VARANASI GHATS AND GANGA AARTHI –HOLY TRIO –PILGRIMAGE INDIA

BLOG POST 3
We spent one more day in Varanasi, as a slot was given for our pitru poojas that day ,we went early to Dashashwamedh Ghat . As we got off the car and walked down the lanes leading to the ghats , we found that the town was stirring awake and that the Varanasi corridor was slowly but steadily clearing a way from and around the main temples .

Most of the times due to wilful concurrence of rulers , houses have been skilfully built around the temples ,I was wondering at the audacity of the people who were blithely living in the temples with self professed and false ignorance and now that someone bold and gutsy comes forward to prove that temples are meant to be lived in  only by the Gods, it irritates some of them

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated  work for Kashi Vishanath Corridor project on March 8th 2019. It is planned to be completed by December 31st, 2021.
The Corridor will have tight security regime and it will be divided into Red, Green and Yellow zones, there will be a ban on burning anything in the red zone including agarbathis and dhoop. Religious burning material, will be provided by the temple authorities in the yellow and green zone for pilgrims.
Temple authority is planning to plant over a thousand air purifying medicinal plants/trees in the corridor area which will also make Kashi Vishwanath temple area visually more attractive.
Buildings  in the K.V Corridor will have rainwater harvesting systems. The water saved/collected will be used in temple work.
The Corridor project will upgrade the Kashi temple’s main complex, mandir chowk, and ghats. It will also have galleries, museum, multipurpose auditorium, hall, bhakt-suvidha kendra, public convenience, moksha griha, bhojshala, rooms for priests and volunteers and book-stalls. For senior citizens, it will also have escalators.
The entry gate for the corridor from Ganga river’s side will be at Lalita Ghat . Kashi Vishwanath Corridor will have entry gates at Saraswati Faatak, Neelkanth and Dhundhiraj Gate. Whole area of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor will be under CCTV surveillance which will be connected to an integrated command centre for security.
I didn’t see any need for panic or dissatisfaction to be experienced by anyone as the primary intention of anyone visiting Varanasi is to bathe in clean Ganges water and have an unobstructed darshan of the holy God
We were walking swiftly towards the Dashashwamedh Ghat located at the bank of the river Ganges the name indicates that Brahma sacrificed  (medh)  10 (das) horses  (aswa) here,it is also said that  Brahma created the ghat to welcome Lord Shiva,
The ghat was very impressive ,the sun was just rising and sending lightening signals across the clean sparkling water ,boats were busily plying, flower sellers were laying out ribbons of colorful flowers skilfully woven into different sized malas

There were many decorously dressed tourists from different countries listening intently to the local guides about the ghats

Dashashwamedh Ghat, associated with two Hindu mythologies is one of best places to explore.
The Dashashwamedh ghat was  renovated by  Bajirao Pesava I in the year 1740 AD. It was later reconstructed by the Queen of the Indore Ahilyabai Holkar in1774.
We traced our priest who was sorting out all the pilgrims , some had ashes of their dear departed ones and some like us were there just for the pujas, he dealt with all of us in a professional manner ,I was reminded of  our senior surgeon doing major and minor surgeries and swiftly finishing his theatre list

Varanasi has more than 84 ghats with stairs leading to the waters. Bathing happens here seen since the crack of dawn.

Before going to Varanasi I somehow had an impression that the Ganges water would be very dirty with flowers and other waste floating along with the  half burned dead bodies beside us ,the reality was very different ,water was very clean and I could see the pilgrims happily chanting prayers and taking a bath and some youngsters swimming and diving in the waters

After our puja ,to appreciate the beauty of the ghats , we walked slowly from Manikarnika Ghat in north to Assi Ghat in south.The Whole walk was incredible because of kaleidoscope of objects and colors and not a single moment of boredom. I even saw a newly married couple

There was a huge number of people, from all over India and abroad ,I could see some aghoras too people were taking baths and drying their clothes ,bank was busy with the rituals and the river was packed with the boats.

