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TRE“Ds。TOPICSlDestinationsVaranasiisdividedintooldandnewsec—tionsofthecity.ThenewcitycomprisesthemainresidentiaIareasofVaranasiaswellasitsbanks，cinemas.administrationcenters，andthetrainstation.Althoughtheseareastendtobemorespaciousandlesspolluted，thecharmofVaranasiliesintheoldcity.TheoldcityislocatedonthewaterfrontclosetotheGangesRiver.Itishometoamazeofsmallstreetsandnarrow,windingalleywaysaswellasthefamousGhats，stonestepsthatIeaddowntotheriver.Hereyoucanobservepeoplebathingintheriver,orpilgrimsdoingtheirdevotionsagainsttheback—dropofthecenturiesoldtemples.瓦拉纳西由旧城和新城两个部分组成。新城包括主要的居民区、银行、影院、行政中心和火车站。尽管这些地区治理得井井有条，环境优美，但瓦拉纳西的魅力还是体现在旧城。旧城地处恒河水畔，遍布迷宫般的街道和蜿蜒的窄巷，城中碎石的伽特一步一步通向神圣的恒河水。在这里，圣浴者们沿着石阶走进恒河水中沐浴，朝圣者tfl~JJ走进历史久远的寺庙中朝圣。Varanasihasahumid.subtropicaIcli—mate.Summerandwintertemperaturesvarygreatly.Summersinthecityarelong.frOmearlyApriluntilOctober,dur—ingwhichtheannuaIAsianMonsoonpassesthroughtheregion.Inthewinter,temperaturescandropto5℃andfogiscommon.ThebesttimetovisitVaranasiisfrOmOctoberthroughMarch.whenweatherconditionsarenotsoextreme.Recently,duetowaterpollution.in—creasesintemperature，andthemakingofdams，thewaterIeveIoftheriverhasgonedowndrasticallY.瓦拉纳西属于潮湿的亚热带气候，夏天和冬天温差很大。每年四月初到十月间，亚洲季风吹过圣城，便形成这里长达七个月的夏天。而冬天，温度会骤降到5oc，整日浓雾不散。去瓦拉纳西旅游的最佳时节014Hili~ffOctober2007是在十月到次年三月间，天气条件不那么极端。而近年来，因河水污染、地球气温上升、该地正在修筑大坝等原因已导致恒河水平面急剧降低。AlthoughVaranasidoes.s...e.....e.......i.t....s.....s....h....a.....r..e......—o—ftouristsandforeigntravelers，itisnotacitywithdistincttouristdestinations.Instead，theexperienceliesinwander—ingthroughthealleysoftheoldcityandontheGangesRiver.ThemostpopularattractioninthecityisprobablytheGhats.AGhatisaseriesofstonestepsontheriverbankthatIeaddowntotheriver.TheyareusedbybathersandpiIgrimsasaplacetorelax，socialize，andwash.SomeoftheGhatsalsoserveascrematoriurns.AccordingtoHindubelief,dyinginVara—nasiallOWSonetosecurefreedomfromtheeternaIcycleoflifeanddeath.尽管如今来到瓦拉纳西的旅行者和外国游客已不在少数，但它却不是一个真正的旅游城市。人们更多地是漫步在旧城中错落有致的小巷里，或是驻足观看恒河上形形色色活着的生命或者死去的躯体。整个城市最具有魅力之处当属通往圣水的一个个沐浴伽特。水畔的石阶直接通向恒河，供沐浴者与朝圣者休息、谈话和冲洗。还有的伽特专门作为举行火葬的地方。在印度教徒心中，死在瓦拉纳西的人，灵魂会直接升入天堂，而不必再受轮回转世之苦。Consequently,therearemanyhospicesinthecitywheretheoldandinfirmedwaittodie.ThereareovertenmainGhatsbuttwoofthebest.-knownaretheMani..karnikaGhatandtheKedarGhat.TheManikarnikaGhatisthemaincrematorⅥandbodiesaresaidtobeburnedthere24hoursada弘everydayoftheweek.Itisamust—seedestinationfortravelersbutbewarned.ManylocalsfeeIbittertowardtouristswhocometotheGhatstopointandgawkattheircrematedlovedones.arethereforeadvisedtokeepquiet，berespectful，andnevertakepictures.TheKedarGhatisaIivelierarea.brightlypaintedinstripesandbustlingwithbathers.ItisgenerallypossibletowalkbetweenthedifferentGhatsexceptduringthewetseason，whentheyareonlyaccessiblebyboatorthroughthelabyrinthofnarrowalleysbehindtheGhats.ThebestwaytoseetheGhatsistocharteraboatandseethemfrOmtheriver.BoatridesareverypopuIa‘particu—larlyatsunriseandsunset.ThesunriseboatridestakeplacewhentheGhatsarefilledwithHindusbathingandstart—ingtheirday—oneofthemostfamous