0:00:03 > 0:00:08This is the Ganges, a river like no other on Earth.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Its waters bring life to hundreds of millions of people across India.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Turn. Other way for it. That's not good. That way.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18That's better.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22To a billion Hindus, it's the immortal mother goddess,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24who'll wash away a lifetime of sins.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I'm going to explore the length of this beautiful, contradictory,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35and rather pungent river...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Sour with some quite uric undertones.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..from its source high in the Himalayas...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44This is why my make-up is so flawless.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..through some of the most crowded, chaotic,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50and exciting places in the world.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Is this the queue for the toilet?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It is? God, I've got a wait on me.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm halfway down the Ganges, in Varanasi,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02India's most intense and beautiful city...
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Yes, you're all very fit.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Yes, you are.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13..where the living rub shoulders with the dead...
0:01:13 > 0:01:17The ashes of a recently cremated human rubbed all over.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21..and the power of the Ganges is at its greatest.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25This place is the gateway to paradise.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Ooh!
0:01:29 > 0:01:34I never thought I'd be sharing tattoo stories with an 83-year-old.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38But it's here that the river also faces its biggest challenges.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- So, this is raw sewage?- Yeah.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46What does the future hold for the Ganges in the India of tomorrow?
0:01:54 > 0:01:58SHE COUGHS
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I don't even know what that smell is.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03That's, like, a new smell.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05What's that smell?
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I've arrived in the holy,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14if a little whiffy, city of Varanasi.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Varanasi lies in the centre of the great Gangetic Plain
0:02:23 > 0:02:26in the state of Uttar Pradesh, halfway down the Ganges,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28between the mountains and the sea.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Careful of the dog.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It's a magical place, steeped in ancient culture.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43To wander round its narrow lanes is like stepping back in time.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Varanasi is the oldest living city on earth.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Also, I have to say, definitely the smelliest.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It is taking every ounce of concentration I have to avoid...
0:02:55 > 0:02:58I'm so sorry. So sorry.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Good to experience it with concussion, as well.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's taking every ounce of concentration just to avoid
0:03:02 > 0:03:06the proliferation of turds on the ground. We've got cow, pig...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Not sure. I think that's goat. And that's definitely human.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Excuse me, I'm going to avoid that.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Cow coming through.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24This city is not just an assault on the senses, it's all-out war.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26HORN HONKS
0:03:29 > 0:03:34I'm here at the start of summer, and it's 47 degrees centigrade.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Super cool. Super cool.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Are you after a sari?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Guess it makes a change from a china shop.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Many travellers to India will stop off in Varanasi for a day or two
0:03:49 > 0:03:52to take in the sights of this ancient city.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59But for India's 950 million Hindus, it has a unique significance,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and to really understand why,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03I'm going to be sticking around a little bit longer -
0:04:03 > 0:04:05for two whole weeks.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17And, believe it or not, this is the main draw in Varanasi -
0:04:17 > 0:04:19the constant presence of death.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23This isn't just a floral display.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27If you're a Hindu, then to die here
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges is to achieve moksha
0:04:31 > 0:04:35and escape the eternal cycle of death and rebirth.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37THEY CHANT
0:04:40 > 0:04:42As you walk the lanes of the old city,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45dead bodies are rushed past you on the way to the cremation grounds
0:04:45 > 0:04:47that lie on the banks of the river.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53You think you're going to feel frightened maybe
0:04:53 > 0:04:57at the thought of corpses just being carried along the streets.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00But in all this chaos, it just feels completely normal, actually,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and almost comforting that the living and the dead should occupy these streets together.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08This place is sort of like the lanes in Brighton,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11but with death and cowpats.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14THEY CHANT
0:05:19 > 0:05:21If only there were somewhere where I could watch a cremation
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and get a refreshing juice.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29To guide me through this strangest of cities,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33I've arranged to meet Navneet, an expert on all things Varanasi.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Hi. Are you Navneet? - Yeah. Hello, Sue.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- I'm Sue. Really good to see you. How are you?- Nice to see you.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- Good, good.- Good.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:05:42 > 0:05:45That's what you need in this heat - a good brew.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48They say that heat kills heat.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52I tell you, I don't need any more heat. My back's like Niagara.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It's a warren, isn't it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Varanasi is the most Ganges of the Ganges cities,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00by which I mean that all roads lead to the water.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Finally, though, after all the sort of crush of the cobbled street,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- which is slightly claustrophobic... - Yes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Who'd have thought this stretch of the Ganges,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11which is famous for cremation,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14would suddenly feel like a breath of fresh air? But it does!
