KASHI - "A NEVER ENDING JOURNEY "

Aarti

FIRST RIDE OF A JOURNEY 

                                                                     

Was excited and thrilled to be there, the place which is worshiped as 

"KASHI"

"THE LAND OF GOD  

 THE CITY OF BELIEVERS    

THE  PLACE OF WORSHIPERS" 

"A PERFECT START"

It is a saying in Hindu Mythology that before starting any work go to temple or pray to god for his blessings. we did the same, we - my college friends and facilitators. our journey began from "VISHWANATH TEMPLE" located within the "Banaras Hindu University - a City Within a City"

  near to our guest house "Gandhi Technology Alumni Center" and from there it has not ended...

The order within the chaos of the instruments played inside the pillars of temple itself gave a glimpse of how rich and healthy the roots of culture, religion and tradition have grown beneath Kashi. A moment of goosebumps all over and all my senses were awake.

Justlike a breeze takes away the dirt with it and leaves a clean area similarly the waves of the melody took away all the fatigue and left with a calm and relaxed state of mind. The aroma of flowers and incense sticks reinvigorate me, the kind of spirit and devotion with which the students and other devotees were playing the manjira and dholak were mesmerizing. 

"NOW IT BEGINS"

Chirping of the birds at BHU's guesthouse greeted me good morning on the very first day at Varanasi. The first blush entered my eyes through the windows and brought a mild smile on my face. And provogued me to come out and feel the cool breeze pass through my hair. The delacacies which were served to us for our breakfast were indeed really yummy. 

Lal Gate, common assembling place for all of us to start our day, for reaching there we had to hire auto rikshaws, which have a unique system of 'ser' (people going to the same place are made to sit in the same rikshaw, irrespective of knowing each other our not).

"GHATS IT ISSS...."

 

and it all startss.... one of the main crazes of going to varanasi are GHATS.. we started by going to Assi Ghats. And like any other hindu temple, here also we were welcomed by beggars but instead of money they were given rice. Why rice? For killing hunger or did it have some other reason? 

After crossing all the hush-hush created by the beggars, here i stood on the bank of Maa Ganga.!  Even after the morning hussle-bussle deep down within I  had a sense of peace in me. I could feel a certain amount of calmness sinking in me. And to absorb all that, I simply stood there.....

My eyes were assisted by my camera to capture the happenings there. All thanks to my friend for trusting me for his camera.!!

With mixed bag of feeling we kept walking.. passing different ghats.. and the only thing which connected them was the holy river Ganga..  After a disturbed start for about 15 minutes I kind of got tuned to the surroundings and the practices. 

Truly, Ganga is Maa to all, taking care of all the needs of her children be it bathing, washing, cleaning and so on. And the best part was that it didnt discriminate between any of her kids. 

The next ghat, was not a usual ghat.. but a cremation ground. And what I saw now, was something I knew would happen but had never saw it first hand. Everybody is born and so has to die but what happens to people around is unknown to them. Somewhere I had prepared myself to see all this and initially I did do a good job by not reacting to any of this but when the hands of the body started crippling that was the point when I broke down.. And found the surroundings to be so cruel that nobody actually sympathized with what was going on. People around were playing cards, children were playing, animals roaming around. Everything was so normal. And somehow I felt disgusted with that casual attitude. Thats it..!! I couldnt take it anymore...

WHAT ARE WE RUNNING AFTER? WHY SO MUCH OF HURRY? MONEY? FAME? RESPONSIBILITY? RESPECT? OR GROWING OLD? I guess its all for happiness.. Thats all we live for in the end. Every action, expression, belief, system, structure is meant or practiced to achieve IT. It begins when one starts excepting the truth and ends when one starts running after it. We are born to love, to be loved, give and share happiness. To love, this is what needs courage...


"BUS KAR RAHE HAI"

"Bas kar rahe hai, kiske liye aur kyun pata nhi, 

bas kar rahe hai,

jante hai isliye kar rahe hai, ya, jante hai fir bhi kar rahe hai

bas kar rahe hai, pata nhi, bas kar rahe hai

dono ko pata hai ki jana kaha hai, wahi jaha kisi ko kisi mein milna hai,

Jo samajhte hai unka hai woh sirf khud ka hai,

na kisi ka tha, na hai, na hoga.. 

Jab woh apna hai hi nhi toh kyu sambhaalna hai,

jab woh apna hai hi nhi toh kyun rakhna hai,

Jiske liye bhaagte hai, jiski wajah se bhaagte hai, 

jab woh apne saath hoga he nhi, 

toh kyu, toh kyu, toh kyu,

jaan na hai isse...

jo apna hai nhi woh jalta hai, 

toh rona kyu hota hai,

toh bas fir karna kyu hota hai, 

par bas kar rahe hai kiske liye aur kyu pata nhi

bas kar rahe hai....

"IN THE LAPS OF GANGA.."

4.00 AM.. When all are expected to be in there blankets but it turned out to be the busiest time on the ghats. we set on to the boat to sense Ganga closely. The calmness and serenity of Ganga synchronized well with the sound of the bells coming from the ghats. The beats given by the paddle of the boat was like cherry on top. MUSIC it was.... The paddle tickling the Ganga to form ripples and undo them.. Just like dimples on her face.

