Varanasi,
or Benaras as it was earlier called, sacred to the Hindus has many names: Kashika,
or 'the shining one' referring to the light of Shiva. Avimukta, meaning 'never
forsaken', refers to the city that Shiva never deserted. Anandavana, the 'forest
of bliss', and Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides. This city has
held many a true sceptic captive, despite the atmosphere being dirty and crowded,
badly planned and chaotic.
The holy river of the Hindus, the Ganga traces a great arc through Varanasi,
perfectly aligning the river bank with the rising sun. A dip in the Ganga is
considered to be a rite of purification, with the power to purge all sins.
The ultimate pilgrimage Varanasi, or Kashi or Benaras as is believed to be
the place that provides man the answers to the penultimate quest for
salvation and enlightenment.
Wake up early and hire a boat,
watch the sun rise over the famous ghats and close your eyes before you open
them again to let the sight stay with you. For a city that is considered
ancient, there is no temple, no monument older than 3 centuries ago. Credit
for this shame goes to the destructive Emperor Aurangzeb and the carnage he
wrought here. But for all of that, the city gazes at you calmly and waits
for you to realize the answers to all your questions and at Varanasi, this
seems completely possible.
Population: Approx 1.2
million
Climate: Varanasi ensures that its pilgrims have
a hard time at least by way of the weather. Hot and humid summers make you
swelter at 45°C. the monsoons offer some respite but not much at 37°C.
Winters are the best, with temperatures at 30°C.
Best
time to visit: Other then the peak of summer from May to June and the
monsoons from July to August, plan a trip anytime.
The Ghats Many a story has been told of the Ghats of Varanasi.
Quite an amazing experience as you either walk along or brave the waters.
This is the real Varanasi, with its godmen in saffron, the echoes of the
shlokas, bathing pilgrims with prayers on their chilled and stuttering lips,
the shoreline with flames lapping up towards the sky where the dead are sent
to heaven - a thousand sights and smells assault and overwhelm you. The more
famous of the Ghats are the Dasashwamedha, Manikarnika, Assi, Panch Ganga
and Harishchandra Ghats.
Vishwanath Temple With the
only constraint being that only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, the
Vishwanath Temple was built in 1777, by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore.
Aurangzeb's destruction of the temple and the rebuilding of it on the same
site gives its history value and the temple has been the principal Shiva
Temple in Varanasi for more than a thousand years. Known as the 'Golden
Temple', because of the 800 kgs of gold, which adorns its shikharas, the
roof was gold-plated by the blessing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. In
the inner sanctum, the shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar.
Bharat Mata Temple Dedicated to India, this temple was
inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, there is a marble relief map of India
and other related memorabilia. The symmetry of design and scale of the map
catches your attention.
Gyan Kup Said to date back
to well before the birth of the Ganges, Gyan Kup literally translates into
the 'Well of Knowledge and Wisdom'. The kup is conveniently situated next to
the main temple and the water from the well is believed to "indicate
the highest spiritual illumination".
Gyanvapi Mosque
In an act that was typical of its eccentric and destructive builder
Aurangzeb, this great mosque was built with materials salvaged from
plundered Hindu temples. The monument is an architectural wonder, with
minarets, which are 71 m in height. It is only the rear portions of the
mosque that give away its Hindu origins.
Benares Hindu
University The BHU, as it is popularly known, was founded in 1917
by well-known nationalist Pt Malviya. The largest residential university in
India, it houses an excellent Sanskrit School as also a museum within its
campus, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum. The Museum has an amazing collection
of old manuscripts, ancient sculptures and paintings.
Ramnagar Fort and Museum The ancestral home of the former Maharaja
of Varanasi, this 17th century fort-palace was built by Maharaj Balwant
Singh and is situated across the river to the south of the city. The fort
has a temple and a museum within the grounds, the temple being dedicated to
Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, who stayed briefly at the
Ramnagar Fort. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated
howdahs and weapons are some of the artifacts on display.
Annakuta: Held from October to December, this festival is
held at the Annapurna Temple in Vishwanath Gali. On this occasion, small
mounds or 'hills' are made of sweets and distributed to the devotees.
Ganga Mahotsav: Held during the months of October and
November, this is a great time and event to be a part of. A festival of
music and dance, there is great enthusiasm both on the side of the dancers
as well as the onlookers. The music is fast and then slows down to
accommodate the scenes that the dances portray. Sometimes swinging and
simply graceful at other times, there is excitement in the air.
Ganga Saptami and Ganga Dussehra: This festival, dedicated to the
river is celebrated from April to June. At this time, a fair is held at
Manikarnika Kund above Manikarnika Ghat. In thanks and worship of the river,
people string huge garlands, go out in boats and float them across the
river.
Kartik Purnima:Like most of the festivals
celebrated with lights, Kartik Purnima, celebrated from October to December
is a beautiful sight. Held at Panchganga Ghat, you can see people come and
leave behind lamps, which gently float in the river. At times when the crowd
thins, all you can see is the gleaming river and the hundreds of earthen
lamps, bright and burning in little dots all across the river.
Maha Shivaratri: January to March sees the grand celebrations of
Maha Shivratri or the night of Shiva. This is a night where people throng
the temples in Varanasi, since sleep is forbidden on this night. There is a
lot of noise and excitement as people sing with abandon and pray with
fervour. The best place to be in Varanasi on this night is the Vishwanath
temple.
Navaratra:Like all parts of India, Navratri
is a much celebrated festival in Varanasi too. From October to December,
there are constant activities in the temples of the city and on the lanes as
well.
Ramleela:Celebrated in October, the Ramleela
is part of folklore and marks the glory of Lord Rama. It is held both in the
city and at Ramnagar. Performances and music make for an exciting time.
HOW TO GET THERE:
By Air: Indian Airlines and Jet Airways connect Varanasi to
Agra,
Delhi, Khajuraho,
Lucknow and
Mumbai.
There are also regular flights connecting Varanasi with Kathmandu.
By Rail: Varanasi is well connected by trains from Delhi, Agra as well
as
Kolkata.
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India Travel Hotel.
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