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Narrator: These are the famous ghats, or steps, of Varanasi. And to me, they conjure up everything
about India.
The eclectic architecture, the colors, the noise, the smell, also combined with the spirituality of the place.
The local culture, peoples faith. This is an absolutely magical city.
The city is so important to people of the Hindu faith because it's built on the banks of the holy
river Ganges.
This waterway is so revered that people flock here from all over India, and the world, to take
to the sacred waters.
It's believed that to be cremated here guarantees the deceased eternal salvation.
Funeral piers line the river and fires burn continuously, day and night.
The first time I saw the so called burning ghat it was a little bit of a shock, you know, to see
bodies being cremated out in the open on piles of wood next to the river.
And I think really, it's just because my background is so different. When I go to a crematorium
you have a coffin, it just goes along a conveyer belt, a curtain is drawn.
In India, life is different. It's out in the open, in the streets.
And it shouldn't really come as a surprise, but death is very different too.
Ashes and partially cremated bodies are sent down the river to their final resting place.
While it's a spiritual honor, any residual bacteria, parasites or disease from the deceased are
released into the river as well.
The trouble is, that 400 million people live along the Ganges river.
And as the population has boomed, so has the pollution. This sacred water way is used as a
swimming pool, laundry, bathroom, and rubbish pit. It's so heavily polluted at Varanasi, that the
water is septic. No dissolved oxygen exists.
River side pools show a fecal bacterial count that's 3 thousand times the safe level for bathing.
Each day around 60 thousand people go down to the ghats of the holy Ganges river to take their
daily spiritual dip along a 7 kilometer stretch of water.
Along this same area, 30 large sewers are continuously discharging into the river.
With that in mind, am I brave enough to do what the locals do here every day?
I'm hoping that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, because I'm going to take part in
an ancient Hindu ritual. Taking in pollutions in the river with local spiritual guide, Ravi.
(Laughing)
Ravi: Ah, now you look very nice.
Narrator: I'm afraid I might be a bit more full bodied that you are, Ravi.
I might be laughing now, but to be honest, I'm a bit worried.
Narrator: Are you sure?
Ravi: Yes, sure. Don't worry.
Narrator: It's, umm, this water is very warm. Unnaturally warm. Unnaturally warm.
Ravi: You are going to take bath in the nectar.
Narrator: I this next step, in this next step?
Ravi: In a way, nectar. Yeah.
Narrator: This doesn't smell awfully like nectar, I'm sorry.
Ravi: Yeah, come down, come down.
Narrator: Ahhh!
I can't believe I'm actually doing this.
This current is really strong as well. (Laughing)
Maybe it's lucky that the water is so murky. It means that I can't see what's lurking below the surface.
Narrator: Ah, this water is wonderful and warm, but, uh, there's lots of stuff in it that
doesn't look entirely, umm, pleasant.
Still, Ravi is confident that this is going to do me a world of good, and this is, in fact, nectar.
Ravi: Yes.
Narrator: Here is goes.
(Laughing)
Narrator: Geez, Ravi, you're a life saver.
Ravi: (Speaking in foreign language) The smell of...
Narrator: The smell, yeah, I'll never forget it, I tell you.
Ravi: Yeah, never.
Narrator: Believers say that bathing in the Ganges clears up skin diseases and drinking the
holy water cleanses the soul and cures the ill.
Narrator: I've got to say, that just tastes like water. I can't taste much, just, sort of, basically, water.
But I'm not certain it's a really good idea, you know?
Ravi: Water is bacteria free.
Narrator: Bacteria free?
Ravi: Round the year.
Narrator: Bacteria around the year, according to Ravi.
Let's talk about clean. This was decent work when I put it on, now look. Ah. So, time for coffee?
Ravi: Yeah.
Narrator: Only time will tell whether the miraculous Ganges has done me any good.
That's the coolest I've been in India.