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Varanasi: (Also Benaras, Kasi)
Varanasi is one of the oldest living
cities in the world. Many names have
been given to Varanasi, though its
recently revived official appellation is
mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the
Jataka tales of Buddhism. It probably
derives from the two rivers that flank
the city, the Varana to the north and
the Asi to the south. Many still use the
anglicized forms of Banaras or Benares,
while pilgrims refer to Kash, first used
three thousand years ago to describe the
kingdom and the city outside which the
Buddha preached his first sermon; the
"City of Light" is also called Kashika,
"the shining one", referring to the
light of Shiva. Another epithet,
Avimukta, meaning "Never Forsaken",
refers to the city that Shiva never
deserted, or that one should never
leave. Further alternatives include
Anandavana, the "forest of bliss", and
Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra)
resides. Varanasi's associations with
Shiva extend to the beginning of time:
legends relate how, after his marriage
to Parvati, Shiva left his Himalayan
abode and came to reside in Kashi with
all the gods in attendance. Temporarily
banished during the rule of the great
king Divodasa, Shiva sent Brahma and
Vishnu as his emissaries, but ultimately
returned to his rightful abode protected
by his loyal attendants Kalabhairav and
Dandapani. Over 350 gods and goddesses,
including a protective ring of Ganesha
form a mandala or sacred pattern with
Shiva Vishwanatha at its center.
The holy city within Banaras is called
Kashi "The Luminous One" or the "City of
Light". Light in Hindu philosophy has
great meaning for it exemplifies the
wisdom that destroys the darkness of
ignorance. Sin and evil are understood
to be the acts of ignorance. Sin cannot
be washed away by water or prayer but
only by wisdom. Immortality is also
reached through wisdom and
understanding. So the City of Light is
the City of Eternal Wisdom as well. To
die in the city beside the river of life
is to die with a promise of redemption,
a promise to be liberated from the
endless cycle of life and death and
reincarnation, and to gain moksha or
eternal absolution. So for centuries
thousands of people have come to Banaras
to die and thousands have brought the
ashes of the dead here to immerse them
in the holy waters.
A city which, since it is both an
exalted place of pilgrimage and an
idealized center of faith, has been
likened to Jerusalem and Mecca.
According to the historians, the city
was founded some ten centuries before
the birth of Christ. Mark Twain, the
American author and litterateur, who was
enthralled by the legend and sanctity of
Banaras, once wrote: "Banaras is older
than history, older than tradition,
older even than legend and looks twice
as old as all of them put together."
Varanasi's prominence in Hindu mythology
is virtually unrivaled. A city where the
past and present, eternity and
continuity co-exist. The city of Banaras
is situated on the west bank of the
holiest of all Indian rivers, the Ganga
or Ganges. The Ganga is believed to have
flown from heaven to wash away the
worldly sins of the human race of
mortals. Normally, She flows from North
to South across the country, but near
the city of Varanasi, She flows from the
South to the North, it is alleged that
the River wanted to pay respects to Lord
Shiva, and thus had to change its
course.
Life on the banks of the Ganga begins
before dawn when thousands of pilgrims -
men, women and children - come down to
the river to wait for the rising sun
when immersion in the sacred river will
cleanse them of their sufferings and
wash their sins away. The city of
Varanasi is on the Western bank of the
River Ganga with few buildings on the
Eastern bank, allowing for a spectacular
view of the rising sun. This is of a
particular attraction for the thousands
of bathers who bathe in the river at
sunrise. The backs of the Ganges exhibit
the ultimate expression of giving up
ones ego, and thus stepping closer to
attainment. It is a spectacular sight to
see thousands set aside their
inhibitions and take off their clothes,
thus taking off the expression of their
wealth, taking off the expression of
their social status, and indeed, an
extremely rare phenomena in Indian
society, taking off the difference of
the sexes, and be just one with their
Almighty.
Along the water's edge, there are the
burning ghats. The most sacred one is
Manikarnika, associated with Goddess
Parvati, Lord Shiva's wife. The most
famous temples to visit is the Golden or
Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Shiva the
most important of the trinity, Brahma,
Vishnu and Maheshwara, the Lords of this
universe. The original temple was
located across the road, but it was
destroyed by Aurangzeb who had built a
mosque over it. The present temple was
built by Ahalya Bai of Indore in 1776.
The Mosque of Aurangzeb, has been built
using columns from the original temple
razed by Aurangzeb. This mosque has
minarets towering 71 metres above the
Ganges. Around this temple evolved the
spiritual identity of Varanasi.
The land around Banaras is also held
sacred since Shiva is believed to have
lived here. It is believed that in this
city of 1.5 million, there are 10,000
temples dedicated to different gods and
goddesses.
Banaras has always been associated with
philosophy and wisdom. A place of
learning for many years, the Banaras
Hindu University carries on this
tradition. The University campus, to the
south of the city, was established in
1916, has a student population of
25,000, most of whom live within the 7
sq. km campus, thus making this
University one of the largest in India.
To breed national unity during the
freedom struggle for India’s
Independence, in the 1930s and 1940s,
Mahatma Gandhi built a temple where the
deity is a three dimension map of India.
The map is made up of about 700
individual cubes of marble, showing the
respective mountain ranges and the
rivers across the country. The idea was
that people of different faiths and
religions would come and pray for the
country. Today, this building is
considered a place of worship, and it is
given the same respect as a temple.
Today the city is renowned for its silk
weavers, who prepare the finest types of
woven silk fabrics. A Banaras silk sari
or shawl is traditionally a single
colored textile with motifs and patterns
woven in gold or silver threads. The
technique is intricate, the procedure
complex and demands great expertise. As
the warp and the weft are interwoven on
the loom, small, often minute shuttles
with gold thread are introduced to form
the motif. When the design of the motif
is completed, a knot is made and the
gold thread cut. The weaving continues
until the next design. The smaller the
motif or the more intricate the design,
the more complex the weaving skills
required. Silk weaving in Banaras is a
cottage industry and in many areas of
the city, especially the Muslim
quarters, one can see looms at work all
day. Entire families are involved,
children often pick up the art from the
elders at an early age. There are shops
in Banaras, and throughout India, that
sell these fine silk fabrics.
Varanasi will perhaps be the most
memorable place that you visit in India. |
