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varanasi: the world's oldest living city

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varanasi: the world's oldest living city

varanasi: the world's oldest living city

Varanasi City

The American writer Mark Twain described Varanasi as, "older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Understand that Twain died a century ago in 1910. So Varanasi, which lies on the banks of the River Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is seriously old.

Varanasi, aka Banaras Benares or Kashi is also seriously holy – one of the world's most sacred cities. Find out what there is to do other than ooh and aah over the grandeur of the crumbling maze: not much, to be frank. Varanasi is more about atmosphere. Still, the temple town offers some intriguing diversions.

1. Take a dawn or dusk cruise

Named after the fusion of two rivers – Varuna and Asi – Varanasi revolves around its staircases leading down to the water, which are known as 'ghats'. Each ghat honors top god Shiva in the form of a linga – a phallus-like shaft of stone. Cruise the waterfront at dawn and you will see riverside devotees bathe, meditate, and enact rituals that greet the rise of the sun. Come at twilight and you will see pundits (priests) at the main ghat, Dasashwamedh, perform prayer rituals involving pilgrims launching lighted candles that float along the Ganges' holy waters.

2. Duck into the galis

The galis are Varanasi's alleyways that form a labyrinth where you may get lost. Distractions abound. Even the narrowest galis are lined with stalls selling everything from saris and bangles to funerary items. The galis are cool compared with the ghats (waterside staircases) that can be boiling despite the Ganges' influence. Some galis are deserted. Others are choked with people, sacred cows, and scooter riders pumping their horns. Mind how you go.

3. Meet Lord Krishna

The name of Varanasi's most remarkable museum is a bit of a mouthful – Bharat Kala Bhavan. But you can find it easily enough, within the grounds of that 'Oxford of the East', Benaras Hindu University. In the museum's main hall stands a figure of the dark and elusive Lord Krishna standing on one leg, with one hand on his hip, while the other hand lifts a mountain over his head. The museum also houses bronze images, ivory and manuscripts, among other curiosities.

4. Ward off evil forces

If you really want to do something worth sharing, visit the temple of Kaal Bhairav. A petrifying form of Lord Shiva, Kaal Bhairav, aka the Black Terror, operates as a supernatural police chief with so much clout that even Death is afraid of him. Only the supercop's silver garland is visible – a cloth hides the rest of his body. Still, if you want to tap some of his power and stave off evil forces, you can buy black threads on sale at the temple and wear them around your arm, wrist or neck.

5. Take a shine to Lord Shiva

Said to be the oldest Hindu temple in Varanasi, the Golden Temple looms up on the western bank of the Ganges. A hub of faith for millions of Hindus, the temple – also known as Kashi Vishwanath – is devoted to supreme being Lord Shiva. The temple is so sacred that non-Indians are not allowed inside. So, you can only view its soaring golden spire from a distance – a quirk that you may see as irritating or an intriguingly tricky part of true travel.


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