Kashi

Jajabor-যাযাবর
Apr 25, 2022
5 min read

Updated: May 25, 2022

Kashi, the stoic kashi with such a contrast. one side you can see the ash shooting from the blazing pyres and in other, the colourful paints adorning every other dwars in the trail, hither the lanes filled with "theh-rao" crowd and thither the cremation ground void of one. It's a trance, where you will feel your heart drown with each dips in the harishchandra ghat, flutter with the gentle flames of ganga aarti and soar with birds flying over your boat in crack of dawn. Serene

My second visit to varanasi (earlier visit documented in previous blog). this is such a hypnotizing place, where after every visit, I feel as if something is still left. Like an ache of leaving behind an incomplete puzzle

With Friday being holiday, we made an impromptu plan for varanasi. here we are crossing the bridge with shouts in backdrop, trumpeting the arrival

our convenience to hostel

Blatant discrimination in dorms for girls.🙈😖 the prettier one's ( as shown in google pics) went to the boys. In varanasi, you will find the stampede of patriarchal society

After dumping our bags in hostel, we rushed for Kasi Viswanath temple at 1.30am for mangala aarti. It was utter chaos (people here don't follow lines, they simply march forward. if asked they will very sweetly say with smile on their face, you go first😂). I had had better experience during my first visit. to people who avoid crowd, DONNOT visit at this time.

By the time we left the temple premises, it was 4.30am and we were hungry. we found steaming idlis near Dashashwamedh ghat and had our fill

😊

In ghat, we saw the priests sitting under those famous Umbrellas in Dashashwamedh ghat and decided to get the tilak. I had only Rs100 in cash and my friend had Rs 50. we approached the priest who seemed most friendly and asked him what's the cost of getting the Tika, he told Rs25, so we confidently sat down for the process.

He instructed us to repeat whatever he's saying. He started with me, uttering gayatri mantras and some others, which I followed; in between he smoothly added that I would be gifting him Rs 500 in cash, along with feast to 10-15 bramhins, where I halted myself. Did I hear right?! From Rs 25 to Rs500! I nodded across repeating his speech and replacing Rs500 with Rs50. Smooth people.

After getting our foreheads smeared with the exotic ( truly was😎 ) yellow tilak, we went around to search for boat. Though boating was closed that day, due to Holi, we managed to get one motor boat for Rs1500 ( and we were teased endlessly by our hostel teammates , saying we got scammed, it should have been Rs500- Rs600).

we consoled ourselves that since we were the only boat on river that morning, and in this trip, river was the only place where I found momentarily peace, it was worth it.

As good as an oil painting

An endearing silence prevailed, after frustrating experience in temple, this was a balm for sore heart.

the music of boat parting the water, the consistent hum in background (of motor) was symphony. and as if to celebrate that

the sky exploded with fireworks

The utter darkness before dawn

😊

Morning Aarati in Assi ghat. We didn't venture near the ghat because Varanasi is said to be notorious with unruly drunk men on Holi

checkout our famous yellow tika below!

🤔 wait a sec, where did her tika go??

we bought these to float these on river. Yes, yes, I checked the stuff (whether it's biodegradable) before buying.

Finally we came back to our hostel

and here our sleeping beauty went off to deep slumber

Holi hai!!!!

Celebration in Hostel

Team Boat ride at Rs600

Since we were in group, we went out and here are few pics to get the vibe

All eateries were closed. only street foods were available. Few amongst us had kachori jalebi and while others had piping hot idlis

back to our common room

Zindagi ek shatranj ka khel hai..hmm..jo khelni aati nahi 😀

Tomato chaat

On Manikarnika ghat, I stood there immobilized, watching the flames with wonder. Time stood still and my mind drew blank with the crackling of woods. was one of those places where you can stand for hours and feel that time has hardly passed

Enthralling place, where the death in ingrained in the sparks flying upward, death representing life

I think I would have continued if I hadn't got wakeup call from my friend for us to go for the next destination, Dashashwamedh ghat

While walking toward the ghat, I observed a dog wading (in below pic, the white patch near the confluence of brown and green water) toward the river. after sometime she stopped in below position and looked like offering prayers to moon or river. It must be possible only in places like kashi

In backdrop you will find the crowd (all men) dancing non stop

All set for Midnight boat ride

All thanks to Gagan, who got us on composer and singer Bhaumi Nishad ji's boat. If you ever visit there, ask for him in ghats and go for early morning or late night boat ride with him. trust me, its magical. you can find him on youtube

rhythmic sound of oars in the silence of midnight with booming voice of Bhaumi ji singing "Ye jo banaras hai" spun magic in the air

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC3l0A6hAg4

What a closure to a day!

Crowd and some more crowd

walk towards our breakfast joint

Everyone is entitled to buy hydrogen balloons, irrespective of age

After wait of 28 mins, here comes our food

Busy completing "to buy" list for home

back to life

🙂

Snacking point

Enjoying the food and viewing the evening program in Assi ghat

After the completion of food and arati, I walked toward the nearby fair

and found three incredible ladies with whom I joined and enjoyed the rides.

It was a fun filled evening

and crazy night with our hostel colleagues with plays, songs, live guitar, games and endless laughter

Morning breakfast with superb tea near shivala ghat

on our way to Lolark kund near tulsi ghat

Lolark means trembling sun. it is one of the oldest sites, mentioned in mahabharat dedicated to sun god

You won't be allowed inside unless you are here to pray for children. carry one spare cloth and get inside. priest might charge you as high as Rs3000, my friend paid Rs400 and I saw a couple who paid nothing and shouted at priest for shunning people.

Kund and temple is controlled by different org and you will have to pay to both, better pay to person looking after kund, contact Mr Anand Shahni .

Cool and clear water

Kashi with her different dwars ( doors) and corridors

Pita Maheshwar temple- the underground shiva. we were lucky to go inside and see the idol upfront . it is said to be swayangbhu and is mentioned in skand puran