Places to See in Varanasi - Baba Gorakhnath's Tila in Varanasi

In the beginning of the 11th century, Saint Gorakhnath(popularly known as baba Gorakhnath) established the 'Gorakhnath Ka Tila' in the Maldahiya area of Varanasi. Baba Gorakhnath belonged to the Nath community which believed in the 'yogini Kaul Marg'. The people of this community believed in the nine spiritual men or Nine Natha's who provided spiritual direction to the community.According to the followers of this sect, Lord Shiva himself was the first 'Nath' from whom the community originated.Towards the beginning of the 10th century, Matsyendranath worked in spreading the spiritual tenets of this sect.

In the 11th century , baba Gorakhnath followed in the footprints of Matsyendranath and made valuable contribution in spreading the Nath sect.By virtue of his loving nature and selfless service, he provided direction to the contemporary society at large. The key aspect of this belief system was that, it did not distinguish between the rich and poor, wak and strong and did not subscribe to elaborate ritualistic beliefs. He travelled across India to propagate this new thought. He also elaborated on this new sect and its beliefs in two treatises, the 'Gorakhshasiddhanta' and the 'Yogamarg'.

According to baba Gorakhnath, when a disciple manages to awaken his 'Kundalini', he attains a state of perpetual happiness and enlightenment and he merges with the omnipresent and omniscient Shiva.

Baba Gorakhnath set up his 'math'(or mutt) in maldahiya in Varanasi which came to be known as 'Gorakhnath ka Tila'. In this math, the followers worship Shiva, Matsyendranth and the 'Charan Paduka' or the wooden slippers of Baba Gorakhnath. The math also runs a school that serves to spread education among the poor masses. Baba Gorkahnath also established the Kali math near Lakshmikund, where he himself installed the idol of goddess Kali -one of the forms of mother goddess Shakti.

The prominent saints of the Nath sect were believed to practice the 'Abhed Marg', a system of strict rules to attain enlightenment. They did not follow or believe in the contemporary society's rules and beliefs. They even adopted a way of life that was considered outrageous by the contemporary hindu society.

The Jagamwadi Math in Varanasi

The Jangamwadi math (pronounced as ‘mutt’) belongs to the ViraShaiva sect and is one of the most prominent math in Varanasi. A ‘math’ is a center of learning and research lead by a Peethadhipati or a great leader and every ‘math’ and its followers owe their allegiance to a specific religious thought and way of worship and conduct in life. Shaiva Dharma is believed to have promoted the worship of Shiva in his many different forms and so were born many sects who were Shiva believers. Of these many sects, was born the Virashaiva sect or Lingayat who are also known as ‘Jangam’. The Virashaiva sect was prominent in the southern part of India.According to the Vasava Purana, the Virashaiva sect was started by Allabhprabhu and his student – a Brahmin by the name Vasava who was a courtier in the reign of Kalachuri. According to the spiritual leaders of the Virshaiva sect, five great spiritual souls enriched the virshaiva dharma through their teachings at different times in its long history. They were Renukacharya, Darukacharya, Ekormacharya, Panditaradhya and Vishwaradhya. It is believed that these five great teachers were born from the unique Linga of Shiva. And these teachers established the seat of Virshaiva learning at Rambhapuri(Mysore), Ujjain, Ukhimath(Kedarnath), Shree Shail and Kashi (Varanasi). Over the years, the Virshaiva sect was divided in to four sub sects – the Jangam, Sheelvant, Vanik and Panchamshali. The literature of the Jangam or Lingayat sect is predominantly composed in the Kannada Language, a language spoken majorly in the Karnataka state of India.
As per the literature available at the Jangamwadi Math, it is said that the Math in Varanasi was established in the Sat Yuga. However, historical records indicate that the Jangamwadi math was established in Kashi somewhere between 759-65 AD. Jagadguru Shivacharya Vishwaradha Mahaswami is said to have set up the math in Kashi. At present, the Jangamwadi math or mutt is situated close to the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in the Godowlia area of Varanasi.
The Jangamwadi Math is also known as the Jana Simhasan or Jana Peeth. The word ‘Jangam’ means ‘one who knows Shiva’ and ‘Wadi’ means ‘place of living’. Therefore, the place where those who are ‘aware’ of the Shiva stay, came to be known as Jangamwadi. At present, Shri Jagadguru Shivacharya Dr. Chandrasekhar Shivacharya Mahaswami is the 86th ‘Peethadhipati’ or the leader of the math in Kashi.
Deepawali/Diwali and Mahashivaratri are the major festivals of this prominent math. Millions of devotees from across India and the globe congregate at the Matha during these festivals. The Shiva Linga and Jana Peeth established by Jagadguru Vishwaradhya at the Jangamwadi math are the main cornerstones of religious faith and focus. Apart from the many ‘Sadhu’s (saints) who stay at the math, students also reside here. At present, around 50 students reside at the Jangamwadi math where they actively pursue the study of Vedas, Sanskrit and the scriptures.

A Brief History of Varanasi

As per recorded history, the foundation of modern Varanasi was laid by a man called Mansa Ram.

Mansa Ram worked for Meer Rustam Ali till 1738, who had bought the rights for the control and administration of the Varanasi(or Benaras) region from the then Nawab of Awadh. The Varanasi region was part of the kingdom of the Nawab of Audh who resided in Lucknow.Meer Rustam Ali had paid the Nawab of Audh, a sum of 8 lakh rupees or 8 hundred thousand rupees for the control over the region.Mansa Ram, it is believed, bought the rights for the Varanasi region from the Nawab by paying a astronomical sum of 12 lakh rupees. However, Mansa Ram passed away very soon and his son Balwant Singh came to occupy his position. Balwant Singh administered the Banaras region from 1738-39 to 1770. And it was during his rule that in 1754, the majestic fort at Ramnagar near Varanasi was built. The roal family of Varanasi still stays at the Ramnagar fort.

After the death of Balwant Singh in 1770, Maharaja Chet Singh took over the reign in Benaras.On the 18th of Aug in 1781, Warren Hastings, a British governor general plotted against Chet Singh and forced him to give up his Kingship replacing him instead with his nephew, a very young Mahip Narayan Singh who was made the king. Later Vibhuti Narayan Singh became the King of Varanasi.IN 1916, King Vibhuti Narayan Singh donated many acres of land at the behest of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya to set up the world famous Banaras Hindu University.

During the sepoy mutiny of 1857 against the british rule, the dissent of soldiers at Banaras was soon suppressed. However, the short lived agitation had served a warning to the britishers and they converted the Banaras military post in to a full fledged military headquarters and they monitored the security of the GT road from this post and troops to the north and western fronts were always sent from Banaras.

After the independence of India in 1947, Banaras(Varanasi) became part of the state of Uttar Pradesh of the republic of India.

The present King of Kashi(or Varanasi) is Kunwar Anant Narayan Singh who resides at the Ramnagar Fort. He actively presides over the major cultural fests of Varanasi like the Ramlila and Naag Nathaiya. Although a ceremonial figure, he is respected by the people of Varanasi.

82.5 degree longitude - the exact spot lies in Vindyachal near Varanasi

The Indian Standard Time is the time observed through out India and is calculated on the basis of the 82.5 degree longitude.This line passes through several major Indian cities, however the Vindhyachal town, just west of the town of Mirzapur near Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh is most cited. The longitude difference between Vindhyachal and the United Kingdom's Royal Observatory at Greenwich translates to an exact time difference of 5 hours 30 minutes.

Vindhyachal as I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts is a pilgrimage town where millions of devotees from allover India gather to worship the mother goddess Vindhyavasini, an avatar of Shakti or Goddess Durga.During the Navratas, the Vindhyachal town is flooded with worshippers of goddess Shakti as Vindhyachal Devi is one of the 'Shakti Peeth's' where the goddess is believed to reside in one of her sevral forms.
The exact spot that denotes the 82.5 degree longitude lies at a distance of around two hundred meters west of the Amravati cross road in Vindhyachal on the Mirzapur -Allahabad road. There is a billboard at the spot that marks the unique location of the 82.5 degree.

The interesting part is that the same place i.e Vindhyachal(and not the same spot actually) has been used as a reference point since centuries for calculating time by Indians.The traditional Hindu calendar or the Panchang has always used Vindhyachal as areference point for time calculations.This is a remarkable proof of the development of astronomical sciences in ancient India.

There is also another interesting legend associated with the Shiva temple that lies close to the main pilgrimage site of Vindhyachal. Popular folklore has it that the Vindhyeshwar Mahadeva Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is the site where the ten headed demon King, Ravana established a 'Shiva Linga' to worship Lord Shiva. Now Ravana as per the Hindu epic Mahabharata was a extremely learned and enlightened Shiva bhakta and had the most profound knowledge of almost all the branches of learning.And he is believed to have used the place as reference point for the standard time measurements during his rule. The temple is around a mile away from the now acknowledge and marked spot though. While there isn't any scientific evidence to prove the veracity of the above beliefs, the existence of the legend and the location of the temple at a place so close to the 82.5 degree longitude cannot be a sheer coincidence.

Various Religious Organizations in Varanasi and their activities

Varanasi is home to a large number of religious and spiritual organizations representative of the many communities in India.

Arya Samaj is located in Bulanala and Lallapur.Bharat Dharma Mahamandal was started in 1857 by Pandit Din Dayalu Sarma of Punjab and later on it came under the influence of Swami Jnanananda.Located at Lahurabir, it is publishing many valuable works.

Parivrajak Mandal was started around 1923 in Lakhsmi Kund.It is aimed at spreading the reiligous and Dharma feelings in rural areas through its team of Sadhus.Garibdas Mangal Math is running Dayalu Vidyalaya at Bans Phatak.

A number of buddhist monasteries existed in Varanasi and Sarnath in the early years of Indian history. The chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang refers to thirty monasteries in Varanasi alone. At present there are there Buddhist monasteries one near Kashi Vidyapeeth and two near Maldahiya.

Chintamani Parsvanath Jain Mandir at Ram ghat is a matha(mutt) belonging to Jain traditions.

Among other religious faiths, christian missionaries may be found working in Varanasi. There are six religious institutions belonging to Sunni muslims and two belonging to Shias.

