Varanasi

Varanasi, or Benaras, (also known as Kashi) is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi`s Prominence in Hindu mythology is virtually unrevealed. Mark Twain, the English author and literature, who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Benaras, once wrote : “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together. ”

'Varanasi' is originated from the name of two rivers, Varuna and Assi. It is possibly based on the fact that it lies between where the Varuna River, to the north, and the river Assi, to the south, flow into the river Ganga . The name Varanasi was spelt Baranasi in Pali, which ultimately gave birth to the name Banaras. Varanasi is situated between the Varuna, which flows into the Ganga on the north and the Asi, which joins the Ganga on the south. In the Rig Veda, the city was referred to as Kasi or Kashi, which means ‘the luminous one’.

The land of Varanasi (Kashi) has been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus for ages. Hindus believe that one who is graced to die on the land of Varanasi would attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth. Abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the origins of Varanasi are yet unknown. Ganges in Varanasi is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals.

A sadhu is a type of Hindu wandering monk,who has given up materialistic life and dedicated their life to spiritual liberation. They doesn't like to live with the societies. They want to do something for the society.; They sleep with dogs, even with rich man. they see everyone as same. Their life can fit in a bag. They dont live in materialism, only in ashrams or temples. They think that if we do our well being, the country's well being will happen on its own. They are the protector of religion and don't run any cult. They are living life of that of a spiritual gypsy. They are always with and very close to the divine. In a sense, they feel they are God. If you are God, you have to be a God. God doesn't harm nor kill anyone.So who ever comes their way, they see and give them light/knowledge to guide them in their life.

Real truth of living of Aghoris..

Money cannot buy everything. Cannot see God with money. They meditate on corpses, eat human flesh as part of a sacred ritual or keep a skull as a reminder of the impermanence of life. The skull is something that you get both the sky and earth together. Its the last thing of the human rite. After this, ashes are most last.Anyone or another day we all are going to become this. All of these acts are done in their pursuit of spirutal liberation. Death is something everyone is scared of. When death nears, they start crying. So when you embrace death it will not come to you. Old one has to go, for the new one to come. So this Death and birth is something like a cycle. Holy ash is a main thing for an Aghori.

Everyone are living in Maya. Some like money, some like women, some like food..this illusion will attract you. Its not permanent, it will change. Everything will vanish someday. if we had a xray machine, you wear it and walk around the world, you see everyone as skeleton. you cannot find who is man, woman. from the point of God, everyone are like that. so do the Aghoris look at others. And see Sun, Hes a friend of the whole world. He doesnt say, Im your enemy, cannot come to your house. whoever you are Sun comes to every house. so Sadhus are like that who give their light to everyone. World was created for peace. we have to be peaceful. Love nature otherwise nature will take over us.

Manikarnika Ghat:

For 3000 years people have gathered to worship on the shores of the Ganges in the holy city known as Varanasi. Overwhelming at times, Varanasi is the mystical centre of the Hindu world where every visitor can witness an abundance of life and death rituals.
"Death is a celebration at Varanasi"

Bodh Gaya is a village in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it's dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. A direct descendant of the tree sits within the complex today, along with six other sacred sites, including a lotus pond.

Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".

In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha-to-be, had been dwelling on the banks of the Nairanjana River with five ascetic followers for six years practicing austerities. Realising that austerities could not lead to realisation he abandoned them. His five ascetic companions disgusted at his seeming failure, deserted him and left for Sarnath.

He then moved towards the village of Senani where he was offered rice milk by a Brahmin girl, Sujata. Accepting from a grass-cutter a gift of kusa grass for a mat, the Bodhisattva took a seat under a pipal tree facing east. Here he resolved not to rise again until enlightenment was attained.

"Here on this seat my body may shrivel up,

my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve,

but my body will not move from this seat

until I have attained Enlightenment,

so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas".

As Gautama sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, perceiving that his power was about to be broken, rushed to distract him from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to bear witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's wisdom broke through the illusions and the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers and Mara and all his forces fled in disarray.

