Benares - An Enchanting chaos

Narrow lanes amidst old houses , gloomy streets , vehicles honking at impossible decibels are a common sight in one of the oldest cities in the world , Benares . Situated at the banks of Ganges , the city is notorious for its Ghats. Built all along the river bank , The ghats happen to be the place where everything from birth to death evolves . Not just for the people of this city but for most of the people in our country. There are different things a backpacker can do here , depending on the number of days one decides to stay. One of the things that in my opinion that should not be missed is the “ganga Aarthi” (a ritual worshiping the Ganges) which happens during the sunset. A group of men , perform this ritual by showing certain exaggerated moves with fire and smoke. While the whole thing  happens , Its mysterious how all the busy-ness fades away and it appears as if the time has stopped.

It will be an interesting experience, to find a quiet corner on the river bank and just observe so many things happening around. Traditional massages, people taking a dip, pigeons being fed, art students learning to sketch, sadhus meditating and what not.  On an evening boat ride along the banks, one can see birth to death. Yes, its destiny for most of the Hindus for their bodies to be burnt or the ashes to be dissolved in the Ganges. Though, the management of this practice is a certainly a topic of argument, this is something unique in the world and hopefully things turn around better in the near future.

Khushti (Traditional Indian wrestling) is one of the many off-beat things to be witnessed in Benares. One can walk into any akharas without any prior permission. But remember to show respect to the art and the pehelwans (fighters). Be barefoot on the mud which is their training ground. Seek permission from the guru before taking photographs. Though they are extremely well built and muscular , they are friendly and kind people. Wait till they finish the training if you want to chat , trust me you do not wanna rub them on the wrong side. Karlas and gadhas are what they mostly train with apart from the floor exercises. The internal kushti competitions is more than a pride for the fighters.

 Varanasi is one of the oldest established cities in the world. History suggests that, this city was perfectly planned to be a temple town. It is believed that the temples were planned & constructed in such a way that from all the corners of the city positive energy is reverberated. Ancient India's understanding of life & science had always been mis-conceptualized to the successive generations for political reasons.  The Science, true purpose and sense of most of the practices and arts have been forgotten.  

I believe Benares is beyond the bubble we live in. Irrespective of the communal & social background everyone should visit this place at least once in life time. A keen observer would notice a sense of co-existence. There is an un-explainable trance raving in this place.

Best time to visit Varanasi is between October - February when its not hot. Summers are scorching hot here.

Things to Do in Varanasi: 

• Watch the Ganga aarthi durnig Sunset and Sunrise 
• Take a boat ride along the ghats 
• Meditate  early morning  on the ghats
• Visit the Traditional Indian wresting places 
• Visit the hand-loom centers. Benares is famous for its silk sarees
• Street photography on the narrow gullies and interesting scenes on the ghats.

Places to Stay :

Lot of backpackers around the world visit Benares. So , there are luxurious hotels to backpacking hostels (the kind I prefer) available to stay. There are community chattrams offering free stay and food . One such Chatram I have mentioned below is well maintained. I have personally satyed in the below places and strongly recommend . I don’t prefer to stay in luxurious places when I backpack , but Im sure most of ‘em will be worth the money. 

• Zostel
• Gostops hostel
• Natkot nagarathar chattram