by Dwijendranath De
Shortlisted in the 2023 PureTravel Writing Competition
We arrived at Benaras at noon, and the city’s scorching sun blazed from the sky. The bustling streets had a specific charm. The quaint buildings, the saints clad in saffron with white tikkas on their foreheads, old Bollywood songs bursting from the radios of paan sellers, alleys that snaked out of nowhere leading to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and retailers competing with each and shouting at the top of their voices to attract the tourists, made a significant contribution to that charm. People rushed by quickly, chattering excitedly with each other.
The upcoming Holi festival was crucial to the visitors and the people of the land. It would mean more hustle-bustle on the streets and meeting with families after a long time, during holidays.
After having a simple yet hearty meal of rice, lentil soup, curry and curd, we advanced towards the Rabidas Ghat to board the cruise- Manekshaw, a majestic white double-decker boat. It started around 6 p.m., and a cool breeze caught up with us. Each ghat was unique, but the most spectacular was the Dashaswamed Ghat, where my favourite scene from the movie ‘Joy Baba Felunath’ was shot where Lalmohan Babu and Topshe pretended to be saints. The ghat bedecked with flowery umbrellas for the evening Aarti started to fill up with people then.
The tents in the middle of the Ganges lit up with twinkling lights, and it was enticing to see it from the cruise. The age-old Havelis glowed in the yellow lights. They gave off a mysterious vibe, maybe from the dark tales of royalty who resided there. After about an hour, we reached Dashaswamed Ghat again on the trip back. The evening Aarti had started, and the boat halted for some time so we could witness it. It was mesmerising. The priests chanted in unison as they prayed to Goddess Ganga with their ceremonial lamps.
The night was a full moon one. The light from the aarti and the floating diyas created a celestial ambience. At the horizon, the moonwake on the Ganges was mesmerising.
The crashing waves of Ganga, the chanting of Vedic mantra, and the melody from the ringing bells of the aarti arising from the ghats of Kashi created a euphonic symphony.
A gentle wind had picked up the aroma of sandals, camphor, and flowers wafted everywhere.
The harmony of Kashi created the veil of serenity. Time froze before my eyes, and all I could feel was an aura of tranquillity surrounding me.
