A Trip to the World's Oldest Living City......

A Mythic Land where Life embraces Death

It is not necessary that one can find serenity and tranquility only in the mountains, lonely beaches, or temples. Even in the chaotic and crowded narrow lanes of Benaras, cutting cow dung cakes with your new branded footwear, Ghats swarming with devotees, Pundits performing their daily rituals, you can discover your inner being and connect to the super sou. The sound of flute in the air in pre-dawn moments, though priceless.

A visit to the oldest living city and a city of myth, a land of tradition and culture, home to lakhs of devotees of Lord Shiva has given me some unforgettable memories during my short visit to the city of life and death.

Zostel Varanasi

After landing at the holy city, I headed to my destination Zostel, booked for three nights costing me about Rs 1000. The journey from airport to Zostel in a local bus and shared tuk-tuk made me wonder that I was no more the same as I was four years ago. The accent, the culture,  the never ending and funny gossips were not mine now. I was not a foreigner, I was not an outsider but also I was not the part of their cultural family. Finally, I reached my destination which I called my home with my new strange family members who belonged to different corners of the globe. 

Ganga Aarti at Dashaswameth Ghat

My first time visit to Sandhya ghat happened to be during the biggest festival of the state “Chhat”.The ghat resembled something a hive of bees. The first thing I did was very ritual, literally and metaphorically - the Ganga Aarti at Dashaswameth Ghat. The experience was just a thrilling one. Sitting in the middle of the river amid belches of the holy smoke and vacillating in the soul lifting tin-tin-tin-tin sound of the bells drove me to a different planet. After Ganga Aarti, I was accompanied by Aghori baba who was predicting my future and destiny. Even though he gave the impression of a tharki baba, he was adding to the atmosphere.
 But one suggestion: Guys please do not get trapped in such tharki baba’s fortune prediction.

Tharki Aghori Baba

Devotees at Dashaswameth Ghat

A trip to Benaras is incomplete without experiencing the mouth-watering street food. Foochka, Gram-Garam Samose with spicy-garlic flavoured chutney are just amazing. When we think of street food there comes Kaashi Chat Bhandar in Goudali, a ten minutes’ walk from Dashaswameth Ghat. It’s the ultimate destination for chat lovers and should not be missed. It is famous for serving different kinds of chats with local unique flavours. Tamatar chat served in kulhad gives an authentic taste as it mixes aroma of the earthen pot and is the most popular item of Kaashi Chat Bhandar. Next, I ordered Palak Chat as there is not much spinach despite its name, but there were a few leaves embedded into a deep fried crispy papdi that was then smothered in thick curd and the same host of spices and was garnished on the top. It was a crunchy, yoghurty, spicy, sour mishmash that was delicious and is worth mentioning.

Banarasi Foochka

Palak Chaat

Tamatar Ki Chaat in Chukkad

The Burning Ghat, one of the holiest on the sacred riverfronts, where one can find the dead bodies being burnt throughout the day, 365 days in a year and is believed that a dead human's soul finds salvation (moksha) when cremated at this Ghat.  The place took me to another world, a world of reality, a world of truth where I was being forced to accept the law of nature and be ready for the unwanted, and dreadful invitation.  Witnessing dead bodies being burnt all around, the religious rituals taking place, paying attention to the mourners mechanically running down the rituals before putting the dead body on the funeral fire was quite self-awakening.  Witnessing the departed souls being carried to the holy river to give a holy dip made me wonder if that can suffice to wash his or her sins away.

The mythic land holds a thousands of beliefs. A large number of elderly people from across the whole country seek to walk up to its edges of the holy river, and spend their last days absorbing the charisma of the ghat - which makes even death painless and insignificant to be pondered upon.  The few minutes act, dipping the body in Ganga, covering the body with white clothes and making it into ash and there comes the end of our temporal life and a beginning of our eternal life. Is it a great loss or gain of life? Nah Nah!!!! The greatest loss is what died inside us when we are alive. My thoughts wander over a few lines of Robert Lee Frost: “Miles to go before I sleep, Miles to go before I sleep”. Why can’t we be humble, loyal, kind, honest and a good human being?

Kesar Badam Lassi

Blue Lassi Shop

Kesar Lassi, Strawberry lassi, mango lassi, chocolate lassi, offering a variety of lassis, the famed Blue Lassi is located in a lane nearby Manikarnika Ghat. It's quite a famous stopover. It is a place frequented by the locals to have a sip of the exotic lassis. The menu itself has so many options that you will be left confused with the gamut of choices as they provide Lassis in 120 flavours. I had kesar badam lassi which was nothing less than waah variety. I believe that more than the lassi, it's the atmosphere that you need to soak in and enjoy.

I came across a group of men chanting Ram naam Satya hai...Ram naam Satya hai... passing by the shop. They were taking the body to the ghats to burn. Also, the walls of the shop is filled with photos and messages of its visitors. Go through some of them if you have time. They have fond memories collected in those pieces of paper. I also posted one. It is certainly a must to visit place.

Witnessing the beautiful orange scare

Giving an ear to the heart of the vagabond

The oldest city never sleeps. A walk to Dashaswameth ghat at 04:30 am and sipping garma garam kulhad ki chai is a Benarasi specialty is simply out if the world experience. A morning boat ride to Assi Ghat before sunrise, watching the pilgrims take bath in the Ganga, melodious sound of a flute in the midst of the water was again something where I felt that I was making love with the gentle wind. Like a solitary reaper unable to know the genre but the sound of the flute had a very deep connection with my heart and I was feeling it in the midst of the river under the dark, wintery pre-dawn sky along with the minions chirping all along and reminding to witness the beautiful orange scar up in the purple sky. The view was breathtaking.  

Sunrise from the midst of the river

Here comes the another dessert, cooked in moonlight, Malaiyyo more or less like Daulat ki Chat is a magical cloud made of milk is served only in winters. When I took it in my mouth it was yummy but the moment I tried to feel it, it disappeared. To me the sweet pie was amazing… It is a must to try when you are in Benaras in winters.

Magical Malaiyyo

Afterwards, I hurried to a kachori-sabzi breakfast at a roadside stall in an area called Luxa near Police Station that looked seriously ramshackle. From about 6 am for a couple of hours, they make kachoris with sabzi and jalebis and one police wale bhaiya helped me a lot in hunting that particular shop as it provides kachori sabzi and jalebi for 20 bucks which was again surprising to me.  Taking a long walk in the streets of Benaras, the smell of sweet jalebi, tangy and tasty sabzi adds a taste in the Benarasi culture.

When these Police Waale Bhaiya greets you in their Mythic Land

Kachori sabji ki dukaan at Luxa Police Chawki

Tips:-

~Travel Lightly

~Interact with Locals

~Explore the street food

Cautions:-

~ Beware with pickpockets

~ If you are in a local market then bargain as much as you can

Must to visit places:-

~ Ganga Aarti at Dashaswameth Ghat at 06:30 pm

~ Sun Rise and Ganga Aarti at Assi Ghat around around 05:00 am

~Start your day with Benarsi kachori Sabji and Jalebi

~Kashi Chat Bhandar

~Benarasi Paan

~Blue Lassi

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