The various Hindu Mathas or mutts in Varanasi played a very critical role during the tumultous period of Muslim invasions and muslim oppressive rule from the beginning of the 11th century to the middle of the 18th century.

Varanasi Dons a Festive Look in the Navratras

Navratri or Navratra is an important festival that is celebrated by the Hindus in Varanasi with great fervour and devotion. The period of nine days(hence the name 'navratra') is marked by fasting by the people especially the women folk and visits to the temples of goddess Shakti or Durga in the city of Varanasi. The fasting during the Navratri or the 'nine nights' is to propitiate the mother goddess Shakti as she is endowed with the power to grant any wish and to remove the obstacles from the road to success. Most of the Hindus abstain from eating non-vegetarian food, drinking liquor, indulging in sexual intercourse during this period. Some believers continue to fast over the entire nine days period surviving only on fruits and other items that are considered 'satvik' or pure.

In Varanasi, devotees throng to the temples of the many avatars of the mother goddess Shakti during the entire nine days period. The Durga Temple at Durgakund is considered to be the oldest of the Shakti temples in the city and is highly renowned and revered. Queues of devotees extending for more than a mile can be seen at the temple on the first and the last day of the Navratri festival.

Vindhyachal, a temple of the goddess shakti in the nearby district of Mirzapur is around 75 kms from Varanasi.It is a 'Shakti Peeth' - one the most revered and sacred spots of worship devoted to the mother goddess Shakti, who is believed to have chosen to stay at the spot after killing the demon king - Mahisashura. The temple is visited by millions of devotees from around the country during the navratri festival. Vindhyanchal is an important pilgrimage center and is also known as Vindhyavasini Devi. The other two temples at Vindhyanchal, the Ashtabhuja temple and the Kali Khoh temple are situated closeby and they form the 'sacred triangulation' or the 'Trikon Parikrama' which means that the devotees visit each of these three temples to complete a triangular journey on foot.

For the nine days of Navratri, Varanasi reverberates with devotional songs dedicated to the mother goddess Durga and the city dons a festive look as the end of the navratri period draws near. On the eight or the ninth day of the navratri festival in Varanasi, large fairs are held close to some of the Shakti tamples and families throng to these fairs.Virtually, the entire Varanasi city congregates at these fairs which come alive the hundred of small shops, hawkers selling a variety of popular merchandise and then of course, there are the joy rides and toy trains for the kids.

"Jai Mata Di' (meaning 'Praise be to the Mother goddess') reverberates in the air in Varanasi and the atmosphere radiates with the collective devotion of the people of Varanasi.
Jai Mata Di!

Tourist Spots in Varanasi - Saint Kabir Das Memorial Temple at Kabirchaura in Varanasi

Of the many saints who lived and taught in Varanasi, the name of Kabir Das towers above the rest for his revolutionary thoughts and preaching’s as early as the 1440 AD. Legend has it that a Muslim weaver couple of Varanasi found an infant beside a lake in Kashi(Varanasi) and named him Kabir. Though some people believed him to be the son of high caste Brahmin who had cast him away. There is no concrete evidence on the exact place of birth of Kabir or who were the original parent’s? Nevertheless, Kabir Das was revered equally by the contemporary Hindus and Muslims.

Saint Kabir Das was a mystic poet whose work had a marked influence on the Bhakti Movement. His work is also included in the Guru Granth Sahib – the holy book of Sikhism and Kabir Das is considered one of the 15 Sikh Bhagats. The ‘Kabir Panthi’s” is a religious community that considers Kabir Das as its founding father and proudly carry forward his legacy even today. Kabir’s teachings are mainly in the form of two-line verses called ‘Dohas’. The basic religious principles he espoused are simple. According to Kabir, all life is interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God (Paramatma). It is Kabir's view that salvation is the process of bringing into union these two divine principles. Kabir Daspreached the oneness of all religions and was not supportive of the meaningless rituals of Hinduism or the mindless repetition of Islam. His writings were mainly based on the concept of reincarnation and karma. Kabir Das never really abandoned his worldly life to become a saint, choosing instead to balance his life between a traditional household person and a mystic who lived his life in a simplistic manner.
Kabit Das composed poems that were full of praise for the True Guru or Satguru. He never spoke of any human gurus in his poems. Being illiterate, his verses were always spoken in the vernacular Hindi as he could never express himself in writing. Sant Kabir’s greatest composition is the ‘Bijak’ (the seedling) – a collection of poems that resonate with the idea of the fundamental one. Kabir Das advocated the ‘Sahaja’ Path or the simple/natural way to oneness with the supreme being rather than following of complex religious rites.
Kabis Das left for his heavenly abode in the year 1518 at a place called Magahar near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. His mortal remains are preserved in a Samadhi-Mandir in the Kabir Chaura area of Varanasi. Since he was revered by both the Hindus and Muslims, after his death a Samadhi-Mandir was erected on the order of the ruler of Kashi –Raja Veerdev Singh Ju. This was done to appease both his Hindu and Muslim followers. This samadhi-mandir is built on 1600 square feet (40 X 40) of land in a square shape with baluwa stones. The chauki (the part of the temple just outside the main entrance and running across the periphery of the temple) is done in black and white marble and the temple’s ghanta-ghar is made of beautifully carved stone. The temple’s roof is considered a unique and outstanding piece of architecture. The temple’s dome and minaret are evidence of rare works of architecture and workmanship. The samadhi-mandir’s courtyard is now used for holding special ceremonies.

Things to do in Varanasi - the famous Mithai(Sweets) of Varanasi

Varanasi has a rich tradition of eating sweets(or Mithai, as sweets are called in India) made from milk based products. Like the omnipresent ‘Banarasi Paan’ shops in Varanasi, one finds sweet shops at almost every street in Varanasi. The sight of the varied varieties of sweets displayed at these shops as you traverse the city is a mouth watering experience. Looking back in to the rich cultural heritage of Varanasi, it is easy to understand the reason for the mind-boggling variety of sweets available in Varanasi. Over the past few centuries, Varanasi has been the center of influx of settlers from different regions of India. It is a virtually a mini India of sorts and there are small niche settlements in Varanasi which predominantly boast of the presence of a particular community that settled down in Varanasi. There are the Muslims, the Bengali’s, the South Indians, the Christians, the Sindhi’s, Sikhs, Gujarati’s, Marwaris and the other smaller groups from different parts of India who have made Varanasi their home. As is to be expected, these small, niche localities display a unique lifestyle that still retains the flavor of their original culture and customs of the places they came from including their culinary tradition. For the casual travelers to Varanasi, it would be difficult to notice the difference as these communities have intermingled with the local Varanasi culture and have adopted the ways of Varanasi. However, if you were to take a closer look, you can see the diversity in the unity of Varanasi. The long period of cultural intermixing has created a unique culinary tradition in Varanasi where you would find delicacies from the menu of almost every state of India.
Sweets being part of the menu of almost all Indian cultures, the settlers in Varanasi brought their own unique recipes that gradually became a part of the composite sweet culture of Varanasi. The most popular sweets of Varanasi that are loved by all include the Kalakand,Lal Peda, Parval, Kulfi, Maalpua, Malai Puri and the divine Rabri. And then there is the ‘Lawanglata’ – a sweet that is very well known and really popular among the masses – which you would find in every sweet shop of Varanasi, big or small. If you have a thing for sweets and have a sweet tooth, Varanasi will be a mouth watering odyssey. Feast on the juicy Rosogollas(or Rasgulla), take a big bite of that creamy Barfi or feel the soft Maalpua melting away in your mouth delighting your taste buds. And of course, there is the rich, creamy sweet Lassi of Varanasi– the perfect way to wash down the gastronomical delights. These sweets are made from ‘Khowa’ and ‘Chhena’ both derivatives of milk – that undergo a series of processes perfected by the skilled workers who inherited the art from their forefathers, and shaped into various geometrical forms that adorn the showcase of the sweet shops in Varanasi.
There are many old and good sweet shops that have their own fan base in and around the areas they are located. Some of them are more famous for a particular type of sweet and people would visit the shop from different part of the city to buy. There are some really small shops that have become the ‘go to shop’ if you want to buy a particular variety of sweet. They have a huge fan base in the city and they have become household names renowned for that one special variety of sweet. Then there are the larger sweet shops in Varanasi where you can find almost all the major varieties of sweets you have heard of and some of these shops are equally famous for their good quality and variety. Personally, I love the sweets from a shop called the ‘Chheer Sagar’ that is located close to the Sonarpura chowk on the road to Godowlia.
Changing with the times and keeping in mind the unique needs of the clientele, some of these popular shops also sell the sugar free and low fat versions of their sweets. They claim that they use the sugar substitute that is the choice of diabetics and sugar patients. This has not only increased their client base but also brought back their many fans who had been forced to give up their favorite sweets due to their medical conditions. So even those travelers who may be suffering from high blood sugar or diabetes, can visit some of these sweet shops and savor the many heavenly delights that will sweeten your Varanasi experience. I wonder if some enlightened author would take a cue from the many ‘mithai’ or sweets of Varanasi and compose a ‘Mithaisutra’ on the lines of the extremely popular ‘Kamasutra’ of Khajuraho in India. Not a bad idea, eh? What do you say?

Shopping in Varanasi - the exquisite Banarasi Sari is the pride of Varanasi

Of all the things that Varanasi is famous for, the Banarasi Sari, a rich Sari made by expert weavers using the finest of silks stands out.Banaras is one of the more commonly used names for Varanasi in India and hence the sari's that were weaved here became famous as 'Banarasi Sari'. The Sari is the traditional costume of Indian women and the ‘Banarasi Sari’ epitomizes the best of the breed. It is said that the Banarasi Sari is veritable a 'poetry in silk'.

The history of the silk industry in Varanasi is traditionally linked to the Muslim community, which for almost 800 years was in charge of production. The exotic art of weaving perfected by the weavers in Varanasi remains unmatched. One of the unique features of the Banarasi Sari is the heavy gold brocade which has an extra weft of rich gold thread running across the warp threads. The motifs are picked up in silk thread and bright colors are added in the unique style called Meenakari that is used in gold jewellery. The all over gold brocade known as kimkhab carries patterns of ‘jal’ a trellis enclosing stylized rounded bits. Another variety consists of fine tissue like gold cloth which has warp and weft of gold thread and the patterns worked in silk and gold thread. Generally, the background material is woven in silk and the patterns in gold.

