Varanasi...Life and more...

We started off from Kolkata in Vibhuti Express on the evening of 23rd January. A couple of the boys were to travel down from Delhi. Three of the group were to travel the next evening. Our journey in the regular sleeper compartment [it was my brother's idea to travel in a general compartment, on the pretext that we didn't need AC, as it was winter] was OK otherwise, except that the Ticket Checker , after checking our tickets, smiled wryly and said -"Do keep track of your belongings, because passengers in this route often love to believe all things in the compartment to be their own..."

It may not be a great complement for the residents of our neighboring states.  But to face the facts, the gentleman was just warning us against a possibility. It was reason enough for me to spend the night half awake, checking the safety and existence of my precious new Woodland shoes each time the train stopped, and waking up in the middle of the night to find crowds moving through the aisle with trunks and baskets and sacks. Both I and my brother were lying down in the lower berths. Through the night,each time I opened my eyes, I found somebody new sitting at the fag end of my brother's berth!!

Anyway, the night was over, and we reached Varanasi about an hour late beyond the scheduled time. We could see the brownish yellow cityscape spread over the west bank of the river. The famous Ghats [steps down the river banks ] could be seen from the distance.

The Varanasi railway station is almost about half an hour's journey from the centre of attractions - the Ghats. We hired rickshaws to reach the hotel. My first impression of Varanasi is that of a very busy and chaotic city. All sorts of vehicles from bicycles to horse-carts  throng the road, barely leaving space for pedestrians to cross- and we had not encountered the famous bulls yet!! Strangely, there is no traffic jams as such, and no one were found quarreling or fighting over traffic issues. The humdrum is part of the people's life there.

We crossed the famous crossing of Godhulia [Godowlia according to Varanasi shop headers], passed the gate of the Vishwanath Temple, and reached near Dashashwamedh Ghat. Now began my journey through the Varanasi Gallis [the lanes]- that too, of the much heard off Bangalitola. I had often read about the gallis in story books, have seen glimpses of them in films too, but I had not even tried to imagine what they would actually be like. Well, the Bangalitola gallis welcomed me with the dirt piles, smeared cow dungs, streaming waters from occasional shops and the utter narrowness. We walked for about 10 minutes before we reached the juncture point where we were supposed to find our hotel. All the while I expected the galli to give way to a wider and cleaner street!!

[caption id="attachment_147" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="The name of the lane written in Bangla gave a curious sense of pleasure and oneness"]The name of the lane written in Bangla gave a curious sense of pleasure and oneness[/caption]

Anyway, it was found out that the hotel we had plans to stay in was fully booked. 26th January being a Monday, Varanasi was thronging with tourists on short trips, apart from foreign travelers. We waited at a small restaurant named Chandan Restaurant.  We were surprised to find they served Continental, Lebanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian and Chinese cuisine!! To top it all, the name of the lane was written in Bangla on a blue plate stuck on the wall of a building, which immediately strung a chord of oneness. Bangalitola is cosmopolitan!!!! Wow ...they even had menus written in Korean, Japanese and Lebanese stuck on the wall. A couple of shops in the opposite displayed items so very much preferred by Foreign visitors - jhula bags from Rajasthan and Gujarat, ethnic kurtis, printed skirts and harem pants. I found the same items selling  in Varkala and Fort Kochi in Kerala!! The other two items that almost every second shop sold were toilet paper rolls, and mineral water bottles. Later during the stay, I befriended an elderly Bengali lady and her daughter who run a stationary shop just opposite the restaurant. It was somehow heart-warming to be able to chat with them in Bangla, sitting in a city in Uttar Pradesh.

After waiting for about half an hour, a couple of the boys came back finding a different hotel, standing on the ghats. So we dragged our luggage and reached the hotel. One of the rooms had an attached balcony, directly facing the river. I got my first view of the riverfront from the balcony.

[caption id="attachment_121" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="My first view of the Varanasi Ghats"]My first view of the Varanasi Ghats[/caption]

After freshening up, we went for a Japanese lunch at a restaurant named Shanti. The Varanasi gallis were unfolding themselves gradually in front of my eyes. My brother and his friends have been frequent visitors to Varanasi, so they, especially Biplab, knew the lanes like the back of his hand. As a first time visitor I was utterly surprised to find a Japanese restaurant in one of the ramshackle lanes of Varanasi.  While the boys ordered a pork based dish, I opted for  a vegetarian fare, named YASAI KAKIAGE DON.

