Whirlwind trip to Benaras
Snippet 1
It needs to be recorded that this was my third visit to the ancient holy city of Varanasi and this time around I was neither a tourist nor invited for a wedding ceremony. I was there just for the weekend to conduct 4 workshops in a school on the outskirts of town with my senior. We took the 4:50 p.m. Rajdhani Express from Sealdah station and worked on our presentations till dinner. After dinner and a short nap we had to disembark at Mughalsarai Jn. where we were met by representatives of the school. It was the dead of night, nearly 2 a.m. when we crossed the bridge on the Ganga and saw the panoramic view of the near empty Kashi ghats to our left. This view to me always signals the entry into Benaras.....familiar and strangely comforting.
Snippet 2
Our accommodation had been arranged for at the Ramada Inn, a swank 5 star hotel. We were checked in swiftly and shown in to two adjacent suites....which was preposterous. Each suite was enormous and it felt like we were housemates living in neighbouring flats.
We slept and woke up to have tea together in one of our suites together and then went downstairs for the lavish buffet breakfast. The food was good but this being breakfast and the whole day ahead of us we couldn't really stuff our faces. We also pleaded with a female staff member to come up to our rooms and help us with our sarees which she thankfully did and then we were ready to roll!
Snippet 3
After the first workshop we were taken to the school owners' house for lunch. They had three huge Labrador dogs, two in fawn and one jet black: Jake, Laika and Diana. I had a fun time petting the humongous monsters and had to wash my hands multiple times before sitting down to eat. Needless to say that my saree was covered in fur. :)
Snippet 4
After the day's workshops were done we got into the car accompanied by two enthusiastic teachers from the school and set off for Kasim Silks a well-known saree shop on the other side of town. Thanks to the rains the roads were muddy and there was a traffic jam which held us up for nearly an hour and a half. It was mental how hungry we were....so much so that I jumped off at a convenient point and ran to a grocery shop to get us some munchies. The saree shop was a revelation. It was located inside twisted-turned alleys where not more than two people could pass abreast. We had to have a guide to show us the way because we would never remember the lefts and rights...quite a well-kept secret. Inside we entered a house where one of the rooms was appointed with a thick gadda on the floor and a floor to ceiling mirrored wall. The ground was soon piled in sarees of various hues and weaves....each a marvel of design and craftsmanship.
After three hours of sorting and selecting we ended up buying 7 sarees in total and spent a mini-fortune on them. I had never ever spent so much money at one go while shopping and felt somewhat like a luckless person who has lost their all on the Roulette wheel.
Snippet 5
Our trip would have remained incomplete without a visit to the ghats which we managed in the wee hours of the morning. My co-traveller rose early for a pious trip to the mandir and I had a quick shower in her absence at 3:30 a.m. Though this sounds mental it was a wonderful experience to reach Dashashwamedh GHat at the crack of dawn and breathe in the sights and smells.
The monsoon clouds were grey and thick overhead and most of the ghats were empty. On some ghats we spotted bathers who were offering cupped-palm-fulls of holy Ganges water to the rising sun. The city has an inherent flavour of Hinduism and piety that is undeniably strong. From the Vishwanath Temple to the KalBhairab Temple there are many shrines that are considered sacred.
After the boat ride and the sunrise we all felt serene and blessed and geared up for the day ahead. For a non-believer like me this bit of the trip was my form of spirituality.
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