In and Around Varanasi

The next stop, a walk into a place entirely different

Kullad wali Lassi!

A bustling bazaar filled with Banarasi sarees and Chaat stops

People indulging in Kachhoris, relishing a Lassi

Rushing for the evening aarti, swarming the temple lane

Some chewing pan, others calling for a tonga

Amazed to find calmness under that buzz

I stand in awe of this great city

At awe with the city of Varanasi

Over the week we travelled around the city to an extent we could easily single out the similar lanes! Every other day we savored various indigenous cuisines; the blissful Lassi and kullad coffee were the highlights! Here, the Explorer and the Foodie find Nirvana! There were also these ethnic sarees, wooden toys and bangles we adored. All the way from Godaulia market to Kashi Vishwanaath Temple lane, we walked past the loud atmosphere, jostled our way through crowded streets and endless queues. The front seat auto rides and the cycle rickshaw triply. These little things made my trip all the more fun! We were also a part of the much awaited Dev Diwali celebrations on the ghats! The ghats adorned lights and numerous diyas(oil lamps). Kashi lived up to its name; the city of lights! Bhajans and some folk songs were being played on loudspeakers to which the devotees and non-devotees danced. Celebration was in full fervor. This act of pooja has been attracting millions of tourists from across the world. And it did, this time too! The Dev Diwali celebrations were coinciding with the first visit of honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, after successfully contesting from the same constituency, Varanasi. Yes it was fancy and equally exhausting. An unforgettable experience we can say!

The evening Ganga aarti on the
Ghats is very renowned, it is well
choreographed and the highlight of the day!

Dev Diwali
And a million diyas adorned the city of lights!

The one-day excursion to Sarnath and Ramnagar fort was also eventful. In this deer park turned spiritual center, Buddha gave his first sermon (Dhamekh Stupa presently), of what became Buddhism. It started as a spiritual faith, and was later popularized into a zealous religion by King Asoka. A lot of temples have been constructed by ambassadors of diverse countries. We appreciated their architectural artistry and the tranquility a Buddhist compound provides. The Sarnath Archeological Museum which houses the famous Ashokan lion capital, was particularly interesting. The 3^rd century relic miraculously survived its 45-foot drop to the ground (from the top of the Ashokan Pillar), and became the National Emblem of India! We reached our next destination Ramnagar Fort via the bridge coming from Raj ghat. They said, the Banaras king built this palace and this is where he still resides. We saw the beautiful museum which displayed artistic articles made of ivory, vintage cars, an antique collection of rifles and swords among others!

excavation site@ Sarnath

Dhamekh Stupa

The only part of the Ramnagar Fort
 we could photograph.

Our fascination with ancient doors!

Kashi has a distinct character which it developed over ages. Its history, temples, scholars, festivals, crafts, food and its typical inhabitants; sadhus, pundits, artists, weavers,  pandas, babus, thugs and gundas are typical of its cultural backdrop; and are very ‘Indian’. Banaras is intoxicating, literally and otherwise. It was good we left all our ‘expectations’ back home, because experiencing the city without ‘baggage’ and getting lost in its antiquity and ancient-ness turned out precious to the trip. Even though Banaras is, and will probably always remain a multi-fold mystery for its visitors.