[caption id="attachment_123" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Yasai Kakiage Don"]Japanese Meal[/caption]

What came displayed was a bowl of rice, topped with crisply fried vegetables, accompanied by soy sauce, fish soup and Korean pickle (Kimchi ).It was full of sliced radish. The fries were barely salted and tasteless. I had to sprinkle generous amount of salt and soy sauce to suit my taste buds!

Honestly speaking, I did not like the dish much! I rather enjoyed eating  a continental dinner of boiled vegetables with brown bread or tortilla at Chandan restaurant. We even tried out full scale Bengali thali meal at one 'Bangali Hotel' at Godowlia. We had a Thai lunch on the day of departure.

After lunch, we headed for the ghats. I don't remember which Ghat we used to get down to the river front the very first day. All I remember is that the steps were high, and it really strained to get down from one step to the other. I have never stopped wondering how the aged residents of Varanasi traverse those steps each day to take a bath or wash their clothes. The Dashashwamedh Ghat, the one most popular and near to the Vishwanath Temple,however,  has comparatively smaller steps.

Though my legs were aching quite a bit, I started gelling in to the buzzing atmosphere. It was early evening, and the Pujaris at the Dashashwamedh Ghat were getting  ready for the Ganga Arati, which takes place every evening. It is a grand affair, which we watched the next day.

[caption id="attachment_125" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Items for Ganga Arati"]gangapujaitems[/caption]




[caption id="attachment_126" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Ganga Arati in full swing"]p1060653[/caption]

I had a rather sophisticated digital camera in hand, my brother's Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, (which he has graciously given me away). I was not sure whether taking pictures of sadhus or people was a good idea, but when all my companions, in the pursuit of "great pictures" started doing the same, I too ventured into the realm of real life photography!! As I was focusing on a sadhu, wearing a yellow robe, sitting against a painted red and blue wall in the background, he called me up and asked me to take a snap with two little girls. He also asked me to send him the photos later, and gave me his contact info in my diary. Suddenly I was surrounded by curious kids and teenagers who started asking me whether I was from the newspaper or TV - one of the boys even asked me whether I would put the photo up on the net!!

I didn't face this situation any more in the next few days. But I saw sadhus of many lineage!! Some allowed us to take snaps, a couple of them would put hands in front of their eyes (much like celebrities) to avoid the situation, while there were at least two of them, dressed in glittery orange and yellow silk robes, allowing foreign visitors to take their snaps in exchange of money!! One of these was one who had a partially short leg, and supported himself on a walking stick. He flamboyantly posed for the amazed foreign tourists, and when I took a snap of his  from a distance, he immediately called me back for money. Obviously he was not pleased with the amount I offered, (he surely calculates his earning in terms of dollars!!), and I made no more effort in sufficing his wish.

[caption id="attachment_124" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sadhu on the steps-he did not want any money though!!"]p1060585[/caption]


The five day stay at Varanasi was a good learning ground for my photography venture. I learned a lot myself . Digital cameras have opened up a world of opportunities for people like me, who kept away from the art because of its sheer expensiveness. With a digital camera, the cost associated with films, developing and printing are all gone. You can go on taking hundreds of photos without thinking about expenditure.  So I went on taking snaps - of the river, the boats, the people, the activities so unique to the place. I learned compositions. I realized how, due to the lack of time management, one could miss good shots.  I learned a bit about light and shade. It was interesting to find grey foggy mornings and mellow afternoons, and a sunny day at the end of the trip. I took shots, good and bad, and I felt great!!

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Signature of Time"]p1060591[/caption]




[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="There goes my wish..."]There goes my wish...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_130" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="Morning Colors"]Morning Colors[/caption]

A description of Varanasi would not be complete without a description of its ghats. There are supposed to be eighty ghats in Varanasi. Each one has a story associated with it - sometimes mythical, sometimes historical, and at times, events from the recent past. In the evening of the second day of our stay, we hired a boat to take a trip on the river and view the ghats . Our boatman narrated the stories of the Ghats....Rana Mahal Ghat, which was used by the Ranas of Rajputana...Babua Pandey Ghat, named after a washerman from Calcutta, who donated the ghat to the washermen of Varanasi...Raja Ghat, where scenes from Sunny Deol's 'Ghatak' and Rani Mukherji's 'Laga Chunari Mein Daag' were shot...Raja Harishchandra Ghat...associated with the stories of the pious king from the mythologies....give something to the boatman here, and ask for whatever you wish...all you wishes will come true....back towards the north...Raja Maan Singh Ghat, with the Maan Mahal or observaroty of Maan Singh, and then Manikarnika...where the funeral fire is never put off.....more than a dozen piers were blazing simultaneously.....

