Many of the larger cities in India are showing signs of tourism. Little coffee shops, foreigners always need their latte, and people offering tour packages. However, Varanasi has managed to buck that trend. The leadership of the city have found a way of keeping the traditional side of the city whilst allowing for tourism to take place. Tourism from foreigners is small in comparison to the number of pilgrims who come for a festival of their god(s).
I use gods in its plural form because Hindus have over 33,000 gods in their religion. That number can be challenged but at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone knows. They also have a goddess of smallpox, a disease the world managed to eradicate and with good reason. I should mention, that Shitala, is also worshipped to deliver children from other infectious diseases. But she is commonly associated with smallpox.
Diwali, the victory of light over darkness
I was looking forward to Diwali although it is mainly a friends and family festival. There is always a large gathering in Varanasi and I was told it will be down by the main ghat, Dashashwamedh. A ghat is a set of steps leading down to a river, in this case, the holy Ganges. I had also made friends with Vibhuti a visitor from Jharkhand, a region of East India. Vibhuti took me to the ghat and found a perfect place to watch the festival. I would’ve been lost without that help! It was packed. There were even visiting members of the government.
After we took a walk along the front, visiting other ghats and Vibhuti helping to explain Hinduism. They don’t have to worship all the gods but some they are handed down by their family and community. Others might be a personal choice. I also come to understand that people choose to die in Varanasi. It is understood that if you die in Varanasi, the cycle of constant rebirth is broken. A better rest for the spirit, I don’t blame it in this world!
During our walk, you start to see what the younger members get up to. Firecrackers and fireworks everywhere. No safety naturally. Just metres from you they will go off like an explosion. You jump and it takes a few seconds for your senses to return. This happens all over the city, along the small alleys, wide open spaces and on the ghats. The city practically goes to war with itself.
Further wandering leads you into the alleys and the decorations on the entrances to people’s houses. Some even decorate the whole house. It reminds me of the houses at Christmas. As your mind starts to wander a firecracker goes off at your feet and brings you back to reality. No chance of any wandering here, it’s a battle zone.
A long break until the end, Dev Deepavali
I was told to be in Varanasi for Dev Deepavali. It attracts 8 million tourists and pilgrims. But first I had 15 days to rest, recoup and generally just chill. It was nice to know you can just sit and read and not care about it. But I still felt guilty. I realised I needed to start wondering why I am anxious/stressed all the time. Enjoying time to read shouldn’t make me feel guilty. I guess I will have even more reading now!
I used the time to visit Sarnath, the site of the first sermon from the Buddha and what could be considered the start of Buddhism. There is more organisation to this site versus Lumbini. The museum is well structured and you can also visit the archaeological ruins. Thailand has also built a 24m statue of the Buddha on the same grounds as their temple, not as ornate as the one in Lumbini.
I also got to spend some time working on my street photography, sometimes a difficult subject because it is very time-dependent. Plus India comes alive at night which makes it harder with a low amount of light. But opportunities for great pictures are worth it.
Dev Deepavali
Dev Deepavali is the celebration of Lord Shiva’s win over the demon Tripurasur and is a major celebration for Varanasi and is hard to describe. It is also known as the ‘Diwali of the Gods.’ After Lord Shiva’s triumph, the gods were welcomed and earthen lamps were lit all over the banks and ghats of the Ganges in their honour.
The ghats are covered in earthen lamps, some making swastikas (representing good luck and prosperity) and other sand script symbols. There are also designs made with flowers placed in front of temples, the temples are lit up in various colours along with a laser light show. The beach opposite the ghats has even been covered with earthen lamps so both sides of the Ganges are lit up.
Then comes the fireworks display, the climax of the evening of rituals and prayer. It had been a long time since I had seen some fireworks and it was fun to watch. However, walking back through the ghats afterwards I soon realised the party was only just getting started. Each temple/ghat combination had a different way of celebrating. Some with rituals, some with peaceful reflections others had decorated with what we would recognise as Halloween decorations and they had a music system.
I’m not sure when the party ended but it was time for me to head to sleep because I was setting off towards Kolkata the next day.