Varanasi - The Eternal City

18th - 25th January 2019

"It’s better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times" - Asian Proverb

January 2019, the first month of the new-year continued my struggles to find work. I had been running my own event agency for the past 4 years and now, for the past few months, I had been facing a slowdown in business. While I had been lucky to have parents who were supportive of me during my slowdown days, I had become restless about the business and I had my own share of responsibility and loan EMI’s to pay.

Under such circumstances, Varanasi happened!! It came as this awesome opportunity for a freelance project, given to me by a show running agency. They asked me to block my dates and before I knew it, I was moving towards the phenomenon called VARANASI – A city that had been on my bucket list for a long time! Little did I know that my wish would be fulfilled in this manner, while I was struggling to get work!

The project was one of the grand events - The 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, scheduled from 21st - 23rd January 2019 and was a good initiative, held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. As a cherry on the cake was the marvelous support team - Supratim Jana aka SABU - my friend, my brother, and partner in crime! I couldn`t have expected this beautiful surprise. We were supposed to be at the venue form the 18th January 2019, to understand the whole work and start with the rehearsals. I was still far from Varanasi, but I knew then that this was going to be an epic work-adventure.

Me & Sabu at Varanasi Airport

And the magic began as soon as I Landed in the city! It was love at first sight - Varanasi, with its history, mesmerizing smell of the mud and the amazing winters, was like a promised land of gold! Excited to make this city home for the next 8 days, I made my way to the hotel along with my team. 

18th January 2019, Day 1. 

Day 1 at work went well. It took us hours to check the complete venue which was guarded by a lot of cops as the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, was going to the part of this event. Post dinner at the venue, we returned to our hotel for a few hours of leisure. I had planned that I would be utilizing this opportunity to the fullest to explore this old city. And thus, we had already made plans. First was a visit to the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat – a marvelous experience that can be best had at night! We spend some time at the ghat, clicked some photographs, and made our way to the hotel. (Will Share the details about the ghat a later in this blog.) However, the cleanliness of the city struck me and it was quite a refreshing and impressive sight!  

Kulhad mai Garma Garam Desi Dhud

19th January 2019, Day 2.

Thanks to the tiring day one at work and our visit to the Ghat, I could not wake up on time on day 2 and was late for work. Of Course, there were some stern words, but then things were cool. We were lucky to finish our work a bit early and planned to visit the Holi Kashi Vishwanath temple. As we were approaching the temple, we were expecting long ques and were mentally preparing for a few hours of standing in line for our turn to see the deity. However, to our surprise, our ID cards, as crew members working on the grand event in the city, we were offered a fast track entry, without any queue and were lucky to attend the last aarti of the day. Later, we were told that the local Police department had been informed to ensure special services to those who were a part of the Pravasi divas event and had the ID. Feeling lucky and blessed, we once again headed to the Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening, and on our way back, feasted on Kulhad cups of famous Banarsi warm milk – a comforting soulful beverage for cold winter evenings 

And just when I thought that a wonderful day two couldn`t be better, Shivan, a local resident and a junior member of our event team, offered to take me around the famous old streets of Varanasi. Now this was an invitation I could not refuse. And when he arrived on his Royal Enfield, I knew that my experience of exploring Varanasi just got magical. And we set out, riding into the night, through the famed purani sadkein, galiyans, and bylanes where Varanahi breathes. 

"Chooti galiya banaras ka haal batati hai, samajh ke dekho yeh zindahi kae chal batatian hai" 

At this note I ended my second day at this throbbing, vibrant city and decided to catch up on sleep so my work on day three does not suffer.

20^th – 23^rd  January 2019, Day 3^rd – Day 6^th.

This was just one day before the main 3 days Pravasi Bharat event was to start.

I love to see the Sunrise & sunsets of the cities or places I visit, though the process of rising & setting is the same the surrounding and the landscape makes it a unique experience. This is also the time of the day when I prefer to go for my walks or runs, to stay fit. I woke by 5:30am, made myself a cup of black coffee, pulled up my socks, tied shoelaces, and took off to wander along the streets of Varanasi.

Boiled Chana - Local Breakfast

The security guard at the hotel greeted me with an excited smile and helped me with information about the route where I could run, and the spot to witness the sunrise. It had rained the previous night, which made the weather much cooler than expected. And so my morning run was a pleasant and energetic one! With glimpses of the rising sun, adding warmth and light to the winter morning! Back to my room I enjoyed a warm shower and geared up for the next few days of hectic work schedule. I joined my team at the hotel lobby and decided to indulge in a filling breakfast before we headed into the work madness and we stopped over at a small dhaba on our way, to enjoy some garama garam chana & piping hot khulhad chai, on a crisp, cool morning.