The Banarasi Sari is generally a little costlier than the other type of Saris. The reason is simple. The weavers use the best quality silk yarn that is brought from Karnataka, another state in India, unlike the China silk which is low quality and cheaper. Secondly, the Banarasi saree is woven on handlooms unlike those woven on powerlooms. The former is not only better in terms of design and motif but also in terms of weaving quality and durability. And of course, there is the exotic artistry of the weavers in Varanasi who have been rendering these masterpieces for the past few centuries. Their embroidery work (called Zardozi) is an art to behold.
The common types of Banarasi sarees include the pure banarasi silk sari, georgette sari, Meenakri, Zardozi,Cansal, Jamvar, Navrangi and Jamdani. It is the dream of every Indian woman to own at least one original Banarasi saree and Indian brides love to drape themselves in the ‘poetry in silk’ epitomized by a pure banarasi sari. Travelers from around the world who come to Varanasi and who are aware of the quality of Banarasi saris, make it a point to visit the popular shopping centers in Varanasi to buy their favourite Banarasi Sari. It’s one opportunity they don’t wish to let go off.

Raj Ghat in Varanasi - Excavated remains revealed the connection of Varanasi with the Western World

Rajghat , one of the many ghats in Varanasi used to be a important ferry ghat in the 19th century.Archaelogical excavations carried out near Raj Ghat revealed a variety of terracotta human and animal figurines which hed light on the cultural and political history of Varanasi from the Sunga to the Gahadaval times. The finds include 300 seals and tokens and numerous earthenware pots, besides some coins, beads, ornaments and other objects of domestic use made of pottery, stone, metal, shell, ivory, glass,etc.
The most remarkable finds from the archaelogical excavations consists of tokens of terracotta, impressed with the well-known obverse designs of the Imperial Gupta coins. Several heads from Rajghat which, though not exactly identical, show unmistakable similarity with the heads on the Roman coins. The modelling of the head,the proportion of the parts, the delineation of the nose, eyes and the chin and the treatment of hair betray classical features which are typical of the secular and divine heads occurring on the Greek and Roman gems and coins.These findings hint of a steady commercial and cultural exchange between India and the western world and reveal the importance of Varanasi as an international centre of trade and commerce on the one hand and culture and art on the other. This is considered valuable as so far the evidence regarding India's intercourse with the West as mainly based on the literary notices of the classical authors.The findings at Raj Ghat emerged as a more concrete evidence of the rich past of Varanasi. The collection unearthed during the excavations at Raj Ghat are carefully preserved and can be seen in the Bharat Kala Bhavan in BHU, Varanasi.

Raj Ghat lies south of the Dashaswamedha ghat and is on the road from Varanasi to Mughal Sarai Railway junction.The distance is approximately 8 kms from Varanasi rail head and is a unique place to visit while in Varanasi.

Shopping for Carpets and Rugs in Varanasi - what you should know?

The region between Varanasi-Bhadohi-Mirzapur is India’s carpet belt with Bhadohi near Varanasi being the epicenter of the carpet industry in India. Carpet weaving was introduced in India in the 16th century after the Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered India. Influeneced by the popular Persian culture, the Mughal dynasty set up carpet weaving centers that churned our Persian-inspired weavings as well as classic Mogul carpets featuring realistic floral and pictorial renditions.Now the carpet belt of this region near Varanasi is one of the key centers that produce both pile and flat-woven rugs available in an impressive range of qualities, designs, colorations, and sizes. The Bhadohi weavers have shown a remarkable ability to adapt to ever-changing Western decorative tastes while recreating Persian rug designs at increasingly higher quality standards. Moreover, their rugs are produced in an impressive range of qualities averaging from approximately 85 to 150 knots per square inch. Some of the weavers' dexterity is such that they are even able to produce carpets with over 300 knots per square inch. Most popular in the last decade have been wool dhurries, now mainly characterized by floral designs in an array of fashionable colorations including pastels and more vibrant hues. Also available, although in lesser quantity, are cotton dhurries displaying bold geometric patterns.

The weaving of the rugs is an extremely complex, and time consuming process. Once the yarn has been readied, the skill and artistry of the weavers begin. With the design already rendered in full scale, a team of three to five weavers will prepare a large handloom with the finest machine-spun threads, known as warp threads. Running from the top to the bottom of the loom, this extra strong foundation serves both as the base of the carpet and the trademark fringe.At this stage, gifted hands commence the time-honored process of looping knots of colored yarn around each warp thread, thus creating the rug’s dense pile. After each row of knots is tied, a weft yarn is passed from one side of the carpet to the other before the next row of knots is tied. The wefts are beaten down with heavy steel tools, keeping all the knots securely in place. This balance of tension and compression is unique to hand-woven rugs, and is one of the keys to their legendary durability. This patient process continues, with each craftsman tying as many as 10,000 to 14,000 knots a day – sometimes for as long as 18 months. Little wonder then that some of the hand woven rugs can cost up to a few thousand dollars.
The handwoven rugs are long lasting too and remain beautiful for decades. The key is to treat the rug like your prized antique furniture.

Betel Mania in Varanasi, the undying love for the Banarasi Paan

It is a popular saying that if you were to sum up the essence of the way of life in Varanasi in three simple words, all you have to say is, 'Ganga,Bholenath and Paan'.In Varanasi, these three words virtually signify, the three pillars of life.Ganga, the river is revered as the the mother goddess, Bholenath, another name for Lord Shiva, is the supreme deity of Varanasi,and the Paan is the humble betel leaf that is proudly chewed upon by the true Banarasi.The word 'Banarasi' is generally used to refer to anyone or anything that has its origins in Banaras or Varanasi.So when the Paan of this area became famous all over the country for its unique flavor, the name "Banarasi Paan" stuck on and over the centuries, the banarasi paan has achieved an iconic following all over the country.

For those who come from countries where chewing of betel leaf is not a tradition, the ubiquitous red stains that are to be found everywhere in Varanasi is an incredibly harrowing experience. I have seen foreigners in Varanasi shocked, bewildered and horrified by the sight of men suddenly spitting out red coloured sprays from their oral cavities and then move on, leaving the poor guy wondering if that was blood or something else.An unsavory sight you would say.Nevertheless, this is a sight that is the second most common experience in Varanasi, the first one would be of course the sight of men.Yes, almost every one in Varanasi chews Paan.

There is a Paan shop after every 50 meters in Varanasi where one can buy Paan for as little as 1 rupee. Some special varieties of Paan may cost up to 10 rupees too. The shopkeepers who run these Paan shops are called 'Paanwallahs' and each 'Paanwallah' has his own style of preparing the Paan. The general method though includes dipping the betel or the paan leaf in water, then smearing the leaf with small doses of chuna(lime), Kattha(Acacia Catechu), Supari(betel nut), Saunph(Fennel), surti(ground tobacco leaves), Zarda(a type of flavored tobacco) and then finally, the leaf is delicately folded in to tringular shape and graciously handed over to the buyer who would then in an equally graceful movement of hand, put the folded paan in to his mouth and then slowly dig his teeth , crushing the paan to reach the mixture inside, letting his oral juices intermingle freely with the components of the Paan and then wait for that sensory confirmation from his taste buds to tell him that all is well and the Paan was perfect. Satisfied, he would dig in to his pockets to pull out the well deserved one rupee coin and hand it over to the Paanwallah,in the process also praising him for a job well done before moving on.This is a ritual that you can witness every minute if you were to stand by one of the Paan shops in the city.

The Paan and its components after mixing with the oral juices take on a dark red colour which leaves a red stain wherever it is spit.Fact is, the concoction that forms up in the mouth after chewing paan is not swallowed, rather it is spit out after savoring it for some time. Nobody minds the paan spitting in Varanasi though. The tradition is so intricately woven in to the fabric of life of a Banarasi that it never occurs to anyone that others may find it filthy.For the average Banarsi, eating paan is as much a part of life as drinking water or eating food.

The tradition of chewing Paan is to be seen all over India and the Paan was used by Indians as early as 2600 BC. The Paan is also used in sacred rituals and is offered to guests during important family functions too.

In Varanasi though the chewing of Paan is not just an occasional indulgence, it is a way of life. And it is likely to remain so for times to come.

Shopping in Varanasi - The Exotic Handmade Carpets of Varanasi

Varanasi is also recognized the world over as a hub of Carpet industry. The Varanasi-Bhadohi-Mirzapur belt of this region has been home to traditional carpet weavers who produce some of the most exotic carpets,rugs and durries renowned globally for their quality and magnificent artwork.The carpet trade from this region had been going on for centuries and carpets from this belt are exported to almost all the countries of the world.Bhadohi, a small town about 45 kms from Varanasi is the center of Carpet trade and has some of the oldest and largest carpet manufacturing units.Historical evidence shows that the Banaras weaving industry reached its peak during the Mughal period, due to the patronage of mighty Mughal emperors such as Akbar.

The vast majority of rugs in this region are made using traditional hand knotting skills in small loom sheds or village homes.In addition to Persian designs, pile-woven Aubusson and Savonnerie rugs and flat-woven tapestry-technique dhurries are woven near Varanasi.Exquisite hand made carpets including Handmade Rugs, Handmade Carpets, Hand Woven Dhurries, Hand Tufted Carpets,... the sheer variety of carpets you van find in Varanasi and Bhadohi can leave you spell bound.

The main area where one can look for carpets and handloom products in Varansi is the 'Chowk' area and Godowlia and Thatheri Bazaar.AroundVaranasi also offers its clients special shopping trips which will take them to some of the most dependable and reputed shopping centers in Varanasi for carpets and handlooms.write to us at aroundvaranasi@gmail.com

Bhadohi near Varansi is the current manufacturing hub where there are both small and large units churning out some of the most incredible carpets and rugs.Here you can find cotton durries,Chapra Mir Carpet,Loribaft,Indo-gabbah,nepalese carpets and shaggy type carpets.There are estimated to be around 90000 weavers in this region and about 90 percent of the products are exported to foreign countries.

It is only fair that when you travel to Varanasi, you should get one of these magnificent carpets. You are likely to get a good deal at some of the reputed shops.And, it sure can be a great gift for your friends and family back home.