Interspersed with the chatter of the tourists,there was clanging of temple bells and some touts could be seen very earnestly trying to entice people to buy silk saris in their shops
We then took a boat ride along the ghats , as we wanted a leisurely ride we hired a  small boat only for both of us with a promise that the boatman would tell us all about the ghats as we went along
Varanasi  has 88 ghats. Most of the ghats are bathing and puja ceremony ghats, The main group consists of 25 of them, and it extends from Assi Ghat north to Raj Ghat.  while two ghats are used exclusively as cremation sites ,Manikarnika and Harischandra ghat
The ghats were Assi ghat  ,Chet Singh ghat, Darbhanga Ghat a photogenic, visually appealing and architecturally impressive ghat featuring the luxury Brij Raman Palace Hotel, another very old Varanasi ghat,

Man Mandir Ghat is notable for its ornate Rajput architecture. Rajput king Man Singh of Jaipur built his palace there in 1600. An additional attraction, the observatory, was added in the 1730s by Sawai Jai Singh II, Scindia ghat, Bhonsale ghat and Panch Ganga ghat,Tulasi ghat is revered by all as it is supposed to cure leprosy patients
As we went along I saw a leaning temple on the banks ,apparently it was Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir or Leaning temple of Varanasi which is one of the most photographed temples in Varanasi.
 The temple, while apparently well-preserved, leant significantly towards the back side and its garbagriha is generally below the water much of the year, except during the summer

The temple was elegantly constructed in the classical style with a nagara shikhara and phamsana mandapa , as the temple is built at a very low level ,the water level can reach the shikhara part of the temple.
We were now going past the Manikarnika ghat where the dead are brought to be burnt ,we could see fires at various sites along the banks of the banks
The routine ceremony starts when the dead body arrives and is carried on a bamboo stretcher with the chant ‘Ram naam satya hai’ echoing through the air. Cost of cremation depends on the weight and type of the wood used. Sandalwood is the most expensive

An estimated 100 bodies are cremated daily at Manikarnika ghat , where a pyre burns 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Across Varanasi, nearly 200 bodies are burnt every day.

 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 were capturing videos of the ghat and clicking pictures from the boats.

Even I was busily taking snaps and started video shooting when suddenly our boatman a young boy in his teens told me “ madam don’t take videos ,it is an ill omen to take them home “,I stopped taking a video not wanting to take a risk of course
Legend says that Lord Shiva gave the boon of eternal peace to the Manikarnika Ghat. Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva to spare Kasi when the whole world comes to an end. As the wish was granted people come and settle in Varanasi in their last days to die here and attain moksha a state where there are no rebirths
One more myth says that Vishnu dug a well, 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 meaning jewel in earring and Karnam the ear.
Our ride took us along the different ghats , palaces and lodges and houses , and we got a panoramic view of the river ,at one ghat brother of our boatsman joined us .

They lived across the bridge and studied only upto fifth class ,plying boats was the  only skill known to them and said they earned enough to support their family

After lunch and a brief rest we came back to the Dashashwamedh ghat for  Gange Aarti. By the time we arrived, already the ghat was getting crowded , lots of boats were plying and slowly coming and resting a few metres away from the sites where aarti would be given . Ganga Aarti is held daily at  sun rise and dusk. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
Duration of the Ganga Aarti is around 45 minutes. It starts soon after sunset. In summers, they begin at around 7 PM due to late sunset but it starts at around 6 PM in winters
 There are 2 places mainly at Dashashwamedh

 ghat one where 7 Pandits do it which is the main one and other beside this spot where 5 Pandits do it.
As soon as the aarthi time was approaching ,one could sense excitement in the air .First the group with 7 pandits dressed in white silk robes started the aarthi, offered flowers to  ma Ganga, blowing of the conch heralded the start

 and silence fell over the ghat ,all the steps leading to the ghats were jam packed with tourists ,there was a general sense of camaraderie and well being ,I felt that no one was in a mood to fight ,the water also seemed to be happily awaiting the aarthi .

