Banaras

Vanaras

The moment I hear the name Vanaras, the ghats of Ganga ji 🌊 come alive in my memory… priests of Shiv ji 🔱, draped in white ashes, roaming the narrow alleys of Vanaras, seeking spiritual siddhis ⛳.

Once again, I got the chance to visit Banaras.

I had seen the day-time Banaras before — so beautiful.

When the rays of the sun fall on the waters of Ganga ji, they rise like a golden 🌟. Waves leap and dance swiftly forward.

On the banks of the Ganga, people perform their morning rituals 🙏. Everyone folds their hands and bows to Ganga ji🌊, lowering their heads in devotion.

From the ghats, they move through the alleys of Banaras, gazing at the old, stunning buildings, heading towards the darshan of Shiv ji 🔱.

The sights are truly breathtaking.

But this time, I was eager to witness the night-time scenes 🌉.

So I stepped out around midnight — at about 12 or 1 am — into the alleys of Godowali.

As I moved past Godowali and stepped into the narrow lane ahead, a wave of stillness wrapped around me. There was such peace there.

Only a few souls drifted past—two, maybe four—appearing briefly and then fading into the quiet.

That’s when I realized:

The alleys of Vanaras remain ready, day and night, to welcome wanderers 🌝.

The streets of Vanaras are filled with the fragrances of beautiful flowers 🪷and leaves🌿.

In the old walls of these lanes, it’s as though the scent of dhoop-batti🪔 has soaked deep into the bricks.

Winding through those alleys, I reached the banks of Ganga ji 🌊.

There was a serene peace there, a calmness🍃.

The damp scent ✨ of the Earth floated gently in the breeze, slowly wrapping itself around me 🫂.

On the night of the moon🌕, the waters of Ganga ji shimmered, as though Ganga ji 🌊 were a beautiful silver 🌌 shawl embroidered with countless twinkling stars ✨.

Boats lined up along the banks stood still, as if they felt no fatigue even after wandering the entire day — simply waiting patiently for the next travelers to arrive 🛶.

How beautiful is our Ganga ji 🌊— sweet🫰, innocent, always wishing well for everyone☘️. My heart wished I could stay beside her forever💖.

But I am on a journey, and I must keep moving ahead.

So, taking the blessings of Ganga ji 🙏, I moved forward, drifting along her playful banks 🌊, crossing through the sparkling🌟 lanes until I reached Godowali Chowk.

This chowk was incredibly busy — after all, it bears the weight of Dharma🦾, Moksha🚩, Kaam, and Arth 💰 all at once.

At last, I quickly found an auto 🛺 there, and continued my journey ahead, blessed by the grace of Kashi Vishwanathan ji 🙏.