Paste your text in here…AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW CAMPUS
Benares: The spiritual capital of India
Under The Guidance Of:
Director Amity School of Languages
Prof. Dr. Kum Kum Ray
Supervised By: Submitted By:
Assistant professor Avantika Nigam Satendra Mishra A7706115013
B.A.(Hons.)English
5th Semester
(2015-2018)
Amity School of Languages
AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW CAMPUS
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the research paper titled Benares: The spiritual capital of India submitted by me ( Avantika Nigam) is based on actual and original work carried out by me. Any reference to work done by any other person or institution or any material obtained from other resources have been duly cited and referenced. I further certify that the research has not been published or submitted for publication anywhere else.
Avantika Nigam
A7706115013
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my gratitude to my mentor Dr. Satendra Mishra for assigning this topic to me, Benares: The spiritual capital of India
A special thank you to the director of Amity school of languages Prof. Dr. Kum Kum Ray for giving me the permission to carry on with my research on the topic.
Through this project I got ample opportunity to learn and this would not have been possible without the able guidance and encouragement of my mentor.
Avantika Nigam
A7706115013
Benares: The spiritual capital of India
Avantika Nigam
A7706110513
B.A. (H) English
5-Semester
Amity School of Languages
Amity University U.P. – Lucknow Campus
Email Id.: avantikalistening@gmail.com
Abstract:
Varanasi, a city older than history. The City, Varanasi is known to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. India as a country is a home to many such unique places and the rich history of India's Hindu and Buddhist communities add to an extra dimension to a visit to Varanasi, where the ancient sites and thriving cultures continue to draw modern-day visitors. Varanasi is the city in India of your imagination and it is one of the most colourful and fascinating places on the earth, surprises are abound around every corner.
This is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities, one of the holiest in Hinduism as well. Pilgrims come to the ghats which are lined along the Ganges river to wash away their sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones. Varanasi is particularly an auspicious place to die here, since it offers moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Most visitors agree with the fact that Varanasi is magical ‘ but not for the faint hearted. Intimate rituals of life and death take place in public. This so-called City of Lights may be your favourite stop of all. Walking the ghats and along the alleyways or maybe watching sunrise or sunset from a boat can be unforgettable. For Hindus, the holy place Varanasi in India is the holiest of seven sacred cities. Buddhism was founded nearby Sarnath in around 528 B.C. when Buddha gave his first sermon, "The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma’ Varanasi has been a great cultural center, especially in the field of music, learning and the craft of silk weaving. Some of most renowned exponents of music have drawn their inspiration from Varanasi and it is sacred, soulful and spectacular.
KEYWORDS: Unique, Auspicious, Twice old, Ghats, Temples
Contents:
1. Varanasi: A city older than history – The History and its Origin
2. The City of Ghats
3. The City of Temples
4. Varanasi Festivals & Events
5. The City of Gods- Center of the Hindu universe
Varanasi: A city older than history – The History and its Origin
India fires the imagination and stirs the soul like no other place on this Earth, bristling with a mind-stirring mix of landscapes and of cultural traditions. Fiery India will blaze in your memory long after you’ve left its shores. Varanasi, a city older than history is one of the oldest living cities in the world. India is home to many such unique places. In the words of the popular American author and humorist, Mark Twain,
‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.’
Varanasi has been known at various times in history as Benares or Kashi, ‘City of Light’ It is a crumbling maze of a city that rises from the Ghats (steps) on the western banks of the Ganges. Varanasi is named after the confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Asi. Varanasi is seen by devotees, as the holiest of Indian pilgrimages, home of Shiva, where the devout come to wash away their sins. It is also one of the holiest Tirthas (literally a ‘crossing’ or sacred place where mortals can cross over to the divine, or the gods and goddesses come to bathe on earth), where many return to die in the hope that they may achieve Moksha, the salvation of the soul from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Varanasi is centered on the ghats that line the waterfront, each honoring Shiva in the form of a linga’the rounded phallic like shaft of stone found on every ghat. Pilgrims come to the Varanasi Ghats lining the River Ganges to wash away a lifetime of sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones. Varanasi is the quintessential India ‘ colourful, chaotic, overwhelming and yet magical.