The exotic Rambagh Baradari in the Rambagh Gardens in Ramnagar, near Varanasi

The erstwhile Benares(another name for Varanasi) state was under the rule of Maharaji Chet Singh who ruled the state 200 years ago.Chet Singh had commissioned some magnificent buildings and gardens during his rule.One such enchanting garden is the Rambagh in Ramnagar near Varanasi, which has some rare varieties of flowers and medicinal plants. However, the prime attraction of Rambagh is the 'Baradari' where the Maharaja would sit with his royal entourage and enjoy the views of the surreal surroundings. The 'Baradari' is made from the rare 'Makrana stone' which is also used in the construction of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.Elegant carved stone pillars support delicate arches with a decorative central seating area for the King. The Baradari was recently in news after reports came out that the rare stones of the baradari are breaking loose due to the careless activities of visitors as well as from the attack of the natural elements.Steps are being taken to dismantle the weaker sections and send them for repair and to replace some of the stone sections with the equally strong 'Chunar' stones which are found in the nearby region and which were also used in the construction of forts and palaces.Since the 'makrana' stones are extremely rare, the 'Chunar' stones seem a viable alternative.Recently, the current king of Kashi, Kunwar Anant Narayan Singh also visited the 'Baradari' to ascertain the extent of damage to the heritage structure.The Rambagh Baradari is a sterling example of the intricate stone-based architectural design that was the trademark of the artisans of this region and which now, unfortunately is well on its way to becoming a thing of the past.

The Most Famous Temples of Varanasi

There are probably very few street corners in Varanasi, where you wouldn't find a temple dedicated to one of the Hindu dieties. Often referred as the city of temples, Varanasi is home to some very revered temples that were built centuries ago. In general, the older the temple, the larger is the number of devotees who throng there.Every temple has its own history and each one of these temples is renowned for a specific effect it will have on your life if you were to pay a visit.Here is a list of some of the most revered and most visited temples in Varanasi.

1) Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Originally built in 1776 by Maharani Ahilya Devi of Indore, the towers of the temple were gold plated by the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835 who donated 1000 kg of gold. The ‘shivalinga’ in the temple 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar
2) Kal Bhairav Temple: Kal Bhairav is another name of Lord Shiva and refers to one of his rather aggressive ‘forms’ or avatar. It is believed that Kal Bhairava was freed of a curse only after he took shelter in Varanasi or Kashi. He is worshipped as the ‘Kotwaal’ of Kashi/Varanasi. The word ‘Kotwaal’ of the Hindi language is used to refer to the person who is responsible for the general well being and law and order situation of a city. It is generally believed that anyone who comes to Varanasi must visit the KalBhairav temple and seek his blessings if he intends to have a safe stay in Varanasi. The Temple lies in the Visheshar Ganj area of Varanasi.
3) The Goddess Durga Temple : The Durga Temple lies in the Durgakund area of Varanasi and is dedicated to goddess Durga. The temple was built in the eighteenth century in the Nagara style of temple architecture. Made of red stone, the Durga temple has a muti-tiered shikhara or spire. There is also a rectangular water tank adjacent to the temple.
4) Manas Mandir : Also known as the Tulsi Manas Mandir, this temple is believed to be built at the spot where the great poet, Tulsidas wrote some parts of the great Indian epic , Ram Charitmanas or the Ramayana. This temple was built in 1964 in pure white marble and is dedicated to Lord Rama. Worth seeing is the beautiful landscaping around the temple and the engraving on the walls depicting scenes from the epic – Ramcharitmanasa. The temple is near the Durga temple in the Durgakund area.
5) The New Kashi Vishwanath Temple: A replica of the original Kashi Vishwanath temple, this was commissioned by one of the richest industrialist families of India – the Birlas. Built in white marble, the temple has a ‘Shiva Linga’ in the inner sanctum Sanctorum and the walls are inscribed with the verses from ancient Hindu scriptures. The temple is located in the campus of the famous Banaras Hindu University near Lanka area of Varanasi.
6) Sankat Mochan Temple : One of the most visited temples in Varanasi, the Sankat Mochan temple is believed to have been established by the legendary poet, Goswami Tulsidas. The temple is devoted to Lord Hanuman who is believed to save his devotees from the adverse effects of a malefic Saturn. The temple is highly revered as it is believed that Lord Hanuman clears all the obstacles from the path of his devotee. The campus of this temple is home to thousands of monkeys who stay here and feed on the offerings from the devotees. The monkeys are not known to harm anyone in the temple campus though.
7) Annapurna Temple: This temple is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna. She is the goddess of food and general prosperity and is believed to be an incarnation of goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. Devotees throng this temple to be blessed with prosperity in life and to be free from going hungry ever in life. There are two idols at the temple – one is made of gold and other is made of brass. The gold idol is reserved for special rituals held on important occasions. Anna Daan or giving away food grains to beggars is common practice at this temple as it is believed to counter the sins of the individual.

Varanasi in the grip of colours as Holi brings in sprays of Gulal and Abeer

One of the most popular(and scary for those who dont like colours)festivals celebrated in Varanasi or rather the entire Northern India is HOLI.Holi is essentially a Hindu festival which is celebrated in a rather unique fashion - spraying powdered colours and shooting water canons at anyone and everyone who comes in sight. A rare and localised form of holi is celebrated in Brindavan near Mathura, which is called the 'Lathmaar Holi'. The Lathmaar Holi, is probably one of the craziest versions of Holi in which the womenfolk of the region beat their men with thick sticks of bamboo,called 'Lathi',and hence the name 'Lathmaar' holi.Holi or no holi, the occasion sure provides the women of the region a chance to get even with their men.Talk of women emancipation - the 'lathmaar holi' is a shining example,i would say.

A day before Holi, a bon fire is lit in every neighbourhood , which is called 'holika dahan'. This is symbolic of the annihilation of evil and has its roots in the mythological story of Prahlada and demoness Holika.

The next morning, people don their old clothes and take to the streets greeting each other by spraying powders(Gulaal and Abeer) of different colours and/or spraying coloured water from 'pichkari'- cyclindrical plastic vessels that have a spraying nozzle for the spray effect. The women and children shoot canons of balloons filled with colured water at the men on the streets from the roof tops and balconies.No one is spared. The more ardent fans will fill a small water tank with coloured water and then they would pick up their prey and throw him in to the tank, ensuring that he undergoes a complete change of colors.All around, one can see human faces painted with the most incredible hues of colours and everyone seems happy about it.

Popular tradition in Varanasi during Holi involves drinking of 'Thandai' or 'Bhang' which is a intoxicating drink made from the poppy seeds. So you would find, groups of men, swaying as they walk, singing the 'songs of holi' and completely drenched in colours.And the naughtier among the group, use special type of colours which would stay on for days even after repeated washing.Though harmful for the skin, there is no way you could dictate the choice of your colour to the carzy fans of holi in Varanasi.

The riot of colors goes on till late in the afternoon.Then it's time for the rather painful process of trying to wash away the colors which refuse to be washed off despite several sessions of scrubbing with the best of soaps and shampoos.Frustrated, many swear that they would not participate in Holi next year.But it's more like the new year resolutions which are made to be broken :).

In the evening, people put on fresh, new clothes and visit their relatives and sweets and pleasantries are exchanged.For the kids, it's a time to show off as they talk about their perfect hits they scored shooting the water filled balloons.While the day does come to an end, the fervour remains in the air for some time. The colours that still remain on the faces of people even after days have gone by are pleasant reminders of the good times everyone had.

In Varanasi, Holi, in a rather indirect way serves to erase the differences of caste,creed, social status and skin colour. The faces of all and sundry that get painted with different colours seem to hide away the differences of caste and status and everyone gets painted in the beautiful colors of Holi.

Top Ten Places to See in Varanasi

1) Varanasi Ghats: The ghats on the banks of the river Ganges are the soul of Varanasi. The ghats are virtually the kaleidoscope of belief, customs and traditions that constitute the philiosphy that is Varanasi. There are 84 ghats in number – huge rectangular stairs that lead to the river edge. Some of them were built as early as the 12 century while others have a more recent origin..
2) Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Originally built in 1776 by Maharani Ahilya Devi of Indore, the towers of the temple were gold plated by the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835 who donated 1000 kg of gold. The ‘shivalinga’ in the temple 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar.
3) St. Mary’s Church: St. Mary’s is probably the oldest Protestant Church in North India outside Calcutta. The foundation stone was laid on 29th April 1810 by Daniel Corrie. This beautiful Church is situated in 11.25 acres of land and has historic background which will be seen from the monuments in the campus of British soldiers who died in action. St Mary"s Church is situated in the cantonment area of Varanasi. This church has a low tower, spire and projecting portico. There are three simple louvered doors beneath plain cornices alternating with two bays, each with white plaster niches. Above each doorway is a rectangular fanlight, protected from the glare of the sun by a plain timber canopy - a simple device which has a major architectural impact.
4) Manikarnika Ghat: Also known as the “Mahashamsana’ or the ‘ Great Cremation Ground of the World’, Manikarnika ghat is where dead are brought from all over the country to be cremated by fire. There is a ‘sacred fire’ that has been burning since centuries and it is the fire from this that is used for the cremation. It is believed that those who are cremated at Manikarnika ghat attain moksha and their souls are set free from the endless cycle of birth and death.
5) Bharat Kala Bhavan: An archaeological museum built in the campus of the Banaras Hindu University. Established in 1920, the museum has vast collection of over 100,000 artifacts like paintings, textiles, costumes, decorative arts, Indian philately and literary and archival materials. The first floor has Numismatic Gallery (collection of coins), Archaeological Gallery, Decorative Art Gallery, Benaras Through the Ages Gallery and Galleries on Alice Boner and M. K. Gupta. There are some proposed extensions of galleries like the Gallery of Archive and Literary Materials, Gallery on Textiles and Costumes and a Gallery of Metal Images.
6) Ramnagar Fort : This fort-palace was built in the eighteenth century and is the home of the king of Kashi( or Varanasi). Built in red sandstone, the fort has a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks. Also, on display are ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons.
7) Chunar Fort: Built by Maharaja Vikramaditya, the king of Ujjain(in Madhyapradesh), this fort had been the stronghold of Babar followed by Shershah Suri, Humayun, Akbar, Aurangzeb and finally,’ the Britishers. Chunar fort is constructed at a height of 80’ to 175’ from the land level of Chunar. The fort area is approx. 3400 Sq. yard, its length is 800 yard & width is 133 to 300 yard. The Chunar Fort is located at a distance of 42 kilometers fron Varanasi city. Worth seeing inside the fort are the Sonva Mandap, Raja Bhartihari Samadhi, Bavan Khamba & Solar Watch.
8) Sarnath : A small town barely 12 kms from Varanasi rail junction, Sarnath is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage and heritage site. This is where the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. Sarnath is home to the excavated remains of the ancient Buddhist monasteries, the famous Lion capital – India’s national emblem, a archaeological museum, huge stupas including the Dhamek and Chaukhandi Stupa and many Buddhist temples built here by missions from Japan, China, Tibet, Cambodia and others.
9) Nepali Temple: This unique temple is situated on the Lalita Ghat on the bank of the river Ganges. The temple was commissioned by the King of Nepal and is built in the Nepali style of architecture by workers who were brought from Nepal to create this marvel. The wood used in the temple is also found in Nepal. The specialty of the wood used in the temple is that termites do not eat this wood. The temple features magnificent wood work and there are erotic wooden sculptures built in to the external columns and facades.Due to the erotic sculptures, it is also called ‘mini-khajuraho’. Another popular name for this temple is the ‘kaathwala’ temple.
10) Lakhania Dari Caves and Waterfall: Located at a distance of around 45 kms from Varanasi are the beautiful small hills of the Vindhyanchal mountain ranges. Ensconced in the hills is a mesmerizing waterfall that drains in to a small clear water lake. This is the Lakhania Dari. A small stream originates from the lake and huge boulders are strewn all over the two km long trek that leads to the waterfall from the lake. Ancient rock caves can be seen on the rocky face of the hills that surround the region. A visual treat for nature lovers and adventure seekers.