There was camphor lit whose fragrance filled the air all around us and the brass lamps with tiers of wicks ,weighing 5 kgs or more were effortlessly handled by the young priests who conducted the entire aarthi in a very devoted and dignified manner

The group with 5 pandits dressed in yellow silk robes after a while started the aarthi ,Yak tail fans and peacock feather fans were also waved during the ceremony.

The ceremony ended with the priests offering holy water to the river which was a signal for all the tourists to light small lamps and offer flowers

Gradually the entire river was filled with small lamps of light floating along the water ,it was as if the sky had consented to lend the stars to ma Ganga for a while.

The whole experience of the aarthi was a life time experience ,unforgettable ,no snaps taken or videos shot could capture the beauty of the moment ,there are certain moments in our life when we feel this is the perfect time in our life when it is alright that we live no longer and Ganga aarti was such an enthralling one
Apparently a maha Gange aarti held at the ghat at Kartik Purnima is an awesome one which attracts an unbelievable crowd.
Last place to visit was Benares Hindu University, founded by Sanskrit scholar, Madan Mohan Malviya

Its sprawling buildings and hostels were awesome and humbling

Famed Bharat Kala Bhavan museum has a rich collection of Indian paintings dating between 11th century and 20th century .
Of course no visit to Varanasi would be complete without shopping and eating
The Sarai Mohana village weavers’ village is popular for its silk weaving and they produce finest silk saris , no bridal sari collection is complete without atleast one Banarasi sari. The masterpiece of the sari needs 15 days to a month and sometimes up to six months to complete.

Apart from saris, one can buy shawls, carpets, stone inlay work, bangles and idols of Hindu or Buddhist deities.

The main shopping areas to explore in this city include Vishwanath Lane, Thateri Bazaar, Chowk and Godowilia.
Food in Varanasi is a foodie’s delight .We relished the wide assortment of mouth-watering delicacies.
The famous snow cone, roasted peanuts, the delicious chat items like Tamatar Chat

 Pani Puri, Kachoris, Aloo Tikki, variety of sweets like Jalebis, Banarasi Kalakand, Rabri, the choice is too huge.
 Amitabh’s ‘Kaike Pan Banaras wala ‘makes us anxious taste the pan and we are lost in choices as there are plenty of them

Though we had been to Rishikesh and Haridwar ,I felt a different sense of belonging to Varanasi ,the long miles of ghats ,the sparkling Ganga water ,the cremation ghats always busy but with scintillating and buzzling life alongside and finally the evening aarthi makes Varanasi stand out and unforgettable it signifies that the spirit of our culture in spite of any effort to extinguish it  will still continue to blaze for all times to come like the beautiful Ganga Aarthi

VARANASI - THE HOLY TRIO -PILGRIMAGE INDIA

BLOG POST 2
After Prayagaraj our next destination was Varanasi or Kashi or Benares, one of the oldest and holiest city in India. I, like most other devout Indians had been dreaming of going on a pilgrimage at least once in my lifetime to Kashi
Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dating back to the 11th century B.C. Regarded as the spiritual capital and one of the seven holy cities in India, it draws Hindu pilgrims from all over the entire world, who bathe in the sacred waters of the river Ganges and perform funeral rites on its banks

 Before going to Varanasi I had the impression that I would be wading through pools of cow dung,get either kicked or struck by the pious cows and would walk around in narrow lanes dodging hot cauldrons of oil in which yummy but dusty kachoris would be frying merrily but to my delight I found that Varanasi was quite clean , I was told the Smart city Varanasi Campaign was slowly succeeding in cleaning up the city .