The next three days were maddening but also the best three days as we worked non-stop, as a team, doing our best bit to make the event a grand success! And it was every bit exciting and rewarding for all the hard work we had put in! Within the first 2 days at the event, I was got a chance to meet our beloved Foreign minister, Late Smt. Susma Swaraj Ji who was also a twitter sensation, the CM of UP – Shir Yogi Ji, Gen. V.K Singh, Sports Minister – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, along with MP from New Zealand Kanwal Jeet Singh Bakshi and MP from Norway Himanshu Gulati, all of who were present at the event. On the second day, I was a part of an event was the Hon. PM of India – Shri Narendra Modi Ji was present and I got an opportunity to witness his amazing speech, followed by a surreal performance by none other than the prolific classical dancer and Bollywood’s famous dream girl, Shri Hema Malini Ji & India’s very own Danseur, Sandeep Sopalkar, known for his Latin and ballroom dancing. The event ended on 23rd Jan 2019 with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards, which were presented by the Hon. President of India – Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji.

Too close yet too far

Baba Thandai

Finally, after 3 days running from one internal venue to another, getting the dry runs & running the show with the entire team, the grand event came to a successful finish and we were both exhausted and proud. we decided to finally let our hair down and party but I was more excited about having the next two days completely to myself for exploring Varanasi at leisure, like a solo tourist. As put in bt Mar Twain, Varanasi was
"A city older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together".  
As it was the last night for the team, we again visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple & spent a relaxed time at the ghat. But an evening in Varanasi is never completed without its yummy street food and so, we binged on some amazing chat from the famous Kashi Chat Bhandar, In the main market followed with the bhang wali Thandai at BABA THANDAI & ended the night with the famous banarasi pan.

Kashi Chat Bhandar

24th January 2019 - Day 7th.

Sabu along with the team checked out of the hotel early morning as they had the flight to catch and I extended my checkout till noon. I need some time to plan my next 2 days an also catch up on sleep.

I was confused with the time to time I had in my hand, I could easily visit the Kumb Mela 2019 in Prayagraj and get back in time to catch my flight to Mumbai. The total distance was around 300kms to and fro. I collected all the required information, bus timings, stay, and all other essentials. However, upon careful consideration, I realized that if I were to make the trip to Kumbh, I would have to forgo exploring Varanasi! So, I chose what my heart wanted and decided to stay back in Banaras. 

I sat in my room with a cup of coffee, a pen & note pad, listing down the places I need to visit before I check out the hotel.

My hotel was in the center of the city and the places to visit on my list fell in two different parts of the city, located on either side of the hotel. So I decided to keep my luggage at the hotel and cover the main ghats which were closer to the hotel. I decided I would collect my luggage on my way back from the ghats and then check into the hostel near Assi Ghat which I had already booked for the night. 

And thus began my two-day love affair with the city.

A Panoramic view of ghats from river Ganga

Varanasi, also known as Banaras/ Kashi, is said to be the oldest, consistently inhabited city in the world. I was reminded of Lonely Planet`s observation on Varanasi which read - " Brace yourself, you`re about to enter one of the most blindingly colorful, unrelentingly chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on Earth"

And Varanasi was that, and much more, as I was to experience over the next two days! 

Sarnath, Varanasi

My first stop wasSarnath, I booked a local rickshaw, which charged me Rs.250/- for a round trip and dropped me off at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple street. Sarnath is a revered Buddhist site, immortalized in history as the spot where Buddha gave his first sermon. It is located 10 km northeast of the main city of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers, and is adorned by grand stupas. Built by the famous Buddist Kind Ashoka, the Dhamekh Stupa, made of solid bricks in a cylindrical shape, marks the exact spot in Sarnath where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon and the Chaukhandi Stupa was where Lord Buddha met his first five disciples. Apart from these, I also visited Dharmachakar, Japanese Temple and silk looms making the famous Banarasi Silk Sarees.

Vintage Silk Loom

On my way back, my romantic notions about this historical Indian town was quickly squashed with the noise and chaos of the traffic, the dust, and the heavy scents of the city, overwhelming all my senses. Soon we edged closer to the river and my electric rickshaw came to a screeching halt. No motor vehicles were allowed into the old town, from where I was to travel on foot.

But my discomfort was short-lived. As I left the main road and entered a small lane, the mystery, and intrigue that I had expected of this ancient place began taking shape in front of my eyes! I could almost feel the presence of the ghosts of past centuries, that had walked through these tiny streets, walk beside me as I made my way through the maze of twisted by lanes leading me to the Ganges.  Shopkeepers shouted as they tried to sell me their wares, and I watched in amazement at everything on offer - from the world-famous Benares silk to namkeens, all being traded in these narrow corridors. It was time again to visit the Kashi Vishvanath Temple - Yes again. my 7th time in a span of 7 days because I was simply in love with this place and the peace and serenity was just very soothing after a day of chaotic travel. By now, I already have a fixed shop where I would keep my shoes and other belonging and I had also special privileges from the Pravasi Divas event days. I almost felt like a VIP when I managed to get a closer darshan of Lord Shiva, the main deity of the temple, and could take blessings by touching the revered lingam. 