What the Buddha Preached in his first Sermon at Sarnath?

Sarnath, a small town near Varanasi is the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. It was after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya(in Bihar) that the Buddha travelled to Sarnath. At Sarnath, in the pristine surroundings of the deer park, the Buddha preached his first set of teachings to the five ascetics who had known him earlier. The Buddha explained to them the Four Noble Truths and The Eight-fold Path.According to Buddha, the four noble truth's are : 1. There is suffering; 2. Suffering has a cause; 3. The cause is removable, and 4. There are ways to remove the causes.

He prescribed the eight-fold path to remove the causes which included:Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration, Right attitude and Right view.
Eventually, Sarnath evolved and developed as a center of the Sammatiya school of buddhist learning.Several other 'suttas' were preached by Gautama Buddha over the next few years.These are:
the Anattalakkhana Sutta,
the Saccavibhanga Sutta,
the Pañca Sutta (S.iii.66f),
the Rathakāra or Pacetana Sutta (A.i.110f),
the two Pāsa Suttas (S.i.105f),
the Samaya Sutta (A.iii.320ff),
the Katuviya Sutta (A.i.279f.),
a discourse on the Metteyyapañha of the Parāyana (A.iii.399f), and
the Dhammadinna Sutta (S.v.406f), preached to the distinguished layman Dhammadinna, who came to see the Buddha.

Later though, towards the end of the 12th century, Sarnath was destroyed by the invading Turkish Muslims. The site was discovered by Alexander Cunningham during the British rule in India.

Emergency services in Varanasi/important phone numbers in Varanasi - whom to contact in emergency?

Just thought that these phone numbers might come in handy if you(god forbid) happen to be in an unfortunate situation and need immediate medical attention while traveling in Varanasi.Here are some of the phone numbers for emergency services in Varanasi:

Banaras Hindu University Hospital Emergency Phone Number: 0542-2309308

IMA Blood Bank and Ambulance Services: 0542-3209111/2414122/2414597

Shiva Prasad Gupt Hospital : 0524-2214723

Railway Hospital: 0542-262408

Varanasi Eye Bank Society : 0542-2202263

Varanasi District Magistrate : 0542-2508585

Varanasi Police Control Room Number : 100, 0542-2414150,2419483
Superintendent of Police, Varanasi : 0542-2414141

Varanasi Railway Enquiry number : 131, 139, 2504131, 2504031

Varanasi Airport Number : 0542-2622081-090

I would suggest keeping a note of these numbers when traveling to Varanasi. Remember that when dialing these numbers from a mobile,if it's on international roaming, you will have to dial, 91-0542(city code for Varanasi) and then the number.

The Story of the 'Doms' - the caretakers at the cremation ghats in Varanasi

In India, the dead body of a person belonging to the majority Hindu community is almost always cremated by fire except in the case of small babies or holy men, who are buried.And a large number of dead bodies are brought to Varanasi everyday from far off places to be cremated at the ghats here. This tradition is guided by the belief that those are cremated at Varanasi will be liberated from the endless cycle of birth and death.

The Raja Harishchandra Ghat and the Manikarnika Ghat are the two cremation grounds where the dead bodies are offered to fire. Manikarnika Ghat occupies a elevated status as compared to Harishchandra ghat and it is a costly affair to cremate a body here as the 'Doms' at Manikarnika charge exorbitantly for their services.

Who are these doms?
Doms belong to the 'Dom' community of India, who are considered outcastes and mostly engage in professions such as agricultural labourers, weavers,and cremation of dead bodies.

In Varanasi, at these two ghats, the doms are believed to be very rich.They are known to charge huge sums of money for their role in the cremation of the dead.The current 'Dom Raja' of Varanasi is a multimillionaire.In the Hindu tradition, when the dead body is brought to the cremation ghat, it is the 'dom' who provides the first set of five logs of wood required for the funeral pyre.The rest of the wood is then provided by the relatives of the deceased. The 'dom' then hands over the lighted straw to the person who then lights the funeral pyre with that bunch of burning straw. IT is for these three services that the 'dom' exacts his fee which he decides at will based upon his judgement of the financial background of the deceased and his family.And they are really smart at this and are known to charge huge sums of money from the rich families who bring their dead to Manikarnika Ghat. It is said that when the dead body of the recently deceased former king of Kashi(Varanasi) was brought for cremation at Manikarnika, the dom was paid 600000 rupees and was given the rights to acres of land in lieu of his services rendered.

The 'doms' at Varanasi have become very rich over the years - thanks to this tradition. Legend has it that at one time, the great king, Raja Harishchandra worked as a helper to the Kalu dom, who tended the cremation grounds centuries ago. The king had sold himself to the 'dom'. Since then, the head of the dom's , the chief cremator at Varanasi have taken on the title 'Dom Raja' or the dom king. There are around 30 main doms and after them come the 500 odd doms, who form the second rung of hierarchy.
The doms are the keepers of the sacred fire at the cremation ground, which is never allowed to die down. Death is the constant companion of the doms, who virtually spend their entire lives at these cremation grounds.

The story of Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi - the Maha Shamsana of the world.

One of the most surprising and unique aspect of the city of Varanasi is that the cremation grounds or the 'shamshan ghats' are located in the city itself and in the vicinity of some of the most sacred temples. The two major one's being the Manikarnika and the Harish chandra ghat.The reason for the presence of these ghats inside the city lies in the Hindu mythology. It is said that Lord Shiva gave Lord Vishnu a boon - that whoever dies here in Kashi(old name of Varanasi) would be liberated from the endless cycle of birth and death and his soul would be set free.And so these cremation grounds were no longer looked down as being impure or unholy places.Instead, they were now considered to be the final link in the journey to being liberated.

The Manikarnika ghat in the past, was where only the royals were cremated while the Harishchandra ghat was for the commoners.There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the Manikarnika Kund. Manikarnika Kund is said to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation.It is believed that Lord Shiva had dropped his ear rings in this well during his transcendental dance and hence the name 'Manikarnika' which when literally translated means 'jewelled ear ring'.

Every Hindu in Varanasi aspires to be cremated at Manikarnika after death as it is believed that cremation here is a guarantee of liberation - courtesy the boon given by Lord Shiva.Nevertheless, it's a very costly affair and not everyone can afford it.So the Harishchandra ghat is where most would end up.

Manikarnika is the 'Maha Shamsana' or The Great Cremation Ground where Lord Shiva himself is believed to guide the dead in to the other world.

Different shades of life on the ghats of Varanasi

Tha ghats of Varanasi are by far the most colourful places where one can come across some of the most fascinating sites.I happened to witness a rather astonishing one today myslef. On one of the burning ghats, where the dead bodies are cremated, I saw a person of foreign origin huddled with a group of 'sadhus' who seemed to belong to the 'aghori' sect and they were huddled together around a small fire and talking in whispers. There were two dogs who were obviously their pets who were also part of the get-together.Tis person who was a foreigner was treating the sadhus with utmost respect as they barely spoke and only nodded a couple of times to acknowledge his actions. I could not figure out if he was talking to them in the local language? Had to be, there is no way those sadhus would understand a foreign language.The sadhus looked filthy, unkempt and unfriendly.Yet, our man was bowing to them every now and then. They were sharing a pipe that was filled with 'pot' or 'ganja' or 'grass', an addictive drug and it was being passed around and each had a couple of drags before handing it over to the other.Our man too shared williingly and from the way he was doing it, it was evident he wasn't a beginner. The entire group was seemingly oblivious to their surrounding.After some time, our man, got up, touched the feet of the leader(apparently) and bowed to the others and moved on.The group meanwhile continued the jig. Now,I have heard and read about researchers actually staying and living with such groups to document their findings on the thought and philosophy of such sects and this may well be the case here too.On the other hand, a lot of foreigners are known to come to Varanai because they are addicts and it's easy to get dope or grass in Varanasi.Little wonder that you will find numerous 'hippies' in Varanasi who remain lodged in the cheaper hotels and guest houses and frequent the ghats to lay hand on cheap dope.It's a old and symbiotic relationship.The hotels don't really care what the guy does as long as he pays and these 'hippies' generally keep to themselves and pay on time (god knows how?).They easily manage to befriend these 'sadhus'on the ghats, who gladly share their pipe with them. You will find the hippie crowd in noticeable numbers in Varanasi and on the ghats.Some of them are well known faces for the locals who will smile at them and say something in broken English, only to elicit a knowing smile from the hippie.It's a old bond between the city and these guys and many of them are known to stay over, long after their visas have expired(if they ever had one in the first place).Nobody really cares.Nevertheless, these hippies are a key component in the ecosystem of the ghats and I guess will remain so for years to come.Mind you though, some of them may look like the hippies but they are actually research students and volunteers who might seem to be on of them for their unkempt look. You will have to take a closer look to know the difference :). It's actually fun doing that :)

Ezekiel 25:17, my favorite quote from the movie Pulp Fiction

I honestly feel(and am willing to argue) that Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest hollywood movies made so far.I must have watched it several times because I have memorized one of my favorite dialogues from the movie :). I love the way Samuel Jackson(jules) delivers this diologue in this movie.It's fantabulous!!
here's how it goes: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

And I love the part where he is talking to Ringo in the cafe and says this.Absolutely, amazing!!.What say!

