Amaiya Khardenavis

Mystical Varanasi

Updated: May 11, 2019

Domiciled on the banks of the majestic River Ganges; Varanasi, also known as Benares or Kashi is often described as the spiritual capital of India. The city in its lifetime of over thousand years has watched the world turn and tides change.

This antiquated city exudes enough enchantment and fascination to overwhelm even the most seasoned traveler.

I was fortunate enough to be invited by goStops to stay at their amazing hostel.

“Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”. - Mark Twain

History:

Varanasi has been a major religious center and its archives have been documented by travelers and scholars.

According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi was founded by Lord Shiva (Destroyer). During a fight between Lord Brahma (Creator) and Lord Shiva, one of Brahma's five heads was torn off by Shiva. As was the custom, the victor carried the slain adversary's head in his hand and let it hang down from his hand as an act of ignominy, and a sign of his own bravery. A bridle was also put into the mouth. Shiva thus dishonored Brahma's head, and kept it with him at all times. When he came to the city of Varanasi in this state, the hanging head of Brahma dropped from Shiva's hand and disappeared in the ground. Hence Shiva is said to be the founder of the city.

Later around 528 BCE, Varanasi was part of the Kingdom of Kashi. Lord Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism when he gave his first sermon at Sarnath.

Due to the religious significance, most of the ghats and temples along the Ganges were built by the Hindu royals such as the Marathas, Scindias, Holkars and Peshwas.

The city is hence a melting pot of culture and showcases India in all its might!

Significance:

Being the oldest city in India, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Benaras is chaotic, colorful and exciting. It has been a major center for pilgrimage since the bygone era due to its close association with the holy Ganges. Hindus from all over the world flock to the numerous ghats along the banks of the Ganges to perform rituals.

Varanasi is considered as an auspicious place to die; dying and being cremated here offers moksha, liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth. It is further believed that taking a dip in the water of the sacred Ganges relieves you of all your committed sins.

Orientation:

Varanasi’s old city stretches from the Ganges to a convoluted maze of minuscule alleys, or ‘gallis’. Although quite crowded and claustrophobic, but that’s where you get the real essence of this city. These alleys take you from the contemporary tar roads to the stone slab lined historic embankments, or ‘ghats’ along the river. There are 84 ghats over a three kilometre distance, each of which have their own little story. The Godaulia Crossing, a 5 minute walk from the Dashashwamedh Ghat is an important junction.

Things to do:

1. Stroll through the Ghats:

Marvelously photogenic, Varanasi is at its best by the ghats. Just sitting and observing people go about their daily routines at the ghats is quite a sight. The ghats stretch from Raj Ghat in the north to Assi Ghat in the south.

From young boys having a water fight in the Ganges, to women sitting preparing food in doorways along the winding alleys, to bodies being cremated along the banks, to fisherman getting their daily catch, to stalls selling chai and snacks, to people washing their clothes, and holy men smoking pipes. It’s an amalgamation of chaos and serenity. You could surely find a quaint little spot around to just read a book or chill and listen to music.

- Dashashwamedh Ghat

It is Varanasi’s liveliest ghat and is a wonderful place to people watch and delve into the chaos while sipping a cup of chai. The name indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses (aswa) here. Every evening at 1900 hrs an elaborate Ganga Aarti ceremony with chants, fire, flowers and dance is staged here. Looking at the crowds of devotees that throng here to chant prayers and seek blessings, is quite an enriching experience.

-Manikarnika Ghat

Also colloquially known as the ‘Burning Ghat’, it is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Funeral pyres are lit 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week in plain sight. Around 500 corpses are burnt per day at the ghat on an average with numbers touching thousands on peak days.

Each cremation requires large amounts of wood, the quality of which is decided based on the wealth of the person. Sandalwood logs are the most expensive ones, while the cheapest is mango wood. Those who cannot afford wood are burnt on cow dung as it is considered to be one of the most reverent materials.

It is quite unbelievable that the ghat juxtaposes the realities and fantasies of life at the same place. People do continue their daily routines besides all the mourning. The scene is something like you’ve never seen.

Scammer Alert!

At night, as you navigate through the huge piles of wood stored in the rather narrow bylanes, you see a maze of pyres steaming and spitting orange chambers into an inky night and that’s when a wave of heat crawls towards you. The urban soul in you truly begins to realize how isolated you are from the inevitable concept of death.

