Wandering Sasha

Kashi, often referred to as Varanasi or Banaras, is among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and plays a significant role in India’s cultural and spiritual heritage. Located on the sacred banks of the Ganges River, Kashi is more than just a city; it is a timeless custodian of history, tradition, and spirituality. Let’s quickly delve into the rich history of Kashi to grasp its lasting importance.

According to legend, Kashi was founded by Lord Shiva, making it one of the holiest places for Hindus. The name “Kashi” comes from the Sanskrit word “Kash,” meaning to shine, reflecting its role as a beacon of spiritual light.

I’ve always wanted to visit this holy city. But because of several reasons- it’s location in upper part of the country, the safety concerns being a woman are some of the few. But enough!!! It’s time to go and I could literally hear Banaras screaming out loud in my ears, inviting me to its finest rich culture.

As always, I rung Mariya. We booked the train tickets during the same call- yeah yeah we know our spontaneity is quite dangerously high. But it is this same quickness that has made all our travel journeys possible. If you wanna do it, do it now. Else don’t. That’s our motto.

I had to book flights for both up and down my journey because of high demand for seats in trains. I was still in PQWL 58 few days before the trip which almost made me lose hope about this entire plan. One of my best friends stepped in like a blessing and booked the flight for me. And yes it was time to leave.

Oh wait where does Delhi come in this story? Here you go: We both met at Delhi on 28th of April for a night, with our Vande Bharat express train tickets booked for the next day morning. As always our stay was at Zostel, mixed dorm for the obvious reason hehe. (Stop giving me that look I’m shyyy)

Shyy? Well actually not. We had gone to the Head Quarters club in Connaught Place. A cool place to booze and enjoy a great night with live Sufi ghazals and delicious food. After hitting enough high, I crawled back to the Zostel. Mariya might claim she walked normally but she walked like a panda. Rolling on the floor couple of times. But we reached back to our dormitory somehow around midnight. I have zero clue how I managed to climb up the cot. But the warm blanket and cozy bed made me catch my sleep in seconds.

And we met this awesome dude from Bangalore. Hemanth. He was our roomie for the night. An IT guy who’s been to quite everywhere in India. You people have no idea how jealous I was of him. A cutie though.

Funny part happened the next day early morning. I woke up. I opened my eyes. I sat on my bed. I checked my phone. Time was 5:17 am. We were supposed to catch our train at 6. Wow nice. I looked over at Mariya. She’s fast asleep. Crazy woman. I immediately jumped down from the bed and woke her up. Hemanth was also up and he gave us a shocked look as we were still in our PJs while our train arrives in half an hour!!! He was polite and kind enough to accompany us to the railway station. We somehow managed to board the Vande Bharat after bidding a goodbye to our new friend.

The train was very comfortable and we slept through half the journey. Very clean and well maintained. And there we go.. we reached Banaras around 11:30 in the morning. After bargaining and yet almost looted by the rickshaw walas we reached our Hostel at Vijay Nagar Colony, Belupur area of Varanasi. GoStops hostel for the backpackers. Very vibey place let’s say.

We had chosen a 16 bed mixed dorm for economic reasons. I chose the lower bed and Mariya opted the upper one this time. Ahhhh I can still feel the coziness of the bed and thick blanket in the AC room. Quite comforting indeed.

After having a long sleep, and having a light lunch we set out to explore the town. I had made a detailed itinerary and accordingly we called a Rapido ride to Gadoliya market side. There we roamed around the congested narrow gallies, had explored the street foods like Banarasi paan, Rabdi lassi, Thaali, Kachori chaat and and and the hero of the night: The infamous green Thandaai. Iykyk. We bought 4 glasses of the Thandaai as parcel from a government registered shop.

Then we went to a chowk where only Banarasi sarees are sold. Oh man you should’ve seen the shops and their pretty collections! Both of us were in awe. Every shop had something new to offer- a new color combo, a different base material or even a different zari color. The rates start from 1000 but to get pure silk Banarasi saree, you need at least 5000 INR with you. Both of us bought a pair of sarees after an hour of confusion and mutual discussion.

Back to hostel and we started recording each other while drinking the Thandaai. As the weed kicked in, we both started to laugh and laugh. Mariya couldn’t stop her laughter and watching her laugh made me laugh even more! Haha I couldn’t walk straight, I tripped over the bed and fell over. Mariya of course joined me after a moment. We had some serious conversation about topics I don’t even remember. We even made plans to change our sexualities to marry each other for a “change” lol. It is so funny to recollect that night (or at least try to).