The Monasteries at Sarnath Where History Comes Alive

The main heritage site at Sarnath houses the monasteries and the famous Dhamek Stupa and the Ashoka Pillar which was originally surmounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the national emblem of our country India.

Centuries ago, Sarnath was a prominent center of learning and there were Buddhisht monasteries where buddhist monks spent their lives researching and documenting the teachings of Lord Buddha.Lying here are the excavated remains of the monasteries where centuries ago scholars from the Sammatiya and Vajrayana school of buddhism lived and studied and taught.The site was attacked by turkish muslims at the end of the 12th century and plundered and destroyed.

A little further is the four small fragments of the original column of Emperor Ashoka which was surmounted by the Lion Capital which miraculously remained unbroken after the fall and was rightly chosen as the national emblem of India. The column was destroyed during the plunderings attacks of Qutb-ud-din in 1194. The lion capital is now kept in the musuem at Sarnath. The original column was built around 3rd century BC and was made of chunar sanstone that bear the typical shiny Mauryan polish. The lion capital of Ashoka lies preserved in the nearby Sarnath archaelogical museum.The place is adored by the kids and teenagers as they get a chance to witness the icons that lie embedded on the pages of their history books.

Anagarika Dharmapala - Founder of Mahabodhi Society at Sarnath

Mahabodhi Society at Sarnath was founded by Anagarika Dharmapala who was born in Colombo, Srilanka and is acknowledged as the pioneer in the revival of buddhism in India. As per the inscriptions on his statue at Mahabodhi society, he was born in 1864 at Colombo and died at Sarnath in 1933. According to our friend and guide Pankaj, Dharmapal was born in a family of rich merchants in Colombo, Srilanka(then Ceylon). Dharmapala was the first anagarika - that is, a celibate, full-time worker for Buddhism - in modern times. It seems that he took a vow of celibacy at the age of eight and remained faithful to it all his life. Although he wore a yellow robe, it was not of the traditional bhikkhu pattern, and he did not shave his head. He felt that the observance of all the vinaya rules would get in the way of his work, especially as he traveled around the world to spread the tenets of Buddhism.

The majestic Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath in Varanasi

One of the architectural marvels from the Ashokan era is the huge Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath.The Dhamek Stupa is a44 m high round tower, 27 meter in diameter standing on a stone base made of bricks with ornamental stonework in some places and narrows down in diameter as it moves up. The Dhamek Stupa is again from Asoka’s time, 3rd century BC.

A burnt clay tablet that was found at this spot denoted the stupa as “Dhamaka” which means that it marks the spot where Lord Buddha addressed the five disciples setting the “Wheel of Dhamma” in motion. Buddhist pilgrims and followers perform a right handed circumambulation of the Dhamek stupa as a mark of devotion. The stupa is completely solid like all stupas and cannot be entered.

The Buddhist Monasteries of Sarnath near Varanasi

The main heritage site at Sarnath houses the monasteries and the famous Dhamek Stupa and the Ashoka Pillar which was originally surmounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the national emblem of our country India.
The site has the excavated remains of the monasteries where centuries ago scholars from the Sammatiya and Vajrayana school of buddhism lived and studied and taught. The sight is awe-inspiring to say the least.The site was attacked by turkish muslims at the end of the 12th century and plundered and destroyed.

A little further is the four small fragments of the original column of Emperor Ashoka which was surmounted by the Lion Capital which miraculously remained unbroken after the fall and was rightly chosen as the national emblem of India. The column was destroyed during the plunderings attacks of Qutb-ud-din in 1194. The lion capital is now kept in the musuem at Sarnath. The original column was build around 3rd century BC and was made of chunar sanstone that bear the typical shiny Mauryan polish.

The Lion Capital is now safe at the archaelogical musueum next door.The entire area is dotted with huge trees and it's a pleasure to simply lie down under the shade of one of the trees and wonder about the lives of the men who lived here!!

The famous Chaukhandi Stupa in Sarnath

Now for those of you who do not know- Sarnath is a small town close to Varanasi and is the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after his enlightenment. Sarnath was the site of archaelogical excavations that revealed a large number of structures prominent among them the Stupas and the monasteries where buddhist monks lived and studied.One of the fist stupas that you will see on your way to Sarnath is the Chaukhandi Stupa. This stupa is a huge structure made of red bricks and is called Chaukhandi because of its four armed plan. Chau means four and khand means parts or arms in the local language and hence the name chaukhandi.
The Chukhandi stupa was built around 4th -5th Century AD during the Gupta period. The spot according to the historians is where Lord Gautam Buddha “probably” met his first five disciples/companions after enlightenment. This stupa also finds mention in the written accounts of the celebrated Chinese Traveller, Hiuen Tsiang of 7th century AD.

The image of Buddha in Dharmachakra Pravartan mudra and Leogryphs with swordsmen found here are astonishing remnants of the classical Gupta Art of those times.

The octagonal brick tower crowning the Stupa is actually a Mughal structure erected in 1588 AD by Govardhan son of Raja Todar Mal to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the great Mughal emperor to this place. This is recorded in an Arabic inscription on a stone slab above its doorway on the north side.

The stupa is now maintained by the archaelogical survey of India.

What is the origin of the name 'Varanasi'?

The city of Varanasi is still referred to as 'Kashi'- the name it has always had. The name Varanasi is a more recent one if you consider the fact that the name 'Kashi'is mentioned in the Rig Veda, taking us back to more than a few thousand years.The name 'Varanasi' is believed to have its origins in the presence of the two rivers, Varuna and Assi or Asi, which flow through this region. Locally, Varanasi is equally popular as Benares or Banaras.Unfortunately, though the two rivers, Varuna and Asi have been reduced to 'nalas' or filthy streams. You would find it hard to believe that they were rivers if you were to look at them in Varanasi. The sewage of the entire city drain in to these two rivers robbing them of their original glory. It is now an accepted fact that these two rivers would dry up in the coming years. Nothing could be done. The focus is to somehow save the more important Ganga that in turn is fed by these two rivers(or drains rather?). There is nationwide uproar against the current, polluted state of Ganga and humongous projects have been undertaken in Varanasi and other places to save the Ganga.To what end?Only time will tell.The corrupt bureaucrats in India are known to swindle away billions of dollars of funds to their personal swiss bank accounts leaving almost no trace. Its difficult to assume that the outcome will be different this time.

The Ganga Ghats of Varanasi

One of the most visited places in Varanasi is the 'ghats' or the 'stone steps' that stretch along the bank of the river Ganga for a couple of miles. There are a total of 84 ghats that have been built over the last few centuries. There are inscriptions that date back to the 12th century and bring to light the fact that there were only 5 ghats then.Each of the 84 ghats have their unique place of importance and there is a story behind the origin of all these ghats.Among the most popular ones are the Dashaswamedha ghat, Manikarnika ghat, Harishchandra ghat,Assi ghat,and Lalita ghat. It is a unique experience to just walk through these ghats especially during the early morning and evening hours.The place comes alive as the hub of spiritual and religious activities.For those who are not aware of Indian religious customs, the sight of the flames of the funeral pyres, burning on the ghats can be a strange experience.In the evening, do not forget to witness the elaborate and exhilirating 'ganga aarti' ceremony that is performed on some of these ghats.It is a daily ritual where you will witness volunteers swaying their bodies to the thumping sound of drums, burning lamps swaying along with their bodies in a trance like manner.It is a offering to the 'goddess Ganga', the holy river.No trip to Varanasi is complete without a boat ride on the Ganga.It is a singular experience to observe the ghats and the goings-on from the boat as it passes along the ghats.There are ancient temples and mutts along the ghats, each with its own legacy that can be traced back to the bygone centuries.We at aroundvaranai.com will help to unravel and unfold some of these stories as we take you through a 'mystical' walk through the 'ganga ghats'.

Kashi Naresh - The present king of Varanasi(Kashi)

Anant Narayan Singh, the present king of Kashi(old name of Varanasi) resides at the Ramnagar Fort at Ramnagar which is at a distance of around 12 kms from from the Varanasi railway station. He is an extremely popular person in Varanasi and is the religious head of the the people. He is married to Maharani Anamika Devi. His official residence, the Ramnagar fort and its museum are of immense historical and cultural significance and are also a very popular tourist spot. The king himself has a deep interest in the cultural activities of Varanasi and takes personal interest in the successful enactment of the Ramlila play that is staged every year in Varanasi. He also presides over several annual festivities such as Nagnathiya held at the Tulsi Ghat.
While the erstwhile kingdom was merged in to India in 1948, the respected king is still revered by the people as the Kashi Naresh meaning ruler of kashi or varanasi.
The Kashi Naresh is also the president of the trust that manages the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.
Due to his active involvement in several cultural activities around the year that are symbolic of the unique heritage of Varanasi, the Kashi Naresh is loved and respected by one and all in Varanasi.

