Kashi Pilgrimage

A trip to Kashi was planned with all the family members. Train tickets were booked three months back and when we boarded the train, it was crazy. In a bogie with a capacity of 72, there were 150 people on board. Even the TT couldn't help organize the rush. All I could say is "Welcome to UP".

Kashi station is named as Varanasi (BSB) and is a very busy railway station as the town is housing the holiest shrine as per Hindu culture. For hindus the famous Viswanath temple on the banks of Ganga river is as revered as Mecca to Muslims or Jerusalem to Christians.

Even though this is a purely spiritual trip, it started with a visit to Banaras Hindu University. This is one of the oldest universities in India and was started by the great Madan Mohan Malavya. He was a freedom fighter with a vision. The university is huge in terms of the area.

After visiting many of the smaller temples, we had our first glimpse of Ganga from the narrow lane leading to Kedar Ghat. Kashi has nearly about 100 ghats, some of which are even privately held. We took a boat ride from the ghat to the other side of the river and had a bathe in Ganga, which is supposed to cleanse our sins. I am not sure of that, but am sure of getting some kind of infection due to the impurities that are mixing into the river. The boat ride lead us to Lalitha Ghat, from where we went to have a darshan of the Viswanath temple. The temple is very small and the deity itself is very small in size. I always imagined a huge linga of the lord here. After the Darshan, we were taken to Dasaswamedh Ghat by the boat, to experience the Ganga Puja. This is a magnificent view from the river.

Being with the family, I had to sacrifice my hunt for nightlife in the town. After all, the town is known as the city of lights.

Next day, I decided to visit as many ghats as possible and started on foot. Manikarnika Ghat is the most important ghat in the town. It is entirely dedicated to the cremation of people of Hinduism. It is believed that any person's soul that died in Kashi, is freed from the cycle of rebirths and attains Moksha. So, thousands come to this holy city to attain Moksha by dying here. This makes Manikarnika Ghat, the most busiest cremation ground in the World. Also, it is said that the ash from the Ghat is used in Abhishekam of the Lord. Also, the legend says that Raja Harishchandra worked on this Ghat at the behest of Vishwamitra.

From Manikarnika, I moved to Lalitha Ghat again, where I witnessed the Vishwanath Aarthi that happens at seven every evening. This should not be confused with the Ganga Aarthi that is performed at Dasaswamedh Ghat every day at 7.30PM everyday. On the whole the weekend was an unforgettable one with loads of memories, mostly adding up to my spiritual development.

Coming to the materialistic Kashi, it offers, many things like famous Pattu(Silk) sarees, the ultra famous Pan (Betel nut wrapped in Betel leaves) and the Lassi (Sweet Yogurt). One must try these without fail.