Varanasi

(Varanasi "वाराणसी"), the eternal city, stands as a beacon of spirituality, devotion, and mysticism. Little did I know that beneath this ancient land, every step of mine would be for an unaccounted feeling if I had been here since time unknown. The air was filled with incense, and the chanting of the devotees wafted down every maze of narrow lanes, while the Ganges flowed like a silent observer of time itself.

It wasn't a case of me visiting Varanasi; I was living and breathing it, in many ways lost in its depths.As I stood upon the hallowed soil of Varanasi, a strangely familiar feeling pervaded my soul. It was not the intoxication of the traveler who happens upon a newfound place but, rather, a quiet assurance similar to that received by one finally returning home after lifetime upon lifetime. The steps leading down to the water whispered ancient secrets, alleys that twisted and turned like the passages of my memory, even the air carrying a scent that felt like an old companion. Every brick, every temple, and every soul seemed so known as if we were tied over lifetimes.

A Past-Life Connection?

Many people believe that Varanasi is not a city but a living consciousness, a place where souls find their way back through the cycles of birth and death. As I walked down Manikarnika Ghat, observing the eternal flames consume the mortal remains of countless souls, I felt a strange serenity rather than fear. Was it possible that I had walked these very steps before? Had I stood here, centuries ago, and watched the same holy rituals? Every nook and corner of this city seemed etched in my soul as if I had left parts of my being scattered over its ghats and temples in some previous birth. As I visited the 84 ghats, it was a feeling of recognition, inexplicable if I had played there as a child in some far-off existence. The Ganges called its sacred waters beckoning me, not as a visitor, but as a returning soul. Kashi Vishwanath Temple did not feel like a place of pilgrimage; it felt like a temple I once knew, where my prayers had once echoed, and my soul had once surrendered in devotion.

Astrology speaks about karmic ties and the gravitational pull of certain places on the soul. Some birth charts do indicate a soul's association with certain places, often places where one has lived in a past life. Was my affinity for Varanasi written in the stars? The conjunction of celestial bodies at my birth perhaps linked me with this land, beckoning me through time and space.

The Eternal Pull of Kashi

Kashi, the eternal city, is not a place, it is a consciousness, a place where time dissolves. The boundaries between the past, the present, and the future blur, and here, the soul finds itself standing at the confluence of the known and unknown. As I entered the sanctum of Kashi Vishwanath, reverberations began to awaken something dormant within me. In that instant, I was no visitor, I was part of Kashi, as Kashi was part of me. Even the people of Banaras appeared known, faces echoing shadows from another time.

Strangers stared at me as from a memory of an earlier life, and I in return felt I knew them. How could words describe the sense of belonging to a city that I had come to for the first time in my life? The smell of the city of earth and smoke, laced with the aroma of chai and marigolds-appeared as a smell of home. More than being an experience, it was a reconnect with something eternal. Places where I visit in Varanasi.

Manikarnika Ghat: The Dance of Life and Death

First, I came to Manikarnika Ghat, one of the most sacral grounds of cremation. Here, life and death breathe under the same sun, uncomfortably and quintessentially enlightening. Flames never die out, nor does the acceptance of the city to the mortality of life. Observing the rites, I was at peace-estranged. It was not an end; it was just a passage. The Ganges whispered stories of the myriad souls that had merged with its sacred waters. It was here that I first felt the weight of my existence dissolve into something greater.

The 84 Ghats: A Journey Through Time

Visiting the 84 ghats of Varanasi was like traversing through history itself. Each ghat had its own story, its energy. Some were bustling with pilgrims performing rituals, others were silent witnesses to solitary sadhus lost in meditation. The ghats were more than just stone steps leading into the river; they were a map of devotion, tradition, and the unbroken link between the mortal and the divine.

Kaal Bhairav Temple: The Fierce Guardian

A wave of reverence and awe overpowered me as I stepped into the Kaal Bhairav Temple. This temple, built for the guardian deity of the city, reverberated an intense energy. It is believed that no one can stay in Varanasi without his blessings. Standing before his fierce yet protecting form, I felt both humbled and protected. The unseen order in this chaotic city seemed to be an assurance of Kaal Bhairav himself.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple: The Heart of Varanasi

At the center of Varanasi lies the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the home of Lord Shiva. The entry into the temple was like entering a different world full of sounds of Har Har Mahadev in the air and every devotee was lost in divine ecstasy. I closed my eyes and felt the presence of something great, something beyond understanding. At that moment, I wasn't just a visitor; I was part of the grand cosmic play.

Sankat Mochan Temple: The Comforting Presence

Amidst the intensity of Varanasi's spiritual landscape, the Sankat Mochan Temple provided a sense of warmth and solace. The sight of Hanuman's idol, adorned with sindoor, and the sounds of bhajans created an atmosphere of unwavering devotion. It was here that I realized the beauty of surrender not as a sign of weakness, but as an embrace of faith and trust in something higher.

A City That Knew Me

As I roamed the streets, explored its temples, and sat by the ghats, I felt as if Varanasi knew me just as much as I knew it. It was not a place I had discovered it was a place that had discovered me. The city's wisdom seeped into my soul, blurring the lines between the seeker and the sought.

I came as a traveler to Varanasi, but I left changed. The city took my illusions from me, made me face my truths, and left me with an understanding that I am, like everyone else, a mere ripple in the vast ocean of existence. And in that realization, I was found. Maybe in the future, I will find myself here all over again, lost and found in the timeless embrace of Vanaras.

Kashi is my Body !!!