Varanasi - a city driven by Faith

(Varanasi = Banaras = Kashi)

“Faith is a passionate intuition.” William Wordsworth

The one singular objective of more than 98% of people visiting Varanasi is to take a dip in the River Ganges. Why take dip in the River Ganges? Simple, it is because of FAITH!

What is the faith about the River Ganges?

First, Hindus believe that by taking a dip in River Ganges you can wash away the sins. Something similar to what Christians believe. (Refer Confessions.)

Secondly, they also believe that Varanasi is THE place to die. For they believe dying in Varanasi guarantees liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The bodies of the dead are cremated on the ghats (steps on the banks of the Ganges) and the ashes are spread into the Ganges.

 

The faith on Ganges or Varanasi is not confined only to Hindus. It cuts across other religions and counties. The news item which appeared sometime back in Times News Network confirms this:"I have deep faith in Indian culture that made me come here to immerse the ashes of my husband Mitchell Samuels, who died a year ago, into holy Ganga in Varanasi," said Karla Brodie, a native of New Zealand. Karla had never visited Varanasi in the past, but she had heard a lot about the city from others. Karla had married Mitchell in the traditional Indian style in New Zealand. (TNN, Jun 18, 2009)

Also in a private ceremony the ashes of George Harrison of ‘The Beatles’ were scattered in the Ganges by his family soon after his death. Faith is the reason again!


For the people of Varanasi, Ganges is more than mere water. To them it symbolises purity, cleanser of sins, a culture and a supreme faith that she is the Goddess “Ganga Maji”. They adore her and quite naturally worship her!


From her source to the sea, Ganges almost covers 1560 miles crossing 28 cities and 49 towns. Then why should Varanasi alone take the cake and what is the distinction that Varanasi has which the other towns and villages do not have?

First, legend has it that this city was created by Lord Shiva and Parvathi. (One of the twelve Jyothilingams is present in Varanasi) Secondly, Varanasi is considered by many historians as one of the oldest cities of human civilisation. Thirdly, it is only here that Ganges flows from the South to the North direction. (In Hindu mythology towards the abode of the Gods and hence the sanctity of the place).

Varanasi’s culture and day-to-day life are closely associated with death and cremation. I saw an advertisement of a hotel which claimed “Very near to the cremation ground”. I have been in marketing for over two decades now and till I visited Varanasi I did not know that proximity to cremation ground could be a USP!!!!!!! (Life is a process of learning, I guess!)

A photo studio has put up pictures taken by them just outside their shop. What are these photographs? Pictures of various dead bodies and cremation! Their core competence, I guess!

One of the most surprising and unique aspects of Varanasi is that the cremation grounds are located within the city itself! Some of the most sacred temples are very close to the cremation ground. In Varanasi, cremation grounds are not looked down as being impure or unholy places. Instead, they are considered to be the final link in the journey to being liberated!

In this town everyday more than one hundred dead bodies are cremated. Cremation takes place in Varanasi 24 X 7, 365 days! Even people who die in other places are brought to Varanasi for the cremation by their relatives. Such is the belief or faith!

They say faith is like electricity. You can’t see it but you can feel it. But in my opinion you can actually see faith in Varanasi. In Varanasi Faith is everywhere!

“There is hardly any city in the world that can claim greater antiquity, greater continuity and greater popular veneration than Banaras. Banaras, has been a holy city for at least 30 centuries. No city in India arouses the religious emotions of Hindus as much as Kashi does” Quoted from P.V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra. Vol. IV.

Post script: In his early days Freud described belief in God as “Collective Neurosis”. But in his last completed book, “Moses and Monotheism,” something new emerged from Freud. There Freud, without abandoning his atheism, began to see the Jewish faith that he was born into as a source of cultural progress in the past and of personal inspiration in the present. Close to his own death, Freud started to recognize the poetry and promise in religion!) (Ref: New York Times, Defender of Faith? Mark Edmundson, Sep 9, 2007). Can I say even Sigmund Freud developed faith towards his end!