Is Varanasi just about The Ganges? Explore More

Varanasi - the oldest continuously inhabited city of the world has millions of layers of history, myth and anecdotes up it's sleeves.

Sitting by the river Ganges which is the lifeline of the city it feels at first that the whole city must be all about it. All roads leading to some or the other ghats, which eventually are the connection between the river and the people.

Just by mentioning the ghats we open up the first thing which apart from Ganges the city is about. Ghats make the river accessible to all. They control its force up to a great extent and are yet the places that exist because the river exists. 

Next we see the existence of Shiva in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The temple complex is the epicenter  of the whole city. According to the Hindu Scriptures Ganges took a northwards turn towards Varanasi just to flow by the Vishwanath Temple. The crescent bank of Varanasi and a Northwards flow are very unique for its whole course. 

The name Varanasi comes from the land between - Varuna and Assi rivers. So, we know that even in the name of the city, there is no role of the Ganges. However, Kashi is a much bigger area than Varanasi according to some scriptures and it the older name of the city. Thus reducing the claim of the tributaries to a minuscule level. 

Going further, we see that the city has a temple of all the deities we can think of in Hinduism. A complete cosmos of names and characters from Hindu Scriptures. These temples an shrines make the city such an important pilgrimage. There is Ganges flowing through many cities which also have a Shiva Temple, however the sheer number of other temples in Varanasi just outclasses all of them.

It is said that a city is made by its people. Structures are just the testimony of the people that live or have lived in them. You will know you are in Varanasi when you see the smiling people all around you. It seems that they have all the time in this world. They are just there to be the mere puppets at god's hands and yet they work really hard to earn their bread. Also it is one of the first cosmopolitan cities of India. People form all over the sub-continent have made it their home for generations. Some who came for religion and some who came because of the growing economy, whereas some came for the knowledge that has always prevailed over millennium. 

Stories of the city and about it induces a level of romance for the visitor. But what Varanasi is know for is a tough fact to digest. A place to die. Yes, Varanasi is the chosen one, a place to die and breathe your last. A belief that if one dies in Varanasi he would be freed from the cycle of birth and death. 'Yama' the god of death is not allowed to enter Varanasi. It is Shiva who is the ultimate destroyer in his Rudra form ensures that all the departed souls meet their ends and are not caught up with Yama.

Food is an eternal part of any city's life and culture and for Varanasi this is deeply rooted in everything anyone does. Although a by-product of the people who live there, it is very much to the merit of the city's lifestyle that food has a separate mention. Summer and winter delicacies are different. Some things are perennially available. But the thing that scores above the rest is the "Benarsi Pan". This is one thing that is related to the identity of the people of the city. 

After listing all the above, we know that we have opened up an avenue for discussion of Varanasi's identity. Reading this, the city might feel like having an identity crisis. But when we close our eyes and imagine about Varanasi the first thing that comes to our minds is - Ganges.

Not even the almighty Shiva, who is also the God for Ganges scored over her in Varanasi.
But we the team of Vedic Walks, want you to know that Varanasi's identity is Ganges, but there is so much more to it which can only bee seen and understood in our Walking Tours.

Join us and explore beyond the written records and spoken word. Since a walking tour is all about experiencing it too.

Gandhi's Salt Walk - Now Open for Travelers

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi took the British regime to task in 1930 with a path breaking and non-violent protest against the unjust Salt Tax.

Photo: Dandi Memorial - Gandhi Picking Salt

He walked a little under 400 kilometers over the span of just 25 days through small towns and villages of Gujarat spreading the message of non-violent protest.
Gandhiji had already championed the concept of 'Swadeshi' (Made in home country) and had propagated the  idea through his Charkha (Spinning Wheel) and producing Khadi ( Coarse cotton cloth). Making Salt within India without paying any taxes to the British was another big impact initiative in India's freedom struggle.

Photo: The Dandi March route map at Sabarmati Ashram- Ahmedabad

1930 was the time when the British were trying to get over with the economic losses of the first world war and needed more and more money from all of their colonies. India being the prime supplier of finances became the apt target.
More than 70% of Indian population was then involved in agriculture and could not have afforded to buy a micro yet important ingredient at such high prices. The Salt March on 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad to Dandi a coastal village near Navsari covering 387 kilometers walked on foot by Gandhiji and his followers changed the status-quo of the Indian freedom struggle.

Photo: Some unfinished initiatives of the bureaucracy

Today, there is just a list of places that were visited during the epic Dandi March. A couple of memorials each at Ahmedabad and Dandi are the only standing testimony of the episode. En-route there is no sign reminding us of the glorious past. However, what still stays is the phrase "Gandhi Bapu ni Dandi yatra ahiyaan thayi ne gayi ti". In the local Gujarati language it means - Gandhi's (Bapu's) Dandi March went through here. After 85 years there is still a feeling of pride for the people that Gandhi walked on the same land for their forefather's rights and their rights too.

Today two of our lovely guests are doing this walk and have already reached half way through the route. Very soon they will reach the town of Bharuch and take a longish halt in Ankleshwar.

Photo: Candid moment of Masha and Torre

Right from 27th November till today the 8th of December these ladies - Masha and Torre have seen, understood and absorbed a lot about India. There is a lot that is happening inside them as humans and there is a lot more that they will take back with them.

Emotional experiences will keep adding as and when they will write and discuss about this journey. They have seen India so closely that they are able to find the meaning of such a complex country. Understanding Gandhi and his philosophy in the contemporary times is an experience in itself.

Vedic Walks was approached by Masha with this challenge of organizing the Dandi March for her and we took it with a smile. An opportunity that comes once in a lifetime for doing something that nobody could have ever thought of.

Photo: The things one comes across

We as a team were having two parallel discussions about different things. One was with the Gujarat Tourism where we were thinking of promoting Gujarat in our programs and the second about female friendly travel programs. We knew it that this is the signature activity that we must undertake to set an example of what a young team with innovative thinking can deliver.

Photo: Kick-Start at Sabarmati Ashram

This initiative will surely set an example of a travel route and travel style not so popular in India. Besides that it will be a great example for Safety for Women Travelers in India, which is a primary mission of Vedic Walks and its team.

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