List of Trains to Varanasi

Varanasi is well connected to New Delhi by a good number of trains and it's only an overnight journey. Travellers planning to visit Varanasi from Delhi can book their travel tickets themselves on any of these trains. Train tickets from Delhi to Varanasi in the reserved sleeper class category cost around 300 rupees(approximatley 6 US dollars) and in the much better Airconditioned sleeper class, it would cost around 800 rupees (approximately 17 US dollars). I know for a fact that there are bus services available too from Delhi to Varanasi. These buses start from the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal that is built on the outskirts of Delhi but we would advise against it. Given the condition of the buses, the roads and the considerably long journey, it can be a horrifying experience as I had to go through the torture myself once. Indian buses are not designed for long distance travel, much needs to be done on plying buses on long routes that can offer some basic level of comfort for the traveller. Personally, we found the train travel a far better choice. Book your tickets on the KashiVishwanath Express or the ShivGanga Express that start from NewDelhi railway station and arrive in Varanasi early morning next day. Shiv Ganga Express is a good choice as one could leave in the evening after sighseeing in DElhi and board the train in the evening at 18:30 PM and reach Varanasi in the morning next day at 7:30 AM.However, during the winter season between December to February, you can expect a delay of anywhere between 2 to 10 hours on this route due to fog that covers most of northern India and reduces visibility to as low as 2 meters. Train delays are pretty much a routine thing during this period of the year.Here’s a list of trains that can take you to Varanasi from NewDelhi. You can also visit the Indian Railways website at http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ to book your tickets online if need be.
Train No Name Departure Arrival Runs on ClassType
2382 Poorva Express 16:20 05:20 Mon, Tue, Fri Both AC & Non AC
2392 Shramjeevi Express 13:15 02:30 All Days Both AC & Non AC
2436 NDLS DBRT RJDHN 09:30 22:15 Thu,Sun Only AC
2560 ShivGanga Express 18:30 07:30 All Days Both AC and Non AC
2562 Swatantra S Expr 20:35 08:50 All Days Both AC and Non AC
2876 Neelachal Exp 06:30 20:05 Tue, Fri, Sun Both AC and NonAC
3414 Farakka Exp 21:50 15:00 Mon, Wed, Sat Both AC and Non AC
4006 Lichchavi Exp 15:35 06:20 All Days Both AC and Non AC
4008 Sadbhawna Exp 16:30 09:20 Fri, Sun Both AC and Non AC
4258 Kashi-Vishwanath 13:30 05:50 All Days Both AC and Non AC

Tour of the Ramnagar Fort in Varanasi - an icon of Varanasi' royal past

The Ramnagar fort, the official residence of the Maharaja of Kashi the former ruler of Varanasi is about 12 km. from Varanasi. One has to cross the Ganga river to the other side to enter Ramnagar. Book a cab or an autorickshaw that will take you through the swaying 'Pipa -pull" a rickety yet safe bridge over the river Ganges.It takes about a little more than hour to reach if the traffic isn't too bad. Be ready to spend most part of a day if you wish to brwose through the fort palace lesiurely. Built by Maharaja Balwant Singh in the eighteenth century the fort houses his palace. The fort is built in red sandstone and is an imposing building, every inch of it seeped in history. It is said that the great poet Ved Vyasa who wrote the hindu epic Mahabharata also stayed here for some time.

The fort at Ramnagar houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks. . There is also a rare temple of Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman . One of the most interesting things to be seen here is is a big clock on the walls of the fort. This clock not only displays year, month, week and day but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and constellation of stars. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons are some of the artifacts on display in the Ramnagar fort-palace museum.

The Ramnagar fort is worthy of a visit if you are interested in ancient fort and palace architecture. On a personal note, such visits fill my heart with pride. These forts, palaces and temples are not just objects of beauty but are testimony to the technological advancement of our ancestors who were able to build such gigantic structures with out the use of the machines and tools that are available to man today. And the fact that they have withstood the vagaries of nature for centuries makes modern construction practices seem at best - “amateur”.

Hotels in Varanasi - a review by travelers who stayed at these hotels

Of late we had been randomly talking to tourists we would meet during our sojourns on the ghats in Varanasi and we had been documenting their reviews of the hotels in Varanasi. We had been doing this for some time now and have spoken to quite a few tourists from different countries and here is a list of hotels in Varanasi where these people had been staying. We asked these tourists where they were staying and what is the one good thing they had to say about the hotel they were staying at?
On an average, we met 3 to 4 people who had stayed at a particular hotel before we rated the hotel based on reviews by those who had stayed there. We did this only for the benefit of the readers of my blog. We would come up with more of such reviews when we have more data on the other hotels in Varanasi. However, We did not collect any commercial information about the hotels i.e the price of rooms, cost of food etc. We were looking for a general feedback from the guests and this is what it is:
Rashmi Guest House – Overall Rating is good, One good thing – Great view of the River Ganges
Hotel Radisson – Overall Rating is very good, One good thing – Excellent food
The Gateway Hotel – Overall Rating is Excellent, One good thing – Beautiful lawns and multi-country cuisine
Ganges View – Overall Rating is good, One good thing – Nice view of the River Ganges and the ghats
Ramada Plaza – Overall rating is excellent, One good thing – Good hospitality, good food
Hotel Buddha – Overall rating is good, One good thing – Reasonable pricing

Hotel Clarks – Overall rating is very good, One good thing – Large variety of cuisine
Chaitanya Guest House – Overall rating is good, One good thing – Affordable
Palace on Ganges – Overall rating is good, One good thing – rooftop restaurant offering good view of Ganges and proximity to the ghats
Hotel Ideal Tower – Overall rating is good, One good thing – Spacious rooms
Diamond Hotel – Overall rating is good, One good thing – Budget hotel, affordable costs for budget conscious traveler
Gangaview Guest House – Overall rating is good, One good thing – Good view, located right on the ghats
We hope this would be of some help to other travellers to Varanasi.

The divine aura of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi

It is not very easy to describe in words, the feeling that engulfed me when I visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple of Varanasi. To write about this symbol of Lord Shiva himself, which veritably is the symbol of the Hindu religion itself is not an easy task.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple enshrines one of the twelve “Jyotirlingams” of Lord Shiva and is the focal point of devotion of Hindus from all over the globe who come here to seek salvation or moksha. The temple is located in the Vishwanath Galli near Godowlia in Varanasi and while the original temple was destroyed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, the new temple built very close to the original one is now the center of Hindu worship. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is an ancient temple and many ancient Hindu scriptures are replete with the description of the temple and its religious importance. The Temple has been visited by all great saints- Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and several other spiritual personalities.

Though the original temple was destroyed by Aurangzeb who built a mosque in its place, but the traces of the old temple can be seen behind the mosque. The present temple was built by Maharani Ahilya Bai of Indore in the year 1776 after she saw Lord Shiva in her dream. And Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab had the temple spire and the dome plated with 1000 kg of gold.

There is a small well in the temple called the “Gyan Vaapi” meaning the wisdom well. Legend has it that during the time of the invasion by Aurangzebs army, one of the priests of the temples had jumped in this well to hide the jyotirlinga from the invaders.

Standing in the temple amidst the ringing of the bells and the reverberating recitation of the religious shlokas, the sight of men and women overwhelmed with devotion, I felt as if some sort of electric charge had started flowing through my body. I know it sounds funny, but there is definitely an aura about the place which is inescapable. I was mesmerized and instinctively remembered Lord Shiva and thanked him for granting me this opportunity to be present here at that moment. There are small temples for KAAL BHAIRAV, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha and Virupaksh Gauri in the complex.

In 1983, the management of temple was handed over to a trust set up the state government of Uttar Pradesh. The president of the trust is Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, the former king of Kashi (Varanasi) and the executive committee of the trust is headed by the divisional commissioner as Chairman.

The famous Kashi Vishwanath temple of Varanasi

The Kashi Vishwanath temple at Varanasi dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the oldest Hindu temples in India and is rveerd by Hindus all over India. Built by maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore an erstwhile princely state of India in 1780, the temple stands in the Vishwanath Galli near the Ganga river. The Jyotir Linga symbolic of Lord Shiva is worshipped by thousands of devotees who throng the temple everyday from all corners of the country.
The temple spire and the dome are plated with 1000 kilograms of gold that was donated by the king of Punjab, Maharana Ranjit Singh in 1835.
The temple has a small well called the Jnana Vyapi meaning the Wisdom well. It is said that the Jyotir Linga was hidden in the well to protect it when Aurangzeb, the mughal ruler of India had ordered its destruction.
It is said that a bath in the river Ganges and a visit to the temple would lead to Moksha or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.

The Ramnagar Fort & Palace - the abode of the King of Varanasi

The Ramnagar fort, the official residence of the Maharaja of Kashi the former ruler of Varanasi is about 12 km. from Varanasi. One has to cross the Ganga river to the other side to enter Ramnagar. Built by Maharaja Balwant Singh in the eighteenth century the fort houses his palace. The fort is built in red sandstone and is an imposing building every inch of it seeped in history. It is said that the great poet Ved Vyasa who wrote the hindu epic Mahabharata also stayed here for some time.

The fort at Ramnagar houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks. . There is also a rare temple of Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman . One of the most interesting things to be seen here is is a big clock on the walls of the fort. This clock not only displays year, month, week and day but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and constellation of stars. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons are some of the artifacts on display in the Ramnagar fort-palace museum.

The Ramnagar fort is worthy of a visit if you are interested in ancient fort and palace architecture. On a personal note, such visits fill my heart with pride. These forts, palaces and temples are not just objects of beauty but are testimony to the technological advancement of our ancestors who were able to build such gigantic structures with out the use of the machines and tools that are available to man today. And the fact that they have withstood the vagaries of nature for centuries makes modern construction practices seem “amateur”.

Aughar or the Aghori - do they really feast on dead bodies?

I had long been fascinated by the Aghoris or “aughars” and my fascination was born out of the many weird and incredible stories that are associated with “aghoris”, their way of life and their supernatural powers.
In Varanasi lies one of the oldest schools or peeth of the 'Aghori' way of life - Aghor Research and Service Center, Krin Kund. This ashram or school was established by Baba Kinaram in the 16th century.Before I talk about Aghoracharya Baba Kinaram and his teachings, I want to state here what “Aghori” stands for and what are the origins of this aghor sect?

The word “Aghor” when translated literally means “that which is easy or non-terrible” which is the underlying philosophy of the Aghor sect. Contrary to popular perception that “Aghoris” are human flesh eaters and urine-drinkers who practice black magic, “Aghor” philosophy is about absolute renunciation. However, the “Aghoris” do drink liquor and eat flesh as opposed to practitioners of other spiritual sects in India where these things are taboo. But these acts are just symbolic and not a part of their lifestyle. For the “Aghori” these acts are a way of breaking all social conventions.

