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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