Varanasi's main railway station is the junction station near the cantonment area. It is about 3 kms away from the old city center and can be accessed on auto rickshaws or cycle rickshaws. The other major rail station is at Mughal Sarai, 16 kms from Varanasi. Some of the major trains connecting to Calcutta, Guwahati and other places stop only at Mughal Sarai. Buses and taxis ply regularly between Mughal Sarai and Varanasi.
In addition, buses connect the city to Gorakhpur, Gaya, Allahabad, Lucknow, Delhi, Khajuraho and to Nepal. Most buses terminate a short distance from the junction station, and some at the cantonment bus station.
THE GHATS
Ghats are steps or platform at the edges of holy rivers from which people bathe and on which cremations take place.
Most of the ancient temples and structures along the ghats have been destroyed. What remain are mainly 18th and 19th century buildings. A very important pilgrimage for the devout is the Panchatirtha Yatra, covering the 5 important ghats of Asi, Dashashwamedha, Adi Keshava, Panchganga and Manikarnika. The Panchkosi road, beginning from the Asi ghat and ending at the Manikarnika ghat denotes the sacred area of Kashi. A tour around this 58 kms route takes about 6 days on foot. Each dedicated to sun worship, the Lolarka Kund (pool) lies 15 metres below the ground and is approached by a steep flight of steps. The Tulsi ghat, dedicated to the 16th century poet saint Tulsidas is crumbling. Further north is the Harishchandra ghat, one of the two important cremation grounds in Varanasi. Named after the king Harishchandra, it is considered the most sacred cremation ground.
The Dashashwamedha ghat is the busiest bathing ghat in Varanasi. The ancient king Divodasa was said to have performed the Dashashwamedha Yajnya (ten horse sacrifice) here. This pleased Brahma, the creator, so much that he established the Brahmeshwara lingam. Boats can be hired at this ghat for a tour of the riverfront. It is also the most popular site for Hindus to perform ancestor worship rituals, and the entire ghat is lined with umbrella covered stalls where Brahmin priests undertake pujas (worship).
The Kedar ghat has links with the Kedarnath shrine located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. The dhobi ghat is a washerman's area, while the Chausathi (64) ghat has a shrine dedicated to Chausath Yoginis, the multiple manifestations of the female force Durga.
The Man Mandir ghat, built in 1600 by Maharaja Man Singh of Amer, has a very interesting observatory. Built in 1710 by the kings of Jaipur, it is similar to the ones in Jaipur and Delhi. There are numerous instruments used for astronomical calculations and is open to visitors from 09:30 am till 05:30 pm. The Dom Raja's house is next door, with painted tigers flanking the terrace. Doms are the untouchables, who handle the corpses at cremation grounds. Though the Doms belong to a lower caste, their services are invaluable for the dead to be released from their physical bonds and so the leader of the doms is given the title of `Raja' or king.
The Mir Ghat has a shrine to Vishalakshi (the wide-eyed goddess). It is one of the 52 pithas (pilgrimages) where the body parts of Shakti landed after a distraught Shiva performed his dance of destruction or tandava. The Lalita Ghat is well known for its Nepali style temple with an idol of Pashupateshwara. This ghat also has a temple dedicated to the river Ganga.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the other cremation ground, which is more popularly used by the people. Since Shiva is said to have resided in Varanasi, the entire holy area is considered Mahashmashana (great cremation ground). It is said that the funeral fires never die at the Manikarnika ghat . The Manikarnika kund (tank) is said to predate the arrival of the Ganga, which came down to earth to purify humans.
The Scindhia Ghat was built in such grand style that parts of it collapsed and went under the river. The Alamgir mosque, popularly known as Beni-madhav-ka-dera dominates the Panchganga Ghat. The mosque stands on the ruins of the Bindu Madhava temple, dedicated to Vishnu, which was destroyed by Aurangzeb. The Adi Keshava ghat on the outskirts of the city is the point where the river Varuna meets the Ganga. The ghat is completely submerged during rains. This is the original site of the city, where Vishnu is believed to have landed as an emissary of lord Shiva.
The old city, from Dashashwamedha Ghat and Godaulia in the south to the Manikarnika Ghat in the North is known as the Vishwanatha Khanda. It is a maze of narrow lanes and by-lanes, the focal point of which is the Vishwanath temple, with one of India's most important lingams or Shaivite shrines. The original temple is said to have been over 1000 years old. The temple is closed to non-Hindus, but can be viewed from shops across the road. The Gyan Vapi tank enclosed in a hall is said to contain the original shivalingam. Pilgrims offer prayers here before embarking on the Panchatirtha.