The “aghors” believe that by breaking these social taboos, true realization dawns. Secondly, for the “aghor” their Lord Shiva is perfect and since he is responsible for everything hence everything that exists must be perfect and so for the “aghor” nothing is dirty or untouchable or unpalatable. So the “aghori” would wear the shroud taken off a dead body, or chose to remain naked or rub himself with ashes of the dead, or drink in vessels made of human skull only to negate the popular perception that these things are unholy or impure in a way emphasizing their core belief that nothing is impure as everything stands for Shiva and Shiva is perfect. Out of these very acts of the “aghoris” were born some of the incredible rumours that surround these unique followers of shiva.

Speaking to one of the senior members at the Baba Kinaram ashram, which is the main “akhada” or ashram or school of aghoris, I learnt that some of the rather revolting practices attributed to the “aghoris” were actually a sort of trick to which some of the “lost” followers of the sect resorted to instill fear in the minds of people and to eventually reap benefits by claiming to have attained supernatural powers. The real “aghori” would not resort to such cheap practices. To him, the path of “aghor” is the path of “swa-atmarama” or the realization that the “self” is the abode of the Supreme Being and in fact He resides in everything and hence everything is pure.

The “aghoris” claim lineage from the Avadhuta Siddhas of Kashi(Varanasi) which in turn emanated from Lord Shiva himself. The first aghor was Aghor Bhairavacharya of the 5th-6th century and his lineage was revived by Baba Kinaram in the 16th century after receiving darshan of Bhagwan Dattatreya who is a combination of divine trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

Can we really 'Save Our Tigers' ?

“Just 1411 left.You can make a difference.” I must admit, it’s an impressive campaign that is being run these days in the media by Aircel and WWF.And obviously, quite a few celebrities have joined the ‘roar’. Why not? Who would want to miss out on free media coverage in return for lip service? Now before you start feeling indignant and get pissed off reading this, think if the poor tiger is really going to get anything out of this mammoth exercise. It’s a good trick to highlight the numbers.It succeeds in creating a sense of urgency too.But didn’t we see this coming? Oh, come on now!! We all knew that tigers were being poached rather freely even in the so called protected wild reserves and money ending up in the lockers of the wildlife wardens and ministers? And we also knew, we couldn’t do anything about this.So why the hullabaloo??? And don’t all of us, deep in our hearts really know that, nothing is going to stop the tiger from being completely wiped out, like so many other species of animals and plants? It’s our national animal for chrissake, you would say!! So what, it is not more important than money for our wildlife wardens and environment ministers and the bureaucrats.For them, it’s just another link in the food chain.And for now, they are the ones pulling all the chains.
I find it funny how sometimes we the lesser beings, the common citizens are given the space on the stage(stage managed i would say) to express our indignation at such issues, by the media which obviously has its own ulterior motive(ever heard of TRP’s).And for some time, our silent protests, candlight rallies, peace marches and demonstrations are allowed to occupy centre stage in the popular media.And for this brief while, we the lesser beings are lulled in to the false belief that the power really lies with the public and that our protests have the power to change things.Our egos are inflated and we begin to feel like the heroes in our films who eventually manage to wrench justice from the perpetrators of injustice.But, doesn’t all this seem stage managed.I acknowledge that my some of my brethren really join such protests because they believe that they can make a difference and i respect their feelings.But I think that even before all of this starts, it seems that the perpetrators of such acts know the outcome. They know that slowly the momentum always fades out. Public memory is short.They know it. I can even imagine them sitting in their air-conditioned, luxurious houses, sipping vintage wine and smiling at our rallies and protest marches, knowing well that it is ok to let the ‘mob’ have its moment of glory even if it is for a ‘fleeting moment’. After all how long can the ’cattle class’ pursue such lofty ideals.Not for long I would say.After all, we all have hungry stomachs to take care of. Like always, we would huddle, plan, debate, shout and then disperse.
Pessimistic, coward, traitor, loser, et cetera et cetera. Maybe you would like to call me such names. You can probably cite a few examples too where by the”force” of popular opinion, tables were turned and the mighty had fallen. Or you would say that we should not give up hope, that we should not give up with out a fight or that things would change eventually or that the change has to come from within us or that we should lead by example or that we atleast have to do something rather than be silent spectators.My answer is cut the crap.Take a look at the facts and think realistically, what can probably save our tigers?
From the year 2004 to 2009, 30619 lakh rupees have been spent on Project tiger that was set up to manage the tiger reserves set up across the country and yet over these very years the number of tigers has only witnessed a steady decline. Tons of money was stashed away by ministers and wardens who were entrusted with the task of putting it to good use - to save the tiger. But then there is no good better than self-good is what the tribe of the ministers and bureacrats swear by.Add to it the commissions these guys make from the poachers. It’s a multi-million dollar business and the pay backs are way beyond numbers, you and me ever learnt to count. When questioned, these guys are quick to come up with some of the most incredible answers. They cite constraints like lack of staff, proper monitoring equipment and the difficult terrain etc. I mean, what the hell were the planners thinking when they allocated the budgets? Didn’t they know what needed to be done and how much money would be needed? Bullshit!! Fact is, these projects are just like other populist schemes which are created for the poor common man who for some funny reason remains untouched by these schemes.And miraculously, the account balance of a numbered account in the swiss banks goes up by several millions.
So what do you suggest? You may want to ask me.Well, I am willing to give you suggestions.But don’t expect me to do anything.Because I am just a common man with a family and I am too small to chase such ‘big’ objectives and I am only supposed to sit back and relent and curse and probably hurl a few verbal brickbats.That’s the max I can do.Like me or hate me.And my ‘roar’ is not good enough to be heard by those in power.For they live in glass bungalows, you see!! But yes, I have my ideas, you see like every common man.Mind you though that they are just ideas and are destined to remain so.Just as the tiger is destined to be wiped out.Sad, but true. But if you want ideas, here are some that you may also like to quote at parties, social gatherings and family dinners just so that you can emphasize the fact that you too care for the tiger and how deeply you think on the issue?It’s always good to have some talking points for issue that are in the social limelight, won’t you agree? There you go. Your are just like me. Anyways, here are the ideas - just make a mental note, will you?
1) Divide these tiger reserves in to small sectors of equal sizes and brainstorm to ascertain a realistic number of forest guards that would be needed to keep an effective control over the area.This cannot be too difficult
2) Hire trained guards for chrissakes!!. Don’t just find some poor villagers and mahouts.It’s time, a separate force like the paramilitary should be raised and trained for protection of these reserves. They should be full time professionals with benefits just like the para military forces and they should be paid well. Official penalties and penal action be taken against those found guilty of dereliction of duties. Every sector leader would be held directly responsible for loss of an animal in his territory to causes beyond clinically proven natural deaths. Penalties to include life time imprisonment for those found lacking in disposal of their duties. Shoot at sight orders for anyone in the core reserve area with intent of poaching or in possession of animal snares, guns etc
3) Instead of just patrolling the parks perimeter once in a month, these guards would stay inside these sectors. Jungle lodges and watch towers should be built in each of these sectors at strategic points and essential supplies air dropped if need be or else have a team of mahouts managing the logistics.Teams alternating between night and day to keep round the clock vigil.
4) All team should be equipped with all terrain vehicles, good guns, digital cameras, long range walkie-talkies,GPS devices and aerial support. The sectors should be carefully mapped using GPS systems, every animal in the sectors tagged as a data point and sector wise data regularly be collected and fed in to computers to identify patterns.The computers should be connected to weather forecasting systems too.
5)The team should be formed of educated men who can be trained by wildlife enthusiasts and volunteers who have championed the cause of animal protection.They should be taught how to read and interpret animal signs and behavious and how to monitor them in their natural surroundings while following the rules of zero intrusion and interference.
6) The tribes and villagers residing in the reserve area should either be relocated or they should be incentivised to become informers to share intelligence about the possible operations of poachers.More often than not, they collude with the poachers for small amounts of money and provide them with logistic support.The populations of these tribes should be monitored too, their data collected and build an informer network among these tribes to make up for valuable intelligence on what goes on inside the park?
7) Capital punishment for those caught in poaching activities anywhere in the country.Straight away life term.No concessions and no legal loop holes to help the sons-of-XXXXXXX.
And if a tiger dies, a report is sent directly to the prime minister explaining how it happened and why? And the prime minister is obliged to review and take appropriate action.
Yeah. Those are some straight forward ideas that can help save the poor tiger.And if you think, these are fanciful, unrealistic, or would-take-a-long time to implement, then let me tell you, you are being as unrealistic in believing that sloganeering, blogging, rallies, or candlight marches or TV debates can save the tigers.And if I hear you asking that why am i blogging on this issue then? Let me tell you my friend that I told you that these are just ideas for you to use as talking points during those inevitable discussions that would be there during office lunches, by the water cooler, in the train, on the bus and elsewhere.I am just giving you some meat for the conversation man.So you can show off as being aware and concerned.Thats all.You and me both know that the furure is going to die down soon just like the poor tiger.Here’s our chance to pretend to be knowledgeable and sound like an intellectual dude!.And none of these ideas are ever going to be put in to practice.The ministers are going to launch some ‘intelligent’ schemes that will add some more money to their accounts over the years and one fine day, they will inform us with the deepest of apologies that our national tiger is extinct. That will be one more occassion for us common people to carry out marches,rallies, express our indignation and to enjoy our collective moment of glory in the media.Its good for both - the media loves the ‘roaring’ TRP’s and we love the show they manage to put up on such issues.Really.And to think of what a day it will be, when the last tiger is finally gone too. Can you imagine, the intelligent perspectives that we will get to hear from our ministers? In hindsight of course. Or the blame game that will be played out in the parliament? Would’t you just love to be given a chance to voice your indignation, anger, and fristration with the system, just the way i am doing it now through this blog? It would be a field day for the media, wouldn’t it!! and it will be so much fun to see which minister manages to gain the maximum mileage from the loss of the last tiger.I am sort of jealous of the glorified burial the last tiger is destined to receive in our collective memories. No one in history would probably be a match.And all this for just a tiger