We stayed in Hotel Surya, Kaiser Palace,a small but comfortable hotel ,it had complimentary breakfast but during our pilgrimage trip we were rushing out every single day after the mandatory head bath either for pitru pujas or darshan and coming back to hotel only after 11 am and so had breakfast in outside restaurants which had south Indian cuisine to our relief and aha! There was my precious hot cup of  filter coffee of course my elixir of life ,LOL !
 Along the city's narrow and winding streets are more than 2,000 temples, most prominent of which being  Kashi Vishwanath “Golden Temple,” dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
At a very early hour of 1 am, we got up and left for the darshan of Kasi Visweswara and 3 am Mangal Aarthi
We were taken upto the gate 4 where we had to divest ourselves of our lifelines i.e our cell phones (I sometimes wonder how we had ever survived when there were no cell phones ) purses, belts and anything made of leather and pens too .
This act of asking for removal of belts even at airports has sometimes led to disastrous scenes of pants slipping off the paunches of stout men who would be seen shuffling around desperately holding on to their pants in one hand and their hand luggage in the other
Throughout our sleepy route we found shops selling souvenirs ,puja items ,flowers and cups of steaming hot chai ,I made a plaintive request to my hubby for one cup to clear my blurred senses but he being more religious minded pretended to be blind to the sights of tea
At every step we found fierce looking security personnel guarding the temple and its premises, giving warning looks to any lingering pilgrims
At Varanasi one has an option of booking on line for Sugam darshan and  special puja like Rudrabhishekam, It is very convenient and highly recommended to avoid the crowds
The charges are 300 INR per person & we have to carry the voucher and copy of proof of our identity with us.  With the Voucher one has to go to temple helpdesk building inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath which is next to Shapuri mall on Bansfathak , help desk is open 24 hours
 On production of voucher one gets a wrist band and free prasad and a priest to guide and provided with a locker where we have to deposit our belongings. The helpdesk building has clean toilets and a souvenir shop too. ( website : http://shrikashivishwanathdarshan.com/).
It is better if we can go to the temple between 4.30 to 6 am for darshan as it is less crowded
 For handicapped or elderly people, wheelchair with attendant is made available by temple administration. Now the entry from Gate No.1 is hassle free with all the amenities.
The Temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in Shaiva Philosophy. It has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history, a fate unfortunately common to many temples in our country.
 The last structure was demolished by Aurangazeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.

Since 1983, the temple has been managed by the government of U.P. It is also the 5th richest temple in India
The temple contains the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva known as the Vishwanath and is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. It has 4 entrance gates
The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, is located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli,main temple is quadrangle shaped
There is a Sabha Griha leading to the inner Garbha Griha  The holy Jyotirlinga is a dark brown colored stone 60 cm tall and 90 cm wide.. Structure of the Mandir is composed of three parts. The first compromises a spire on the Mandir of Lord Vishwanath or Mahadeva. The second are three domes each made up of pure gold, donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835s  and the third is the 15.5 metre high gold spire atop Lord Vishwanath carrying a flag and a trident.

 There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi or Gyaan vapi (the wisdom well) to north of the main temple ,during the invasion by the Mughals, the Jyotirlinga was hidden in the well to protect it . It is believed that the main priest of the temple jumped in the well with the Shivling to protect it from invaders.

After we entered the premises of the temple , we sat waiting outside the sanctum which was very small. The Mangal Aarthi was so divine that it took us to some other world, after the Aarthi we were allowed to go inside and pray ,we also performed  abhishekam with help of a priest in an adjacent mandap
We next went to the famous Annapurna Temple which was very near the Kasi Viswanatha temple. Annapurna Devi , an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and worshipped as the benevolent provider of food and nourishment.

 Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao in 1729 AD, constructed this temple  with Nagara style of architecture. We saw  devotees donating grains and food at this temple  a feature we had observed in Horanadu Annapurna temple of Karnataka.   
The temple features two idols of the goddess. One of these idols is made of gold while the other one is made of brass, said to be installed by Adisankaracharya, we could see the brass idol, but to see the gold idol one will have to plan their visit on the day before Diwali, which is popularly known as Annakut day.

The next temple we visited was Kashi Visalakshi temple again very close to Vishwanath temple. Dedicated to goddess Visalakshi, pilgrims visiting Varanasi also visit this temple and offer prayers. This temple was in a narrow alley close to Mirghat.

The temple is also rather small though mighty in terms of its religious significance.We found lot of  South Indian pilgrims in the temple
It is a Shakti Pith and goddess is worshipped as the one with large eyes in this temple and so Vishalakshi

According to the legends, the earrings of goddess Sati is believed to have fallen on the very spot where the temple stands today. The temple is situated near the sacred cremation ground of Manikarnika and is definitely worth a visit.
We were next on our way to Kaal Bhairav temple which was around 1.5 km from Dashashwamedh Ghat , aggressive form of Lord Shiva Kaal Bhairav is enshrined and worshipped in this temple which dates back to the mid-17th century, making it one of the oldest Shiva temples in the city.