Next to the Vishwanath temple is the Annapurna temple, built in the 18th century by Peshwa Baji Rao I. The idol of Annapurna Bhavani (the provider of food), a benevolent form of Shakti, is made in solid gold and carries a cooking pot. There is also a striking silver-faced image of Shani (Saturn) within the temple. Shani is feared for his destructive powers and is propitiatedto prevent any ill befalling the devout.
The Bharat Mata temple north-west of Godaulia is a modern shrine, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. It has a huge relief map of the Indian sub-continent showing all its rivers, mountains and pilgrimages. The 19th century Durga temple, 4 kms from Godaulia, is also popularly known as the 'monkey temple' because of an overwhelming presence of the primates. The idol of Durga, a manifestation of Shakti, is dressed in red and rides a tiger with the trident, the discus and a sword in her hands. The temple courtyard has a forked stake for sacrificing goats, and non-Hindus are allowed only up to this point.
Attracting over a million pilgrims every year, the city lives and breathes traditional Hindu religion and culture. What Varanasi offers is life itself, in myriad hues like the changing face of its ghats (river landings) with shifting rays of light. The numerous ghats along the Ganga, the narrow alleys and streets with a mixture of rickshaws, cycles, auto rickshaws, pedestrians and even cattle and the religious shrines all form a bizarre circus. The devout come to die here, but it is also an amazingly lively place. Famed for its religious fervour as much as its thugs (tricksters), Varanasi is also the place that has evoked some of the most creative processes in philosophy- religion, the arts and craftsmanship.
Tonsured heads, chillum-smoking sadhus, the chanting of mantras and cremation grounds where the fire never dies down. Here the Hindu world converges to partake in an endless cycle of birth, death. Life and salvation.
I saw a group of old men's shuffling along the road. They were wearing russet, brown robes made of a single piece of cloth and some wore sandals, though I noticed some were barefoot. Each carried stuff, a water pot and a gunny bag, no other possessions. They are sannyasis, the holy men who have quit the world to devote themselves to the spiritual quest.
I had to leave my sandals at a booth, for a small charge. The crowd was really pressing, everyone was trying to protect their wallets, keep their balance and crane their necks to get a glimpse of the arati flames. Fortunately I could hear the verses sung in the praise of the river goddess on the public address system. When the arti ceremony was over, I moved to one side to enable the crowds to thin a little. Then I was able climb down the slippery steps to reach the water's edge.
The Ganges was in full flood, but the rushing water was quietly making its progress downstream towards the sea as the hole bunch of people bathing in the Ganges it is believed the river will wash away their sins. It is a hope of all Hindus that in their lifetime they should bathe at least once in the holy Ganges. The river Ganges is considered so holy and purifying that since time immemorial many poets have written hundreds of verses in its praise, and of the well-known one says:
'He who (with reverence and devotion) utters (the holy name of) Ganges, even from a distance of hundreds of miles (away from it), gets absolved from all his sins and proceeds straight to the abode of Vishnu.
O, Mother Ganges, I bow down to you, because by a meter touch of your (holy) waters, even snakes, horses, deer and monkeys (not to mention men) become as pure, as beautiful and as adorned as Shiva and can then wander about (fearlessly). (Gangashtaka Kalidasa, v.8).
As bunch of people were bathing in the Ganges a women was hitting man with a big stick because every year at least 100's of pilgrims drown in the drown.
I saw mostly old people with very wrinkled skin. They were singing pajans in a small group. For most Hindu Ganges is like an end of life, so mostly old people go to the pilgrimage.
On the ghats people had their head shaved. The men were left with their chotis, the small tofts on the backs of their skulls. The women from the south had their head shaved completely. It is believed that shaving their heads their bad karma are removed from them and begin a free form sin. I looked east to my side I saw a man who was standing with one leg up and one leg on the floor. He was wearing bright orange clothing representing the sun. He had his thumb on his left side of his nose and two fingers right side of his nose. He had his left hand on his ear. He was doing meditation. Meditation is yoga; it's not easy as you think. You try to concentrate on your self your goods and your bads.
It was too noisy that you can't even hear your self. The atmosphere was really annoying that there was less oxygen in the air as your nostril was blocked because of the agni's (fire) smoke on the Manikarnika Ghat. On the Manikarnika Ghat I saw a dead body covered with sandalwood. The pyre was built up next to the body next to the pyre scandal wood joss sticks was placed. As a man had a pot with water in it in his right side of his shoulder the other man was drilling a hole so that made a line as man who had a pot walked around the body. Then the pyre blazed for an hour. Next to that there was a another funeral which has already finished and left with ashes and some ashes were collected in a pot and did a funeral and throwed in the Ganges with a little lamp on. Many Hindus believe that dieing near the holy Ganges or at least have their ashes scattered in the river will deceased their souls.
Pilgrims who return home often take a bottle of Ganges water with them. I even saw people drinking the water.
There are quite a lot of reasons why Hindus go to pilgrimage.