 Jalebi with Dahi

After the surreal experience and an entire day of chaotic traveling hunger took over. As it was nearly the sunset, I hurried to the local bhojanalay to have some Kachori & jalebi with Dahi - A unique and lip smiling combination of sweet, sour, and salty snacks which I gobbled down hurriedly as I didn't want to miss out on the majestic Ganga aarti.

After the quick snack, I walked up to the Dashashwamedh Ghat and booked a ride on a small boat. The skipper of the boat was also my guide who told about the significance of all the 88 ghats of Kashi, while taking me around the Ganges, showcasing the best sights.

An Unforgatable view of Manikarnika Ghat

The first of the most mesmerizing views from the boat was of the Manikarnika Ghat. Often seen in Bollywood movies as a sight for burning pyres, it was ever so stunning to see it in person. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the holiest cremation grounds among the sacred riverfronts, alongside the river Ganga. Covered with stacks of wood for the pyre and an equal amount of corpses, waiting to be cremated, it was an overwhelming sight that depicted death in its raw form. The reason for Manikarnika as a popular cremation ground, as it is believed that anyone cremated on this sacred Ghat would have higher chances of attaining Moksha or salvation after death, as per the Hindu scriptures. As the boat ride continues, I took in the various other sights and ended the ride with a spectacular view of the Ganga Aarti. It was one of the most memorable and mesmerizing experiences of my trip - to witness the world-famous Ganga aarti while floating on a boat in the river Ganga. 

Ganga Aarti

A Friend in every city

I returned to my hotel after an eventful day and sipping a cup of lemon tea, collected my luggage and moved towards the hostel near Assi Ghat, on the another side of Varanasi. I reached the hostel around 9.00pm. While talking to the caretaker, I managed to get some more information about the close by temples and important places that I should visit. I noted them down and started to walk towards my next stop, which was Sankatmochan Mandir. I wanted to pack is as much as I could and so, despite the time, my day was still far from over. Most temples in Varanashi close by 10:00PM, which meant I had another hour to catch a glimpse of these famous places. I started with the Sankatmochan temple followed by the Durga Temple, Aghori Ashram, and few more temples. With little time on hand, I could not spend much at each temple, but with a brisk walk and a determination to see all, I managed to cover quite a few of them. The Day ended with some local puri bhaji dinner, making some new friends (Dogs), ending with a moth watering banarasi pan, Even I was reminiscing the day, the weather suddenly becomes windy, and I started my brisk walk back to my hostel. It turned out to be one of the coldest nights in Varanasi since by arrival I settled myself at my hostel bed and was about to have some Kashi Prasad and some Babaji ke buti, when it started raining heavily with lighting, This was the cherry on the cake moment, I couldn`t have asked form a more thundering end to an ever so eventful day. I called it a night then as I had to get up early the next day to visit Assi Ghat 

Durga Temple, Assi Ghat.

25th January 2019 - Day 8th & Last Day.

I woke up to the loud sound of my alarm, beeping me out of sleep. I got up and hurriedly prepared to leave for the Assi ghat to catch the sight of the early morning Ganga aarti and mesmerizing sunrise. And the sight was totally worth it, Witnessing the Morning Ganga aarti was very energizing, But unfortunately, the cloudy weather blocked the sunrise and I was a bit disappointed and hungry. I decided to walk back to my hostel and enjoyed a yummy plate of Poha with a cup of ginger masala chai.

Early Morning Ganga Aarti, Assi Ghat

A Peaceful Moment at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi

I would also like to add here that this was one of the most budgeted trips ever - I paid only Rs200/- for breakfast and stay at the hostel, for one night. I had some time and I wanted to shop for some sweets. So I ended up again at the old city of Varanasi, By now you should have guessed what was the 1st thing I did when I Reached there, Yes, I visited the Kashi Vishvanath Temple one last time, making it my 8th visits in 8 days. After experiencing the serenity of the Kashi Vishvanath temple one last time, I ended my tryst with Varasani on a sweet note, by shopping for some delicious local sweets. I packed some to take back to my friends and family. Then I booked a cab to take me to the airport and as I boarded the cab, I looked back and waved a farewell to the marvelous phenomenon of a city, Varanasi, Secretly promising to return again. 

Thinking back on those 8 days in the cultural and historic city, I crave again to visit it and spend more time in its chaotic, confusing, and overwhelming streets and the majestic ghats, exploring newer areas and dimensions.