VARANASI GHATS AND GANGA AARTHI –HOLY TRIO –PILGRIMAGE INDIA

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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