Gallis of Varanasi

If the Ghats, with their magnificent palaces, the bathing ghats and the ongoing cremations made Varanasi an intense experience, the galli's of Varanasi added an intriguing perspective.

Soon as we got there, Janardhan uncle asks....is Varanasi north of Ganges or South? Oh..Oh..didn't know.....  so got this map from the hotel.   It looked like it was flowing south but I knew Patna where I'd seen the Ganges earlier was downstream, but north of Varanasi, so I really couldn't figure it out. Even on the boat, you realize the river is flowing north, which was weird. 

It just didn't fit. And it took some research to see that it actually flows down from the west side of Varanasi, takes a U turn and then flows upwards on its's east, making Varanasi north of Ganges as also East. Was an interesting twist, pun intended.

The city itself : I've never, ever, seen such narrow galli's...... they just go on and on, bylanes into bylanes, like a maze. They are just three to four feet in width, with old old houses on either side, lots of people, lots of cows and dogs, an occasional scooter and bike too, (when there's no place to even stand on the side at times), and,.......and so so much trash and dung, it redefines dirty.

We stepped into one of those little doors, (who would resist a doorway to heaven), as it also had a benares silk weaving place within, and you step into this haveli.. It is 92 houses in there, and mostly from one family with the rest of the houses being occupied by their workers, benares saree weavers.

That's Kamlesh aunty with the cow, you just have to trust they are friendly, but for the mean looking ones, it's a challenge to avoid. After all, it's not only us humans who have prerogative to moods you know.

When you walk you want to look, no stare, gape, at all the unique sights around, like even peep through those little doors into staircases and rooms which are as fascinating.........but you take your eyes off the path for a second, and there's high chance you'll step on filth and I'm not exaggerating......we did you know, on fresh dung, not once but twice.

If the galli's are mesmerizing, the filth and dung are an assault on the senses and it takes monumental effort to rise above them and see the mysterious beauty and intrigue of the place. But if you do, you'll see it and it's amazing, crazy amazing.

And we walked and we walked........and a lot of it without even footwear, as it was access to the Kasi Vishwanath temple.

The Kasi Vishwanath temple is one of the twelve jyotir lingas, and is said to be the holiest of Shiva temples. It has apparently been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times with the last structure demolished by Aurangzeb, who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site.

The mosque is also visible in this picture and it's a courtesy Google pic, as we're not allowed to take cameras or phones in.

Kachori and Jalebi, the local favorite, and such a quaint person, he just fit the surroundings so well.

A lot of times I found 'woh kaike paan banaras wala, kul jaaye bandh akal ka taala' playing in my head. Paan is just such an integral part of life there.

I'm standing in this store looking at statues of Shiva to get back as memoir of trip, and Anupam, our cab driver, walks up and says 'paan loge madam?' and I was like 'Abhi?' and he goes, paan keliye koi time hota hai kya?

Walking these galli's is akin to time travel.....it's when you see why Varanasi is the world's oldest living city.