The next day was very very important. We woke up and had some fresh masala dosas and filter coffees and left for Assi Ghat. Purchased some rudraksha bracelets and a fridge magnet as souvenirs on the way. It’s so difficult to get a ride in Varanasi. You’re lucky if you get one through Rapido or rarely Uber. Normal auto guys don’t even stop; or worse- even if they do they charge double the rate.

We walked around the ghat situated on the banks of Ganga river, observing a lot of people. Each face had a different vibe. There were babas who smoked thick stuffed weed pipes, young boys who sold tiny souvenirs on the streets, there were ice cream vans, ladies in sarees sitting at the steps after visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple..and so on.

It was around 5:30 when we rented a private boat for an hour of trip in the Ganga till the most famous ghat of Varanasi- the Manikarnika Ghat. One of the city’s oldest ghats, this iconic site is a storied spot for traditional Hindu cremations. According to Hindu mythology, Manikarnika Ghat is believed to be the place where the either the earring or eye of Sati fell down when Lord Shiva was carrying her body to the Himalaya. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the holiest among the sacred river fronts. The place where death is celebrated. The ultimate moksh sthaan. Everyday around 500 bodies are cremated here. Quite incredible isn’t it!?

We could see the pyres burning 24 hours a day since the city was born i.e. about 2700 years ago. I was quite unsure how to process this information. We saw the pyres burning from the riverside in the boat. It was night as we reached back to the initial boarding point.

Then we witnessed the holy Maha Ganga Aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat around 6:45 pm. The ceremony is a heartfelt offering of prayers and blessings to the holy Ganges River where a team of pujaris perform the ceremony with coordinated chants, mantras, and offerings to the Ganga. It is believed to purify the soul, bring positivity, and connect devotees to the divine energy of the river.

The day ended with a cold malai Lassi from Assi ghat. We crashed on our beds as soon as we reached back. Also we had to wake up early for a sunrise boat ride the next morning.

May 1, 2025- we woke up around 4:30 in the morning (yes you heard it right) to wear saree and dress up for the sunrise boat ride. My winged eyeliner was not winging properly and it took my precious 15 minutes away. We reached Assi ghat by 5:30 where the boat was waiting for us. The ride on a handboat was scary but we managed somehow. Unlike a motorboat, this one sways with the waves of Ganga.

After that we had a photoshoot session by a street photographer. He clicked pretty pictures of us. We almost spent 4 hours posing and dancing in saree in the backdrop of Kashi. Precious results indeed.

Evening was even more special. Perhaps the most memorable part of the trip let’s say. Our visit to the Manikarnika ghat. We had only seen the site from far away remember? Now we’re going to the ghat itself. I wore a white Kurti and a shawl paired with jhumkas and a bindi. The ghat was deep inside. There are lots of gallies you need to walk through before reaching this holy place. These narrow congested gallies are full of babas and weird looking guys and Mariya held my hand so tight. I knew we weren’t quite safe in there. We walked as fast as we could. Left, Right, Right, Left..the directions went on and we kept walking till we could smell the ashes. My heart skipped a beat when we reached there.

It was an ultimate cremation place, just like what google told us. We could see dead bodies covered in orange shrouds taken for burning, and few burning already. Trust me I spotted a skull in one of the burning pyre and it gave me chills. I didn’t know what to feel. I was extremely humbled. Like people say, at the end of the day we’re all corpses. The place had its own aura that’s a fact though.

Then we visited the Kashi Karvat, or the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple. The Shri Kashi Karvat Mandir is one of the Dwadesh Jyotirlingas temple. According to a popular legend, the temple was built by an unnamed servant of Raja Man Singh for his mother Ratna Bai about 500 years ago. Upon building the temple, he proudly boasted that he paid his debt to his mother. The mother cursed and the temple started leaning because the debt to one’s mother can never be repaid. That is the reason why the temple got its alternative name Matri-rin (Mother’s debt). tilt. It leans at approximately 9 degrees, which is more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and still stands as a temple for shiva.

We returned, took a shower as soon as we reached the hostel and went back to our beds.

2 May, 2025- Last day of our trip. We have our flights to catch by evening. Mariya wanted to shoot a dance on the background of Varanasi Niranjani Ghat where there are lots of pigeons flying around. After few takes, the dance video was ready.

We then went back to the hostel, packed our bags and left for the airport. Her flight was at 9:30 to Bangalore and mine was at 11 pm to Mumbai. It was a sad moment for us. To be literally together for couple of days and then all of a sudden you got to go back to the reality. But it is what it is. The goodbye was quite painful. But we took back several precious moments, ethereal experiences, and precious fresh perspectives on life. Thank you Varanasi.