The city that celebrates death

 


November mornings offers a surreal aura to the city. The roads are covered with a thick blanket of fog, the tangerine sun peeks behind the temple shrine, some morning strollers can be seen shipping tea in a corner side stall. The Ghats are filled with fragrance of incense and chimes from nearby Temple.

This was not my first visit to Varanasi. But those were academic and work trips. Varanasi cannot be explored in one or two days squeezed in between work. Every alley, every ghat has thousands of stories to be heard, felt and experienced. So this time the trip was planned only for Ghats. The Ghats of Varanasi always enchanted as well as perplexed me. I barely slept the other night as I had a night flight because I wanted to reach the city early in the morning. However, thanks to Indigo for not letting that happen. The flight got delayed and I reached the city at around 9: 30. Varanasi was already up. The roadside stalls were already filled with aroma of kachori-sabji.

         As one of the oldest inhabitant cities of the world, Varanasi has a long history of diverse food culture. From the most popular Puri sabji to the rarest 'Malaiyo’, the Ghats, or the allies behind the Ghats, are hotspot of street foods that are special only to Varanasi.

Varanasi..

Kashi..

Banaras !

The city of Varanasi lies on the river Ganges, is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities with a history dating back to more than 3000 years. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva, one of the most revered Gods in the Hindu pantheon, built Varanasi. Legend says He chose the city because of it spiritual energy, which still holds true even today. Every gully, every lane verberates with the hymns from morning to evening. As I was having my morning breakfast in the Vishwanath Bazar with the famous Puri sabji in Prasad ji's, I could hear chanting from the temple just beside the stall. It's like every alley has a temple.

Varanasi is famous for its Ghats, which are long series of riverfront steps. All total there are 88 Ghats and one can walk from one end of Varanasi to other along these Ghats. These Ghats are primarily for bathe, prayer and rituals; however two are reserved exclusively for one purpose.

Cremation.

These two Ghats are Harichandra Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat.
And the prime purpose of this trip was to visit Manikarnika. I have heard so much about Manikarnika. People travel to Varanasi to die and by dying here, hope to achieve 'Moksha' 'Mukti' or 'Nirvana'.

To reach Manikarnika, one has to go through a maze of passageways. As I reached the Ghat, I could sense the air; air filled with smokes rising from cremation. Hundreds of cremation was going on. The smell of human flesh burning along with ghee made my head a little dizzy. I have never seen death so up close. Scattered about the cremation Ghat, are the piles of chars, built after every cremation. From afar, through the hissing pyre, I could see a limb sticking out with blistered skin. Out of another, a Payal was still hanging.

Quite disturbing, I know.

Looking around, I observed a man doing sit ups touching his ears; it was like taking punishment for something he did. I was confused. I asked a Pandit Ji why the man was doing so. The Pandit Ji said maybe the man lost his loved one and asking for forgiveness. It hit me hard. For some moments I kept thinking. We all know about our deeds. We can lie to the world but we can never lie to ourselves. I know what I have done and so does everyone else. And deeds are like Boomerang; good or bad, they always come back.

Standing on that cremation ground I realized, the ultimate truth of life is nothing, but death.

Everything revolves around death.

Death is absolute.

Therefore, Manikarnika made me understand, 

life is now !

Whatever you want to do, do it now; because there might not be a tomorrow. If you love someone, tell them now; if you want to go to a place, book the trip now; do not save the pretty dress for special occasion, wear it now; want to ask someone for forgiveness? Ask now; otherwise you will end up just like the man by the river doing sit ups, asking for forgiveness from the Dead.

Whilst Varanasi is known as a place to die, it is in fact, a city of love too. Mythology says Kashi (Varanasi) is the place where Lord Shiva waited for his deceased wife Sati for millions of years to reborn as Parvati. His love towards his wife Sati is still considered as the highest form of devotion.

With all its Glory, spirituality, culinary exceptions, sacred flame of Manikarnika, sanctified vibrations of morning prayer in Assi Ghat, Varanasi made me ponder over the perpetual cycle of life; that, humility, empathy, detachment and love, are some of the highest virtues; 

that, one does not need to be religious to be spiritual;

that, forgiveness cleanse our soul;

that, life is beautiful, and death is ultimate!

 .. And that, moments should be celebrated, because life is now !


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