The antiquity
of Varanasi is veiled in immortal time. An ‘eternal’
city, it abounds with a rich and vibrant past.
Varanasi is another holy dot on the life giving
Mother Ganges. Varanasi, as the legend goes was
created by Shiva, the cosmic lord. It has an endearing
universal mystique which has to be experienced
to be understood. |
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Varanasi’s original name
Kashi, is said to have been derived from the word
‘Kashi’. meaning bright which defines its significance
as the ‘city of light’ or its spiritual luminance.
Certainly light is a powerful presence here. It makes
Varanassi's cramped streets magical with mystery.
Indeed, she comes into her own with the first rays
of the sun, transforming her deteriorating self into
a vortex of energy. The present name is believed to
be a combination of Varuna and Assi, the two rivers
on its northern and southern periphery. Banaras, as
it is popularly known, is only a corruption of the
name by an ever changing culture.
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The wealth of Varanasi
and its religious significance were also its better-noir.
Its past is replete with hoary tales of plunder
and destruction by conquerors and religious zealots.
Still, these affairs were only a momentary gleam
in Varanasi's eye, soon to be lulled to rest by
the throb of her Hindu heart, which beats in unison
with the magic myths of gods rather than the surge
of empires. She is a patient city, willing to
wait until the mighty Buddhist center became ruins
and the mosques were surrounded by more temples
than ever. |
Varanasi has been a center
of learning and civilisation for over 2000 years.
It was at Sarnath only 10 km away that the Buddha
first preached his message of enlightenment, 25 centuries
ago. Varanasi has become a symbol of the Hindu renaissance
and has a special role in the development of Hindi
- the national language of India. The well - known
novelist Prem Chand and the literary figure Bharatendu
Harischand have played their parts in this development.
Tulsi Das, the famous poet who wrote the Hindi version
of the Ramayana known as the Ram Charit Manas, also
lived in this city for many years.
On the banks of this
sacred river all seems possible. Myth and everyday
life fuse easily in Varanasi. Humans can leap
to the heavens in a moment of enlightenment
and the gods descend to the world of man.
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Like good old buddies, my
modern doubts and Varanasi's traditions walk side-by-side
here, where opposites comfortably converge. Life and
death meet in Varanasi, along with release and entrapment,
history and timelessness, decay and renewal. In its
spaghetti-thin streets the reverent ramble with rogues,
and the wretched confront the wise in a kind of topsy-turvy
harmony that is Varanasi's own.
India's oldest city still
lives up to its reputation as both wondrous and bizarre
with all its glory. Where else can you find jeans
clad young techies with paan strained red teeth? Come
to Varanasi, touch the timeless soul of India.
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