I have to say, we didn't really get on with Varanasi. It was fascinating to see the devotees and take the boat ride on the Ganges, but it was the one place above all others were there was a constant sense of people trying to get money out of you and hordes of people EVERYWHERE. Even a short walk out of the hotel I had rikshaw drivers following me and kids trying to sell me things. It got really really draining. Oh, and someone tried to steal the ring off my hand (he looked most put out I caught him).
We'll definitely be back to India at some point, but we'll do it differently. We know the bits we liked, the things we want to see and the fact that the trains aren't exactly as romantic a way to travel as we'd imagined.
Some fantastic memories and experiences taken back from it though - we did see most facets of Indian life the way we did it.