“Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together” (Mark Twain). Strolling through the ghats of Varanasi one is bound to discover the alleys & sub alleys and also getting lost in them especially if somebody is…
This is my documentation of the lives of Brahmachari kids of Varanasi,India. These kids live and study in the International Chandramauli Charitable Trust of Varanasi. Most of these children are between the age of 10-15 years who have come here to study from various different places including Mathura, Agra and…
Dev Deepavali is celebrated on the occasion of Kartik Poornima when the Ghats of Varanasi come alive with thousands of Diyas (earthen lamps). Dev Deepavali, celebrated on the fifteenth day of Diwali, is a tribute to river Ganga by the people of Varanasi. Dev Deepavali is held on the full…
The name Varanasi possibly originates from the names of the two rivers from north and south: Varuna, still flowing in Varanasi, and Asi, a small stream near Assi Ghat. Varanasi is also known as Benares or Kashi , is a North Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in…
In Hindu belief, death is not the end of life. It’s just a door to enter a new body and get back into the circle of life. It is considered to be like a comeuppance of one’s Karma that the soul has to come back to suffer. Manikarnika, one of…
Check these amazing photographs of Varansi by Bangladeshi Photographer Ashraful Arefin. Ashraful Arefin explaining about this project to Boredpanda: “Being one of the oldest living city of the world, Varanasi has always been a magical and mystical place to me. When I got the chance to travel to India this…
Banaras is known for it’s temples and spiritualism. Banaras has been as cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and is closely associated with the Ganges. Hindus believe that death in the city will bring salvation, making it a major centre for pilgrimage. The city is known worldwide…
To take God’s name & die in Varanasi – this is interpreted by Hindus in India as liberation of the soul, release from constant cycle of rebirth and reach the ultimate destination called “Moksha”. Kashi Labh MUKTI BHAVAN (“liberation house”) is one such place in Varanasi where people check-in to…
It covers various environmental and health problems in India and tries to convey the message through the photographs. I visited Varanasi in November 2015 and was shocked to see the scene at Manikarnika Ghat (also known as Burning Ghat), where pyres are burnt 24 hours a day seven days a…
Varanasi or Benaras, (also known as Kashi) in Uttar Pradesh is one of the oldest living cities in the world and one of the seven holiest places in india. The whole city is fascinated by ancient architecture painted walls, colourful narrow lanes which are connected to the several ghats of…
This is Varanasi, but not the one I used to perceive. While having lassi, a sweet Indian drink made from yogurt, seating in a tiny restaurant in an alley of Varanasi near Manikarnika Ghat, I witnessed that people were carrying dead bodies for cremation and chorused “Ram Naam Satya Hain”…