A constant golden streak formed by the sun on the Ganga accompanied us all throughout. Thousands of  worshipers praying there Gods on the sides of the ghats could be seen fadedly. 

It seemed to be a hub of all kinds of architectures from Aryas to Cholas to Mughals to Modern period...

It was like Varanasi was untouched by any technological progressions of the world........

Evening was my time, when I actually encountered the streets of Banaras. CHAAT... YUMMMMM... :P 

" Banaras aaye aur chaat nhi khaayi, toh kya khaak Banaras aaye..!!"

DON'T BE AN OUTSIDER

First thing in the morning was to have a session with our facilitators. Which was followed by exploration of our interest areas. And for me it was - STREETS.! 

"BUS CHALTE RAHO"
" Chalte raho, bas chalte raho,

Dekhte raho

Jahan socha tha waha nhi jaoge,

Jahan pohochna hoga waha paaye jaoge

Sab bhul jaao, bas chalte jao..

Akele honge par saath paoge,

ya fir 

saath honge par akele paoge,

pata nhi 

aur jo pata hai.. uski zarurat nhi..

Jo karna hai, woh bas chalte jaana hai,

aap nhi jaoge,

woh leke jaayenge

aap rukk jaoge, par woh nhi rukenge

kaha kyu kis liye.. 

pata nhi

bas yahi pata hai ki 

ye chalte jaayenge 

aur hume saath le jaayenge..

"NOW I KNEW"

I didnt know where Im going but I was on my way....

Paan wale bhaiya helped me explore the city in a better manner by telling the names of a few MUST VISIT streets of Banaras. Like: Kachori Galli, Khoa Galli, Chowk, Chhata Talli, Resham Katra, Thatheri Bazaar, Paaki Mahal, Daal Mandi and the list goes on.

They say that "true knowledge comes from experience and not books".. 

So here I start.. I visited all the streets mentioned above traveled every nook and corner of these streets which had a different story to tell of their own. from 11 to 7.. I was there paying attention to each story coming from the people witnessing them.


Why THATHERI BAZAAR?




























among all,this street pulled me towards them. The reason for it - still thinking ... but as far as i could feel the people, the aroma of the street , the way it was constructed pulled me towards it. On the first day of my visit i just kept on walking like Dora the explorer and yes i didn't know when i finished the street and started with the other thats when i realized why people here call "kashi - a web of streets" i was lost for around half an hour, didn't know where i am heading to. Nothing scared me i passed various stretches, some were shady,  some appeared weird. I felt like something is pulling me to itself. These 30 minutes were adventurous for me, though a little scary in the night but somehow i felt safe.
So i continued with the same flow and mindset and here I was again on the ghats of Ganga.   
The mix feelings that emerged during my walk were different and unique i dont know what to call them but it was different from that of ghats. On the ghats i still knew what i would see ahead but on streets every step ahead was unexpected. Something happened there, a hand from the crowd pulled me aside it scared the hell out of me but then I realized that he actually saved me from seven black bulls coming right behind me . Locals of Banaras say that "jab yeh bhagte hai toh log apni jaan bacha kar bhagte hai"  means when the bulls go angry and wild, people on the road run for their lives. It felt as if when a ship cuts the flow of river, the water moves aside similarly the bulls cut the flow of streets and moved people.
DIFFERENT VERGES
Early morning encounter with Thatheri bazaar started with eating Malai Makhan, one of the delicacies of UP. Its making is really interesting as it is made around 4 in winter mornings by boiling sweet milk to the extend that a layer of foam is created on it, which then is flavored with kesar and other dry fruits. People around were going to the ghats for bathing and praying. Although, 6 in the morning but the streets were highly busy with vegetable sellers, children going to the school, everybody as busy as ever. And only shops that were open were of eateries like puri bhaaji, etc.
When I went back to the street later in the day, it was all the more busy and noisy to the extent that you couldnt here what the person next to you was saying. All were busy in there daily chores. There was no space to even walk on the street. People were too busy to bother about anything which was happening. 
At night, the noise quotient was still the same just that the people were all the more cheerful. It was pretty dark as the lights werent sufficient. As it was Arti time, so people were again dressed in traditional clothes and had flowers n all in there hands. The ghats were again highly conjusted.
DEEP DEPAWALI





Diyas lighten up for the festival 








"BABA" initiating the poojan 






Posing 






The rush of Devotees









A 3 days festival for praising and praying Lord Shiva for killing all demons. Here, diyas and flowers are floated in Ganga river. It happens in the evening followed by Aarti. Rush of thousands of Devotees and worshipers from all around the globe, came for different purposes some for washing their sins some for worshiping some for exploration but what connects them is "MA GANGA".
i went their like an explorer to see and feel Banaras and its soul Ganga. during the festival day the footfall may have raised to Lakhs. i felt that i will be bashed by them but surely it didn't happen this way. just like the crowd was deciding my way out at Mumbai Local stations here also i was feeling the same way but yes with a background music of bells and chanting. Perhaps Locals of Banaras may appear scary to you but when it comes to their Nature they are very helpful, warm and understanding. from my personal experience when i was walking through the Ghats during the festival there was a stretch with no barriers and railings and the rush was that much that a slide push would have thrown me into Ganga in the night but students, teenagers and whosoever it was, came voluntarily and stood on the edge to save me. The feeling of being with "your people" came in and my comfort level with them raised.  


NOT THE ENDING