 Kal Bhairav is regarded as the guardian angel of the city and the people of Varanasi are known to seek permission from the deity before they leave the city for any  work.
It was a simple temple but was very impressive, devotees were offering flowers and liquor . Lord Shiva had appointed Kal Bhairav to be forever in Kashi to remove sins of the disciples.This place is famed as the Kapal Mochan Teerth.
Housed in the inner sanctum of the temple was a silver faced idol of Kal Bhairav seated on his vahana  a dog and holding a trident. Only the face of the icon decorated (with garlands) was visible to us through the doorway.

 Rest of the icon was covered with a piece of cloth.  There was a garland of human skulls around the neck and a club of peacock feathers. On the rear door of the temple, there was an icon of Kshetrapal Bhairav, another aspect of Bhairava. The whole atmosphere was truly charged and air was thick with incense
Next on our temple list was Durga Kund Mandir which is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to the Maa Durga. It was constructed in 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore

It stands next to a rectangular pond (kund) and hence the name. Built in a Nagara style ,the red stone temple features a multi-tiered spire.
We next went to my favorite God’s temple the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, one of the most visited temples in Varanasi,  constructed in early 16th century by renowned poet, Goswami Tulsidas and stands on the banks of the River Assi

When we went we found huge crowd thronging the temple but we had darshan in no time luckily
There were scores of monkeys who apparently stay in the temple complex and gladly feed on the offerings given by the visitors. The deity is named "Sankat Mochan" the "reliever from troubles".
In the temple, prasad to Lord Hanuman was being sold like the special sweet "besan ka ladoo", the idol was also decked with a pleasant bright  marigold  flower garland . Lord Hanuman  was facing his Lord Rama whom he worshipped with steadfast and selfless devotion unlike in other temples where he is to one side .

On 7th March 2006, one of three  bomb explosions hit the temple while the Aarti was in progress in which numerous worshippers were participating, there was chaos and casualties but the crowd helped each other in the rescue operation after the explosion.
The next day a large number of devotees resumed their worship as usual ,braving the threat of un defused bombs reflecting the toughness of the Indian mind
Varanasi also has the Nepali Temple also known as the Kanthwala Temple, it is a replica of the renowned Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this 19th-century temple was constructed by the exiled King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah of wood, stone, and terracotta in the Nepali style of architecture. The pagodas of the temple are carved out of wood and had sculptures  similar to the ones found in Khajuraho,as a result it has earned the name of Mini Khajuraho.

We next visited the Tulsi Manas temple built in 1964 and located on the banks of Tulsi ghat. We were asked to park our car far away and walked to the temple .The famous Indian philosopher and writer, Tulsi Das constructed it after his travels across India to spread the heroic spirit of the Ramayana.

 He finished writing the Ramcharit Manas here, thus creating a body of work which helped contemporize the Ramayana, a religious text of the Hindus. We found that the place was very well maintained, made of white marble and offered a beautiful view of the river Ganga with beautiful gardens and serene atmosphere
On inside walls of temple were various episodes of Ram Charith Manas.

Last temple to visit was Birla Mandir . In 1930s, Pandit Madan Mohan decided to replicate the temple inside BHU campus and Birla family took up the work. In 1931, the foundation for the temple was made. The temple was completed in 1966. Since it is a replica of  Kashi Vishwanath temple, it is called as the New Vishwanath temple.

The temple has the highest temple tower in the world and is 77 metre long and completely made of marble. There were 9 shrines inside this temple. In the ground floor, there was a large Shiva temple. In the first floor, shrines for Durga and Lakshmi Narayan.
 Other main temples were Hanuman temple, Ganesh temple, Parvati temple, Nataraj temple, Saraswathi temple and Nandi. The complete prose of the Gita was inscribed on the walls along with pictures.

