As they say, Varanasi “leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”.
“Tu Kisi Rail si guzarti hai, mein kisi pul sa thartharata hun” , these lines of a poem written by Dushyant Kumar encapsulate my feelings towards the spiritual city of Banaras. For Banaras, with its narrow alleys littered with cows, temples and food vendors; its smell, a unique blend of incense sticks and the most delicious kachoris you’ll ever eat, has the power to enchant your senses. And no, I’m not referring to the infamous Bhang culture of Banaras but to the Ghats of Banaras. The Ghats of Banaras,a 7 km long stretch of embankments that border the holy river Ganges , are the most fascinating sites I’ve ever seen in my life. Always brimming with life and culture, modern cafes and age-old pandas (priests), saffron-clad sadhus eager to bless the spiritual seeker, the ghats are a sight to behold.
Assi Ghat in particular has my heart. One of the most populous ghats of Banaras, there is always something happening at Assi. In the morning it is filled with students seeking the vedic knowledge and yoga enthusiasts from around the world, the day is packed with boaters offering sunset boat rides across the ghats to eager travelers, evenings at Assi is a daily fair brimming with local chaat-waalas and pandits performing Ganga Aarti, and the night is for the solo traveler seeking solace at the ghats with a cup of chai and a cigarette.
Perhaps the only time when Assi Ghat is relatively quiet and becomes a symbol of peace, is in the early hours after dawn when pandits gather around Assi to perform the ethereal morning Ganga Aarti, famously known as Subah-e-Banaras. Subah-e-Banaras is a pious reminder of what a visit to Banaras is truly about, it’s about humility and admiration for the holy river Ganges. Who’s vastness reminds us humans of how trivial we are in the grand scheme of the cosmos, filling our hearts with a sense of calm and stillness similar to that of the holy waters.
While the ghats offer a spiritual experience, the alleys of Banaras offer a delectable culinary experience for the foodie traveler. From paan to mouth-watering kachoris and chaat, the food culture at Banaras will make you wish you had a second stomach. The day of a local Banarasi starts with their hot morning kulhad chai and ends with a glass of chilled kesariya thandai. Perhaps what makes Banarasi food special is the love with which the vendors serve you; food stalls in Banaras are usually century-old establishments and as such every vendor will have a crafty story about the origin of the dish, its legacy and its generous preparation which is no less unique than the dish itself. My personal favorites are Kachori at Ram Bhandar and Lassi with extra malai at Pahalwan Lassi.
All in all, I would not trade a trip to Banaras for a million dollars. The stillness of the city and the love in the hearts of its people are contagious and will fill the average traveller with a sense of contentment and peace. As they say, Varanasi “leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”. It is a must-visit for spiritual seekers, artists and the common folk alike seeking the true meaning of life: love.