The concept of a voyage through life is brightly symbolized by pilgrimages to places of special importance in the faith. The rituals related with Hindu pilgrimage may be joyful, but can also involve reparation, austerities such as fasting, the search for purity or the act of vows. For most people in India pilgrimages are part of their normal way of life. For example, through certain festivals dedicated to goddess Parvati, people go on a short pilgrimage to go to the local temple of the deity, or they may go to see a shrine of the goddess located on a hilltop not far from their village. A whole village may be involved, when people of all ages make their ways headed for the shrine. The physical attempt of climbing the hill adds to the spirituality of the experience. Mostly Hindu's go to pilgrimage to have a closer experience of the god that they worship. They may wish to thank the god for favors already received. Parents may visit a particular shrine in order to pray for the birth of a child or for a child to be cured of a long illness. Going on pilgrimage is a preferred activity for Hindus and is well thought-out to be an act, which gains them religious merit. Some Hindu believes that is their duty to visit the pilgrimage.
Those who visit holy places may go searching for a sense of peace with God and unity with each other members of their faith. They may equally well be inspired by a deep faith.
WHAT THEY DO ON PILGRIMAGES AND WHY?
TO BATHE
Pilgrims bathe from ghats, which are a series of stone steps, built on riverbanks, leading down to the water's edge. Hindus believe that a bath in a holy river washes away their sins. Without water there would be no life and so rivers are very precious, particularly in a hot country. They have come to signify the life giving nature of god. Also, water is used for washing; it becomes a representation of inner, spiritual cleansing. Hindu believes that in their lifetime they should bathe at least once in the holy Ganges. The memory of those shrines brings merit; the sight of them brings release even for wicked men. Often pilgrims who go to Varanasi take home bottles of water from the River Ganges. These are put with their shrine at home.
TO DEPOSIT THE ASHES AND CARRY OUT THE CEREMONIES FOR THE DEAD
After death, Hindus burn the body rather than bury it. The body is located on a raised platform and covered with sandalwood. At the cremation ceremony, rituals are performed and hymns recited to remind mourners that the body perishes but the is immortal. Then the eldest son or another family member lights the pyre.
Many Hindus would like to die near the holy Ganges, or at least have their ashes spread in the river. These cremation are performed in ghats. Relatives may carry the ashes from the far-away corners of India or the world, to the Ganges. They believe that this will help them to break out of the 'birth death-rebirth' cycle.
The purpose of depositing the ash in the holy river is to add to good karma and so escape from samsara (the cycle of rebirth).
FAITH HEALING
Several believers go on a long trip to a far-away shrine in the hope of finding a cure for diseases for instance leprosy, which withers and disfigures hands, feet, nose and ears.
Some sects within Hinduism do not allow ritual bathing, the wearing of holy beads and the offering of gifts to holy men at the centers of pilgrimages. In bad feeling of such prohibitions, pious Hindus go on pilgrimages by the thousand.
TO CIRCUMAMBULATE
Walking round the major shrine at a place of pilgrimage it is an important religious act for many Hindus. The pilgrims at all times walk a clockwise direction, so that the shrine is always on the body to be ritually purer, and for this basis the right hand is always used for making religious offerings, for eating and for giving and receiving money. A variety of points along the route to the shrine, pilgrims listen to the leader as he tells them stories from the mythology of the divinity. The visitor's names are entered in large ledgers, forming hand-written accounts that are kept at the temples. Such an entry adds to the status of the visitors and their families.
MAKING AMENDS FOR DOING WRONG THINGS
If a person does some thing wrong or breaks the law of the land, the courts deal with the crime and punish the criminal. But if a Hindu breaks a scared law by stand-in against a religious rule, that person is obligatory to atone for the sin. Such offences might include the killing of a cow or damaging the image of a deity in a temple Offenders may have to suffer some physical hardship, give money to charity or perform a special puja to the family deities to ask for forgiveness and to ease the troubled mind. The guilt feeling arising from acting against religious rules sometimes leads to physical illness. Atonement of sin is a powerful reason for pilgrimage to certain shrines. One interesting act in the atonement ritual is the 'shadow-gift': repentant sinners look at their reflections in a cup of melted butter and then present the cup as a gift to a priest.
Pilgrimage can affect people in many different ways it can positive affect or negative affect.
NEGATIVE
Everyone like to be clean and fresh but in pilgrimages it is so dirty, dusty, germ-infested, unhygienic and noisy. You will feel like you are in a market. You might get hit, pushed or even stepped on you. When you bath in the holy river there is someone who hit you with the sticks when you cross the limit of the river because you might get drowned. On the way to see deity there is a huge amount of people waiting in the queue, not even a queue a rushed and a big bunch of people waiting to see the deity and offer to the deity. In this queue you will definitely get hurt in some may. In this point you might get fed up and say
'What the hell man, do I have to come here?'