For Hindus, Varanasi, India, is the holiest of the seven sacred cities. And Buddhism was founded at nearby Sarnath around 528 B.C., when Buddha gave his first sermon, "The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma’ (also called ‘Turning the Wheel of the Dharma’). The rich history of India's Hindu and Buddhist communities adds an extra dimension to a visit to Varanasi, where ancient sites and thriving cultures continue to draw modern-day visitors. The eternal city of India call it Varanasi or Benares or Kashi. This city is more so remarkable since its great contemporaries ‘ Beijing, Jerusalem, Athens have moved on and away from their ancient ways of life. On the other hand the lanes and building of old Varanasi still ooze the ethos of ancient India. More than 3000 years old, this city has been referred to by various travelers across time zones. From Xuanzang of China to Mark Twain of America everyone has attested to this great city being extremely old, and the centre of religion, education and artistic activities. To this day, this city is significant from many angles. It is one of the most important pilgrim centers of Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.it is one of the seven sacred cities of Hindus. It is famous for its muslin and silk fabric, ivory work and sculptors. In fact, from faith, philosophy and culture to Indian arts and crafts all have gained tremendously from this eminent city of India. Varanasi is sacred, soulful and spectacular.
The City of Ghats
The city of Ghats they speak of Varanasi and the first thing that flashes across your mind is the image of the numerous Ghats along the eastern bank of river Ganges. There are more than 100 Ghats lined up here back to back. The religious and cultural life at Varanasi is closely associated with the river Ganges so a trip to these stepped embankments is a must if you wish to feel the pulse of the city. A boat ride across this 6-1/2 kilometer is the best way to glimpse life at Varanasi unraveling on the Ghats some 52 of them facing the river. The best time to take a boat is pre-dawn at 4:30 when the first rays of the sun fall comes there is already a humdrum of activity along the banks. The sun lit Ghats exude radiance glowing against the exhilarating blue sky of dawn. The multitude of devotees perform rituals and Suryanamaskaar. Some are also seen taking a dip in ice cold waters of the holy river absolve themselves of all sins. Most of the Ghats are bathing Ghats, with a few serving as cremation grounds. However, against this religious background is the incongruous sight of spirituality being sold shops with so called religious paraphernalia. At the southern most end is the ASI GHAT, it is here that the River Ganges joins the River Asi.
DAS-ASWA-MEDH GHAT is the main ghat of the city, centrally located and most popular among all the ghats. The most prominent feature of this ghat is the sight of huge parasols with self proclaimed holymen seated beneath them making a rich living performing the rituals. A horde of boat can be seen bobbing in the water alongside this ghat as this is where most of the tourists and visitors start their journey of the ghats
TULSI GHAT is named after the great hindi poet of the 16th century, Tulsidas. It is believed that Tulsidas wrote his greatest literary work, RAMCHARITMANAS – The story of the Hindu God Lord Rama at this Ghat.
At the foot of JANKI GHAT is the pumping station of Varanasi water works.
BACHHRAJ GHAT is of significant importance to the followers of Jainism.
SHIVALA or KALI GHAT gets its name from the historic Shivala fort here. The fort was inhabited by the Raja of Benares in 1776.
HARISHCHANDRA GHAT is used for cremation purposes, being the second most cremation Ghat after Manikaranika.
KEDAR GHAT is the shrine for the Bengalis.
SOMESHWAR GHAT The waters of the rivers flowing across this ghat are believed to have the curative properties for all diseases.
RAJA GHAT has a large Inn for Brahmans.
The City of Temples
Varanasi is also famous for housing numerous temples. Several temples in Varanasi have great religious and historical importance in Hinduism. Among the estimated 23,000 temples in Varanasi, there are many temples erected at different times throughout the history of Varanasi.
KASHI VISHWANATH TEMPLE The concentration of cosmic light out of which Shiva manifested to prove his supremacy to Brahma and Vishnu. In fact, it is a temple complex which consists of 7 temples. The Shiva temple is situated on the ground floor, whereas Durga temple and Lakshmi Narayan temple are located on the first floor. The architecture of the temple is inspired by the old Vishwanath Temple and the structure is made of white marbles. The walls of the temple are adorned with the text of Gita. The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by the army of Qutb-ud-din-Aibak in 1194 CE, when he defeated the Raja of Kannauj as a commander of Mohammad Ghori. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times in the past 800 years and the existing structure was erected in 18th century.
SANKAT MOCHAN HANUMAN TEMPLE is situated by the Asi River, is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu god Hanuman. According to Hindu legend the temple was built on the spot where the medieval Hindu saint Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman
PARSHVANATH JAIN TEMPLE Varanasi is temple of Jain religion and is dedicated to Parshvanath, the 23rd Thirthankara born at Bhelpur in Varanasi. The idol deified in the temple is of black colour and 30 inches in height. It is located in Bhelapur about 5 kilometres from the centre of Varanasi city. It belongs to the digambara sect of Jainism and is a holy tirtha or pilgrimage centre for Jains.