-Assi Ghat

It’s the furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest. Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges here. Evenings here are quite lively as the ghat fills up with hawkers and tourists for the Ganga Aarti. It’s also the only ghat in Varanasi that has an early morning prayer offering too at 0530 hrs.

-Chet Singh Ghat

Housing the Chet Singh Fort, a palatial fortress built in the 18th century, it is a quaint and scenic location to read a book, enjoy sights of the majestic Ganges or strike a conversation with some of the locals. By far my favourite ones!

2. Enjoy the calmness at Benares Hindu University (BHU)

A major centre for learning, imparting top quality education to over 30,000 students, the university established in 1916 is Asia's largest residential university. The wide, tree-lined streets and well cultivated parks are a relief from all the chaos in the city.

On campus, is Bharat Kala Bhavan, a meticulously planned museum showcasing a wonderful collection of paintings, medieval sculptures, antedated coins and local history displays.

3. Watch the city wake up!

The city shines with all its grandeur when the sun rises over the east bank of the Ganges, the sight offers one of the most vivid views you’ll ever encounter. The shimmer of the Ganges as the first rays of the sun fall onto its holy water is a sight to behold.

Getting a boat ride in Varanasi is easy, start off from one of the lesser commercial ghats (Janki Ghat) and bargain hard! It is suggested to get on a rowing boat to enjoy the phlegmatic feels.

Later, watching the morning rituals at the hustling and bustling ghats over a cup of chai is fun. Everyone is just doing their thing, literally!

4. Traipse through the labrynthic gallis

These alleys are everywhere, literally! They are dusty, noisy, crowded and extremely disorienting unless you’re not using Google Maps (saviour), but that’s the fun!

You’ll see small shops dotting these streets selling silk, candles, food, crafts, sweets and everything else you ever thought about. You’ll find the odd sacred cow wandering about aimlessly too. Your senses will be tested with all the possible smells emanating from pungent fruit, cow dung and incense sticks!

There are also many silk looms and wrestling centres around the city that you might stumble upon in your unending quest for a way out of these convoluted streets.

5. Head to Sarnath

Also referred to as Isipatana, the locality near the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Varuna is one of the holiest Buddhist sites. Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment.

Sarnath is home to the ruins and archaeological sites that were destroyed during the Turkish invasions. The sheer size of the massive 44 m tall Dhamek Stupa is awe-striking! The Sarnath Archelogical Museum houses a great collection of Buddhist relics and portraits. The National Emblem of India, adapted from the Ashoka Pillar is also preserved at the museum.

6. Temple Trails

Varanasi is renowned for its omnipresent temples! There are around 25,000 temples, you could find a temple every ten meters in the old city. These temples were encompassed by household walls to prevent them from being destroyed by the Mughal emperors during their siege into the city. Most of these ancient temples have been discovered in the recent years during the construction of the Ganga corridor.

- Kashi Vishwanath Temple

This golden spired temple dedicated to Lord Shiva residing on the western banks of the Ganges is one of the most famous Hindu temples. The temple has had a tumultuous history with its structure being destroyed and reconstructed several times due to the long standing battle for religious dominance among the Hindus and Muslims. The current structure built by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780 stands adjacent to the Gyan Vapi Mosque.

Note: Indian nationals enter from Gate I. Foreign tourists are allowed entry from Gate II after verification of their passports.

- Sankat Mochan Temple

Established by the famous saint Shri Goswami Tulsidas in the early 1500’s, the temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman lies on the banks of the Assi River.

-Bharat Mata Temple

The one of its kind temple dedicated to Mother India has a huge map of undivided India carved in marble. It claims to be the only such temple in the world and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936.

- Vishwanath Temple (Birla Temple)

Said to be one of the tallest temples in India, the New Vishwanath Temple located within the Benares Hindu University campus stands 77 meters tall. The inner marbled facade of the temple has inscriptions from the entire text of the Bhagavad Gita and its outer structure replicates the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

7. Bask in the heritage at Ramnagar Fort

The cream colored sandstone fortification lying on the eastern bank of the Ganges has been the residence of the Kashi Naresh since the 18th Century. The fort houses a diverse range of collection acquired by the Maharajas during their reign. The views from the rear terrace are delightful but the fort and museum aren't in great shape.