PRAYAGRAJ ,THE HOLY TRIO -PILGRIMAGE INDIA

BLOG POST 1
We decided to visit three holy places ,Varanasi,Prayagaraj and Gaya to do pitru pujas and also to see these places .We took a flight from Hyderabad Shamshabad airport to Varanasi Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport
I found an interesting artifact in the lobby there just after the exit from the flight

The airport was quite clean, usually I see the status of the toilets to find out the level of cleanliness of an airport
We found a huge statue of Lal Bahadur Shastri who is my all time favorite politician
 From airport we started for Allahabad which was 123 km away, we would not be entering the Varanasi city and would be by passing it
Allahabad officially known as Prayagraj, also Illahabad and  Prayag, is a city in U.P.
The city lies close to Triveni Sangam, "three-river confluence"or  "place of sacrifice or offering"  which lies at the sangam (confluence)  of Ganga , Yamuna & Saraswathi. It plays a central role in Hindu scriptures
 Allahabad was originally called Kaushambi (now a Separate district) by the Kuru rulers of Hastinapur, who developed it as their capital. Since then, the city has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of the Doab region.
 Prayag or Prayagraj was the ancient name of this city. The name Pra  meaning 'first' and Yag meaning 'devotion, worship or offering'.
 In early 17th century, Allahabad was a provincial capital in Mughal Empire under the reign of Jahangir
Mughal emperor Akbar founded a great imperial city in Allahabad, called Ilahabas  or Ilahabad, impressed by its strategic location and built a fort there, the name later was changed to Allahabad by Shah Jahan
 It is believed that Lord Bramha performed his very first yagna in this land.  The renaming finally succeeded in October 2018 when the Yogi Adityanath-led government officially changed the name of the city to Prayagraj.
 Lord Rama, spent time  here at the Ashram of Sage Bharadwaj before travelling to nearby Chitrakoot
Allahabad is known as the City of Prime Ministers because seven out of 15 prime ministers of India since independence have connections to Allahabad (Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri,  Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Viswanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar ). All seven leaders were either born in Allahabad, were alumni of Allahabad University or were elected from an Allahabad constituency.
We sped on our way from the airport and made good time till to our bad luck we encountered a lot of traffic jams .

 It was a marriage season , I thought lot of unsuspecting people had decided to enter the wedding bliss that day ,we found big baraths being taken with blatant disregard for traffic or woes of the public ,even ambulances were not spared of the jam ,there were huge mandaps erected and people gaily dancing on the roads

I thought of course it happens only in India !
Finally we reached Prayagraj and we checked into the hotel Polo Max which was perched right in the lap of the station ,now how do we get our well deserved sleep with the train sounds  was my thought.
The room though basic was o.k , food was not available so we had some biscuits from my ever lasting supply of biscuits and slept ,luckily we could not hear the train sounds but this was duly compensated by the trilling sounds of the lift throughout the night 
Next day we had a head bath which was a pre requisite in this holy tour and started very early for Triveni Sangamam
We first visited Ashtadasa Madeswari temple located at Alopi Bagh west of Daraganj, as we had gone early in the morning we were able to have darshan in peace.

 Shaktipeeth “Madhaveswari” is locally known as “Alopi Mata” as the Goddess here is formless (Alopi means disappeared)

The temple appeared simple with an entrance and a holy shrine installed on a rectangular platform. Silk clothes were tied to a wooden cradle (Dholi or Jhula) placed on the holy pedestal. Just underneath the pedestal we could see the hand-like marble slab.

According to Puranas, when Lord Vishnu cut off the dead body of Sati carried by Shiva, her body was cut into 52 parts. The hand of Sati fell here and disappeared and became a Shakti peeth. We saw many devotees around the platform offering flowers, vermilion and fruits. Adjacent area had the nine forms of Durga
We next reached the Triveni Sangam. In Hindi,Triveni Sangam is a place where three rivers meet. It is the meeting place of Ganga,Yamuna and invisible Saraswathi river, which according to the legends, wells up from underground.

