Banarasi Baatein

           Having been born with more than my share of Bengali wanderlust,the urge to take off hits me often and out of nowhere.On the last such occasion,it was an unanimous decision to revisit Varanasi,the city of Moksha and Banarasi sarees.It is said time stands still in Varanasi and indeed little seems to have changed in the many years since I saw it last.It remains the most colourful,charismatic and spiritual of all Indian cities.

           One of the charms of the holy city are the many ghats built on the Ganges.The beautiful Assi Ghat was relatively deserted at dusk but for a few dreadlocked westerners garbed in saffron and rudrakshas. Sitting on the riverbank,I felt an ethereal serenity gradually overwhelm me.Is this what brings people of varied nationalities to this dilapidated,dung-strewn city where buffaloes get precedence over humans and cycles seem to miss you by inches?The spectacular Dashashwamedh Ghat,on the other hand was overflowing with tourists,eager to catch sight of the evening Aarti performed by priests.Never an hour goes by when Dashaswamedh Ghat does not witness activity of some sort or the other.Even at four in the morning,which is when I went for a boat ride,people were queuing up for a dip in the river,said to wash away one's sins.I wonder if a finger dipped in water did the trick for me!! Irreverence aside,the sight of the cascading temples,terraces and houses of Benaras, bathed in the rays of the rising sun is a lifetime experience.From the boat,the lyrically named Manikarnika Ghat,where mortal remains are consigned to flames seemed to be a juxtaposition of dream and reality.It is said being cremated here frees one from the endless cycle of life and birth.Instant Nirvana,in the time of instant noodles!!           

          When in Varanasi,it is de rigeur to visit the Vishwanath temple which houses one of the twelve ancient Jyotirlingas.The walk down the lane leading upto the temple is a fascinating journey in itself.The jostling crowds,the colourful saree and ornament shops,the aroma of sweets,the heady smells of cowdung and rotting flowers had an intoxicating effect on me.Only to be brought back to earth by a near collision with a scooter maneuvering its way through the two feet lane!! The vibrations of the temple, the recitation of the slokas entranced me and the mystical experience was completed when a total stranger pressed a rudraksha bead into my hand,saying it would immensely benefit my son!!God indeed moves in strange ways.After my spiritual pursuits it was time to appease the palate and the rabdi and malai in the temple lane rose to the occasion superbly.Varanasi is famous for these sweets and along with the famous pedas,they contibuted in piling on some unwanted pounds.Indeed,the foodie in me went berserk,kachauris,jalebis,lassis,none disappointed.

         Being an inveterate shopper,I had strictly resolved not to venture near the saree shops.Each stunning Banarasi woven saree is six yards of magic with an unique story to tell.It goes without saying,I could not resist the opulently embroidered zari creations and ended up a few thousands poorer!!Shopping in Varanasi is a wonderful experience with sweet tongued salesmen even ready to drape sarees around themselves to entice buyers.The people of Varanasi are replete with an old world charm and the lyrical Hindi and Bhojpuri was like music after the rough Mumbai dialects.Varanasi is a centre of Indian culture,art and music,home to eminent philosophers,scolars and musicians.How I wished Pandit Bismillah Khan was still playing his shehenai.

           From Varanasi,it is an hour's trip to Sarnath where the Buddha first taught his Dharma.Being an important centre of Buddhism,Varanasi sees a lot of Japanese,Sri Lankan and Thai tourists as well.The Banaras Hindu University with its huge campus is also worth a visit.But for me,the spirit of the holy city is to be found in the ghats,the mazes of narrow identical alleys where majestic bulls sway along, the  mourning processions with their soft chant of Ram Ram,the sweet-snatching monkeys,the stoned sannyasis,the boats and the colourful spice shops.As I floated a couple of flower candles in the murky waters of the holy Ganges on my last day,I sent up a prayer that I may once again return to this fascinating city,which has been in existence before the advent of civilization as we know it.Who knows,Banarasi saree this time,maybe Moksha the next!!