Varanasi – holy city, holy river, holy cows

Varanasi is a holy city, the spiritual capital of India, probably everyone has heard of it at some point. It is located in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in the north of the country on the banks of the Ganges. It owes its name to two rivers - Varuna and Assi, which mark the boundaries of the old city. Among the locals it is also known as Benares. Legend has it that the city was founded by the god Shiva himself, and according to scientists, it is about 4 years old. For Hindus, this is a particularly important place. They believe that bathing in the Ganges washes away their sins, and death in Varanasi means final liberation from the wheel of Sansara, or the journey of the soul through successive incarnations.

My adventure in Varanasi lasted 4 days. I arrived in the middle of the night, but a few hours later I was ready for my first sunrise over the Ganges. It was worth it! When the city comes to life, you can feel the mystical atmosphere and the breath of thousands of years of history the most. Sitting on a small wall, I calmly stared at the almost motionless surface of the holy river and the burning ball growing over the horizon. Immersed in such a sublime moment, I suddenly heard… sh sh sh, someone came to brush their teeth! I laughed to myself and came down to earth, after all, a holy river here does not mean untouchable – not at all! A moment later, I got on a boat and set off on my first cruise.

Stone Ghats in Varanasi

The Ganges is an inseparable part of the life of every Varanasi resident. The river is accessed through the famous ghats, or stairs that take you directly to the water. There are 87 of them, each with its own name and history. Sailing down the river, I could see people coming there to wash their clothes, wash themselves, perform rituals, work, have fun or say goodbye to the dead. It really is like in the stories! Despite the fact that there are 4 times more people living there than in Krakow, I didn't find the ghats crowded. One place where there are always a lot of people is Dashashwamedh Ghat, the so-called main ghat.

The Holy River – Ganges

The most interesting part of the city is the famous bank of the Ganges. Every day before sunrise and after sunset, ceremonies are held on the bank aarti, or rituals, prayers and thanksgivings to the Mother River, Shiva and other gods. The evening ceremony takes place at Dashashwamedh Ghat and attracts hundreds of participants. Aarti is a blaze of colours and scents – seven men perform a series of movements directed to the four cardinal directions using props such as large candles, incense and flower petals, ringing bells and chanting mantras. VIP viewers sit in the first rows, others on boats, still others a little further on the stairs. And so it is every day since time immemorial.

Varanasi – the chaotic city centre

In addition to the ghats, Varanasi is also a large city of 4 million. As you climb the stairs up and leave the mystical atmosphere of the river, you suddenly become part of a strangely organized chaos. It is loud and crowded, cars, rickshaws, motorbikes, people, cows, goats and monkeys create one constantly moving, vibrating entity. More or less in the middle of the old city, just above the main ghat, the labyrinth of streets draws you in and invites you to get lost in it. I highly recommend getting drawn in, getting rid of the map or GPS for a moment and just walking forward. One day I let my instincts take over and turning left and right, I discovered mysterious nooks. The narrow streets are full of shops, temples, apartments, food, souvenirs, in fact they are full of everything. Those who are more knowledgeable will buy tools and cosmetics, plates and clothes, spices and books, whatever you need. Sometimes a cow blocks the way and you have to ask nicely to move, which it usually does. Watch out for cow patties because they are literally everywhere 😉

Temples in Varanasi

Somewhere in between all this stands Shri Kashi Vishwanath, one of the most important temples of Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva. It is said to be visited by around 3 people a day, which makes a visit more like standing in a long queue, where everyone wants to squeeze in closer, than some kind of sublime experience. However, I found a moment for myself there, when I moved away from the main place of interest to a smaller "shrine". There, a gentleman explained to me that I should now take a cup of milk and slowly pour it on lingam (representation of the god Shiva, often in association with yoni, symbol of the female energy of the goddess Shakti) while saying the words Ohm Namah Shivaya, which I did with his help. I must admit that it was a very intense experience, which I remember particularly well. A touch of that deep faith that floats in the air all around.

Another interesting story that happened to me was a visit to a certain cheerful Baba. Namely baba is usually used to refer to a guru, teacher, spiritual guide or simply an older gentleman or grandfather/father. There are countless older gentlemen dressed in orange in Varanasi. Many of them focus mainly on collecting change from tourists and basically nothing else. This Baba, however, seemed different, so real. He invited me and Gargi from Bombay, whom I met in the hostel, to his modest apartment, which he shares with a German woman who came to him for teachings. Baba is always smiling, he discreetly smuggled his philosophy into our conversations, talked about his guests and showed us an album full of joyful photos from the past. He also gave us a short cooking lesson, after which we ate a delicious from with pancakes roast and rice. Finally, he recommended a few yoga poses that are worth practicing if you have spine problems. I really like such unexpected meetings.

Indian Cuisine. What is worth trying while on a trip to India?

When in India you can't forget about food! For me the most memorable chai masala sold on the ghats and dosa from a mobile cart by the road. chai masala it's tea with a lot of milk, sugar and spices. In Varanasi you can get them at almost every corner, sold for a few rupees in tiny paper cups. They're perfect for a cool morning and sunrise, or just to sit and think for a while. Dosa it's a kind of pancake with filling, folded into a triangle shape, for example - a dish originally from the south of India. The best dosa in Varanasi I ate while walking to a temple located a bit inland, in a random place by the road. There was a wooden cart there, which held everything needed to prepare several dishes. Big pots with masala, sambar and fresh they went, metal bowls for chutneys, plates, spices and a frying plate dosa. In a few minutes, the street cook conjured up a delicious lunch for me, which I ate with my hands, standing up, resting my plate on a pot of sambar and talking to you about the history of Europe… such things only happen in India 🙂

Varanasi could be written about endlessly, it is a city where everyone can create their own unique story. For some it will be a mystical experience, a contact with deep, oriental spirituality, a trip to an ashram or a yoga and meditation course, others will be fascinated by the history and culture, visit one of the largest universities in Asia or take a course in playing the sitar, and still others will experience a clash with India in its full form, with chaos, dirt and poverty, with bodies of the dead burning in front of the eyes of onlookers, with roads where horns and cows reign supreme... for me there was a bit of everything, I would gladly return to Varanasi for longer to discover even more of its secrets. Namaste!