Varanasi- The City of Gods
Have you ever visited a place that has/had a resounding impact on you? You just wanted to taste that city’s interesting cuisine, but you instead ended up clutching its air, listening to the silences in the chaos, and answering your unheard questions?
Going to Varanasi for the first time can be a little overwhelming. However, it can turn out to be one of the top and best places to visit in India if you intent or seek to experience a spiritual journey.
“Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend & looks twice as old as all of them put together.”
Mark Twain
It’s difficult to praise the city in just one blog or a few words because its history is so rich that it is still renowned worldwide. What to expect from Banaras and what all places to visit, you can easily find details available on the internet. However, in this travel blog, I will try to share my experiences with this city. It is going to be about the few places I visited and the impact each place had on me.
It has been quite a few months since I am back from Varanasi, but there are still so many half heard, half answered questions. What it is to have faith but still be fearless? What it is to believe and still not be blind? What it is to give and expect nothing in return? What it is to aspire to live and still be selfless?
Overview of the City Through My Eyes
Varanasi, or Banaras, also known as Kashi, is India’s cultural capital and is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Knowledge, philosophy, culture, devotion to Gods, and Indian arts and crafts have all flourished here for centuries.
“Hindus believe that one who is graced to die on the land of Varanasi would attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth.”
I went to Banaras with my family in March. It was a family trip, and we chose Banaras because though we belong to Uttar Pradesh (UP), we had not had any chance to visit and get amused by the city’s magic.
We went in March, so luckily, the weather was pleasant. It was sure hot but bearable hot. Banaras is a special city. You will be greeted by chaos, color, and the feeling of stepping back in time. The city is crowded as it can get, but Varanasi stands like a daddy of fakir(s). This place runs on its own rules (not sure if it has any). Varanasi is a city for all, still belongs to no one.
The Revered Ganga
Ganga is the holiest river in Hindu mythology. This is why it is believed that a dip in the river cleanses your sins. As much as devotees love taking a dip into the river, they also revere it. In Hinduism, people also immerse the ashes of the departed soul in the holy water of Ganga which according to them connects their soul with heaven. There are almost 100 ghats—places with steps leading down to the water—along the holy Ganges River in Varanasi.
I was shocked and perplexed for two reasons to be precise. First, by the amount of her (Ganga) endurance. She has been in a constant process of cleansing humans that today she has become one of the most polluted rivers in India. How many sins do we carry seriously to have the potential to leave our mark on the purest resource that we had?
Second, even after being selfish and self-centered that we all are, Ganga never forsakes her trait and invites us all to this cathartic process and is an elixir in every form she can. There can by no means one can go and not feel anything around the river Ganga.
![Morning Boat Ride- Ganga](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-24-at-12.28.30-AM-1-225x300.jpeg)
She keeps flowing in the hope that one day, people here will come not to bathe away their sins, but simply to celebrate the holiness of Ganga. One day, people will become selfless like her and would understand that faith is not always about getting, but also about giving. One day, people will let her free from any of our (sins) burdens and will learn to follow the path of karma and dharma. One day!
Ganga Aarti
One thing that is real about the city is its religious fervor in terms of Ganga Aarti – a grand celebration of thanking the river Ganga for being perennial and blessing the city to flourish. A tribute is also paid during the aarti to the four basic elements that comprise everything in this universe: earth, water, sky, and fire. Every day, priests of Varanasi perform an elaborate and extremely beautiful aarti on the ghats of Ganga.
During the evening aarti, when it’s all packed and there is a lot of audience- there will be all silence when the aarti starts. At that moment you see devotion- pure devotion. Everyone would just immerse in the aroma, the sound, and the sight of Ganga aarti. At that moment I fathomed that you will never be the same person after seeing the Ganga aarti. The hymns and sounds will remain in your heart and ears forever.
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In the morning aarti, the audience is less and you get to see the clear sight of the view. Imagine, beside you is the holy river; the sun is all set to come out and light up the place in the orange and the yellow and the misty light. In front of you, you have the priests all bejeweled to pay prayers on behalf of all of us to Ganga Maiya. The priests worship the River Ganga in such a synchronized manner that it makes for a spellbinding sight. They have been doing it in front of thousands of people for years now, and the practice and undying devotion make them perfect in what they do. Although it seems precariously risky, the lamps are in safe hands. This goes on for 45 minutes and it is practically impossible to take your eyes off for even a second.
The evening Ganga aarti is hands down a visual treat and the morning one is the spiritual treat. The cherry on the cake was the boat ride- both evening and morning.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the most famous temple in Varanasi, also known as the Golden temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning Ruler of The Universe.
It has high-end security as this temple is a prime shine and it also houses the sensitive Gyanvapi mosque. Ironical right? We mostly go to temples in the hope that the gods will protect us from any danger, but in the process, we become a danger to the temples. Too much faith, eh? Or too much fear?
Well, after getting help from some pandits (after paying them good money) we got the chance to enter the renowned temple. There was a long queue for the darshan but we were prepared for it. However, for one thing, we were not prepared was the raucous behavior of people in the queue who didn’t care for anything and pushed, scratched, shouted, and hurt people because they thought they had more right on the god than others.
I could after so much struggle, see the Jyoti Linga for approx. 2 seconds and in those milliseconds I felt the most untouched feeling… Yes, I was disappointed with the people in the queue and had so much anger with this whole ‘management process’ inside the temple but then I was lost in a peaceful place. I had teary eyes and had clasped peace. Peace in that chaos; peace in that millisecond! I could hear the chants in the noise, and I could sense my devotion in the chaos. The most I can describe is, that I felt light… like how a leaf blithe carelessly in the direction of tender but breezy air in the hope that it will fall at the right place. Sometimes, just one moment is enough to calm you and make you content. For me, that was my moment. That feeling was so real and surreal.
I know for some of you, this would be hard to believe, but that was magical. Out of the world. To say the least, the Kashi Shivling for me is indeed the epitome of peace, sanity, and tranquility.
Banarasi Chaat, Paan aur Banarasi Dupatta!
A trip to Varanasi is incomplete without savoring special Kashi chaat. So, on our last day, we paid our visit to the lovely and cherish(y) Kashi chat bhandar shop. There were too many mouth-watery options on the board and seriously that was not the time to practice the ‘let-go’ theory of life! I finally ordered tamatar chat (strongly recommend) and quickly fell in love with the mixture of slow-cooked chickpeas, spices, butter, oils, and chopped coriander. And to end the day on a good note, we treated our taste buds with Banarasi paan, and seriously guys- Khaike paan Banaras Wala, Khuli jaaye band aqal ka tala :P.
![](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/banarasi-chat-1-150x150.jpg)
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And on our way back to Varanasi station, we went to a shop that had amazing banarasi dupatta. I kind of hate shopping. For me, it’s a draining process but oh boi, you should have seen me then! I love art, and every fabric and embroidery in that shop was a piece of art. Fleetingly grabbed a few dupattas that I shall flaunt soon on my insta posts. 😛
Do feel free to share your traveling experiences with me and let’s take each other to beautiful cities through our blogs!
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