0:06:16 > 0:06:17That's the view of the river.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And it's beautiful. I wasn't expecting that at all.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It's not until you see the banks of the Ganges
0:06:31 > 0:06:33that you appreciate the true glory of Varanasi.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38On the north side of the river,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42miles of crumbling temples tumble down to the water.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Each day, thousands of people come here to bathe in its sacred waters.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00But alongside this life and bustle and activity
0:07:00 > 0:07:03are the ever-burning pyres of the cremation grounds.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Over 150 bodies are burned in Varanasi every day.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15You can see the smoke coming from the ghats.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It's extraordinary - Varanasi is seen as a place of death,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- and yet it feels so incredibly alive, isn't it?- Yes.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Actually, all aspects of life are in one frame in Varanasi.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Even death is celebrated here.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- That's such an enlightened way of looking at it.- Yeah.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36And you're so up close to it, as well, whereas, in the West,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38we try and keep as far away from death as possible.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40So, as soon as someone's died, put them in a box,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43don't look at them, burn them away, you know.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47So, the very purpose is the liberation from death -
0:07:47 > 0:07:49from the cycle of life and death.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Just as I breath in a lungful of air,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00I notice that somebody's drying their pants just there.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Sort of says everything you need to, really.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Lovely array of undercrackers.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14One of the main attractions here are the bathing ghats.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Varanasi is not just for the old and infirm.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Look at them enjoying themselves. - Yes.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Bathing in the waters here cleanses the soul, whatever your age.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The religious interaction isn't sort of po-faced.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29You know, it's almost like a family outing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It's like everyone's laughing and playing
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and the kids are swimming around and joking.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37A lot of these are children who must have come to the city
0:08:37 > 0:08:39for once in their lifetime, you know?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42It's like for the Muslims to go to Mecca.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Sure.- So... - The Hindus have Varanasi.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Yeah. So, they have...
0:08:45 > 0:08:49So, for them, it's once in their lifetime, so they...
0:08:49 > 0:08:52And in this heat, you would also enjoy a nice dip.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54HE CHUCKLES
0:08:54 > 0:09:00And also, this river is sacred, and it can't be made dirty.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I'm no scientist, but...that's deeply brown, isn't it?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- It is.- It's deeply brown.- Yes, yes.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Dirty or not, this stretch of the Ganges
0:09:17 > 0:09:21is of huge spiritual significance to many of India's religions,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23which means it's also pretty busy.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28The whole of life is playing here. You know, it's out in the open.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32It's all in the public domain that you live your life.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41A standard barber here would give you a standard haircut.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49See, I'll show you what happens with life and death here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54You see, every stage of life, we come to the river.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So, this is a special ritual that happens.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So, this young child, she's been brought here,
0:10:00 > 0:10:01and her hair has been shaved off.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- And what does that mean? - As an offering.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05You offer your hair as a way of offering your ego,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07because that's also your pride.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- "Oh, my hair looks good, I look good."- Yeah.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- So, is this man a holy man? - No, he is a barber.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- And it's to do with giving up your ego?- Yes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I think I'm overdue a haircut. That's all I'm going to say!
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It's a bit like going for a walk on the prom,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34if the prom was in 50-degree heat and just full of pilgrims.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Hello. How are you doing? Namaste. Nice to meet you.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43- Namaste.- Thank you.- Nice to see you. How are you doing? Good?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Despite looking like an extra from a Monty Python film,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Nirmal Baba is an Aghori monk - an extreme sect of Hinduism.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Very good. Just making sure that the moustache is properly adjusted.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54- I'm Nirmal Baba. I'm Nirmal Baba.- Yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58I think your chest hair is recognising our boom
0:10:58 > 0:11:00as a long-lost relative.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- The same sort of pelts. - Same, same.- Yeah. Same, same.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- Your hair same.- Yes.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13My hair is the same, especially across the chest.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- Your name?- Sue.- Sue?- Sue.- OK.- Yes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- So, this is my first time to... - First time Varanasi?
0:11:20 > 0:11:21First time Varanasi.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- Yes.- Yeah.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25It is an extraordinary place.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Yes.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34OK?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40The Aghoris live in the cremation grounds
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and seek a slightly darker path to salvation.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Shunned by society, they smother themselves in human ashes,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and are even known to eat human remains.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56But I'll have to say, he looks pretty damn good on it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- So, these are ashes that you've got from the cremation site?- Yes.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09If you want to know how closely life and death are linked in this place,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11there you have it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:19The ashes of a recently cremated human rubbed all over.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Certainly the most radical exfoliating scrub I've come across.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Do you know what? I think you look awesome,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and no-one's going to mess with you now.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41So, what does he do now?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Does it sort of bake into the skin for the rest of the day?- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It's like a sun protection.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50SHE LAUGHS
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Turn. Other way for it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53That's not good. That way.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54That's better.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58That's better. Yes, better, better.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Varanasi is a place of immense spiritual importance.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15A million pilgrims pour into this city each year seeking solace,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19some to die, some to bathe in the river,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23others to simply visit the temples and just take in the sights.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35For one group of resourceful young lads,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39these visitors are a gift from the gods.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40So, I hear you guys are good at diving.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45That was a lot more of a classical dive
0:13:45 > 0:13:48than I thought it was going to be.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Another exquisite dive.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Who's next? Oh, this is getting serious now.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54This is getting serious. A lot of stripping off going on.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- Oh, this looks good.- Very good.- Oh!
