tales – Page 2 – Telling tales

Mystical Banaras!

Banaras (now known as Varanasi) as a city, although a little congested, is quite mystical. I visited the city in February, 2017 and was quite charmed by its beauty. Here is why…

The city supposedly has 88 ghats (an area with steps which lead to a river bank) all situated next to each other on the banks of the river Ganga. Each one of them has a history and mythical tales related to it.

My parents and I reached Banaras on a Friday afternoon and then visited the Dashashwamedha Ghat (the main ghat in Banaras) to experience the evening aarti. Though the aarti usually starts at around 6.45 every evening (it also depends on the time of sunset), one should ideally reach there at least half an hour earlier to ensure a comfortable spot to get a closer view of the mesmerizing aarti. You can also opt for a boat ride half an hour before the rituals start to get a glimpse of the neighboring ghats and to witness the aarti (which usually lasts for around 45 minutes) from the boat. The view is exhilarating. We were so charmed by the evening aarti that we decided to attend the morning (before sunrise) aarti too the very next day. And I’m so glad we decided to do so. The ghat got its name ‘Assi’ (as in the number 80 in Hindi) as it is the 80^thghat in Banaras. When we reached at 5 in the morning, we saw a smaller crowd (in comparison to the evening aarti crowd) and we were mighty pleased. We got the best views and could move around easily to click pictures.

Sunrise at Assi Ghat

Boats available for rides

Dashashwamedha Ghat

Morning aarti at Assi Ghat

What we did next was the highlight of the trip – we decided to go for a boat ride! We settled for a one hour ride starting from Assi Ghat to Dashashwamedha Ghat. On our way there we crossed many other ghats. Our boatman was quite chatty and shared with us a lot of information. We crossed the Chet Singh Ghat which looked like a fort. It looked quite different from the other ghats we crossed. We could see the sunrise from the boat and the view was heavenly!

My best click during the trip!

Boat ride along the Ghats of Banaras

Serene

Ghats of Banaras

Serenity!

After the boat ride we got down at the Dashashwamedha Ghat and headed for the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The narrow lanes at the Ghat led us to the temple. The darshan took us around 40 minutes as there were quite a few devotees waiting for their turn. We went back to our hotel to catch up on some sleep after a consuming morning.

Now that we were done with the major sight-seeing (we also visited Sarnath and Banaras Hindu University the next day), it was time for shopping for the much-popular Banarasi sarees and duppattas. While we did a lot of window shopping in the main market areas, our driver took us to this industrial area where there were many wholesalers selling Banarasi duppattas and sarees where there was a lot more variety and cheaper options. You may want to bargain at some of these places. I also checked with the shopkeepers if we can visit the factory, and much to my delight, we were taken to one of them! Artisans sat there patiently working on the sarees.

Banarasi Saari in the making!

Banarsi saari being weaved

After the half day indulgence in shopping we left for Delhi!

Suddymoody quick facts:

Banarasi sarees are obviously made in Banaras. Banarasi sarees are made with a lot of silk and heaps of skill. But these days you can also find Banarasi embroidery on other fabrics too. It’s about the style of weaving. So don’t be surprised next time if the shopkeeper shows off an Organza Banarasi saari.
Depending on the intricacy, one Banarasi saari may take an artisan almost 15 days to a month at least to complete.
A Bengali bride generally wears a red/maroon Banarasi saari on the day of the wedding.
You will find that a lot of people in Banaras are Bengalis or can speak Bengali. Supposedly the city is also known as a mini-Bengal.
Masaan – a Bollywood movie (released in 2015) which received international appreciation too was based and shot in Banaras. The movie captures the city’s essence beautifully.
Do try the street food and famous Banarasi paan.
Banaras has also been a home to many widows who have been abandoned by their families. They come to the Holy city to attain moksha (or because they have nowhere else to go). Most of them are left to beg for their daily food.

The charming city…Kolkata

I keep going back to Kolkata as (No prizes for guessing! No I am not from Kolkata. But like most Bongs I have family in Kolkata :-D) my sister lives there. But that’s not the only reason. Each time I go back, I find something very charming about the city. But, just as my romance with the city begins, something tells me not to tread that path. I guess I share a love and hate relationship with the city!

Kolkata is a very vibrant city. You come across people who are always on the move and in contrast there are people who you see are just lazing, playing cards or carom. The streets are always bustling with vehicles, trams, and street hawkers. There are sweet shops and food joints in almost every lane you pass by.

Food is another major pull-factor for me to go back to the city each time. Right from the puchkas (golgappe/paani puri) to aloo chop to Chinese food – everything is just out of this world! I would recommend ‘China Town’ for authentic and cost-effective Chinese cuisines.

As much as I like the city, there are certain drawbacks too. I feel the city is too crowded, life in general moves at a slow pace, traffic is pretty bad all the time and most of the times the weather is humid.

My love for Kolkata has developed over the years. From not wanting to go to the city at all, to visiting the city every 6 months (on an average), I have come a long way!

Some things that really stand out are…..

