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Published: March 1st 2009
Benares at sunrise I just watched the sunrise over the Ganga from my room in Benares, Varanasi, Kashi, city of light, Shiva’s city - it has many names. My room in the wonderful Hotel Ganges View is on the first floor, only one floor above the street and it is a very special room. It has its own private sitting room or sun room; a circular room with wood-shutters that I can open up to let the outdoors in. From here I overlook a small stretch of street leading to Assi Ghat, and I love to watch the street life out my window. Out the window to the left, I look directly at the ghat and the Ganga and I can see the curve of the river as it stretches for five kilmotres along the many ghats to the other end (Assi Ghat is at the south end of the crescent).
Devotional music is playing through a loud speaker nearby, and it’s very lovely. A woman is singing a rhythmic lyrical ballad that sounds like love. Love of god, love of the sunrise, the waters of the Ganga, all the life-giving and sustaining forces. The regulars outside my window
are setting up their shops and sidewalk displays of trinkets, flowers, bindis, kumkum, supari, water, empty jugs for collecting the sacred waters of the Ganga. It is a lively scene. Pilgrims and foreigners are sitting under the tree drinking chai, or walking by, to and from the ghat.
It really is enchanting here even though this is a big, noisy, dirty city, ancient with use. Last night I had a boatmen take me to see the aarti performed at the main ghat, and we passed the two burning ghats as well as a dead body floating in the river. There were swarms of mosquitoes and flying insects, and the damp, petrid smell of the river was sometimes very strong. The soaring old buildings, topped with intricate balconies and minarets, reminded me of medieval Venice. Crowds thronged the main ghats to experience the aarti, performed by richly clad pundits brandishing huge burning diyas. Loud music and chanting accompanied the choreographed ritual. Indian and foreign tourists sat in their boats, tethered together on the river, to watch.
There is so much life here of every hue. And yet, in the delicate morning light, with the hypnotizing music playing, it is
sublimely beautiful. Incense and reverence are in the air. This is unmistakably a holy city. I can understand already why people are encouraged to spend some time here, a week or 10 days at least, to soak up the ambience. I have such a favoured spot, on this relatively quiet ghat, in this beautiful, charming small hotel, with my private balcony. I frankly feel like Somerset Maughm. I have found a perfect spot to write. India has again generously blessed me, and I am deeply, humbly grateful. I hope to repay her with my devotion to writing about this glorious culture, and doing my part to bring awareness and respect to it (before the shopping malls take over).
Later
After breakfast on the upper terrace, I took a boat down to the main ghats, about 30 minutes away, to visit the Vishwanath Temple (“Golden Temple”) - the main Shiva temple in Varanasi. Non-Hindus are not allowed in, apparently … but I asked to go in, and they let me. A pandit rushed me through the spiritual paces - I had to run to keep up with him - and barely had a chance to really see the ancient
temple with the golden roof. There was a long line-up, but as the only foreigner, I was taken to the front of line. I had to push my way into the small room housing the lingam, where I deposited my flower offerings and poured water over the lingam. Then on to a blessing, where they asked for a donation. Even in the temples, everyone is after you for money. It doesn’t really bother me because that’s how they pay for the upkeep. So though it was an honour to be allowed into such a sacred temple, it was so rush-rush I could barely enjoy it or take it in.
Afterwards, I walked through the very old and very narrow laneways of the old city. Tiny shop after tiny shop selling food, chai, cigarettes, jewelry, clothing, tailoring services and who-knows-what-else line the alleys. I spent time in a music store and finally went back to my hotel by autorickshaw. It was a surprisingly long distance. The length of the ghats is about five kilometers. Varanasi is much bigger than I imagined.
I had lunch at my hotel, in my private sitting room and then fell sound asleep for several
hours. It was a very deep and restful sleep and I had trouble waking up afterwards. I sat in Ashish café for a long time, drinking chai and meeting foreign students who are studying at Benares Hindu University. They love being in Varanasi, in India, but they didn’t have a lot of positive things to say about the university. It was wonderful to connect with other women who love India! In fact, I have discovered that Benares is full of foreign Indiaphiles.