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- That was incredibly impressive. - Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02- Very good.- Very good.- Very good.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Another exquisite dive.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Yeah, I used to be able to, but then I really hurt myself.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14These guys are known locally as the magnet boys.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Right, now the diving is over,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I think we should do some fishing for money.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Are you going to show me how you do it?
0:14:20 > 0:14:25They've devised an ingenious new way of making a living out of the river.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32As the trains thunder over the Rajghat Malviya Bridge,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34passengers make offerings to the Ganges
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and throw coins into the river.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44OK, let's make sure we're balanced by me sitting...
0:14:46 > 0:14:49The boys buy magnets taken from old electrical devices,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54then tie them together to form a sort of magnetic dragnet.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59They drop this to the riverbed some 70ft below and then drag,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02fishing for pennies from heaven.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03OK, so we've got two boats.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Shall we have a competition - who can fish for the most money?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11May the best magnet boy win.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Yeah, yeah, yeah,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Time?- Yeah.- Yes, sir. Aye, aye, skipper.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Right, wide load is moving to facilitate the kids.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Quite a lot of that went in the mouth, which is good. Yeah.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Certainly tasted the Ganges there, and I can report back it's sour
0:15:36 > 0:15:40with some...quite uric undertones.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Oh, look at that. This one is a real showman.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Come on!
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Slightly wishing I was on his team, actually. He's pretty good.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50TRAIN HORN HONKS
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Unfortunately, it's not just cash
0:15:53 > 0:15:55that rains down from the passing trains.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Probably asking yourselves,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02"Why's Sue putting an umbrella up in 42-degree heat?"
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Well, the train's coming and I'm right under the bridge,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and to put no finer point on it, the shit is about to hit the fan.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Watch yourselves.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Couple of light splats but nothing solid, which is a victory,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18as far as I'm concerned.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So, do you leave it in and then let it drag in the water?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Ah, to try and get as many coins.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Right, here we go. TRAIN HORN HONKS
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- OK, how many did we get? How many coins?- Three.- Three coins.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Let's see what our rivals got, OK?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45How many coins?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's a heat! It's a tie! It's a dead heat.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53How many rupees per day do you normally get?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- 150.- 150.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00And how many hours do you work to get 150 rupees?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10People on the trains are throwing coins into the Ganges as blessings.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13How do you feel about taking that money, then, once it's in the water?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Yes, these kids manage to scrape a living,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24but there are some serious downsides.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The water round here is dangerously polluted
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and the bridge has become THE place to go
0:17:30 > 0:17:33for people who want to commit suicide.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- One, two dead bodies.- Every day?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- BOY SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR:- Yeah, I see every day.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42- Every day?- Yes.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- Every day.- Yes.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- From people who have tried to commit suicide from the bridge?- Yeah.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56But you're just kids. That's a lot to see when you're very young,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58isn't it? Lots of difficult things to see.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Yeah, but it doesn't scare you any more?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07- It does?- Yeah.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Yeah. So, what job would you like to do when you're bigger?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30What are you going to do when you're bigger?
0:18:31 > 0:18:32Can you check my pulse?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Am I alive? That's quite a firm grip you've got there.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Go on, then.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38How about you?
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Ah, OK. Let's see the professional diver to be.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48India's best diver.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50That really must have hurt the back quite badly.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I hope these kids get to hold on to their dreams.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Most of them hardly ever go to school
0:19:00 > 0:19:02because their families already expect them to be out
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and earning money.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06But with energy like this, given half a chance,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08who knows what they could achieve?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12What a cracking bunch of whip-thin, super-smart kids,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16and a credit to the entrepreneurial spirit that is modern India.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18And they have got an answer for everything.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20You know, what do you do when wee and poo rains down on you?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22"Well, I just jump in the river."
0:19:22 > 0:19:23What are you going to be when you grow up?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25"I'm going to be a doctor." "I'm going to sell saris."
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Don't you feel bad about taking money that's essentially an offering?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30"Ma Ganga will provide."
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Oh, for an ounce of what they've got.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45You soon learn that everything comes back to the Ganges in Varanasi.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Every night, crowds flock to the Dashashwamedh Ghat.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02They come to watch Hindu priests perform the Ganga Aarti ceremony
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and make a commitment to the Lord Shiva,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07one of the most powerful Hindu gods.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23HORNS HONK
0:20:26 > 0:20:29While much of India is rapidly modernising,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33parts of Varanasi feel as if they still belong to the ancient world.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37For thousands of years, the city's position on the Ganges
0:20:37 > 0:20:40has made it the centre of trade and industry...
0:20:42 > 0:20:46..and its streets still support age-old crafts and traditions.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48CLACKING
0:20:48 > 0:20:52You can hear it. You can hear the click-clack of these old looms.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Look at that!
