I am lost.
I am totally, completely, hopelessly lost. I have been wandering in the alleys and lanes, which I think leads to my hotel in Varanasi for the last 30 minutes or so, and when I cross the shop selling polyester Benarasi “silk” saris for the 4th time, I realise that I have been going around in circles.
There is no doubt about it. I am lost.
It has been a lovely morning. I visited the serene and calm ruins of Sarnath with a guide, a car and a driver, and after the tour got dropped off at the Gadowlia Chauraha, from where many alleys led to my hotel. I turn down the guide’s offer of escorting me back to the hotel. He is worried that I will not be able to make my way through the twisting, narrow alleyways. But I am confident that I can find my way back as I have been in and out of those alleyways some 5-6 times in the last 3 days, albeit with an escort.
I decide not return to my hotel right away. First, I have a glass of lassi topped with some fresh malai and then another 🙂 Then I decide to go to a bookshop that I had seen in the area on my previous forays out of the alleyways. I know that it is not far, and sure enough within 10 minutes I am in the City Book Shop, one of the oldest bookshops in Varanasi, browsing through the books and picking out the ones to buy. I spend nearly an hour there.
When I come out of the bookshop, I notice an alley opposite it. I confidently enter it and start walking towards where I think my hotel is. Within seconds I am distracted by the balcony of a beautiful house (see photo on the left) and I am lost. Literally. I take a turn to photograph it better and get distracted by other sights in turn.
At that point, I am not really perturbed as I know that ultimately I would find my way to the hotel. The next half an hour is fantastic as I am too busy delighting in and photographing the sights that interest me.
Whether one believes in the mythology or history or both of Varanasi there is no doubt that it is an ancient city. A city that many have passed through. It is a rather thrilling to walk through every twist and turn and wonder about all those who have walked these lanes before me.
I might have continued wandering about in these lanes and alleys if not for a rather… er… pressing issue. I needed to use the washroom. So it was then that I finally decided to ask for directions. The shopkeeper of the polyester Benarasi “silk” sari shop obligingly pointed me in right direction and about 30 m down that way and a left turn later, I saw the by now familiar steps of Chausatthi Ghat leading to the Ganga and my hotel, Sita Guest House.
I am no longer lost 🙂
If you like to go beyond temples, the ghats and the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi; love traditional architecture; can turn a blind eye to cows, dogs, garbage, and what not; do not mind the claustrophobia-inducing narrow alleyways; then this “walk” is for you. Go on, wander about and get lost in the alleyways of Varanasi 🙂
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
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Amazing articulation and beautiful photographs….a new perspective to Varanasi….
Keep Traveling
Vishnu
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Welcome here, Vishnu, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. Varanasi or Benares or Kashi, if you prefer to use that, is an amazing place and I can’t believe that I have actually written 5 posts on my trip there.
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Very Interesting insight into the bowels of the city
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It was interesting, yes. But more than that it was lovely to just walk in the lanes, bylanes and alleys. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 🙂
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nice narration as always.. but I will tell you this time I liked the lassi topped with malai part more.. how I miss it yaar…
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Well, now you know what you have to do when you get to India — head for a stall that sells malai topped lassi ! 🙂
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I have to go alone to experience this kind of ‘getting lost’ experience as the L&M prefers a no-nonsense tour these days quite unlike his younger years. 🙂 I have posted a link to your Varanasi series in my latest one. It is a wonderful series — loved the ghat pictures in the earlier one and this one is unbelievable 🙂
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Thank you so much, Zephyr. I am so glad that you liked the series. To be honest, when I decided to visit Varanasi, it was as a tourist. But I have come away with something else, something that I have not been able to put down in words yet, something that will probably take a little while to be able to express. 🙂
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That is the effect of these places. They make you realise how small in the bigger scheme of things you are. I have not been able to put all that I felt in words either. That’s why I have warned everyone to be prepared for full length posts on the snippets 😀
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Sometimes when we get lost, we discover the hidden beauty of things or the reality of things. Very beautiful photos and of course fabulous narration, and sweet feelings
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How beautifully expressed, Erab. And thank you so much for commenting.
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Thanks for this..have been wanting to go to Varanasi since so long..& now I see it’s everything I dreamt of ..since you love the place..here’s a poem for you on Varanasi ( P. S I’m not trying to promote my blog, but genuinely thought you might be able to relate to this) http://jumble-rumble-thoughts.blogspot.com/2011/05/id-like-to-lie-with-you-on-starry.html
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Welcome here, Maitreyee, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. For someone, who has not visited Varanasi you have captured the yearning to go there very well. It’s beautiful. Thank you also for sharing that poem with me.
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What a lovely post. It transported me to Varanasi, to which I have not yet been to but I could relate to the feeling of getting lost in the streets and alleys of ancient Indian towns. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I’m so glad that you liked the post, and if it transported you to a place that you have not been to, then that is the real preaise for me. Thank you for stopping by and visiting. I hope that you will keep visiting.
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I immensely likes this post because its about my favorite city- Benaras. Don’t you think beyond the crowd and dirt, this city has some special charm which not not many appreciate?
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Varanasi is special. And special in a way that I feel cannot be described in words. It is worldly and spiritual and material, at the same time. It is the mythological and holy Kashi and the present day chaotic Varanasi. And it has become one of my favourite cities too.
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Hey, how come you missed out visiting the beautiful campus of BHU and its historic buildings and its magnificent Temple
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Vikramji, I did visit the BHU campus and saw its beautiful buildings and also the new Kashi Vishwanath Temple (I wrote about my visit to this temple here: https://thatandthisinmumbai.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/dussera-in-varanasi/). Unfortunately, I did not have a camera with me at that time.
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We got lost in Varanasi though! and unfortunately, i didnt have my camera with me then, so i never got around to writing about it! its the kind of place u can so easily get lost in! we were on our way back from the varahi temple that I lost my way and got separated from my hubby and inlaws..and we all spent about half an hour searching for each other! finally, i asked my way to the ghat and waited there and soon they came there too! and u brought back some wonderful memories too… of the food, esp!
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I don’t mean to romanticise Varanasi, but it was a great place to get lost in. There was so much to see and take in. Though my hotel manager said that it is impossible to get lost in the alleys of Varanasi as they are all connected and will come out somewhere near a ghat !
So what if you don’t have pictures, you can always write about the experience of getting lost !
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Another ride on your words Sudha and Varanasi this time. That is where my Granddad stayed during his graduation. He speaks fondly of its little lanes and is rather disturbed every time he visits modern-day Varanasi. He says the place isn’t maintained well…
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That’s true, Deboshree, and very sadly so. Some lanes are filthy and there are too many sick animals on the street, particularly dogs with skin infections. The way people dump rubbish onto the streets is unbelievable. And yet, this place has a charm which is unmatched by any holy place that I have visited.
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nice blog to see the varanasi in to our hand
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hai this is lakshmana comenting on varanasi about ur blog is very nice. i have to see more like u . being tite shedule i miss a lot.happy to visit ur blog. thanks.
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keep on going like devotional tours and send them in to ur blogs. nice to see u on email.
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Welcome to my blog, Lakshmana, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I loved Varanasi and those 3 days spent in the city was very special. Glad you liked it.
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