As per mythology, the Amrit obtained by churning of Ksheersagar using the meruparvat as churning aid with the nagavasuki as the rope, spilled out and landed in four places - Prayagaraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain, where the Mahakumbh is organised every twelve years.
 The Kumbh or Ardakumbh are done in Prayagraj and Ujjain, once in six years,over the years it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
 Having heard from everyone about the exorbitant rates of the various pitru pujas and unholy fleecing by the holy pundits, we had taken help of a friend who had suggested a priest who arranges for these pujas so we went to his house on the banks of the river Yamuna.

There we found many devotees like us waiting ,there were also rooms to stay We met the  priest and paid for the Pitru puja and Veni puja ,we were allotted a person who accompanied and facilitated our pujas
The main ghat in Allahabad is Saraswathi ghat, on the banks of Yamuna.
 Stairs from three sides descend to the green water of the Yamuna. We could see varieties of boats here, all around us we could see the evidence of the Kumbh mela which had occurred recently

Apart from this ghat there are more than 100 other smaller ghats in Allahabad.
At the bank we got into a boat where we had to squat down on the planks and looked around

As it was early in the morning, weather was cool and all around us we could see different boats , apparently speed boats were not allowed due to the pollution they cause ,so all the boats were steered by hand.

The ride was beautiful ,it is a rather peculiar habit of mine to enquire about the depth of water in the rivers whenever we are boating and when I heard that the depth of water was sixty feet, I was surprised and a bit scared too
We soon reached the Sangam point which was about 2 km from the bank , Ganga and Yamuna contrast in color, depth and speed and after  confluence flow as Ganges to the south. The two visible rivers could be identified easily with the help of our boatman, the Ganga had clear water and the Yamuna greenish

The mythical river Saraswathi is said to join the two rivers  underground,   the only place where the Saraswathi river is visible is at the Saraswathi Koop in the nearby Akbar fort
I had heard about various species of Siberian birds which migrate from home grounds near  frozen Arctic zone Siberian birds which come and settle here  arriving here in October and flying back by March, we could see some  birds, but not many as we had gone in April
With a bath here it is said that one's sins are washed away and one is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
We were taken to a place where the Ganga was also flowing, we saw that two boats were used to put a platform down below waist high water just like an underwater swing where the devotees were expected to stand & take the holy dips
Luckily we were guided to a spot which had sand dunes

We could stand and bathe and give respects to the risen sun and the Triveni Sangam , Saraswati river albeit hidden

 We also collected some water to take back home as suggested by our boat man as Ganga is shallow but fast moving and has cleaner water compared to Yamuna and can be preserved for years.
But if we are travelling by flights it is very difficult to carry much water home unless packed and sealed in special spill proof containers
We then came to the bank where our guide was waiting,our clothes had dried by themselves in the sun
There we did Pinda Pradhan a ritual performed for our forefathers.
The priest was asking for the names of the father , grandfather and fore fathers of my husband , he however could not remember beyond two generations,
 I was questioning myself why no mention is made about the mothers ,grand and great grandmothers, they are just included as a part of the family members ,felt it was sad

Next there was Veni dhan, a ritual done only on the banks of Triveni  Sangam where all women sit in their husband’s laps and the husbands tie their hair, cut it and the couples pray that they should be born again as couples for seven more births and that their family should be happy and prosperous. It was amusing and quite embarrassing too

The hair which is cut along with the flowers is immersed in the water at the bank and surprisingly does not rise up, I thought hundreds of kilos of hair must be lying submerged in the water there
 On the banks ,we could see the Akbar fort and the 'Vat Vriksh' or Akshay Vat tree,  a very old Banyan tree reportedly millions of years old and existing since Satyug via Treta yug and Dwapar yug to Kaliyug , it was located at one edge of the fort, close to its ramparts

As Akshayvat is inside Akbar’s Fort which is under the control of military ,only during  Kumbh 2019 Akshayvat was opened for the public.

We went inside the garden which was heavily guarded with a steel fence and visitors couldn’t go near it. We could see it only from a distance of about 200 meters through the fence.

