The fact that it is
holy to die in
Varanasi prompts
a lot of old people to go and settle in Varanasi. As you walk along the roads of Varanasi, it is a common sight to come across a
dead body being carried in a
rickshaw or an autorickshaw. Touching or seeing a dead body is considered
inauspicious in
Brahmin culture. You are required to have a
head bath if you do come across one. When I was in Varanasi, I was intrigued and asked one of the Brahmin friends who accompanied us (he lived there), what they do about the
inauspiciousness. He said, you see so many
corpses that it is just not possible to go have head bath everytime. Rather he said something interesting - each time you see a corpse - utter the words
"Ram Nam Satya Hai .. Satya Bolo Satya Hai" .. translation "The Word of
Lord Rama is the
truth and it is the only truth". This is supposed to
purify your body/soul. After hearing this, I started noticing around that a lot of people do this.
All this aside, Varanasi is famous for its kachoris and mishti dahi (sweetened yogurt).