Posted on: Mar 06, '08
bam bam bole
Sitting in a prominent corner of my nanni's mandir was a little copper vase with a silvery seal. My nanni took special care to wash it along with all other idols of Gods, and we all knew why. It contained a few drops of the mighty Ganga which had the power to wash away all her sins. She had told each and every one of us her dying wish "Just break open the seal and pour the holy water in my mouth before I die." That way she would get moksha ! Naturally I always had a secret desire to go and see this Ganga, this holy river.
And that wish was granted early on in my childhood. I was about six years old when I got to visit Varanasi with my nana and nani.I still remember sitting in the Vishwanath temple , the abode of Lord Shiva on that Mahashivratri night and taking part in the shivratri puja . For around this great temple evolved the spiritual identity of the Hindus..
Varanasi's prominence in Hindu mythology is virtually unrivaled. For the devout Hindus the city has always had a special place, besides being a pilgrimage centre, it is considered especially auspicious to die here, ensuring an instant route to heaven. The revered and ancient city Varanasi is the religious centre of the world of Hindus. A city where the past and present, eternity and continuity coexist. A city that has 5000 years of living history.
The city of Varanasi is situated on the west bank of the holiest of all Indian rivers, the Ganga or Ganges. The relationship between the sacred river and the city is the essence of Varanasi .The Ganga is believed to have flown from heaven to wash away the worldly sins of the of mortal's .The life and activities in the city centre around the holy river. Life on the banks of the Ganga begins before dawn when thousands of pilgrims - men, women and children - come down to the river to wait for the rising sun. Immersion in the sacred ganga ,they beleive, will cleanse them of their sufferings and wash away their sins .They bathe, offer prayers to the rising sun, and to their dead ancestors who have been carried away by these waters. What draws people to the river is an ingrained belief that these waters can absolve the sins of many generations.
Every one has their own way of celebrating the ritual with the holy Ganga. Some bathe, others dip themselves entirely into the water once, thrice or any number of times; some drink the water; while others make water offerings to the sun; Many fill their pots and bottles with holy water to take back to their homes to perform rituals and purification.The offerings to the sacred Ganga also vary. Pilgrims give flowers, fruits, lamps, money or just their respectful prayers. On festival days and religious occasions the riverside is thick with colorful diyas bobbing up and down on the waters.
The land around Varanasi is also held sacred since Shiva is believed to have lived here.There are thousands of temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses, particularly to the deities of good fortune and prosperity. Also the navgrahas,ie the sun and the planets. The most important are those that honor the diverse manifestations and attributes of Shiva.The major shrine at the ghat is the Vishvanatha Temple, devoted to Shiva, the Lord of the Universe.
To die in the city beside the river of life is to die with a promise of redemption, a promise to be liberated from the endless cycle of life and death and reincarnation, and to gain moksha or eternal absolution. So for centuries thousands of people have come to Varanasi to die, and thousands have brought the ashes of the dear departed here, to immerse them in the holy waters.
The awesome experience of that Mahashivratri puja with the aartis and the chants is still ringing in my years, and will always be a part of me as long as I live.What else do I remember from that visit? My nanni gave me a little triangular wooden toy with three little sparrows going chug chug chug and pecking at the grain everytime you moved the handle.She even got little dogs with bobbing heads for the car and a little dancing dall which moved her head, her hands and her dress everytime you shook her .She purchased over half a dozen idols of different Gods and got them blessed by the priests and installed them in her little mandir. And she got that vase containing gangajal too.
I also remember the rikshaw wallas, the boat rides up and down the ganga, the funeral pyres, and the temple spires.The whole ghat is lined with temple after temple and at every corner the pandits can be seen offering sacrifices and prayers for the dead. Around the temples are really small gallis full of petty traders.These gallis were truely amazing. They were extremely narrow and yet they had an assortment of shops selling garlands, puja saman, flowers, idols, prasad, shawls, zolis, and little handpainted wooden or paper maiche toys.
And cows!OMG! There was one cow or bull to every three persons; and as a child I remembered praying to Lord Shiva everytime they came in close proximity.I tried to become as invisible as possible till the horns were well out of sight, and still I had a feeling that one of the bulls might just turn around and charge at me and carry me off on its horn as a prized possession.
Lastly I still remember the visit to the silk weavers home.Nana and Nanni were breaking grounds by visiting the house of a muslim weaver.For silk weaving in Varanasi is a cottage industry and in many areas of the city, especially the Muslim quarters, one can see looms at work all day . Entire families are involved, children often pick up the art from the elders at an early age. You get to see the benares silk sarees in various stages of completion.There are numerous silk emporiums in Varanasi, and throughout India, that sell these fine silk fabrics. And I remember the exorbitant costs of some of those silk sarees they were in thousands of rupees. When I could not shut my mouth out of sheer shock, my nanni explained to me that they weaved real gold filament into those hand made silken treasures. That helped shut me for good.What a garment to get married in!
If you get a chance to celebrate Mahashivratri in the holy Vishwanth temple, I am sure you too will remember it for the rest of your life.Especially if you go with your nana and nanni.
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