I was revolted at the sight of the holy city of Banaras during my visit in December 2013 – the garbage heaps, people spitting with gay abandon, peeing on roadsides with zero bashfulness, the dug up roads, and the stench; that god-awful stinking stench which just doesn’t seem to get away….

But once you get past the maddening cacophony of noise, crowds, filth and the stench; that’s when you chance upon the true Banaras. And believe me, you do. The city beguiles one with its quaint colloquial tales, street treats of food, artiness on walls-rickshaws- foodstalls; above all the wit and humour of the people of Banaras is priceless.

{With BJP chanting their “swachch Bharat” chant I hope this city also gets to see the magic of cleanliness soon.}

Till then, I will learn to aim my camera a little strategically and capture images minus the unpleasantness! And these images combined with my opinions of the city is what forms the essence of this post which basically is trying to condense the joys (ras) of Banaras.

So sit back and enjoy the insta – postcards from banaras with some informative commentary to supplement the tale of this colorful city.

Ghats of Banaras:

It’s on the ghats or the banks of river Ganges, where the most action can be seen in Banaras. People bathing, washing clothes, dhobis washing and drying clothes, sadhus sitting in meditation, pandits hawking shlok recitations for a fee, multiple temples with scenes of praying and above all the burning pyres – the crux of being in this city.

Its a popular and affirmed faith of Hindus that if one dies in Banaras, one’s soul will attain mukti or nirvana from the cycle of birth and death. Mercifully, the cremation ghats have been relegated to a few ghats, leaving the others for praying and bathing – so one is not disturbed by the visuals of burning corpses all the time.

“Harishchandra Ghat is called the ever burning ghat as its said that the flames are not allowed to die down on this ghat and every day the other burning ghats take a fresh flame from this ghat to begin the process.”

The ghats begin on one end with Assi Ghat (assi means 80 in english; Banaras has 87 ghats) where you have the most posh staying options with havelis converted into boutique hotels, cafes selling european/american cuisines, therefore, an area coveted by the foreigners.

Dashashwamedh Ghat ( literal translation is Ten white horses) is the central ghat as it has the main Kashi Vishwanath temple located here plus its central to the labyrinth of the bazars of Banaras. It also plays host to the famous tourist attraction of Ganga Arti wherein one gets to see 7-10 pandits chanting sanskrit verse, burning camphor and holding pyramids of burning diyas – quite a visual treat.

Street Treats of Banaras:

The food treats in the streets of Banaras boggles the mind due to two reasons:

• The variety of the food spread is very large with extremely different taste; no matter it looks familiar or bears similarities to a food known to you. The way of cooking and mixing of spices is quite different and renders an amazing flavour to the food.
• The food spots are in plenty; in the sense that every second shop seems to cater to a kind of food being sold.

Banarasi Sarees:

A trip to the city is incomplete without paying a visit to its infamous saree shops, each burgeoning with silken treasures of immense beauty, pattern and colours. One can go for a sneak peak to a machine weaving units to see for oneself how these creations are brought to life.

Colourful doorways of Banaras:

It seems the people of Varanasi love to decorate their homes with bright colours and patterns, weaving the God & Goddesses and marking the entrance of their homes with them. I couldn’t get over the colour schemes used here.

Some Quirky but notable facts about Banaras:

So though the streets are dirty, people are aware of it and take countermeasures which are far from usual but effective! So don’t be surprised to see unusual “temples” dotting the lanes, markets and yes even the nurseries where we went to buy plants.

Visit a dance & music ashram by the ghats to enjoy a classical performance by talented and passionate artists or indulge in a yoga session on the ghats in the early mornings.

 

 

 

 

And don’t miss this Idli-dosa maker on the Dashashwamedh Ghat who crafts the most fresh and butter soft fare which simply melts in your mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is by no means a comprehensive list of things in Banaras but just the tip of the iceberg; one can stay in the city for a minimum of four days and a maximum of well say at least a month to really savour all its flavours and enjoy the ras of this truly joyous and full of life city called Banaras.

Read more posts on Banaras

• Note from Banaras – spirituality
• Notes from Banaras – a jaunt through Kachori Gali