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Namaste.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00In these cramped and hot workshops,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03men painstakingly weave beautiful saris,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06thread by silken thread,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09just as their fathers and grandfathers did before them.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15But the rise of mechanised power looms
0:21:15 > 0:21:17are threatening this traditional way of life.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Namaste.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I've come to the workshop of master weaver Shuka Ali
0:21:25 > 0:21:29to witness what may be the dying breaths of this ancient industry.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30How are you doing?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Good? Namaste.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Shuka's son, Rafiuddin, is going to show me the ropes.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40May I sit here? HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:21:42 > 0:21:44You really need to be a sort of 7st gymnast
0:21:44 > 0:21:45to make this move that I'm about to do work,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but I'm going to give it a go anyway.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50So, just pop down, yeah?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Wow, that IS snug! SHE CHUCKLES
0:21:59 > 0:22:00We've only just met!
0:22:00 > 0:22:03So, how long have you been a weaver for?
0:22:05 > 0:22:06- TRANSLATOR:- Ten years.- Ten.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08You must have been a tiny boy when you started.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11So, your legs must have not been able to reach
0:22:11 > 0:22:13where you need on a loom.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16No. No.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18And how long does it take to perfect it?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Right, it's all in the wrists, I think.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36To make one inch of material,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Rafiuddin has to do this 250 times.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42You know I want to have a go.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46That's going to take a while. Oh, look at you.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51That's too fast, that one.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Better.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59What have I got to do here? Oh, on the foot pedals?
0:22:59 > 0:23:03SHE GASPS I've graduated. Where is it?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I think this is how he finds his wives.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I think this is how it begins.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Ah, got it now. OK, got it.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Each sari contains a rainbow of colours and threads,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and, slowly, a pattern emerges,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but it's a painstaking process.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I have to say, quite a lot of the loom is up my jacksie right now.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Yeah, that's...
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Yeah, that's got stuck on my buttock.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33So, when you started and you were 12 years old,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36did you want to spend your days inside learning how to be a weaver?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- You have to honour the family tradition.- Mm.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49So, what did you want to be?
0:23:49 > 0:23:51If you'd had your own choice at 12 years old,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53what would you have been doing?
0:24:15 > 0:24:20- So, you can't even have the dream to be something else?- No.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23So, it's... you weave, you sleep, you weave, you sleep?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Are you ever tempted to go to the dark side
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and start using the power loom, or would your dad be too angry?
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But while hand-weavers make 25cm of material a day,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46the power looms churn out 25m.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54It's sad to think that once these traditional skills are lost,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56they'll be gone forever.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Just stunning!
0:25:04 > 0:25:08It makes me feel joy to look at these. Pure joy.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14One, two, three...
0:25:14 > 0:25:19- BOTH:- Four, five, six. - So many colours.- Seven.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21- Eight.- Eight.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25How long did this take to make?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31And for one week, they pay you how many rupees?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Oh!
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Beautiful. Beautiful.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Then people are idiots.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Because they'd rather spend it, what, on an iPhone?
0:25:58 > 0:26:03My natural inclination is always to support craft and craftspeople,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07to value skills passed down from generation to generation.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10But I also wonder if someone like Rafiuddin
0:26:10 > 0:26:13would quite like to go and just join his mates on the power loom
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and have an easier life.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Perhaps it's hard for a city so consumed by tradition,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25religion and death to move forward.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Although, in the Hindu universe, death is rarely the end.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37More often, it's just part of a process of birth and rebirth...
0:26:39 > 0:26:43..one where, eventually, you reach the state known as moksha
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and become one with the universe.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's a slow process, but if you die in Varanasi,
0:26:52 > 0:26:57you can fast-track yourself into the realm of the immortals.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03To die here in Varanasi is, in many ways,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07the ultimate end goal for the truly devout Hindu.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And so, each year, thousands flock here as a pilgrimage
0:27:11 > 0:27:14when they feel their days are numbered.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15For those who arrive and then realise
0:27:15 > 0:27:18they might have a little bit more time than they thought,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21there's a burgeoning industry that caters for their final days,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24or months, or even years.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Varanasi has become famous for its so-called death hotels...
0:27:42 > 0:27:45..a sort of departure lounge to the next world...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51..an all-too-real Real Marigold Hotel.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- Namaste.- Namaste.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- Namaste. Namaste.- Namaste. Namaste.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Meet Gulab Devi, also known as Grandma.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Thank you for agreeing to see me.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18She came here with her husband, a retired army officer,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20but, sadly, he checked out some time ago.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Grandma is obviously intent on dying in Varanasi,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36but it's taking just a little bit longer than planned.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39And how old are you? May I ask how old you are?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- 84! 84.- 84?- Yeah.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Somehow, she's been here for 30 years now,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56patiently waiting for the blessed relief of death.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01You have more energy than I do and I am...
