe that anyone who dies here will receive enlightenment, so the pilgrimages of the old and frail provides steady business for the funeral ghats (temples), which host 200 cremations every day.

The next morning, before dawn, we are back on the Ganges. After the bedlam of the night before, it is as if I am on an entirely different river. The only sound is of paddles being dragged through the water by our wiry oarsman, whose sinewy arms display every muscle as he propels the boat along.

Pilgrims bathe by the bank fully clothed but I'm not tempted to join them in the filthy waters. Instead, I am grateful to be able to slope back to our room at the five-star Gateway Ganges Hotel. It may not absolve my sins but the warm shower in the sleek, modern bathroom and a few hours snoozing in the shade by the hotel pool in the lush, 40-acre gardens is just what I need after the early start.

Feeling refreshed, we head out in a tuk-tuk (a motorised rickshaw) to explore the city's bazaars, famous for their silk brocades and beautiful Banarasi saris.

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I AM ALREADY well versed in the art of haggling by this stage of the trip. Arriving in the country 10 days before to follow the well-trodden tourist trail known as the Golden Triangle, my friend Sarah and I were thrown immediately into the chaos and culture of Old and New Delhi. The myriad alleyways and teeming bazaars contrast starkly with the respectful silence that shrouds Raj Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948.

As with all whistlestop tours it is not long before we are moving on, heading to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Neither words nor pictures can do justice to this white marble 17th-century mausoleum, built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his second wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth.

In the pink city of Jaipur I resist the temptation to buy the rubies, emeralds and other precious gem stones the region is famed for, succumbing instead to armfuls of glass bracelets, beaded throws and vibrant silk scarves.

We veer from the main tourist trail only once to visit Khajuraho, a Unesco World Heritage site 400 miles from Delhi, best known for its striking temple complex.

The Hindu and Jain temples are decorated with scenes from the Kama Sutra, making them infamous throughout the world.

The restoration has been a little heavy-handed in places; many of the sandstone temples are pristine despite having been built 1,000 years ago but the impressive tall spires rival Cambodia's Angkor Wat, while the intricate carvings succeed in making the most imperturbable souls blush. Our guide takes pleasure in pointing out the nooks and crannies where the more "educational" scenes are depicted.

Staying in top hotels with flawless service proves the perfect antidote to sightseeing, allowing a dip in the pool before heading to the bar for a gin and tonic. The food is also exquisite.

My favourite meal is at Peshawri Restaurant at the ITC Mughal Sheraton in Agra, where I eat spicy, melt-in-the-mouth lamb shank from the tandoori oven, served with buttery black lentil dhal and crispy naan bread, unrecognisable from the flaccid, flabby pillows of dough we are used to in Britain.

My Friday night takeaway will never seem quite as tasty again.

GETTING THERE:
Page & Moy (0844 567 6633/www.pageandmoy.com) offers a 14-day Treasures of India tour from £2,119pp (two sharing), half board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Delhi, transfers and all excursions.

India Tourism: 0207 437 3677/ www.incredibleindia.org