VARANASI: "THE REAL DESI PLACE OF INDIA"

When we think of Varanasi, pictures of Ganges, ghats, gallis, temples, pilgrimage nab our mind. For these reasons, i have chosen different images for defining Varanasi, because we always look Kashi from a fixed mind-set and fail to look beyond it. It is believed to be infact the most ancient city of the world, what more could be said now. Hinduism seems to be synonymous with Kashi, and secularism  blended in its soul. Religious texts, books, movies, documentaries, serials, magazines are based on Kashi. Well, this is just a blog intended to create a picture of Kashi in a frolic way.

Varanasi is located centrally to the Hindi heartland and located in the largest state of India. It is a major town of Uttar Pradesh, located on its eastern part or Purvanchal(as people refer it fondly). Apart from the  district, it serves neighbouring districts of Chandauli, Ghazipur, Ballia, Mau, Deoria, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra, and parts of Bhojpuri-speaking Western Bihar and North-western Jharkhand, and to some extent parts of north-eastern Madhya Pradesh. It is a unique place, which boasts of a Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. Hindus-Muslims-Christians all live here with fraternity and brotherhood. This city is a cultural mecca. This soil has given birth and has been the home to various intellectuals and artists. My native place is Varanasi, and my village(Narsinghpur) is situated about 30 kms from the city. This is the reason why i am attached to it and have very fond memories of this place, though i am not very well-acquainted with it. Their speaking tone is very unique. They speak very sweet Bhojpuri(Pashchimi Bhojpuri) and distorted Awadhi, apart from normal Hindi.

There are ceratin turn-offs in this city, major being, power-cuts, potholed roads, congestion, dirt and pollution,water-logging during rains, lack of infrastructure, fixed mind-frame of the public, nasty traffic-sense. Adding to these woes, crime and mafia-wars are also evident in the city. With our honourable Prime Minister being elected as Member of Parliament from here, we can certainly hope for the good.

But, on experiencing its soothing environment and peculiarity, its turn-offs may be compromised. How happiness can come in small-packages, it can be derived from Varanasi. People here do not look for costly modes and stuffs to be happy. This does not mean that they do not crave for a high lifestyle. They derive pleasure from the attributes of general public, their languages, their behaviours, chewing paan, drinking or quaffing lassi or whatsover. In its noisy and unorganised traffic, one can experience a soothing environment, an element of relief and discontinuity from normal routine of daily-lives and monotony. Every bit of experience here must be relished and enjoyed. Well, a book may be written on it(My father has written books and articles on Kashi).


  Must-visit sites are Dashashvmedh Ghat, Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple, Sarnath, Ramnagar fort,  Banaras Hindu University( a glance, if possible), some other ghats and gallis. There are also many other temples, and ghats, which can be visited, when there is time. One must taste golgappa, chaat, samosa, kachauri-jalebi, lassi, kesariya doodh, rabri, paan, churmura or jhaal-muri, kulhad waali chai and other delicacies. The best time to visit this place is around June to November. Rickshaws and autos(around Cantt, Nadesar) are good options of public transport. Varanasi has its own soul. It is a different world in itself. Listening to Banarsis talking gives soothing effect to ears. It is not evident anywhere else on the earth. And people here are just the way they are, and they have no show-off and flauntness. No matter how congested the place is and its potholed roads, it is still loved. The real desi place of India!!!!!