DURGA MANDIR This is also known as the monkey temple and is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to the Maa Durga. This temple was constructed in the 18th century by Bengali Maharani (Bengali Queen).
BHARAT MATA MANDIR is located on the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith campus in Varanasi, India. This temple has a huge map of undivided India carved in marble. This temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata and claims to be the only one of its kind in the world.
Varanasi Festivals & Events
It is worth to visit Varanasi during one of their fairs or festivals that are held on a grand scale as the city is most colourful and liveliest at this time of the year. Varanasi is the most popular pilgrimage place for the Hindus. The rich culture here and the heritage and tradition of Varanasi makes it the cultural capital of India. For ages, Varanasi has been a center of learning of Indian philosophy, spiritualism, mysticism. In Hindu religion, it is believed that one, who dies and is cremated at Varanasi, gets an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births. Being associated with Hindu traditions and religion, Varanasi is also a home to numerous temples, myths and Ashrams. By virtue of its religious and cultural the importance, Varanasi is abuzz with fairs and festivals all round the year. Almost every month, some important festival is celebrated in Varanasi. Besides these festivals and holidays, many "Melas" or fairs are also held at Varanasi. At Varanasi, fairs and festivals are celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervor and they are symbolic of celebration of life at its best. The festive atmosphere never seem to end in Varanasi.
MAKARA SANKRANTI during January is one of the ancient Hindu festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles. It is observed with social festivities such as colorful decorations, melas (fair), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feast. Every twelve years, the Hindus observe Makar Sankranti with one of the world's largest mass pilgrimage, with an estimated 40 to 100 million people attending for the event. At this event, they say a prayer to the sun and bathe at the Prayaga confluence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna at the Kumbh Mela.
BASANT PANCHMI during January-February are the popular festivals celebrated in Varanasi is a Hindu spring festival. It is dedicated to the goddess Saraswati who is known to be the ancient goddess of knowledge, language, music and all arts. She is the wife of Brahma, and she symbolizes the creative energy and power in all its form, including longing and love (kama).
MAHA SHIVARATRI held during February-March is a very special religious festival in Varanasi. It is marked with many rituals and festivities all through Varanasi and is a good time to explore the local culture of the city. It is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva in every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, doing Yoga, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as self-restraint, honesty, non injury to others, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva.
The City of Gods – Center of the Hindu universe
For 3000 years people have gathered to worship on the shores of the Ganges in a holy city known as Varanasi ‘ the City of Gods. Benares is the place which gave birth to KABIR, was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Adi Granth. People of Benares think that if you worship an idol then there is a form, but if you talk about KABIR, then God is formless. So, a lot of beliefs came together to make Hinduism. Some people say they do not pray or read religious texts at all. They just take the photograph of their God in front of them and meditate peacefully. Others say, in Hinduism you can believe in God and you cannot also believe in God at the same time. Hinduism is a way of life and those who abide by the philosophy of Hinduism are Hindus. One who lives in that manner is a Hindu So they follow the rituals and cultures of Hinduism but they don’t believe in God. Religion is that path which can never be erased. It is something which helps you to progress in life. The path of faith crosses all obstacles while the path of sin drowns. People there don’t believe in Hindu or Muslim, they believe in HUMANS. Shia, Sunni, Khurd, Ahmadiya, Catholic, Protestants, Jews, Parsis, Sikh they all have visited Benares and bathed in the holy waters of Ganga. The people there feel that they are links attached to each other. They live like a necklace of links. The people there believe there is no Ram and Krishna because you can be Ram and Krishna yourself. Your body is the lord’s temple and whenever you find him, you’ll find him within yourself. If one link breaks, the entire necklace will break. The lord of the universe resides here in Kashi. He is the king and teacher. Kashi is of supreme importance because it is the religious capital of India. 27 of the worlds religions reside here. There is pilgrimage higher than Kashi. People come here looking for bliss, peace of mind, for joy and for spiritual awakening. Even dying there is considered holy, imagine how holy it is to live there.
WORKS CITED:
http://www.timesofindia.com/city/kolkata/Varanasi-is-as-old-as-Indus-valley-civilization-finds-IIT-KGP-study/articleshow/51146196.cms
"Varanasi: About the city". Official website of Uttar Pradesh Tourism. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
Ganga & Ghats". National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
Ghats of Benares, 1’20". National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
"Temples of Varanasi". Varanasi Official website.
Eck 1982, p. 10, 58, refers to "Benares ‘ which Hindus call Kashi, the City of Light" (p. 10) and "Hindus call it Kashi, the luminous City of Light" (p. 58)
"Benares, the Eternal City". Banaras Hindu University. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
...(download the rest of the essay above)