Through the heartland of India- Episode- 2 - Kashi at Dawn: A Walk Through the Lanes of Light and History

 

Through the heartland of  India- Episode- 2 -

Kashi at Dawn: A Walk Through the Lanes of Light and History

We woke up at 3:30 in the morning. By 4:00 a.m., we set out to see the Ganges. Many roads were blocked. Construction of the ropeway and roadworks was underway, and security had tightened due to the Mauritian Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to the Vishwanath Temple at 9 a.m. Policemen stood guard at every junction. After circling around for some time, Rajesh finally found a place to park the car.

In the dim morning light, we saw a man burning pieces of coal, blowing on them gently to keep the fire alive. A small teapot sat above the embers. The tea he served came in tiny cups—flavourful, hot, and surprisingly refreshing. The price was ten rupees. The tea seller, Rajan, struck up a conversation. He had retired from the police force and chose to run a tea stall because it gave him independence. We wished him well and continued on foot.

After walking for a while, we reached Sushil Babu’s shop. Following his suggestion, Rajesh guided us through the narrow gallies towards Manikarnika Ghat. The lanes were quiet; only a few tea shops were opening their shutters. Most buildings were old, two-storied structures, with commerce on the ground floor and living spaces above. No large vehicles ever pass through these lanes.

The walk ended abruptly. The Ganga had spilled into the lanes leading to the riverbank. A cloudburst in Uttarakhand had sent torrents of water racing down to Kashi, overflowing the ghats. Boating was suspended. Small boats were tied to the banks. The bathing platforms and cremation sheds had been swept away. The river ran muddy and fierce. From the gallies, where water stagnated, the Ganga wasn’t even visible.

To get a clear view, we had to pay a thousand rupees to travel five hundred meters inland in a small boat. The amount must have been a welcome relief to the boatmen who had lost all work. They urged us to take a dip in the muddy water, but we declined.

Bodies were being cremated on a raised cement platform. The heat of the firewood was intense, yet the relatives waited calmly for the cremation to finish before taking a dip in the river. Strangely, there was no smell of burning flesh. We took photographs of the cremations and the roaring river. Only the crown of a nearby riverside temple was visible—the rest submerged. Thousands perform daily rituals around it when the water is at normal levels.

It was barely 5 a.m., still dark. We got back into the boat, returned to the gally, and walked again to Sushil’s shop.

Sushil, polite as always, immediately began assembling puja items based on our group size. Most visitors buy offerings for Kashi Vishwanath and Annapurna. He told us we could offer leaves and flowers at the temple and carry back the sweets. The baskets were priced at ₹350  for small basket, ₹500  for medium and ₹750  for the large one. Although I said we did not intend to perform a puja, he behaved as though it was compulsory. Finally, we bought two baskets for ₹700.

We left our bags and mobile phones at his shop—only puja items and purses were allowed inside the temple. Sushil summoned an elderly man to take us as a guide. His name was Jawaharlal Pandey. Thin-bodied but sharp-faced, he walked with a stick—not for support, but to guard against dogs and monkeys, which frequently snatch puja items. Seventy-five years old, yet fast. We had to quicken our steps to keep up.

We walked through gallies filled with cattle dung, stray dogs, sleeping people, and accumulated dirt. Finally, we reached the temple. There were security checks, but the process moved quickly.

Into the Sacred Geography of Kashi

The Vishwanath Temple stands on the western bank of the Ganges. It is one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas. Ancient Kashi, densely populated for centuries, was called the City of Light. Devotees believe that dying in Kashi or worshipping the Jyotirlinga grants liberation from rebirth.

The Kashikhanda of the Skanda Purana gives Kashi several names: Rudravasa, Avimukta, Anandakanana, Mahashmashana. According to legend, Shiva holds Kashi aloft on his trident—the three tines representing Kashi’s three regions:

Omkara Khanda is the Rajghat in the north

Vishweshwara Khanda ,the central plateau and Kedar Khanda,  the south

The temple has been rebuilt on the highest central plateau. The Kashikhanda mentions one thousand and ninty nine  temples in the city at the time of its writing—five hundred and thirteen  dedicated to Shiva alone. The main temple had five mandapams: the Garbhagriha, Jnanamandapam on the east, Shringaramandapam on the west, Aishwaryamandapam on north , and Muktimandapam on the south.