THIEVES
Pilgrimage is the best place for robbing or doing any dealings e.g. drugs. In pilgrimage robbing can be easy, you could easily rob some and walk away you don't even have to run. Some rich Hindus like offering gold to the deity so they bring money, gold and silver. This is a god chance for the robberies to rob. Drug dealing it is the best place for drug deal. You could come as a pilgrim one of the 10000's and finish your work and go home.
LOST
There are lots of people who got lost in the pilgrimages, not one or two 100's so people with small children will be scared to go to the pilgrimages.
MONEY
Some people think its a waste of time an waste of money!
POSITIVE
Some Hindus think its one of there job to go the pilgrimage, as Hindu think that god made them don't they have time to go to the pilgrimage. Bhramins thinks it is necessary to go to the pilgrimage where every Brahmin gets up early morning and have bath and pray three times a day.
Some Hindus go to pilgrimage to give them peace if they think their sins are forgiven. Peace has a lots of meaning. some Hindu goes to pilgrimage if they have a problem at home or work and they want some peace. mostly old people go to pilgrimage because they want to MOKSHA. they know that its there time to die so before they die they want to be sorry for want they have done, they can only go to moksha if they were really sorry from their heart.
Some Hindus goes to pilgrimage if their prayer was answered and they pray to god that they will shave their heads, do abishegam (offering of milk, fruits, water, coconut juice, sandal, water), caved (this is done for the subramaniyam),fasting, anathanam (giving food to the poor people), or giving golds and money.
So if their question were answered they think god is there so they will have more attention on god.
There is a chance of changing their attitudes in the pilgrimage. They could think what they done wrong and what can they do good because when we die we aren't going to take money, gold its our goods going to be there. When we die we need four people to carry us, if we don't have them then we are cheaper than anything in the world to get four people we need to do good stuff even you don't do good stuff don't do bad stuff.
In pilgrimage you can take your own decision you don't people telling you to do that and this especially about jobs, family problems, giving to charity or other important decision. It gives them a peace and fresh mind.
Pilgrimages are a waste of time and money. You could give the money to the charity rather than wasting it on traveling. People travel to pilgrimages from foreign country as well so it is just a waste of money. Many people pray to god that they will offer gold and money to the pilgrimage when could help 100's of children without parents, disability and mentally problem.
You don't have to go to the pilgrimage to show that you give respect to the god and believe in god where you could just perform puja at home and pray. There is not a big difference at home puja and going to the pilgrimage.
Rather than wasting two weeks of praying Hindus should spend their time with their families rather than going on pilgrimage especially parents they should spend their time with their children. Now days Hindu youngster don't obey their religion e.g. have a partner through life but now Hindu's boys and girls have boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm not saying is bad but be true to your partner. Parents could teach their children how to live according to the Hindu's religion.
There is more important work than going to the pilgrimage. Most of the people say that they go to pilgrimage to get closer to god but if you do good stuff then you are close to god.
‘There is nothing but water at the
holy bathing places;
and I know that they are useless,
for I have bathed in them.
The images are all lifeless, they
cannot speak;
I know, for I have cried aloud to them.
The Purana and Quran are mere words;
lifting up the curtain,
I have seen.
Kabir gives utterance to the words of
experience: and he
Knows very well that all other things
Are untrue.
If God be within the mosque, then
to whom does the world belong?
If Ram be within the image which you
find upon your pilgrimage,
Then who is there to know
what happens without?’ (From ‘One hundred poems of Kabir’
translated by Rabindranath Tagore) Hindus consider that the water of the Ganges is holy and that they will get pity of their sins and Moksha if they bathe in it and drink it.
It is believed in end of our life we aren’t going to take anything with us, we are going to be in the heaven or the hell. That’s our last stage to go to the heaven we need to be pure by heart. So people who have done bad things they can go to the pilgrimage and feel sorry for what they have been doing. This gives them a peace of mind. Even people change when they go to the pilgrimage people who do bad stuff they change to a good human.
Hindus believe that there is remuneration such as getting curing of diseases so many people go there for this reason.
Dead people’s ashes are deposited so the person will be promoting to the Moksha. The relatives do this when one of the relatives goes to the pilgrimage the other relatives will say they will come as well.
In my own opinion it’s a waste of time, of going to the pilgrimage, I’ll rather spend the time with family or studies. But people who have been disturbed they could go to the pilgrimage and relax and have fresh mind.
Describe a visit to a Hindu place of pilgrimage, explaining its importance to believers.
Why do Hindus go on pilgrimage?
What effects may a pilgrimage have on their lives.
There are more important things for Hindus to do than go on a pilgrimage.
Do you agree? Give reason to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view.
