Varanasi diaries- walking through old city

It is said that heart and soul of any city lies in its old city and bylanes. When you talk of varanasi, its older part is hypnotically mesmerising.

Varanasi is world’s oldest living city. Archeologists have already gone back upto 6000 years using carbon dating techniques.

Mark Twain once said Banares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.

The older part of city exists right behind the ghats along the river ganga. In older days, water was the lifeline and all civilisations have eveolved around water sources. The rivers were not only a source of water but also played an important role in transportation of goods and people.

During my stay at varanasi, we decided to take a walk in the narrow streets and bylanes of Varanasi.

The streets are so narrow that that if a two wheeler moves, people have to move sideways to let it go. Sun touches the street hardly for half an hour when it is overhead. Here is a different world altogether.

In olden days, perhaps the streets were meant for people movement only. Or maybe over a period of time structures have been added and streets have become narrower.

In olden days when wires were not there, this house should have been very beautiful.

Even in those days, people took interest in designs. Maybe that was the way of showing one’s prosperity.

Ground floor has all been converted to wholesale market. Probably in those days too, people conducted business on ground floor and stayed upstairs.

This was one of the wider streets which led to narrower and narrower as you went further

After parking, another two wheeler cannot pass through. I am sure people here would be cooperative as compared to flaring tempers we see elsewhere.

Inspite of colorful markets, the houses above regain their charm

Seeing the door, it appears that an entire wing has been added later .

There is still a place for the restaurant to work and use some space in the street for cooking

we spent some time seeing this street. Was the house built leaving passgae thru it or was the passage created out of an existing house.

while other houses have door at street level, this house has a staircase to enter. Every house is unique though they are all attached.

someone has put a sheet above on top. Is it protect wires joining at pole or is it a bridge between two houses. A liitle extra space provides oppurtunity for chit-chat

Only a cycle can pass thru. But see how neat and clean the street is and how vibrant the houses look.

The house in the background must have seen grander times

And there is a school too

God and temples always found out a place to exist in narrow spaces.

Left to temple is two wheeler repair shop. Human repair shop( temple) and machine repair shop coexisting.

Here ground floor is temple and first floor onwards is a house

This is a 140 year old arena where wrestlers were trained and are still trained. Many wrestlers of international repute have grown up training here.

Inspite of space constraint, this tree has not been cut and is accomodated in the shop itself. This is the ancient culture where water and trees were worshipped. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why human race has survived for so long.

Here the sidelanes emerge alongside this grand building and merges with main street. It was once a popular cinema hall. Ground floor were shops and first -second floor was theatre. The upper levels used to be costly. Locals have nostalgic memories of seeing some famous movies there.

A harmless remainent from earlier era gets embedded in new construction – a staircase coming out of nowhere, leading nowhere.

streets and streetfood is synonim. A snack any time of the day is an integral part of our dietry system. McDonalds has not yet peneterated in older part of this city.

At this junction, there is a space and appropriate location for this sweets shop.

In varanasi, there is a sweet delicacy where milk is boiled over slow heat and cream is removed in short intervals and laid over one another in layers. The backlanes have similar kitchens where throughout the day,coal burns and slowly heats the milk.

This a cute office of an astrolger busy in his work. The space is bare enough for him to sit. He can’t even stretch. His customers have to sit outside.

Varanasi has given classical music, an instrument called Shenai ( Clarinet). Bharat Ratna ustaad Bismillah Khan resided in Varanasi and his house is now a shrine for all the classical music lovers. This person is making that shenai. A small space, he himself is half outside his shop. This is a dying art and not many are left to make it.

In Varanasi you are never away from the holy river Ganga. She is always near you, blessing civilisation and varanasi since more than 6000 years.

Whenever you are in any city, try to visit its older part. Do not be in a hurry, keep your cool, feel the vibes , soak in the vibrations and enjoy the heritage.