0:29:01 > 0:29:0340 years younger than you, nearly.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Me bold.- Your balls?- Bold.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08- Bold.- Oh, bold! Got you. Got you.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Yes, you are bold. SHE GRUNTS
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Ready. Ready to face the next part of your journey.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:29:17 > 0:29:19I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22You could come out of nowhere and just grab.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34But if anyone gets in your way...
0:29:36 > 0:29:38- Mm.- I'm loving this tattoo.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42- It's not many 83-year-olds you see with a full tatt going on.- Mm.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Rama, Sita.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- Rama, Sita.- Mm.- And this?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Yeah. Temple.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- Temple.- These are just the only two?
0:29:55 > 0:29:56- No.- No.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01- Oh, you have got another one? This...- Yeah?
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Mm, I have one.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE I know, it's tiny
0:30:16 > 0:30:17because I'm a real wimp.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20I'm not like you. I'm not blessed with your strength.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23THEY LAUGH
0:30:23 > 0:30:27I never thought I'd be sharing tattoo stories with an 83-year-old.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Yes, I know she's 84, but I took a year off because I loved her.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33There are 90 residents in the death hotel
0:30:33 > 0:30:37and a waiting list of 100 more eager to fill a space that comes free.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I think she might well have a few good years left in her yet,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45a bit more time to express her strongly-held views.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49No, not married.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52No, not married.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Why? Look at this.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Oh, me? No, no.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11No, no. Just me. Just me and my family.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Oh, there's sadness there. Angry.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Sometimes, it's not... Not everybody can have children.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23I will have my friends.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28I love my friends!
0:31:29 > 0:31:32That might be a longer wait than you think.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37But also I will have a selection of very, very lovely young nieces.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51OK. So, I need to get a husband and lots of children.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56How did you know about Anna?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- Yes, absolutely.- Anna.- Anna.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05If I was the owner, I wouldn't be booking out her room any time soon.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07She's got years left.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Plenty of time to visit that tattoo parlour
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and get that full sleeve she's always wanted.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15I just loved meeting Grandma.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Grandma is wise and strong and feisty and funny,
0:32:18 > 0:32:23and, quite frankly, more inked than your average boyband member.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26But what I learned from her is that belief shapes a landscape,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28so, for, you know, a tourist like me -
0:32:28 > 0:32:31a nonbeliever looking from the outside in -
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Varanasi is smelly and dirty and bewildering.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38But to her, on the inside, as a believer,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40this place is the gateway to paradise.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56The longer you spend in Varanasi,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58the more it feels like a relic of old India,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01trapped in a time before globalisation
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and India's economic miracle.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Varanasi lies in one of the most conservative parts of India,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and its social attitudes are increasingly out of step
0:33:12 > 0:33:13with the modern world...
0:33:15 > 0:33:18..particularly when it comes to women.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21But, thankfully, change is on its way.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26Good morning! Morning, everyone. Namaste. Nice to see you.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Sue. Nice to see you.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30These students, from the renowned Banaras University,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33are using their free time to try and empower women
0:33:33 > 0:33:35from the rural villages outside the city.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I can feel the energy. You're just a young, energetic group.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43That has got my name on it, I think.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45I am VERY happy to be leaving the city.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46That's feeling good.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Not so sure about the mode of transport.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Right, I want you to know that when you start going fast,
0:33:52 > 0:33:54I'm going to grip. I'm going to really grip.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56You're going to feel it. Just round here, you're going to feel it.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Going to come in like a lobster.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59Ooh!
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Whee!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05A 15km drive out of town,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and you enter a very different world.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Two-thirds of Indians live in the countryside,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18but it's not always the rural idyll you might expect.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23In rural India, girls are often married very young
0:34:23 > 0:34:25and have little education.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28In some areas, women rarely leave their houses
0:34:28 > 0:34:31and are expected to be silent and submissive.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Men are increasingly becoming addicted to drink and drugs,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38often leading to physical violence.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44But these students don't want rural India to be left behind,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and six months ago, they started working
0:34:46 > 0:34:49with the women of Deura village.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59Ah! That's what you need in this heat - a full-face mask.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Thank you.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06I'm meeting a group of local women who are known as the Green Gang,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08a sort of village vigilante group.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17Thanks to the students, these women are learning self-defence classes,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19taking lessons in literacy and public speaking.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22I'm coming to get you.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31It's a little bit different to your average knitting circle.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56When women come out of the shadows, the whole world gets brighter.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57Oh!
0:35:59 > 0:36:01One of the biggest issues facing these women
0:36:01 > 0:36:05is something so basic it probably would never occur to you or me.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10They don't have any toilets.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23So, it's dangerous. It's dangerous.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24And you have snakes in the water?
0:36:27 > 0:36:30So, you go in the open sky and...
0:36:30 > 0:36:33SHE BUZZES LIKE A FLY Insects, and there's...
0:36:35 > 0:36:37SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:36:37 > 0:36:38Scorpion?
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Oh, no! This one?
