These are all tourist boats for floating people up and down the river for a better view of the ghats in Varanasi.
The river is the holiest in India, and the belief is that if you die in Varanasi and are cremated at the ghats, with your ashes being added to the river, you can escape the cycle of reincarnation and move on to nirvana.
Millions of people bathe in these waters and drink them every day. The pollution is very terrible, and garbage and flowers litter the banks.