Pilgrims Newsletter - August 1999

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF PILGRIMS BOOK HOUSE...........AUGUST 1999



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A City
Out of this World

To know Varanasi it is not enough to follow the time honored tourist circuit i.e. Golden Temple, river Ganga and Sarnath. You have to try and get lost in the maze of lanes and then find your own way out. Christopher N. Burchett, a long-time resident of Varanasi, throws light on some of the most interesting aspects of Varanasi, which to many a Westerner, is a riddle wrapped inside an enigma.

VARANASI, a city steeped in mystery is believed to be the oldest living city in the world. To many who live there it is accepted as being out of this world and resting on the trident (Trishul) of Lord Shiva, the destroyer of the universe according to Hindu mythology.

Many of the Europeans who in the last two or three centuries visited the city were always amazed at the lack of ancient buildings in a city reputed to be of such age and antiquity. It was only after the discovery of the ruins at Sarnath that they came to believe that this city had existed at least 600 years before Christ.

Conversely, there is no doubt in the minds of the Hindus that Varanasi, Benares or Kashi (by whichever name you wish to call it) has lasted since eternity and that you cannot put a date on its longevity. It may be said that it is a city for all ages. This city has found its place in all the great Indian epics, Puranas and other ancient Hindu and Buddhist literature. It has been in fact a seat of learning from ages immemorial. It is here that the Buddha enlightened his first students to the right path, that Shankara met and defeated his opponents in debates on theology and great saints like Kabir and Goswami Tulsi Das expressed their thoughts and feelings.

Varanasi throughout the ages has been renowned as a seat of learning and place of salvation also. It is the city preferred by the Gods who, not only have done severe penance here but have also elected to inhabit the city eternally. A city of contradictions, where you could have found the greatest philosophers of their times with rogues and ruffians for whom even murder was simply a means to rob humble pilgrims of their valuables. (Hence the term 'Banarasi Thug').

It is a city which intrigues as well as provides a glimpse into the daily life of a Hindu. The daily ritual of bathing in the river Ganga, visiting the temple or temples of their choice that is the life of an inhabitant of the inner city. The paan shop, and the men filling their mouths with blood red juice of the betel, and if you are lucky and can follow the local vernacular a few choice epithets may be heard as friends gather together. This is Benarasiness or Banarasipan as it is called. Free minds in a free atmosphere but still living within the norms and restrictions of their society.

Not only is this city a city of theological learning, it is also a center for classical music. This is mainly restricted to the 'Kathak Gharana'. There have also been renowned writers and literary giants who have done much to develop and expand the culture of the city. Each person in his own way gives some thing to this city whether he be an intellectual or a simple ricksha puller. Everyone has his own account of the origins and reasons for this city's existence and it is fun to hear them all.

To know Varanasi it is not enough to follow the time honored tourist circuit i.e. Golden Temple, River Ganga and Saranath. You have to try and get lost in the maze of lanes and then find your own way out. It is difficult to give a detailed description of these lanes and really do them justice. Let it suffice to say that you will always find something new no matter how many times you visit them. There is no end to temples and shrines, which are reputed to have powers or attributes which date back to time immemorial. The veracity of such claims is difficult to discern but there is no doubt in the minds of a true believer.

Varanasi in essence is to be found in the lanes and alleys of the old city which extend along the waterfront where in olden times only religious activities but also trade and commerce took place. Even now the mainstay of the economy of this city, the hand-woven sarees and brocade, find their main markets situated in this part of the town. The more modern parts, being mainly suburban areas built up of colonies and multi-storied flats.

Each and every strata of society is on view here. Much unlike other towns and cities throughout the world they become almost a single unit during their traditional daily activities and you can find the rich elite sitting happily next to a beggar drinking tea out of an earthen cup. That is not to say class distinctions are not there, but when one strips down for a bath in the river there is not much to choose between them.

The real Banarasi (resident of Varanasi) leads a nonchalant existence revolving around the river Ganga. This to him is his mother, the giver of all, and taking into account the numbers whose existence depends on their involvement with the river it is not surprising. From the boatman to the priest on the riverbanks and the humble community of Doms whose whole life is taken up with the disposal of our left overs and who form the lowest strata of society. For they are the only ones to manage the disposal of the dead the literal gravediggers of the society. So whether it is our daily rubbish or our dead bodies it is they who are called upon to dispose of it.

The typical Benarasi may be said to be a great practitioner of Karma and puts down everything that may happen to him, as his just deserves. His only interest is his daily bath and visit to his local temple if not to the Vishwanath Temple itself. This is his daily routine not to be disturbed, and it is no surprise to see him sitting on the banks of the river washing his clothes and then waiting for them to dry. To try and compare the life of the Benarasi with other city dwellers would only be profitable if he himself had adopted their values. He is a man of his own making.

When one visits Varanasi for the first time (or however many times one may do so) you should never try to judge the city with the general values held by most. As I had said at the outset this city is believed to be out of this world. You have to try to see it through the eyes of a Benarasi. Then only you can say you have understood what this city is all about. For the man looking for all the comforts and pleasures that abound in other great cities of the world a visit to this city will most definitely be disappointing. It is only those whose demands are few and who take pleasure in the simplicity of life who may really derive any real pleasure from the ancient remnants of the city or the truly devoted pilgrim who comes to guarantee his salvation from the travails of human life.

It may be summed with the example of street urchins who, on seeing a dead body on its way to the cremation grounds, mimics the mourners' chants of 'Rama Nama Satya Hai' by saying 'Rama Nama Satya Hai', 'Puri Khaya Mast Hai'. This means that the name of the Lord Rama is truth, and the person who has died has eaten his fill of the fruits of this earth to his full satisfaction.

These are the observations of a long term resident of this city who is not an original Benarasi and he humbly apologizes if anything said here may have hurt the feelings or sentiments of any Benarasi.

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