[caption id="attachment_131" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Raja Harishchandra Ghat"]Raja Harishchandra Ghat[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_132" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Manikarnika Ghat"]Manikarnika Ghat[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_133" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Babua Pandey Ghat- the washermen's Ghat"]Babua Pandey Ghat- the washermen's Ghat[/caption]

With darkness settling in on the river, a chilled air gradually seeping in through my warm sweater, the flashing lights of the Dashashwamedh Ghat, flocking boats with enthusiast visitors aboard to watch the Ganga Arati,my mind seemed to move back and forth thousand of years....while Raja Harishchandra, Rani Mukherji, Rana Jagat Singh, Sunny Deol, Apu, Sarbajaya and Harihar from 'Aporajito', Binodini from 'Choker Bali'. Bhumisuta from 'Pratham Alo'....all blurred together, along with countless forgotten characters and names from history and literature to create an exquisite rich mosaic of Timelessness in front of my eyes.  I was suddenly bedazzled by the sublime richness of the ancient city. Each of the stones on the ghats had a story to tell. Each of those gallis had a story of their own. All those floating candles, moving fearlessly on the dark waters in rows or alone, have each a story to tell. The ancient Ghats of Varanasi stand like erudite storytellers, ready to start a session any time of the day, any way you wish.

Another interesting place to stroll around anytime of the day is the area around the Vishwanath Temple. I didn't imagine  there could be such never ending serpentine lanes with all around the Temple, with shops selling all sorts of items on either side. Varanasi is famous for wooden toys and gift, glass and lac bangles, Banarasi paan masalas and paan, exquisite silk sarees, peda, rabri and kachori-sabzi and of course the famous bulls and monkeys. Well, you have them all and many more things in the temple gallis.

[caption id="attachment_134" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The heavenly rabri of Vishwanath Gali"]The heavenly rabri of Vishwanath Gali[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_138" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="The mouth-watering Kachori, the sabzi is not visible:)"]The mouth-watering Kachori, the sabzi is not visible:)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_136" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Glass bangles in display"]Glass bangles in display[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_145" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The monkeys"]The monkeys[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_137" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="...and the famous bull of Vishwanath"]...and the famous bull of Vishwanath[/caption]

My camera battery was exhausted the evening I made a good tour of the gallis, so I really missed taking some snaps.  We did lots of shopping in those shops, buying gift and mementos to take back home.

We tasted the famous rabri of Varanasi, in one small, unimpressive shop in one of the galis. It was an heavenly experience!! Rabri is basically thickened milk, and they advise you not to drink water for at least 45 minutes after consuming 100 grams of the divine treat. Drinking water immediately after eating rabri disturbs the digestive system. Among other things, most of us brought back pedas, another specialty sweet from Varanasi to distribute among friends and family.

My experience of the puja procedure at the Vishwanath Temple was, as expected, unfulfilled and irritating. I, along with one of the boys,  went on the evening of 26th January. It could be that there was more rush because of the holiday. Anyway, we left back our shoes with one of the shops, and stood in a long queue. Half way through, I was pushed forward on the pretext of being a woman devotee, and was allowed to pass the tight security ( police and army men, complete with sand bag barricades and light machine guns) to wait inside the temple premises for my companion. I waited patiently for about half an hour, after which he suddenly appeared from the opposite direction. He was made to enter the temple through a different gate, and had already completed his puja, while I was waiting for him!! He took me back to the temple., and warned me to put the offering under the shawl, as his packet was already once snatched by the monkeys!! Then I realized monkeys were thronging the roofs of the temple. One could see them jumping around, and their screeching could be heard clearly. With half my attention towards the monkeys, I managed to walk the slippery paths, completely confused about directions and structures, till we found the sanctum sanctorum!! From beside the dhoti clad legs of the priest standing at the door, with a couple of women standing in front of me, and a man coming out of the same door with a huge basket full of discarded flowers and belpattas (bel leaves), I managed to get a glimpse of a black lingam half -merged in milk. Hopefully, that was Lord Vishwanath - I cannot confirm because nobody confirmed me!! The priest was yelling towards the women in front of me to give their offerings fast, else the monkeys may snatch them. I gave my packet in his hand, he turned away from me for a couple of minutes and returned me back the packet. WOW!! MY ROAD TO SALVATION WAS CLEARRRRRR!!!

