Varanasi was my first introduction to India, and although people say it isn’t a good idea to go write about Varanasi first, I’m so glad that Varanasi was the first place I experienced in India. However, people often say that arriving in Varanasi can be a little overwhelming. You will be greeted by chaos, color and the feeling of stepping back in time. Varanasi is a wonderful place to visit and I recommend anyone who visits India to experience Varanasi if you can. If you are planning a trip to Varanasi, here is what to expect. Ganga River Introduction to this Holy City:- Varanasi is India ‘s oldest city, located along the banks of the famous River Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North East India. Varanasi is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and is dripping in history and spirituality. It is one of the seven Hindu and Janist holy cities, or Sapta Puri, in India. Buddhism is said to have been founded in Varanasi as well. Varana...
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Burning Ghat: Manikarnika Ghat
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
-
Uncovering The Other Side Of Varanasi
Talking about religion, India is the place where these many different beliefs and practices co-exist. Faith is so deeply ingrained in the many shrines and religious places here that it leaves even a non-worshipper in bewilderment. Let’s begin our journey by walking straight to the revered land of Varanasi and listen to the deathly stillness at the Manikarnika Ghat.
Dead Bodies burning at the Manikarnika Ghat | Photo Credit: Arian Zweger/Flickr
Being closely connected to travel, I’ve come across tourism of all kinds - adventure, eco-friendly, cultural and even virtual. But nothing as unusual and macabre as death tourism! The unearthly Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi thrives solely on that. Not a single day passes when dead bodies are not cremated here with the number going up to two to three hundred every day.
To know that tourists come here to see the funeral pyres being set to fire in the open is more weird than fascinating. The routine ceremony starts when the dead body (wrapped in cloth) arrives and is carried on a bamboo stretcher with the chant ‘Ram naam satya hai’ echoing through the air. Next, the cost of cremation is calculated depending on the weight and type of the wood used. Sandalwood is the most expensive of all wood varieties available. The corpse is then dipped in the water of the River Ganges while the wood is stacked to build the pyre. Though photography is not allowed here, several tourists, especially foreigners, capture videos of the ghat or click pictures while on a boat tour of the city.
Dead Body taken to River Ganga for a Holy Dip | Photo Credit: Michal Huniewicz/Flickr
The Place Where Death Ends
Legend is that Lord Shiva gave the boon of eternal peace to the Manikarnika Ghat. It is believed that for thousands of years Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva asking that the holy city of Kashi, as Varanasi was known earlier, not be destroyed during the then planned annihilation of the world. Pleased by Vishnu’s earnest prayers, Shiva came to Kashi along with his wife Parvati and granted him the wish. And by consequence, any departed soul that gets its last rites performed in Varanasi attains moksha(complete liberation from the cycle of birth and death). No wonder, this land is considered to be the most sacred for cremation by the Hindus.
There are a few more myths around how the Maha Shamshanacame to be named so. One being that Vishnu dug a well (which is now known as the Manikarnika Kund) for Shiva and Parvati to bathe in. When Shiva was taking a bath, one of his earrings fell into the well and since then it has been known as Manikarnika (Mani refers to the jewel in the earring and Karnam to the ear).
Manikarnika Ghat at the time of Dusk | Photo Credit: Honza Soukup /Flickr
At the Manikarnika Ghat, death is celebrated. Remorseful chants are sung every hour of the day and smoke engulfs the area day and night as dead bodies are cremated for eternal peace. The ghat is also known as the gateway to heaven by many worshipers.
Varanasi was my first introduction to India, and although people say it isn’t a good idea to go write about Varanasi first, I’m so glad that Varanasi was the first place I experienced in India. However, people often say that arriving in Varanasi can be a little overwhelming. You will be greeted by chaos, color and the feeling of stepping back in time. Varanasi is a wonderful place to visit and I recommend anyone who visits India to experience Varanasi if you can. If you are planning a trip to Varanasi, here is what to expect. Ganga River Introduction to this Holy City:- Varanasi is India ‘s oldest city, located along the banks of the famous River Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North East India. Varanasi is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and is dripping in history and spirituality. It is one of the seven Hindu and Janist holy cities, or Sapta Puri, in India. Buddhism is said to have been founded in Varanasi as well. Varana...
1. Kachori Sabzi kachori Sabzi is a popular breakfast option here in Varanasi. The kachori is either stuffed with dal ki pithi i.e. masala made of lentils or with a spicy potato masala. These Kachoris are served with a spicy aloo ki sabzi. This drool-worthy combination is definitely a must try. Where to eat: Chachi ki Dukaan in Lanka 2. Channa Dahi Bada Deep fried bada made from channa is soaked in thick beaten sweet yogurt. This is then garnished with masala, crushed black pepper, cumin and coriander among other things. This perfect mix of sweet and sour is very light Where to eat: Deena Chat Bhandar, Dashashwamedha ghat 3. Safed Makhan Toast An early morning breakfast of Safed Makhan Toast with chai is a great way to start your day. Locally sourced bread is toasted over a coal oven and freshly made yellow or white butter is spread generously over it. The toast is either served with a pinch of chaat masala or sugar depending on your preference. Where to eat: La...
Sarnath archaeological ruins and Dhamekh Stupa in the background Most popular excursion from Varanasi is Sarnath. Another sacred place where Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma. Buddha delivered his first sermon in a deer park just outside of city of Kashi. He probably chose this place as it was an important crossroads of that time, an established religious and commercial hub of those days. People who visit Sarnath doesn't realize it was an important place for the believers of Lord Shiva. Sarnath- as it is called today is the short form for Saranganatha which means Lord of deer , ie another name of Lord Shiva. Though Sarnath is popular as Buddhist pilgrim center the name came from a small shrine dedicated to Saranganatha which is a KM away from the popular imposing Dhamekh stupa . That is how there was a deer park in this place. On Hindu auspicious days this temple gets many visitors otherwise is a very quiet place. Standing Buddha Staue and the motifs representing...
Comments
Post a Comment