Inside a Varanasi Home

 

Karl has been taking pictures of doors on homes. We walked past this home about five times yesterday. Every time, this man was sitting out front watching the people pass by. We asked if we could take a picture of him and his front door, and he said that we could if I stood there by him too.

January 26, 2026, Sunday

Last night we decided to go to dinner at the pizza restaurant because it is close, and we were not very hungry. We didn't take into account that the Hindu light ceremony was just ending and it was a Saturday night on a three-day weekend. So, we got there and learned there was a forty-five minute wait. We were standing near the hot oven waiting, and I chatted with two English women. They wanted to eat too and one of them went up to the front of the line and learned you could ask to share a table with someone already seated. They did that, so we decided to try that as well.

We ended up sharing a table with these two young stock brokers from Calcutta. They told us they did not come to Varanasi for the spiritual benefits. They came to eat! And they had seen the pizza and apple pie on Instagram. We had a nice conversation with them. Karl got to grill them on Indian politics too.

It's a dog's life here in Varanasi.

We share the alleys with dogs, cows and goats. Fortunately the dogs don't pay any attention to us. We woke up in the night to the sounds of a loud dog fight and then we heard the juxtaposition of cows and horns. Just not what you usually hear. You must watch your step, between the broken tiles and the other piles, it requires careful attention.

Notice the size of this door.

Goutam told us that Indian doors are intentionally made small, so you are required to lower yourself when you enter. You are thus reminded to leave your ego outside and enter a home with humility.

We went to the student's hostel for breakfast this morning. There are no branches of the church in this city. We looked online for a call-in link, but couldn't find one. So we decided to take a morning walk along the Ganges.

The river front is a busy place! 

There are over eighty separate stone steps entrances from the streets of the city to the Ganges River. These step entrances are called ghats. Each of them is named. The students' hostel is at the top of Assi Ghat, a very popular and busy ghat. When the monsoons come, the river rises and covers the steps of the ghats.

Bathing in the Ganges.

Hindus believe that the Ganges River can wash away sins, cure health ailments, and it can help you detach from the attachments of the world so that you can gain physical and spiritual liberation. It is also very polluted water. The students have been told they could potentially risk catching cholera, typhoid and dysentery not to mention the risk of ingesting high concentrations of metals. None of them have been tempted, so we are not worried! The bathing areas were sectioned off for men and women separately, and there was a family area as well.

Another group of bathers with tourists boats in the background. We are taking a 6:00 am river cruise tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise.

Goutam standing in his bedroom under a baby picture of himself. He was showing us that his older brothers spiked his hair for the picture.

Karl, Emily and I met Goutam for lunch. He pointed across the street from the restaurant and said that is his family's home. He and his wife live and work in New Delhi, but he grew up in this 100-year-old house. He invited us to come and see it. And just as we have heard, he brought us into the home and had us sit in his bedroom. The home is large. He comes from a privileged Brahmin family. Not only were they Brahmin, but they were the highest class within the Brahmins, called varna. His father was one of the first founders of Air India.

A view of the bedroom and the chairs we sat in. The pictures on the top of the wall are different Hindu deities. The last picture on the right is of his father.

He served us these sweets called mithai. They are made from graham flour, sugar and ghee.

Goutam says he is not religious, he is spiritual. He worships the baby Krishna. Each morning he talks to the small images of baby Krishna. He provides food for them, give them toys, milk, and dresses them properly for the weather. He has more images, but these three made the trip from New Delhi with him.

He keeps them on this bedside table. You can see the small baby toys on the right and the banana and plastic cups of food on the left.

The view from his bedroom. This is the kitchen table. The opening to the kitchen is on the right. The opening with the banner above it is his mother's room. Straight ahead is the front door. He put bars on the windows to keep the monkeys out of his house. We did see monkey paw prints on a car parked in front of his house. There is a Hanuman temple down his lane that monkeys hang out at.