Banaras Darshan

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Our arrival in the ‘Bhagwaan nagari’  

The holiest of all, an enduring religious and cultural center,  Banks of the divine river embrace a sacred shrine,  Founded by God himself, this, is Lord Shiva’s adobe,   This, is ‘Kashi nagari’

Vibrant, busy, authentic and real. The calls of 'Har-Har Mahadev' captivated the city, the fascinating picturesque ghats stood tall over the serene flowing Ganga, and the babas, majestic, with their vile dreadlocks. Some foreigners got high, and some lost, in the beauty of this mystical river. The funeral pyres burnt relentlessly, at the ‘burning-ghats’. The mighty cows and their cow-dungs occupied the narrow paved lanes, with numerous other animals, autos, tongas and men-folk. The crowds moved with systematic hustle bustle in the meandrous gallis, and set at every corner was the famous Paan, Banaras wala! I couldn't help but, notice that old charm in city. In its boats that are still rowed by oars, in the tea that is still served in Kulhads (clay cups), the Angheethis (brazier) that are still used by the vendors, the hand pump which is still employed, the narrow lanes that still exemplify the indigenous living culture, and the presence of God in ways big or small. Just a forty minute walk in this everlasting city, was enough to disclose some astonishingly diverse range of sights! 

 The bewildering variety of the landscape storms the senses! Our eyes capture the color burst of the streets and the ghats, our cameras cannot. Smells of sandalwood agarbatti and the sacred prayer powders fill the nose, and the chants of shlokas and hymns, on the crossroads, make up the ambience of the ‘holiest of all’ city. ‘Varanasi’ is best showcased by the ghats, the long stretch of steps leading down to the water on the banks of Ganga Maiyaa. They say it is spiritually enlightening...so I expected an instant spiritual awakening at the first sight of the Ganges, but it didn't happen. I realized, the city is not meant for the ‘tourist eye’, because that will solely absorb the chaotic and not so clean Banaras. We need to grasp the essence of this place from those lost wanderers from foreign lands, walking about as if this is where they belong, this is where they’ll find their answers. Banaras should be embraced in its entirety.

The ghats of Banaras are like a colored canvas. We began our journey northwards, starting from Assi Ghat, the nearest to Banaras Hindi University (BHU) campus, where we were sojourning. We walked around 23kms, across Dashashwamedh Ghat, and all the way to Manikarnika Ghat, exploring life along the Ganges. The ghats along the bank were buzzing with activity; people were praying, taking a holy dip, sipping tea, chit-chatting, performing last rites, selling small toys. Each ghat had its own personal character. It was interesting to compare the ghats, how they stood shoulder to shoulder and yet looked so different from one another!

  Right before entering Assi, was the lane with chaat stalls(street food) and Knick knackers. But what fascinated me was the first sight of a sadhu baba, patting his pet monkey! Like an insensitive tourist, I took out my camera to shoot him, and I was howled on badly, for that thoughtless move! ‘Photo lene ke liye nai paala hai, photo lena hai toh zoo jake loh!!’ (I haven't raised this monkey for being photographed, go to the zoo for that!)That’s when I got the importance of being empathetic. Assi Ghat was very lively, the ghats vast area was filled with hawkers and venders. It seemed to be a popular starting point for boat trips too. The bookshop and handicrafts shop here, gained immense admiration amongst our group. After crossing Tulsi Ghat, named after 16th-century Hindu writer, we paused at Kedar Ghat, where another ‘baba incident’ occurred.  A tall dark man, dressed in an orange dhoti, intimidating, in his dreadful dreadlocks, descended down the stairs.  His obsidian eyes met my cameras! Oops. Another howler. Furious, he aimed his ewer at us but luckily didn't really throw it!

No tourist can walk along the river without being
 asked for a boat ride at least 25-30 times!

Next stop was the smaller ‘burning ghat’.  One city resident was kind enough to enlighten us with the illustrious history of Harishchandra Ghat. ‘Teen loko se nyaari, Kashi, sugyaan, dharma aur satya ki raashi. Yaha pe hai ek pavitra shiksha, ke satya ki raksha fir aatmaraksha’, and with this he gave the historical excerpt. I was seeing a cremation for the very first time! The body was wrapped up in white cloth and put on a stack of logs while having more piled on top, the stack was set on fire, and the burning began. Little did we know that down the river at the main burning ghat, bodies are burned 24 hours a day. We tried moving on, to Varanasi’s liveliest and most colorful ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat. It was the busiest of all ghats and was being dressed for the upcoming Dev Diwali celebration!

Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is supposed to be the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Maybe Lord Shiva himself whispers the sacred verse of liberation to the departing here. For this very reason, old and sick people migrate to Varanasi just to die. Wood is continuously hauled in and prepped. As we took a seat on the ghat stairs, the process was repeated several times, around 9-10 bodies were being burnt at once, and more and more bodies were being brought in. Everything happened in public view. Tourist and locals alike, came to witness this profound religious ritual. To be honest, I am still not sure how I feel about it. Even though we had read about it, watching a live cremation didn’t come as much a shock as it being so public came. There is no privacy other than the request to not take photos, and death is right there for anyone to see, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Maybe I was oblivious to this situation, well so were the children who flew kites around the funeral pyres. As for them, it was a daily affair.

Assi Ghat

Kedar Ghat

Harishchandra Ghat

Dashashwamedh Ghat

Manikarnika Ghat;
Dying in Varanasi qualifies you, for all the shortcuts to heaven. So the most ancient form of booking a direct trip to heaven? It is a 1600 crore business; cremations in Varanasi!

Offerings from the morning Ganga aarti

‘Banaras aakar, boat ride nai kiya toh kya kiya?’ (The Varanasi trip would be incomplete without a boat ride.) 

In retrospection, I can say our journey would have been incomplete without it. At 6:28 am, the river started to sparkle, we watched pilgrims flow into the water whilst the sun appeared over the far sandbank. As the boat receded, from a distance all the ghats formed a beautiful crescent. Folks approached for their ritual bath and many others to wash clothes, do yoga, meditate, offer blessings, sell flowers, or simply hang around. A little nudge to the boatman gave way to the dialogue of the trip! “Yaha ke log ‘mad’ hai” We gave him a puzzled look.

“Yaani, hum ulti khopdi wale hain, aur kyu nahi? Yaha toh Ganga maiyaa bhi ulti behti hain!” (The people of this city are with inverted minds, just like the river Ganges which flows in the opposite direction)

 The risen sun burned into the early morning, more pilgrims continued to bathe, pray and disperse only to be replaced by more pilgrims from this vast overpopulated land. This 3000 year old city stood relatively still for a long, long time.

The view of the city from Ganga maa; the delightful panorama of the Varanasi riverfront that enchanted the hearts of countless travelers and pilgrims over centuries.