A CITY, ANSWERING TO SEVERAL NAMES, EMERGING TO SURFACE FROM MILLENIA DEPTHS, WHICH IS SELECTED BY GREAT SHIVA FOR ITS EARTHEN REALM, FUMIGATED BY LEGENDS AND PRIMITIVE CANONS, BEYOND SCOPE OF MODERN CIVILIZATION'S MIND... VEINS OF SACRAL CITY VARANASI PULSE CONTINUOUSLY AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF AUSTERE MOSQUES, SOLEMN CHURCHES, ELEGANT TEMPLES.
TO SEE VARANASI AND TO DIE
Philosophical understanding of death, in this case, is of absolutely calm and thus, somewhat of a cynical character. People make their will to bury them here or arrive here especially for death purposes. To die here, in Varanasi is enviable destiny, liberating from the painful circle of regenerations and granting desirable calm.
However, a person awarded with these goods can also gain a blessing, exposing his bitter cold flesh to hot embraces of fire. In contrary to sheltered closed premises, the procedure causing dismay is held in the open air, on rocky Ghats. Day and night pyres blaze here and hundreds of eyes observe how initial tongues of pyre touch faintly and hesitatingly the dead person's head and body and then, as if, after acquiring the taste, fiercely devour mortal remains. Relatives of the deceased person perform ablution and say grace, while unemotionally observing religious rite. Their hearts are released from the burden of doubts and fears, they move away from any regret and grief.
Their souls should be filled only with enrapture and tranquility. After relics turn into cremains, they leave not turning around their heads, without unnecessary tears and emotions. Thus, spiritual ties get broken with deceased, releasing his essence from the burden of terrestrial life.
However, this destiny doesn't befall each deceased. If his poor relatives aren't able paying for wood, necessary for fire, they will be compelled to content themselves with sprinkling chips and symbolical firing of a particular body part, drearily rolling on Gange's waves. Destiny of those, not subjected to cremation, such as, persons, who were sick with leprosy, bitten by snakes, virgins, kids and saddhu is also sad. Such bodies are taken aboard, after reaching the middle of the river the corpses are submerged by attaching a heavy stone to them.
GANGA IS A MOTHER
The importance of this river for Indians is incomparable with anything. Ashes and not completely burnt remains of deceased are submerged into it. Dogs, cow, and goats splash in it. Excrements and household wastes float in it. Inhabitants and city visitors perform everyday routines in it, shave, wash, take a bath, and wash clothes. They drink water and present it to each other, as a sacred gift...
Scientists are amazed by Ganga phenomenon: in spite of high toxicity of river, people drinking its water don't fall dead at once thus, or little later.
«Ganga is our mother. Hindus explain: "She is kind and incapable of inflicting harm to its children». Every morning, ere yet the dawn breaks, local residents, and pilgrims come to the shore in flocks with the aim to see the dawn, to pray, to make ablution in waters of the majestic river. It appears, time itself, reflecting in the background with sacred canticles and prayers stands in awe. The show for tourists is absolutely amazing!
SAMSARA'S CIRCULATION
Shining Varanasi, dressed in colored clothes, attracts with its charming beauty and queer exotic, however, at the same time, it is something bigger, compared with a touristic city. This is a surprising yard with an invisible miracle, taking place every day: eternally stagnated life cluster here, paralyzes samsara wheel, which was unstoppable just a moment ago, Karmic mechanism blocks a way to peace and blissfulness. Cultures and religions, life and death, abundance and poverty, cleanliness and dirt, spirituality and criminality are mixed up here in common steaming boiler...Everyone gets his desserts according to his belief.
The city attracts with its exotic Gali- narrow, twisting back streets and lanes, with habitually scurrying and smiling Hindus, carrying bamboo stretchers with corpses. From mohalla roofs, heavily populated residential quarters, happy-go-lucky boys passionately fly multicolored kites. Monkeys and parrots, hang over roofs and tops of trees, incessantly chatter amazingly about something...
Pseudo-elucidated disguised sadhu share legends, having intellectual depth with tourists, display flexibility of their bodies and cadge money, claiming they want to help poor relatives of deceased persons, which definitely, should further purification of someone's Karma, apparently, tourists' Karma.
Well-nourished policemen exude good nature. People smoke opium and hashish in every spot. A city is infested with drug dealers, who in response to reproaches, state haughtily as follows: they say, even Shiva himself had a soft spot for hemp.
However, encounters with woozy Aghori cause special dread. Their lean bodies and faces are covered with cremation ashes and necklaces from human bones decorate their necks. They can roar in laughter to you in the person, roughly grasp your arm or lock yourself in their arms, suggest taking a drink from a skull cup...
The stench, emanating from them, takes a person's breath away and turns his stomach.
Cows, revered in India and buffalos walk lazily or sprawl in slow distraction in every part of the city. Hindus strongly believe that their deceased relatives may be born again, as in human shape, so in shape of animals or plants. Thus, they profess tolerance and amiability to all living creatures. People lie, walk here, splash in the water side by side with animals. One could be affected, unless impression is saddened by the common stench, coming from urine and excrements of animals.
FIRE ON WATER SURFACE
There is a sacred place of Buddhists, Sarnath suburb, in Varanasi. Receiving enlightenment, namely here, Buddha used to utter his first confession and deer were his listeners, one may see them in suburbs now too. Buddhists have their seats ceremoniously at the base of steps and their spiritual Masters lead their enquiring souls through consciousness corridors to halls of bright faith...
Surrounded by temples and museums, one of the famous international universities, Benares is located in the city's southern part, in the vast green territory. Unexpectedly, Varanasi's another modern, civilized face, open to science and culture, is disclosed to you. However, by the evening, independent on your satiation with impressions, you repeatedly gravitate to the embankment, where Fiery Puja, Ganga Maha Aarti ritual is performed after sunset. Figures of divinities are fixed on platforms, aromas are lighted, and bewitched mantras are heard from speakers. Stately, beautiful Brahman make an oblation to gods towards four parts of the world. It is eye-catching, enchanting performance, followed by ritual Prasad food. And then, those who wish to put flowers and light candles on the water with an aim to illuminate for dead souls the way to another world.
Nowhere in the whole world, but in Varanasi, this boundary atmosphere between life and death, non-compromising and, at the same time, sensitive relationship to life, mystic communication of millennia, silently commented by Shiva's meaningful smile is perceived.
TEXT: RENA VAGIF PHOTO: AYCIN BAYRAKTAROGLU