0:36:42 > 0:36:44So, you go for a wee and...?
0:36:46 > 0:36:50I understand. Chalo, chalo. Chalo, chalo. We have toilet business.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56You show the way, darling.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Scorpions are not the only problem.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Women all over rural India
0:37:03 > 0:37:05are forced to go to the toilet in the open,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and it has led to an epidemic of sexual violence.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13By coming together in their green saris,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15these women are hoping to force change.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Today, the village representative is being held to account.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49How can India have a space programme and no toilets?
0:37:49 > 0:37:51This is like one country, two worlds.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53We come here and the people are just...
0:37:53 > 0:37:56People are really craving some basic necessities of life,
0:37:56 > 0:38:00like toilets, like... It's just beyond imagination.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01It is beyond imagination
0:38:01 > 0:38:04that you have to go to a village head and beg for a toilet.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Exactly.- And then he has to go and beg to the government.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10It's slow work, but these women tell me
0:38:10 > 0:38:14they didn't even dare to speak out when the students first arrived.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16It's good to see them coming together,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20but it's not until you see where they live that you understand truly what they're dealing with.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- This is the house?- This, this.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- So, that's...? - Do you call it a house?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- I thought this was the house. - No, this is where she lives.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30I just walked towards this brick building thinking,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- "Oh, everyone in this village lives in a solid structure, however modest."- Yes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38- And...that's her house.- Yeah.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41This is where they keep the cattle, and this is where they live.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I think they sleep kind of there.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47And how many people will these ladies cook for in the family?
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE - Five.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- Five people.- Five every day?
0:38:58 > 0:38:59So, they get paid for the work they do.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Do ever have cash? Do you ever see cash or come cross it?
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Or it just doesn't exist in your life?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19So, this green sari is like your armour?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Green saris empower.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Imagine waking up first thing in the morning,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47bursting to go to the loo and knowing that you have to hold it in
0:39:47 > 0:39:50because you're too ashamed and too frightened to go.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Imagine holding it in all day in 47-degree heat,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56and then, at night, when you're allowed to come out,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59in the shadows, you have to walk through this field of crops
0:39:59 > 0:40:01frightened that a cobra will bite you,
0:40:01 > 0:40:02that a scorpion will bite you,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05that the diseases that lurk in the murk will get you,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07or that a human predator will take you out
0:40:07 > 0:40:10when you're crouching to do the most intimate
0:40:10 > 0:40:13and mundane of bodily functions.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15And now go into your bathroom,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17switch on the light and look at that toilet,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and just say a thank you to whatever God you believe in.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- Namaste! CHILDREN:- Namaste!
0:40:23 > 0:40:25- All OK!- All OK!
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- All is good!- All is good!
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- In this hood!- In this hood!
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- We will get!- We will get!
0:40:32 > 0:40:34- A toilet!- A toilet!
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- SHE LAUGHS All is good!- All is good!
0:40:37 > 0:40:39In the hood!
0:40:43 > 0:40:46I can only hope that what these women are doing today
0:40:46 > 0:40:50will create a better world for future generations.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22After the tranquillity of the countryside,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24the traffic-crazed streets of Varanasi
0:41:24 > 0:41:26deliver a huge shock to the system.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35There is nothing serene about this place.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Varanasi is intense and extraordinary.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44CHEERING
0:41:44 > 0:41:45Yeah!
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Yes, you're all very fit. Yes, you are.
0:41:51 > 0:41:52Yes.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00I think, when you were little, you were very naughty.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03You have a naughty look in your eye. THEY LAUGH
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Everything is stripped bare and out in the open here,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17whether it's death...
0:42:19 > 0:42:20..or dentistry.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25If the clean, clinical, sanitised environment
0:42:25 > 0:42:27of a dentist isn't your thing, then...
0:42:28 > 0:42:30..well, just get your dentures done in a gutter.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43The chaos can be hugely fun and there's no doubting its charms,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45but there are downsides.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49I've been here for over a week and I've got Varanasi overload.
0:42:55 > 0:43:01The funeral pyres burn day and night and the smell is overpowering.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08It is truly the most unrelenting place I have ever been.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Careful, that's a lot of shit here.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24SCUFFLING Ooh!