How I hate Hindu Temples!! I am a Hindu, I have nothing against Hinduism, I have faith in my religion, but I am really disgusted at the way Hindus maintain their temples and organize the daily pujas. Be it the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, or Jagannath Temple in Puri or Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar or Kalighat in Kolkata or Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, the story is same everywhere!! - Rush, chaos, noise, filth, mismanagement and disorganization prevail to rob your mind away from any little bit of peace you wish to have or prayer you wish to make. I have no idea about the temples in South India, I have heard they are better organized.  But my experiences till date have all been the same - each time I have come out with a bitter state of mind. In fact, this time I had decided I would not go to offer puja at the temple. I'd rather send my prayers from outside. But  one of the boys wanted to visit the temple and was looking for company. On the other hand, my mother was requesting me to pay a visit. The two reasons made me decide to take a chance. Once again, I have come out with a vow that next time onwards, I am not going to visit any Hindu temple- whatever heavenly or hellish may be the implications!!

One of the afternoons we visited Sarnath. Sarnath was the place where Lord Budhdha preached his first sermons. There are a couple of  Buddhist places of worships, built by the followers from Sri Lanka and Japan. As usual, well maintained serene and silent, the only nuisance in one of the shrines were a group of young boys who crossed the railings to go and stand inside the premises, near the huge statues of Buddha and his disciples, to take a group photo!!

[caption id="attachment_139" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Lord Buddha with his disciples and the first sermon- Sarnath"]Lord Buddha with his disciples and the first sermon- Sarnath[/caption]

Just like many Hindus have their ways of praying for the fulfillment of their wishes by tying red threads on tree branches, similarly the Buddhists hang a series of colourful flags with prayers written on them to fulfill their wish.

[caption id="attachment_140" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Wish fulfillment flags hung around the shrine"]Wish fulfillment flags hung around the shrine[/caption]

There is a gigantic cylindrical structure, which is said to be built by Emperor Ashoka. Lord Buddha's remnants are supposed to be kept inside. It is a structure without any entrance.

[caption id="attachment_141" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="This is the place where Lord Buddha's remnants are kept"]This is the place where Lord Buddha's remnants are kept[/caption]

The most interesting place in Sarnath is the museum of Archeological Survey of India. We saw parts of the Ashok Stambha (the Ashoka Pillar), the national emblem of India, and a number of stone sculpture of the Bodhisattwa. There are two dedicated halls displaying sculptures and other items from the Hindu period and the Budhdhist period. This museum has some wonderful sculptures, which will keep you awestruck reminding of the artistic excellence of ancient India. Visitors are not allowed  to take in cameras and mobile phones inside the museum. So there was no chance of taking snaps at all.

The last day at Varanasi was the most interesting. We woke up to find a bright sunny morning and clear sky, as opposed to the foggy mornings we had been having the previous days. We hired a boat again to have a trip on the river, and take some snaps of the city from the river, just like those that appear on travel brochures!! Watching the life on the ghats in the morning light  was a different experience.

[caption id="attachment_142" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The ancient city- on a bright sunny morning-from the river"]The ancient city- on a bright sunny morning-from the river[/caption]

We asked our boatman to take the boat towards the other bank, where there was a makeshift landing point for the boats that crossed the river. With no villages to be seen anywhere in the distance, I wondered where all those people were going with their bags and suitcases, walking through the open land.  Then we had the most charming experience of the trip. A small boat arrived selling packets of namkeens  (salted crunchies), which would lure the migratory birds we had seen all these days hovering around boats. I had no idea what was going to happen. We threw some of the namkeens in the water and -lo and behold!! There they were- flying low in flocks towards us, continuously making a noise. They were beautiful seagulls, and their continuous monotonous 'mai' 'mai' reminded us of their greedy counterparts in 'Finding Nemo'!!

[caption id="attachment_143" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Feeding the seagulls"]Feeding the seagulls[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_144" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The dive"]The dive[/caption]

In reality, they are much prettier than their animated versions. We had a great time watching them and taking snaps of all possible dives and moves and turns.

Then it was time to catch the train back to home. We reached the station in time to find that the train was canceled!! Strangely, the call centre of Indian Railways was still saying that the train was running in time!! We had some nervous experience of searching for alternate options and after much tension and running around, managed to confirm berths in the AC Three Tier of Punjab Mail, which, thankfully, was running late.

I will surely go back to Varanasi again, though I really hate the dirt and filth and the bulls and monkeys. But I feel, those are part of the Varanasi experience. Those winding gallis won't be the same without them. I'd like to do some photography in the lanes , especially the Vishwanath gallis. I'd also like to spend long hours sitting on those octagonal chabutaras on the river, staring at the flowing river,  forgetting about the world....just experiencing the Flow of Life.

[caption id="attachment_146" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="....like this"]