Varanasi- A CITY OF GOOD LIFE

 Days of grace- amongst the Indian cities and states, Varanasi, a city of multiple layers exist on itself, taking further its legacy and still we find in it the essence of it being the 5000 years old. Life how we live in the developed or developing metro cities is so varying in terms of lifestyle, thinking, nature and above all the people. Before reaching the city I already had certain blur images of what I told by, or the bits and pieces I have ever seen on national geographic documentaries on Varanasi. A contrast provided my mind to break through the singled story being and want to explore the city –one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world as a native.

Throughout my journey of being there in Kashi, as it is called with love by the people of Varanasi;" I was amazed by the history of complex mythological stories with some having a combination of fact and fiction but not any having proof than the faith of the people. The culture ,the ritual traditions, its seasons of holiness, its sustainability and the river Ganga. A story isn't a story if not told in many forms, twisted and added with your own touch. That is Kashi. A story of million people, million minds, million gods and million mysteries. A city of life and death. The city gives us an understanding of the two main epitomes  of living. Your existence and the lack of it.

“ (’Dharm’) ki nagari” as it is called to be, the abode of the Trinity. India has always been controversial and sensitive on issues like religion and faith in god. Our entire history is constituted on the basis of it and Kashi is the center of the holy gods, the city of faith, the city of temples and in its literal sense the city of lights. A graceful balance seems to wash away the dust of the controversy of religion and peace is what people find in the midst of the humongous crowd, narrow lanes, streets filled with the life of the city and craziness. To have thought of the city just as a tourist I would never understand even the tiny bits that made the city, but now that the trip has taught me to see it with a perspective of a designer, a child of Banaras, this awesome city has been a challenging , captivating in all its columns and endlessly fascinating.

“BHAIYA EK BAAR JO BANARAS AAYE TOH FIR JAANE KA MANN NAHI KAREGA JO YAHA BASS GAYA SAMJHO MANN AB USKA YAHI SHANTI PRAPT KAREGA”