0:43:25 > 0:43:28I'm not sure a late-night stroll around the dark alleyways
0:43:28 > 0:43:31was a very good idea.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Sorry, I just slipped.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38My arm is agony.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47This is not a city for the faint-hearted,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49but not for the reasons that you think.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50I'm not frightened of death,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I'm not frightened to see the bodies burning,
0:43:53 > 0:43:55but it's the chaos and the stink
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and the fact that you feel such a small, vulnerable little ant
0:43:58 > 0:44:01in the sea of humanity that's constantly around you.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05And the fact that I just fell over and I really badly scuffed my legs,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07and I scuffed my elbow and I fell in poo,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09and I know what kind of poo it was.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12It was human poo, and now I want to cry and I need my mum,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15but I can't cos I've got to be strong
0:44:15 > 0:44:17and pretend that I'm in control of this place.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20And that's the biggest mistake you can make
0:44:20 > 0:44:22cos Varanasi is always in control of you.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41I just need to get to a place which is clean.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55The poo-stained streets and the never-ending smell
0:44:55 > 0:44:58exposes a contradiction that lies at the heart of Varanasi.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05On one hand, it's seen by millions as the spiritual heart of India.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Yet, on the other,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14it's home to one of the most polluted stretches of river
0:45:14 > 0:45:17in the entire world.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Upstream, the waters of the Ganges
0:45:19 > 0:45:22are siphoned off for agriculture and industry
0:45:22 > 0:45:25and are used as a dumping ground for more types of waste
0:45:25 > 0:45:27than you can imagine.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29It's no way to treat a river,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32let alone a river that's also a goddess.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38With my hand bandaged and face mask at the ready,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41it's time to confront the dirty truth about the Ganges.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46As a nun once famously sang,
0:45:46 > 0:45:49how do you solve a problem like Ma Ganga?
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Well, the man I'm about to meet,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55both a high priest and a professor, may have the answer.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59- Namaste, Professor Mishra. - Namaste, Susie.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Namaste. Namaste. Nice to see you. I'm Sue.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- Welcome.- Very good to meet you. Thank you so much.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08I see your vessel is ready. Is it this one we're going on?
0:46:08 > 0:46:11We'll be going on this vessel.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Ah, OK. Here we go. Right...
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Professor Mishra is one of Varanasi's most revered
0:46:16 > 0:46:19and eminent citizens.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22He's the professor of hydraulic engineering at the university
0:46:22 > 0:46:27and has dedicated his life to trying to clean up the Ganges.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28But he's also a high priest
0:46:28 > 0:46:31at one of Varanasi's most important temples,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35so he's uniquely qualified to help me understand the paradox
0:46:35 > 0:46:37at the heart of this great river.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41So, Professor, to the untrained eye, this is a seriously dirty river.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Because you study it, you see the day-to-day.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47What's the main problem with the Ganges at this point?
0:46:47 > 0:46:51Actually, the main problem with the Ganges is
0:46:51 > 0:46:53it is now being used as a channel
0:46:53 > 0:46:56for disposal of raw sewage into the river.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59So, just like one enormous toilet, the river is being used...?
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Definitely. Definitely.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Raw sewage is just coming out. You can just see it.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08I have to say, as you said that, I just got this sickening waft.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10I hope you don't mind and think me impolite,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12but my Western nostrils are not as hardy as yours.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15We are actually used to this.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- Yeah, I don't know how you can bear it.- We can bear it.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- I mean, I literally want to be sick. - Only for the sake of Ganga,
0:47:21 > 0:47:22we are bearing this.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27- So, this is pure, raw sewage?- Yeah.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33I can see a family bathing there. I mean, right...
0:47:33 > 0:47:35You know, I mean, just 100 yards.
0:47:37 > 0:47:38How is that possible?
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Every day, Professor Mishra's researchers
0:47:46 > 0:47:49take water samples from the Ganges in Varanasi.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52The results are enough to make your eyes water.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57The safe level for faecal coliform bacteria -
0:47:57 > 0:47:59that's poo to you and me -
0:47:59 > 0:48:03is about 500 units per millilitre.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Here, it's 4.2 million.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12The dissolved oxygen levels are so low in places
0:48:12 > 0:48:16that the river is now biologically dead.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Add to that bodies, pesticides and medical waste,
0:48:22 > 0:48:26and you can see that the Ganges is in crisis.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28At present, we have 33 points
0:48:28 > 0:48:32which are disposing sewage to the tune of 300
0:48:32 > 0:48:36to 350 million litres per day into the river.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- Million litres?- Yeah. And there are 33 such points.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Sorry, each...? So, it's 33 points, and each point...?
0:48:42 > 0:48:45- This cumulative total... - 300 million litres?
0:48:45 > 0:48:49300 million litres per day is being disposed of into the river.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Professor Mishra was one of the first
0:48:52 > 0:48:54to highlight the pollution of the Ganges.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57He has seen action plans and initiatives come and go,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00and the pollution getting worse and worse.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07But no matter how polluted the river is,
0:49:07 > 0:49:11people still believe it is spiritually cleansing.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Do you think there is any conflict
0:49:17 > 0:49:19between the part of you that is religious
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and the part of you that is a scientist when it comes to Ganga?
0:49:22 > 0:49:26I still take my bath, and if I am in Banaras,
0:49:26 > 0:49:27I am bound to take a bath.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31And if I don't take a bath, something... I am very disturbed.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Something, I am missing.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37So, this type of connection, I have with Ganga-ji. And not me.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39There are so many other people.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41I can't bear to think.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44These kids, they're swimming upstream towards raw sewage,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46so I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it is just...