Ashish café is a special place, a tiny three-table café perched on the edge of a family home facing the river. Ashish is a gentle, intelligent young man, a friend to two different Canadian women I know, and now a friend to me. He lives in the house with his family, and he and his brother run the café. At 6 p.m. we met and he took me on his motorcycle to see several temples. I had a wonderful time, partially because Ashish is such a great companion, and partially because he took me to some amazing places: first to a Ganesh temple just in time for a raucous puja, and then to a somber, peaceful “water
temple.”We descended down a deep flight of stone stairs into an ancient tower. At the bottom, the Ganga flows in to a small rectangular tank. I wish I could have photographed this mysterious and medieval place. It was like being in a Tarot card. I really loved it. Couples who want children flock there in the summer to perform rites. Then he took me to Tulsi Ghat, the place where a famous Indian writer and poet, Tulsidas, worked and lived. By then, it was just about time for dinner at my hotel, which is a communal affair in a richly decorated living / dining room, decorated with many beautiful works of art.
Next day
I am writing in my perfect private living room/porch, with the shutters open to let in the light and the street life. Among other interesting activities, there is a snake charmer outside my window, playing music to two cobras. A hotel staff member just delivered a pot of masala chai to my room. The sun is shining, devotional music is playing from the temple across the way and I can hear the squawky sound of the snake charmer’s music. I love India! Honestly, I
could stay in this room for years, writing about the street life outside my window!
This morning, my third day in Benares, I got up at 5 a.m. for a sunrise boat ride on the river. Already, there was a lot of noise and activity outside my hotel as pilgrims were gathering to bathe at sunrise, the most auspicious time. I had hired a guide through my hotel, named Ranjeet, who was exceptional. Not only did he speak very good English, he is also from Varanasi and loves this city. His comments were interesting, sensitive and very spiritually inclined. He was a great guide, and I learned a lot about the ghats, the city, Hinduism and the Ganga from him this morning.
I saw many pilgrims bathing, many sadhus in various states of dress and undress, other boats gliding along the serene river, the majestic, soaring fronts of the many palaces and temples that line the ghats and of course the glowing sunrise. The moment the huge red orb started to rise from below the flat, sandbank across the river from the city and the ghats, the mood changed from serene to celebratory. Hindus have been worshipping the
sun, surya, from before recorded history, especially at this spot on the Ganges - the only place in her 1200 kilometre journey from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal that she runs north (due to the crescent shaped curve in the river). Ganga Mata is considered one of the four mothers of India (along with real mother, cow and India herself).
We stopped at the most sacred ghat, Manikarnika Ghat. It apparently predates the Ganges, and according to myth, this is the place Shiva created the universe. In the centre of the ghat is a tank said to be created by Vishnu. It is a peaceful place, and I loved being there very much. It is the most holy spot for Hindus.
On the way back, I saw several bodies burning on the main burning ghat (one face clearly visible to me), and a body floating in the river. Cremation seems such a personal event, conducted so publicly. I respectfully refrained from taking pictures of pilgrims and the burning ghats, but I saw other foreigners clicking away. Even on the burning ghats, life goes on. I saw children running around, dogs fighting, and other activities, but no
women. I saw only men on the burning ghats.
I just love being by this river, the mighty Ganga. I saw a big sign that read, “Ganga is the lifeline of Indian culture,” and that is how it seems. She does seem to have a strange power. I have been having very emotional dreams, and the heart journey I have been on since Jaisalmer is continuing. My heart opened in Jaisalmer and here in Benares I am offering the energies of my heart to Ganga for healing and guidance and also in gratitude. It's amazing to be in a place where so many people praying, celebrating worshipping god. It is humbling.
Here, too I am also making friends, and my friend Ashish is already encouraging me to stay longer (I am supposed to leave in about four more days). I can imagine falling into the rhythm of this river, these ghats, this city, and studying, learning, praying, being. Why leave? (Except … I am so strongly drawn to Rishikesh and cannot wait to see my friends and teachers ...) This trip, India Thrice, has convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that India is where I belong.
It is the culture of my heart, my muse.
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siobhan o
non-member comment
ahhh melon!
Dear dear Mariellen, how lovely to wake up and read your blog entry - journey of the heart indeed! I'm very happy for you...keep posting. love from me to you...