It was an American award-winning photographer who introduced me to Varanasi (he spoke about a certain energy in Varanasi that made his photographs alive). Since then, writings of Yogananda Paramahansa, poetry of Kabir, Ustad Bismillah Khan’s music or friends and family’s personal narratives strengthened my desire to visit this city. The first visit only left me yearning for more, and now as my weeklong second visit ends, I cannot capture all that I experienced but something powerful did touch me, wanting to return. Whether it was the lanes of Banaras, the pyres burning ghats or the boats, they left me mesmerized.
The lanes of Benaras surprise you every single time. It was while purchasing incense at a small store that I noticed a board saying Tara Mata Peeth, I immediately inquired about the place and the shopkeeper asked me to discover it for myself, fueling my curiosity. As I walked in, I found myself in a different era, a beautiful Mata mandir, every wall and pillar felt like a painting or a poetry. The place was quiet and serene with a powerful energy. It was rather empty, with few regulars visiting the place and performing their rituals, as though they had been visiting for years. Then came a group of South American tourists who too appeared familiar with the place and its people. Benaras never fails to amaze you, how would I imagine a group of South Americans at home in a Mata Peeth. I walked around, taking pictures and soaking in the place, feeling completely mesmerized.
The other powerful experience that touched me deeply was to witness the pyres burning at the ghats. Benaras is considered the holiest city for the Hindus as it is believed that those who die here get moksha, freedom from the cycle of life and death. In my last visit to Benaras, I was scared to witness the burning pyres but this time I sat at the Manikarnika ghat, (the most revered cremation ghat for the Hindus) for 20 long minutes, getting covered in ashes from the burning pyres and witnessing the routine of cremation, leaving me speechless! Speechless because I was scared that the ashes would go in my mouth but mostly because I was stunned to see the normalization of death. I witnessed not just one but several bodies burn in front of me, their families engrossed in the rituals, the workers of the cremation ground doing their job, the tourists, like me were awestruck, the regulars sipping their tea as they continued their conversation with their companions and the tea vendors selling tea like another normal day. All this felt so mundane in a certain way, almost making death as normal as having an evening tea with a friend or visiting the city center for chores. The place felt so ordinary despite the burning pyres and it will not be an understatement when I say that the ghats of Benaras mesmerizes you, making you want more.
Finally, how can a visit to Benaras be without mentioning its boats. No matter how many times you see the boats or how ordinary they appear… boats on Ganga simply captivate your attention every single time! It takes them months to build a single boat and costs nearly 20 lacs rupees! But the most intriguing part is to hear the boatmen speak in Korean or Japanese. Yes, you read it correctly, Benaras invites Buddhist tourists due to its proximity to Sarnath and Vipasana center and the boatmen are truly linguists, speaking several languages! They will invite you to take a boat ride, promising a captivating view of the city from the river but they will not insist if you politely decline.
My gratitude to the city cannot be captured in the two limited words ‘thank you.’ It’s lanes, ghats, people, and history appear simplistic, but you know that the more you experience them, the more you will uncover. Whether it was visiting Lahiri Mahasaya’s place, Kabir’s math, Tara mata peeth, sitting at Manikarnika ghat, a boat ride, walking on ghats daily for hours, watching the Ganga flow, eating at Baba kachori, enjoying Pappu lemon tea, banarasi paan, my first Ola bike ride, making new friends, each of this visit and interaction has more than filled my cup!!