Varanasi Ghats: Bathing Desi Indian Men in Langots and Underwear

A desi man is often used to describe an Indian man, though the term is also often most often used for Indian men outside India. Check out more images here.

A ghat is basically a series of steps leading down to a water body, often a river. There can be a ghat to a natural pond as also an artificial water tank. The ghats usually have religious significance and much of Hindu religious life revolves around these - right from janeu after birth, and leading unto the burning of the dead body on the funeral pyre.

Here's a video that covers more details about Varanasi. 

Bathing at the ghats has special significance - it is believed to purify not just the body but also the soul. Most older temples in the sub-continent have a water body within the temple complex where can bathe before entering the temple, and they always have a ghat. For temples around a river, particularly Ganga, you can take a holy dip in the flowing water. Ghats of Varanasi have special significance as taking holy dip here is believed can wash away all your sins, not just from this life but also from the past lives - this means you can achieve Nirvana or Moksha and be free from the cycle of life and death.

Young men playing at the ghat

A gang of young men taking a break from jumps!

Getting ready...

Getting the soap

A young Indian man in langot

Koren men taking a holy dip!

An old man in langot cleaning himself

A young man covered in soap

Father and son getting ready for the jump

Young and old scrubbing together!

A young man drying his towel

 
Ghats have men as well as women who take a bath there, however, its the men who dominate them. An Indian man usually has very little inhibition to bathing in rivers in underwear or even a flimsy langot or loincloth (sort of an Indian underwear). Also, its much easier to click them - there are no inhibitions even if they are scantly clothed. I am often told that I click women and make them look awesome etc with my pictures...well maybe not always. I am also told that I do not click men often enough (which is not exactly true and as a proof read this post here -  Indian Men with beards and Pehalwans in Langots).

Here are a set of images from the ghats of Varanasi and all of these are bathing men. I mostly refrained from clicking bathing women, but men were often willing posers and so could easily become my subjects :)

There no images with serious exposure (I would rather not publish those on a travel blog), but I hope these also provoke reactions. Do leave a comment and let me know what you think!

It's the young boys who have the most fun :)

Early morning getting ready for a jump...

And one of them ready to jump in

Family bathing together!

Well, its not all his clothes...he was in a group of friends :)

Splashing!

Saving his modesty...haha!

Wearing a langot on the ghats can be challenging :|

Getting ready after a bath

There are about a hundred ghats in Varanasi, and they all have their own significance. Not all of these are used for bathing, at least not in the conventional sense. For instance Manikarnika is an exclusive ghat for burning of the pyre of the dead, while ghats like Asi is now a tourist hub with may shops and restaurants serving all kinds of food.

For a visitor with just a day, two ghats are most significant:

1. Manikarnika Ghat

Two legends are associated with Manikarnika Ghat. According to one, it is believed to be the place where Lord Vishnudug a pit with his Chakra and filled it with his perspiration while performing various penances. While Lord Shiva was watching Lord Vishnu at that time, the latter's earring ("manikarnika") fell into the pit. According to the second legend, in order to keep Lord Shiva from moving around with his devotees, his consort Goddess Parvati hid her earrings, and asked him to find them, saying that they had been lost on the banks of the Ganges. Goddess Parvati's idea behind the fib was that Lord Shiva would then stay around, searching forever for the lost earrings. In this legend, whenever a body gets cremated at the Manikarnika Ghat, Lord Shiva asks the soul whether it has seen the earrings.

According to ancient texts, the owner of Manikarnika Ghat bought King Harishchandra as a slave and made him work on the Manikarnika at Harishchandra Ghat. Hindu cremations customarily take place here, though a majority of dead bodies are taken for cremation to the Manikarnik Ghat. According to other sources that Manikarnik Ghat is named after Jhansi ki Rani Laxmibhai.

My recommendation: You can walk around on the ghat (though there is usually very little space), but photography is strictly prohibited. I would recommend sitting on a ghat close by and observe things and contemplate over matters of life and death. Its rare to see the end so closely and this opportunity should not be missed.

2. Dashashwamedh Ghat

This flat is located close to Vishwanath Temple, and is probably the most spectacular ghat. Two Hindu mythologies are associated with it: According to one, Lord Brahma created it to welcome Lord Shiva. According to another, Lord Brahma sacrificed ten horses in a yajna here. A group of priests daily perform in the evening at this ghat "Agni Pooja" (Worship to Fire) wherein a dedication is made to Lord Shiva, River Ganges, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the whole universe.

My recommendation: The ghat truly comes alive in the evening when its time for Ganga aarti. Its a huge affair with lights and sound and an excellent opportunity for photography. Its great in the day as well, as its the main bathing ghat. You can also get some amazing massage on the ghat here, just like my friend and I did :) The massage is primarily for men and is given by men, and can even get a little too intimate, but its extremely relaxing, both before and after a holy dip.

Please read this article on Wikipedia for more details.

For more recent stories on Varanasi, read below:

>> Varanasi: Five things to do in the morning

>> Varanasi: Intimate massage session

>> Street Photography in Varanasi

>> A day in Varanasi

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-- Siddhartha Joshi