Should we go? Some of the research says that it is very dirty. Do you think it is a must see? Inquiring minds want to know.

it is dirty from all i have read and all i have been told....that is no reason not to go....that is india....much of india is very dirty...its the way it is...how would your city be with 8 million people living there?? and extreme poverty...??

people also say it is one of the best experiences on any indian visit...

Varanasi is a must, but yes it is filthy dirty..It was one of the most amazing places that we visited in India..But you have to be very tolerable while you are there, or you won't like it!!

It is amazing, when you take a rickshaw, the amount of traffic that you go through..It is unbelievable..And a boat ride at sunrise on the Ganges is simply mezmorizing..

There are ton's of cows and other cow like animals all over...Lots of cow poop every where...But you can just feel spirituality in the air..It is hard to explain..

We were with 12 other people and some loved Varanasi, and some absolutely hated it..We will probably go back there again next time we visit India..

Filthy! but I am so glad we went!

Was it really that bad? Worse than anyplace else? I guess I was numb by the time I got there.

but it is a MUST.

It is dirty, but you should visit it. It is India! We went to see the evening ceremony near the Gange, and also early in the morning - by boat at sunrise.
It is amazing!
You can visit some very important places for Budism, near Varanasi.

We had a very good hotel & restaurant, so after the visit of the city we felt that we enter another world when we returned to our hotel.

just one more vote, yes, go, go GO!!!! We spent 3 days, 2 nights here and saw nothing else like it on our trip. Yes, it is dirty, so is the rest of India. We stayed on the ghats with a wonderful balcony view and I highly suggest doing that. When you have had enough of the craziness below you can watch it unfold from above.

If you are interested our photos are at
http://www.kodakgallery.com/kellyee21/varanasi

Have a great trip, it was the best I have ever taken!

kelleey21-thanks for sharing your photos! I think that's a great idea to choose a hotel or guesthouse with a balcony so you can still watch the local life, but also take a break from it. Good advice!

Varanasi? Stunning and most definitely a "must see". I don't remember it being dirtier than other major cities in India. It's just India.

Always a good idea to find lodging with a balcony or terrace or roof-top - personal is clearly good, but communal also fits the bill.

Walk the ghats at sunrise and explore the back streets of the old city at dusk.

You will never forget it.

kellyee21, those India pictures are fabulous!

how can a place be "stunning" if it is filthy dirty??

rhkkmk, Varanasi is an other worldly experience, lack of cleanliness notwithstanding. I can easily see how an outsider might be "stunned" at some of the sights there.

By the way, I make no excuses for the filth. Hopefully, with education and a growing economy, this aspect of India will improve. It is a paradox really. Indians are very particular about personal hygiene but quite blasé about civic upkeep.

Add me to the people saying GO! I skipped Varanisi on my first trip to India because I also read too many negative things about it. That was a huge mistake on my part. By the time I finally got there two years later, I fell in love with the place.

The evening ceremony at the Ganges was one of the most rewarding cultural experiences I've ever had. The morning boat ride, as well. The bottom line is if you hate India, you'll hate Varansi. If you love India, you'll really love Varanasi.

rhkkmk - how can anywhere be stunning if it is filthy dirty? Oh dear, that cuts YOU off from some of the great places to go. Must it all be sweetly clean? No dog muck; no urine smell, only sanitised air conditioned spendour.

Have you been to Varanasi?

Suspect not. You should take it in one day. It's the heart of a very old culture that is still beating.

Praise be.

Looking at the pictures now.
How many places outside of India have any of us been to wearing you can't leave your lcothes outside because monkeys will take them

Go to Varanasi. Don't even consider not going. I found it fascinating and bewildering and magical and ancient and....(on and on). I did not find it dirty, but maybe when you are so taken by a place, you don't see the dirt. (and this from an Oberoi super luxury kind of gal ;-) ) I would not have found my trip to India anywhere near as good without my trip to Varanasi. If Jesus or Buddha walked by, it wouldn't even surprise you--you'd take it in stride.

Go--make certain you go.

It is truly a unique place and not to be missed. To see the cremations taking place on the river gnats is absolutely mesmerizing. India was difficult to travel around independently but this place was worth the effort.