Varanasi.. A calling

Mark Twain once penned down that, "'Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.

One of our most cherished memory of India visits is from Lucknow. Our dear friends Alka and Avdhesh from Abu Dhabi days reside in the city of Nawabs. We never miss a chance to visit them during our frequent India trips to indulge in their hospitality. Having settled down over 15 years ago, they are avid travelers of India and have seen the length and breadth of their state.

Set for the road trip... Buddy is unhappy though

This time, we planned to drive down to Benaras or Varanasi – a 320 km drive from Lucknow. It was our third trip to Varanasi since 2016 – it seems a divine calling as some visit the city once in a lifetime.

 

Crowds and Reflections

Road trips with them are always fascinating, taking us through the rural roads of India, watching the rural scenery of vast paddy fields, brick kilns sending up solitary spirals of smoke with thoughtful cattle gently grazing in lands far away with few scattered water bodies, a rush of human settlement triggering a curiosity on what kept the folks occupied. On such drives, we generally take breaks sitting by the local Dhabas and discuss politics, philosophy & personal lives over chai and pakoras.

Homemade poori subji and pakoras from the Dhaba 

One of the numerous Dhabas on our way.

The road trip from Lucknow to Varanasi was smooth, without any hitches on the Poorvanchal Expressway. This expressway is a 340.8 km long, 6-lane highway in Uttar Pradesh. It connects Chand Saray village near Gosainganj in Lucknow district with Haydaria village on NH-31 in Ghazipur district. We used up 123 km of this highway for our trip, which was covered in an hour, after which we had to resort to NH731. There were a few bumpy patches on the national and state roads, barring which the ride was enjoyable. We reached Varanasi in 5 hours, passing Haiderganj, Sultanpur, and Azamgarh. The return journey to Lucknow was completed in less than 5 hours.

Being in Varanasi somehow makes one feel closer to one's ancestors – there is an inexplicable aura of peace amidst the cacophony of horns and unbelievable sights around every corner. It is both an assault on the senses and spiritually uplifting simultaneously. We checked in Radisson in the Varanasi Cantt area.

co existence 

The most popular attraction in Varanasi is the Ganga Aarti which is performed in the evening from Dashashwamedh Ghat. The roads leading to the ghats have been widened sufficiently, most discernible from previous visits. Four-wheelers and three-wheelers are prohibited up to 3 km from the main Ghat. We walked through the throngs of the colorful crowds and reached the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat. The walk to the Ghat is throbbing with activity. It is busy and crowded with vendors selling everything from flowers, beads, clothes, and other souvenirs.

Souvenir shops 

If you want to taste some good Benaresi chaat and lassi, there are small eating joints. The evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamegh Ghat is beautiful, evoking a strong sense of benevolence towards all and a deep understanding of gratitude to the river Ganga flowing for centuries.

Chats and Lassi were a daily affair. 

Ram Bhandar at Cantt. Our stop for morning pre-breakfast.

Benarasi Paan at its best.

The following day, we were up early and visited the temple of Kashi. Walking through the ghats, we reached the famous corridor. A 20-foot-wide corridor connects the Lalita Ghat from the Ganges to the mandir Chowk on the temple. Devotees can dip at the Ganges and reach the temple directly without going through the numerous by-lanes that connected the Ghat to the temple before the renovation.

Har Har Mahadev and Us 

Selfie before we keep the mobiles aside. 

During our previous visits to Varanasi, we would spend our time close to the Dashawamegha ghats and the Kashi Vishwanath temple. At the suggestion of a common friend, we visited the Assi Ghat for the morning Aarthi. Aasi Ghat is at the southernmost tip of Varanasi.

Morning aarthi at close quarters 

The morning aarthi at the Aasi Ghat is a spiritual treat for the soul. With the calm wind flowing over Ganga and the sunrise giving a gorgeous orange glow as it glimpses from the horizon, the morning aarthi is a sight to behold. Varanasi springs to life at dawn with the morning aarti at Assi Ghat. It is mesmerizing to see the aarti performance even as the sun rises slowly and gently from the Eastern horizon.

A new beginning 

Subah E Banaras is an initiative of the State Govt of the Uttar Pradesh that commenced in 2014. The morning starts with chanting of Vedic verses followed by Ganga Aarthi. The crowds are lesser in the morning hours, and it helps see the events unfold in close quarters. After that was a classical musical session followed by a community Yoga session. The musicians are from the Banaras Gharana. It was mind-boggling to see people from all walks of life neatly spread their mats in front of the stage and wait for the session to start.

Yoga for everyone 

After filling ourselves with another mouthwatering streetside breakfast from Ram Bhandar, we prepared to leave behind one of the world's oldest cities. We heard it calling for a repeat visit to see more ancient temples, myriad colorful pathways, museums and art galleries, antediluvian nooks and corners, dead-end alleys, and innumerable other attractions that we could visit. It probably takes more than a lifetime to explore this wonderful city. So, till we meet again, Varanasi, adieu and Namaskar.

Until we meet again. 

Silhoutte at sunrise 



बनारस तेरे नज़रों से इश्क है हमे
हर बार तेरी झलक पहली बार ही लगती है।