0:49:46 > 0:49:50When you know the facts that you've just told me,
0:49:50 > 0:49:51it makes it very hard to...
0:49:51 > 0:49:53I mean, before I met you, I would think,
0:49:53 > 0:49:57"That's a dirty river. Fine." But now it's horrific.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- Because these are innocents. - Definitely, definitely.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04So, we are just successively killing our population.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07- This is very bad.- It is very bad.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Especially when it's such a young population.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14- The youngest population in the world.- Young population.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15- They are our future.- Yeah.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19And in the future, what are we going to provide them?
0:50:19 > 0:50:22This polluted river.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29For devout Hindus, the physical condition of the water
0:50:29 > 0:50:34is entirely separate from the metaphysical power it holds.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39It's filthy, but it will wash you clean of sin.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43She's an immortal goddess, so can't be killed...
0:50:44 > 0:50:48..but I wonder how much more pollution she can tolerate.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54Namaste.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I've been here for two weeks now,
0:50:56 > 0:50:58and quite frankly, I can't take it any more.
0:51:04 > 0:51:05Oh!
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Come to Varanasi for the holiday of a lifetime.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29My time in Varanasi is nearly over.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33It's an extraordinary place,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37but definitely what we travellers call challenging.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41To be honest, I've been putting this bit off.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47However, a stay in Varanasi wouldn't be complete
0:51:47 > 0:51:50without a visit to the cremation grounds.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56This is Manikarnika Ghat,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59the most prestigious funeral pyre of them all.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03It is not of this earth, this place.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Here, bodies are burned on open fires
0:52:14 > 0:52:17so their souls can be released into a different realm.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22It's a far cry from the sendoffs us Westerners are used to.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34The cremation grounds are run by keepers of sacred flames
0:52:34 > 0:52:36who are known as doms,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40and are part of the Dalit caste, formerly known as the untouchables.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45I'm here to meet Yamuna Devi,
0:52:45 > 0:52:49the only female dom working in Varanasi.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Namaste. How are you?
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Yes, because I'm totally silly.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01So, I fell on a ghat and smashed my hand and my elbow.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04So, can you take me through the process?
0:53:04 > 0:53:07So, the bodies come, and they're beautifully wrapped.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Mourners being so close to the burning body
0:53:36 > 0:53:38might seem macabre to Western eyes,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41but it helps the family confront their loss.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Do you see a difference between the mourners
0:53:46 > 0:53:48when they arrive and when they leave?
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Has it sort of helped their grief in some way
0:53:50 > 0:53:52to watch this process close up?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38At home, when we burn somebody, we put them in a nice box
0:54:38 > 0:54:41with brass handles, and the curtain shuts,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45and off they go on this weird final Generation Game conveyor belt.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47You don't see the body,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50and so there's this gap in your understanding.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Sort of your grief is paused cos all you want to do is get to them,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55and see the "hows" and the "whys" and the total disintegration,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58so that you can comprehend they are gone.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02But here, the corpse comes down beautifully shrouded,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06goes on the pyre, which is lit. The relatives walk round.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08As the body's burning, it's hit on the head
0:55:08 > 0:55:11to release its moorings,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14to release that person's moorings from their family.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17When it's done, the ashes are sieved for gold
0:55:17 > 0:55:20for last traces of material possessions.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23And then, finally, the ashes are delivered into the water...
0:55:24 > 0:55:26..and everyone is free.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31BELL CHIMES
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Trying to work out how I feel about Varanasi is like
0:56:06 > 0:56:08trying to breast-feed a Jelly Baby.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12It's a pointless exercise because the city is confusing
0:56:12 > 0:56:15and you change your mind about it at every turn.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19It's like walking a tightrope between optimism and despair,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21between filth and beauty,
0:56:21 > 0:56:28between excellence and maddening, maddening inefficiency.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31And so all I can say is, if you want the ultimate workout for your mind,
0:56:31 > 0:56:35your body and your soul, then come here, just with an open heart,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37and lots of changes of underwear.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39And waders. And, well, a mask.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43A really good mask would be good. And full-spectrum antibiotics.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Bandages would be helpful, I suppose.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49And a really good cap. And an umbrella.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Erm, antibacterial hand sanitiser. Feminine wipes.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55And fly spray. Lots of fly spray.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04Just let me just... SHE BLOWS RASPBERRY
0:57:04 > 0:57:06spread out a bit.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Next time, I'm on the final stretch of the river...
0:57:12 > 0:57:15..where a new India is being built before my very eyes...
0:57:15 > 0:57:19This is Trumpian in its bling-tastic-ness.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22I tell you, it's not a trip for the bra-less, this. Ooh!
0:57:22 > 0:57:24..and I join millions of pilgrims
0:57:24 > 0:57:27as they worship the Ganges where she finally flows into the sea.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Happy dipping. WOMAN LAUGHS
0:57:29 > 0:57:31I feel I should know your name. I've seen your winkie.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34But there you go. Thank you so much. Thank you.