There is a small temple of Sri Ram, Sita  & Lakshman just at the base.
It was thrilling to see the tree which had survived for centuries and resisted many attempts by Moghul rulers and armies for destruction by cutting even its roots and poisonous liquids poured into its base. It is evergreen and flourishing even now. For me it was like a symbol of faith and truth which cannot be destroyed by evil forces
 Akshayavat is a sacred fig tree mentioned in the Hindu mythology. According to a legend, once the sage Markandeya asked Lord Vishnu to show him a specimen of the divine power. Lord Vishnu flooded the entire world for a moment, and miraculously only the Akshayavat could be seen above the water level.
 Lord Rama performed Pinddaan under the tree on the banks of River Ganges. Shuka muni preached Mahabharath to Parikshith Raj here. The tree is above the ground level, but the base of the tree can be seen by going down to the cellar. Here there are statues of various rishis and other deities.
 In a medieval age this place became a suicide spot, people at that time believing that if they died under that tree they will get "MOKSH". So to avoid the suicides Akbar had constructed the fort around the tree.
Patalapuri temple, Saraswathi Koop and Ashoka pillar were inside the fort so we could not visit them
We then visited the Bade Hanumanji mandir the only temple where one can see God Hanuman in a lying position on the ground , placed 4 to 5 feet deeper and one has to take steps down to have a look at the deity

The history says that after winning the fight at Lanka, Ram ,Seeta, Laxman and Hanuman came to this place and took the first rest
During the monsoons, water from the river Ganga enters the temple and inundates the idol of the deity. For a stretch of 15 to 20 days, the temple remains flooded and no pooja happens.

There was a Ram-Janaki temple adjacent to the Hanuman Temple built at an elevation and there were few shops selling Milk Peda for Prasad in the vicinity.
We next went over the new Yamuna bridge and could see the Fort on one side and the Ganga and Yamuna Sangam spot at the far end. This bridge is over river Yamuna and is a huge attraction as it is suspended with the help of iron ropes and has no support from the ground.

Next on our list was Khusro Bagh , definitely one of the hidden gems in Prayagraj .
The garden is believed to be commissioned by Emperor Jahangir in fond memory of his son Khusro, who was murdered by his brother Shah Jahan.
 The two other sandstone tombs that surround it are tomb of Shah Begum ( Khusro's mother) and Tomb of Nithar (Khusro's sister).

The gardens here are now a popular venue for picnics and for young people to meet their friends
Our next stop was at Anand Bhawan comprising a pair of picturesque mansions, called Anand Bhawan and Swaraj Bhawan, set in parklands.
There was a ticket counter and a sign board nearby saying that ashes of Nehru were put there

 This estate was bought by the lawyer, Pandit Motilal Nehru in the early 1900s for Rs. 19,000 and named Anand Bhavan, "abode of happiness", by then a prominent lawyer.
 The building was renovated and now we are allowed to look at the rooms cordoned off and see from a distance its interiors with Mahogany and teak furniture, tapestries, Venetian glassware and Dresden china bought by Motilal Nehru during his trips abroad.

This house became a hotbed for political leaders and activists as Motilal Nehru was a prominent member of the Indian National Congress Party. He and his son, Jawaharlal Nehru, were actively involved with Mahatma Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience Movement.
 Motilal dedicated the original building renamed as Swaraj Bhawan to the nation on 9 April 1930, and it remained the headquarters of the Indian National Congress for many years, and a new two storey house called Anand Bhawan was built from 1927 to become the residence for the family with pillared verandahs and high-ceilinged rooms.
The complex was donated by Indira Gandhi to the nation in 1970. It has been turned into a museum exhibiting books, personal effects and photos of Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who was married here in 1942.

 It has 42 rooms and a number of memorabilia including a charkha used by Mahatma Gandhi, photographs of the Indian freedom movement, personal belongings of the Nehru family and an underground room that is said to have been used occasionally for meetings
 The campus also has the Jawahar Planetarium and the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, which runs classes for children.
The buildings were surrounded by acres of well maintained green lawns. Now, the Swaraj Bhavan staff conduct arts and craft classes to children.
A light and sound program is also organized here. There are four shows every day