Benaras... Once more

Ramnagar Fort

After my first visit to Benaras way back in 2013, I wanted to go back at least once to the magical land. Benaras or Varanasi is much bigger than any one person can see or understand. My intention was to see a little more. So, I made a plan for 3 days, a family cum photo tour. 

Lazy afternoon in the ghats

It was Durga Puja time in October'2018. Me and my wife started off for a short trip to Benaras. Our flight landed on a bright sunny day, late morning. A 45 minutes ride later we reached Godhulia mor, the prominent crossroad in Benaras. It was the last but one day of Durga puja and hence lot of restrictions in the traffic. After the taxi ride, we had a 7minutes walk with the hotel porter to reach our hotel. This is a very common practice in Benaras to reach houses in thickly populated area through the narrow lanes, welcome to the land of labyrinthine lanes. Both of us liked our room overlooking the Ganges over the Ghats, as soon we walked in our room. The hotel was an old property converted to hotel and retained many areas in same old fashion.

Sun rising on river Ganga

After a quick lunch, we started off for a darshan of Kasi Viswanath. This time again, I waited out as the authority doesn't allow any bag to get inside and I couldn't leave my cameras in a shop. However, on the third day I had the darshan when I left my cameras in the hotel.

Morning lights

There was quite a few community Durga puja nearby and the crowd started to build up in the evening. On the first day itself, we also saw the Ganga arati in the evening. This was followed by visiting one of the famous chats (local fast food) outlets and had chat to our hearts' content.

Fast food stall

In the early evening on that day, I had spent some time in Manikarnika ghat, famous for burning dead bodies. Hindus believe that the soul gets liberated if a person's body is burnt here, after death. At any time, there will be several pyres burning; truly said that fire never rests in Manikarnika ghat. It was an eerie feeling for me. In my first visit in year 2013, I could not overcome this overwhelming feeling. But this time, with company I tried hard and stayed there for some time and also captured some pictures from the boat carrying firewood to the ghat. It was a different kind of feeling which is impossible to express in words; that night I went to bed with some kind of uneasiness.

Burning pyres in Manikarnika ghat

I spent next two days in the ghats & lanes of Benaras plus a quick day's trip to Chunar fort and Ramnagar fort.

Roadside fast food

Chunar fort is located on a rock of a detached part of the Vindhya range at a height of 280ft above mean sea level. It was built in a commanding position, high above a meander in Ganga river. The approach to Chunar Hill is marked by a chain of low hills, running parallel to the river on its right bank. Chunar's earliest recorded history is from the sixteenth century, traced to a garrison of Babar, when in 1529, many of his soldiers were killed. There is also a paranormal history connected with Chunar fort about the King of Chunar who buried his rich treasure because he knew that the British people would take it from him.

Benarasi Paanwala (Betel leaf seller)

The Ramnagar fort is located on the eastern bank of Ganga river. The sandstone structure was built in the Mughal style in 1750 by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh  At present, the fort is not in a good shape. The current king is the descendent of Kashi Naresh who is also known as the Maharaja of Varanasi even though this royal title has been abolished since 1971.

View from boat

 I had seen many pictures of this fort, shot from Ganges. This time I tried; a hand held panorama standing in a country boat. It was difficult, but possible. Thanks to my friends of PSM (Photographic Society of Madras) who told me long back to leave smoking to reduce shaking of hands. 

Ramnagar fort

I liked two panorama images and both of them are here. On the way back from the boat ride, I came to know that my wife had become seriously ill during the day but kept it within herself so that my photography is not interrupted; the entire next day she was bedridden.

Morning light & a Godman

During these three days, I spent some time on boat during late morning. What I saw from boat was different from what I had seen from the ghats. It is an eternal truth; meaning of things changes when POV (Point of View) changes.

Roller skaters of Benaras