Varanasi is known as Kashi, the City of Light, and is traditionally understood as the sacred city of Shiva. At its spiritual center stands Kashi Vishwanath, the principal shrine of Shiva and one of the most important pilgrimage temples in India.

We begin the day before the city fully awakens, entering the ancient world of Kashi through two powerful temples.

Our first visit is to the ancient shrine of Varahi Devi, a fierce and protective form of Shakti. According to the traditional lore of Kashi, Varahi protects the city through the night and returns to her temple in the morning—making the early morning visit especially significant.

We continue to Kashi Vishwanath, the temple of Shiva as Vishwanath—“Lord of the Universe.” The temple is the devotional heart of Kashi, where pilgrims come to offer prayers to Shiva and experience the sacred presence of the Jyotirlinga.

During the day, we step away from the intensity of the city and come back to the body. Through a Soma + Soul practice, we will explore movement, breath, meditation, and somatic awareness, allowing the experiences of Kashi to settle beyond the intellectual level.

This is a day of connecting with Shiva within—stillness, awareness, presence, and the ability to witness life without needing to control it.

As evening arrives, we gather at Kedar Ghat, one of the oldest and most revered ghats of Varanasi. Dedicated to Kedareshwar, a form of Shiva, Kedar Ghat has a distinctly devotional atmosphere and is generally quieter than the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat. We witness the evening aarti by the Ganga and allow the day to come to a close in prayer and silence.

We begin the day on the river, where the city reveals itself from a completely different perspective. A two-level boat becomes our floating practice space. As we gently move along the Ganga, traditional Indian musicians will accompany us with live music. We will practice Restorative Yoga, allowing the body to soften while surrounded by the sounds of classical instruments, the morning river, and the awakening ghats.

There will also be an opportunity to enter the Ganga and swim, connecting directly with the river that has been at the center of this pilgrimage.

Later, we travel to Sarnath, one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India. It was here, according to Buddhist tradition, that the Buddha gave his first teaching after attaining enlightenment, setting the Dharma Wheel into motion.

Sarnath offers a completely different energetic landscape from Kashi—quieter, contemplative, and centered on the path of awakening through wisdom and compassion.

We return to the Ganga and approach one of the most profound and confronting aspects of Varanasi: its relationship with death.

At the cremation ghats, death is not hidden away from daily life. It is visible, ritualized, and held as part of the natural cycle of existence. We will witness the evening ritual from a place of silence, respect, and contemplation, without disturbing the sacred ceremonies taking place.

This experience invites us to reflect on impermanence, attachment, and the preciousness of life—the ancient teaching that what we fear or avoid looking at can also become a doorway into deeper presence.

Our final day in Varanasi is a day of integration. After several days we slow down and allow the experience to settle within us. We begin before the city becomes busy with visits to two beloved temples dedicated to Hanuman and Durga.

Hanuman represents devotion, courage, strength, and selfless service. Durga embodies the protective and transformative power of Shakti. Together, these temples offer a beautiful closing blessing before we leave Kashi.

After our temple visits, we gather for a traditional South Indian breakfast, enjoying a relaxed meal together before the day unfolds.

The middle of the day is intentionally open. You may rest, explore the ancient lanes of Varanasi, visit the ghats, shop for something special, or simply spend some quiet time with yourself.

We come together once more for a Soma + Soul practice, using movement, breath, and awareness to integrate everything we have experienced. After that we will gather as a group to reflect on our time in Varanasi: What did we encounter? What moved us? What are we ready to leave behind, and what are we carrying forward?

We close our Varanasi chapter through kirtan—collective singing and devotion. Rather than trying to put the entire experience into words, we allow the voice, rhythm, and shared presence to become our final offering to Kashi.

In the evening, we board our overnight train and begin the next chapter of our pilgrimage: from Kashi toward Rishikesh and deeper into the Himalayas.

We leave behind the ancient city and continue following the Ganga upstream—moving gradually closer to her Himalayan source.