Or maybe they're just less annoying when it's not 100 degrees. The shops on the old city pathways give off a friendly glow. The ghats begin to feel like a public park with a religious festival on. Meandering past the temple spires lining the ghats, drums, bells, chanting, and wafts of incense in the light warm breeze coming off the Ganges. We have a coke and watch a group of painted Shiavites pass by.
Candles floated by devotees and tourists dot the river.
Every evening a group of priests perform a ritual called Ganga Puja to give thanks to the river. It involves energetic drumming, swinging flames and incense over the river, and a complicated array of ritual gear. In most of India there's usually something to see outside. In Varanasi it's guaranteed. Whether it's watching a rickshaw try to squeeze past a herd of water buffalo in a narrow lane, or a group of pilgrims praying their hearts out, Varanasi is buzzing with activity.