Passionate people – People in Kolkata are passionate about a lot of things. They can talk endlessly about literature, culture, food, and football! During the world cup season (and otherwise too), every person (from kids to adults) talks and discusses about football with much passion. During my most recent visit, I got into a conversation with a cab driver who was dropping me off at my sister’s place. All throughout the way he kept talking about the world cup. I was happy listening to him till the time he said ‘bolun to didi Argentina harlo keno?’ (please tell me sister why did Argentina lose?). And I had no answer (as I don’t really follow football). I thought he is going to judge me but I played along ;-).
The Ganga boat ride – Two years back I had visited Kolkata with a group of friends. I was entrusted with the task of taking them around the city (because they assumed, being a Bong, I will be an expert city guide ;-)) and that’s when I got to actually explore and know the city. We visited the Victoria memorial and walked around the streets. We took the tram ride (for the first time ever) and I was quite excited about it. I made them have all kinds of Bengali dishes which they quite liked. The main attraction however was the boat ride on the river Ganga. We took the ride from Princep ghat. During the ride, we could see both the Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Setu with the sunset as the backdrop and it was a breath-taking view! You may bargain for the ride if you want. But, by the time you finish your ride I am sure you will end up tipping the ‘majhi’.

Boat ride on Ganga river

An evening in Kolkata

Experiencing the sunset during the boat ride
Street food to go with the ‘bhar er cha’ – Every time I visit the city, I make sure I don’t miss out on the street food and the tea served in clay cups. This is a must have for all tea lovers. The tea tastes even better when served in these cups. And with the monsoons setting in, this is the ideal time to grab some cutlets, pyaji (onion pakoras) and tea.

Bhar er cha

Street food
Visiting ‘Kumortuli’ before Durga puja – I had read many articles about this place called the ‘Kumortuli’ in Kolkata but it’s altogether a different experience when you actually visit this place. During your visit, in those narrow lanes, inside dilapidated houses, you will come across several artisans/traditional potters working hard to give shape to Durga Protimas (idols) of all sizes. In case you have any queries for the artisans, please wait for their tea breaks. This is where all the idols you see at the Puja Pandals come from. Depending on the time you visit this place (closer to puja or much before puja) you will witness the different stages of the idol making. This is a paradise for people who are into photography. Even amateur photographers like me would get beautiful shots from one such visit!

An idol in making

Artisan at work at kumortuli

I am sure you must be wondering being a Bong and while talking about the Bong city, I did not mention about sweets at all. This is because I am one of those rare bongs who has a missing sweet tooth hence I don’t enjoy talking about it too.

More pictures…

Kolkata streets and houses with a colonial touch

The local rickshaw ride

I love the Kolkata local yellow taxis (I guess because of its vibrant yellow color)

Lost in my thoughts. It’s a beautiful experience

The 8 best pictures from my Bhutan trip!

Bhutan, as you must have already gathered from my previous posts, has truly been inspirational to me. Every morning during my trip, I was excited to wake up to enjoy the beautiful view from my window.

During the 7 days trip I took more than 100 pictures (couldn’t resist) 😋. All of them have a different tale to tell.

So here are the top 8 (couldn’t stick to just 6 this time as there are many good ones to choose from) pictures from my ‘Bhutan 2018’ album.

Hope you enjoy going through them and their tales 😀

Picture 1: This one was taken when we were leaving the Paro museum. There were these three little girls oblivious of the surrounding (onlookers), enjoying each others company and the games they played. The world seemed wonderful for a few minutes as I imagined myself to be one of them (a happy little girl). Those moments gave me an overwhelming sense of happiness… and I had to capture it.

Picture 2: This was taken on the last day of our Bhutan trip. Hence it is a significant one. We woke up to a scenic view after a very rainy night. We could see the beautiful clouds trying to hide the otherwise noticeable hills. A feeling of nostalgia hit us while we sipped our coffee.

Picture 3: This was taken at the base just before we started our trek to the Tiger’s nest! This view almost made me quit the trek even before we started. The trek seemed an uphill task to me. But glad I could make it to the top and come back and wave a good-bye from the same point.

Picture 4: This is the night view of the Punakha Dzong taken on the second day of our stay at Punakha. I kid you not, I must have taken more than 30 pictures of the Dzong. From all possible angles, far and near, during the day and night…I left no opportunity whatsoever to capture this beauty. We could have easily gone back to our resort after a very hectic day (read sight seeing, rafting, eating), but we decided to stay back and wait for it to get dark and glad we did so! This is certainly not a view that should be missed 🙂

Picture 5: This is a picture of the suspension bridge at Punakha. While waiting for it to get dark (for the Punakha Dzong view), we decided to try walking on the suspension bridge. I went half way through the bridge and then I looked down! I couldn’t risk going any further and let me tell you that the walk back was quite scary (I am scared of heights). And then I saw this monk confidently walking on this very shaky bridge and coming over to our side. I admired and I clicked!

Picture 6: This was taken inside the Punakha Dzong. Amid the beautiful spring blossom, I saw some visitors approaching the Dzong. Among them was this fierce lady who came walking up the stairs. She looked a little run out but definitely not somebody who was ready to give up. So I clicked to refer to it on days when I feel a little worn out.

Picture 7: This is the nunnery at Punakha. We witnessed hundreds of nuns sitting in the prayer hall and praying and chanting together. What a lovely aura it created! This picture was taken right after the prayer services when we witnessed a sudden burst of red in an otherwise scenic but pale background. This was magic for me!

Picture 8: This picture is from our first day in Bhutan (Thimphu). We walked around the streets, we also visited the weekend vegetable market and we noticed happy faces all around us. No honking on the streets, no haggling in the market…it was indeed very peaceful. And then while crossing a bridge, we came across this dog. Nobody was shooing it off, no disturbances, strangely detached…it was definitely at peace!