Adi Shankaracharya revered Kashi as the supreme spiritual centre. In his Kashi Panchakam, he compared Kashi to the human body.

The gold-plated temple towers gleamed in the early morning light. The surroundings were astonishingly clean—no litter or plastic. A wide open plaza now connects the temple directly to the Ganga. The entire area has been paved with marble and maintained meticulously.

Entry through the special queue cost rupees three hundred  per person, we were in the same queue ,but  did not paid that time. Pandey’s familiarity with the guards probably ensured smooth access. Monkeys were snatching puja items from waiting devotees, looking quite triumphant.

After visiting the Vishwanath and Annapurna temples, Pandey led us to a covered well inside the complex. Locals believe that priests hid the original idol in this well before Aurangzeb destroyed the temple. Whether historically accurate or not, the belief persists. When we offered a hundred rupees to the priest sitting nearby, he refused. He said he did not accept donations below five hundred—a sign of how inflation has even reached sacred rituals.

A Temple Rewritten Across Centuries

Historical accounts detail how the Vishwanath Temple was built, destroyed, and rebuilt multiple times:

• First attack by Ahmad Niyaltigin was happened on 1034 CE

• Major destruction under Qutb-ud-din Aibak  was  on 1194 CE

• Mosque built by Razia Sultana  on 1236–1240 CE

• Further destruction under Mahmud Shah Sharki in 1440–1457

• Sikandar Lodi’s attack  happened in 1494

• Reconstruction by Narayana Bhatta with support from Raja Todarmal was in 1585

• Renovation by Veer Singh Deo  is by 1605–1627

• Partial demolition happened under Shah Jahan

• Complete demolition and mosque construction was done  by Aurangzeb in 1669

Later contributions include:

• Rani Ahilyabai Holkar  reconstructed the temple and the work was in completed 25 August 1777

• Gold plating was done  by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Datar Kaur  using one ton of gold in 1841 and  Bhonsle Snanghat was also built 

• Seven foot high Nandi stone sculpture was  donated by the Rana of Nepal 

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Built on 50,000 sq. meters. It required relocating 1,400 houses and establishments. The corridor opened on 13 December 2021. The sanctum’s gold plating  using 60 kg gold  was completed in February 2022.

Kashi, Banaras, Varanasi: The Names of a Living City

The ancient name Kashi comes from Kāṣa  means radiance.

The name Varanasi was  emerged from the rivers Varuna ,north to the city  and Asi ,south to the city.

Banaras is  rooted in Pali and Hindustani, gained currency during the Mughal and British eras.

Even today, institutions across the city use all three names. One of the railway stations is still called Banaras.

The city’s economy revolves around the Vishwanath Temple and the Ganges. Banaras silk is woven largely by the Muslim Momin Ansari community, while the yarn comes from Hindu suppliers. The fabric blends Persian artistry with Hindu motifs—a centuries-old aesthetic harmony.

Common people—Hindus and Muslims alike—only want peace. Pandey told us that the proximity of the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Vishwanath Temple often causes inconvenience. “Keeping fire and cotton in the same room,” Pandey said, “is dangerous.”

He also noted that even if local Muslims agreed to relocate the mosque peacefully, external political forces would prevent it. There are multiple ongoing cases—local, High Court, and Supreme Court—along with ASI studies. Anyone visiting the area understands that consensus, not litigation, is likely the only lasting solution.

A City That Survives Through Harmony

We paid Pandey  rupees 2,500, including fee for the special queue . We knew Sushil would take a sizeable share. From there, we walked to another ghat. Thousands were performing pitru tharpanam. The river was still overflowing.

A cycle rickshaw driver named Majnu, who had come from Bihar to earn a livelihood, offered to take us from the Ganga bank to St. Thomas Church. We paid him  rupees 300. He smiled widely, revealing teeth blackened by gutka, then turned away happily. That 300 was enough for him for the entire day.

That was Majnu’s happiness index.