A History of Bodh Gaya

The Maha Bodhi Temple

The historical place at which the Enlightenment took place became a place of pilgrimage. Though it is not mentioned in the scriptures, the Buddha must have visited Bodh Gaya again in the course of his teaching career. About 250 years after the Enlightenment, the Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka visited the site and is considered the founder of the Mahabodhi Temple. According to the tradition, Ashoka, as well as establishing a monastery, erected a diamond throne shrine at this spot with a canopy supported by four pillars over a stone representation of the Vajrasana, the Seat of Enlightenment.

The temple's architecture is superb but its history is shrouded in obscurity. It was constructed with the main intention of making it a monument and not a receptacle for the relics of the Buddha. Several shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship.

The basement of the present temple is 15m square, 15m in length as well as in breadth and its height is 52m which rises in the form of a slender pyramid tapering off from a square platform. On its four corners four towers gracefully rise to some height. The whole architectural plan gives pose and balance to the observers.

Inside the temple there is a colossal image of the Buddha in the "touching the ground pose", bhumisparsha mudra. This image is said to be 1700 years old and is facing east exactly at the place where the Buddha in meditation with his back to the Bodhi tree was enlightened.

The Bodhi Tree

For seven days after the Enlightenment, the Buddha continued to meditate under the Bodhi tree without moving from his seat. During the second week he practiced walking meditation. A jewel walk, Chankramanar, was built as a low platform adorned with nineteen lotuses which are parallel to the Maha Bodhi temple on its north side. For another week the Buddha contemplated the Bodhi tree. In this place a stupa was built called Animeschalochana situated to the north of the Chankramanar.

On the back of the main temple situated to the west (see picture) there is an ancient pipal tree Ficus religiosa or Bodhi tree. It was under this tree that Gautama sat for enlightenment. The present tree is considered only as the descendant of the original tree. There is a tradition that Ashoka's wife had it secretly cut down because she became jealous of the time Ashoka spent there. But it grew again and a protective wall was also built at the time. Many sacred trees in India and other countries are originally raised from seeds brought from the ancient Bodh Gaya tree. A shoot of the original Bodhi tree was taken to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. by Bhikkhuni Sangamitta, daughter of Ashoka, where the Lankan king Devanampiyatissa planted it at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura where it still flourishes today. While the Vajrasana was the specific site of the enlightenment, the Bodhi tree, closely linked to the Buddha's accomplishment, became a central focus of devotion early in the history of the Sangha. Pilgrims sought the Bodhi Tree's seeds and leaves as blessings for their monasteries and homes.

Around the Bodhi tree and the Mahbodhi temple there are quadrangular stone railings around 0.2m high with four bars including the top piece. These are of two types and can be distinguished from each other in style and material used. The older set is dated to about 150 BC and made of sandstone while the latter set is probably of the Gupta period (300-600 AD) and constructed from course granite. The older set has a number of designs representing scenes from the purchase of Jetavana by Ananthapindika at Sravasti, Lakshmi being bathed by elephants, Surya riding a chariot drawn by four horses, etc. On the latter set there are figures of stupas, Garudas, etc. In most of these railings lotus motifs are commonly used.

Bodhgaya Revitalised

Under the Bodhi tree

Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world.

At any time during the cooler months between December and March, a visitor to Bodh Gaya can observe a continual stream of Indian and international pilgrims walking the roads or arriving in buses, circumambulating the temple, performing prostrations and offering prayers in a multitude of languages. For those who aspire to awaken their full potential, Bodh Gaya today is truly a field vibrant with the potentiality of enlightenment. Enriched by devotion of Buddhists of all traditions, this holy site is emerging as a powerful inspiration to the modern world, awakening people of all nations to the real possibility of enlightenment.

Great Buddha statue:
The Giant Buddha statue is one of the many stops in the Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist routes in Bodhgaya, Bihar (India). The statue is 19.507 m (64.00 ft) high in meditation pose or dhyana mudra seated on a lotus in open air. The total height of the architecture is 80 ft with statue of 64 ft, lotus on which statue sits is of 6ft and the lower pedestal is of 10ft. It took seven years to complete with the help of 12,000 masons. It is a mix of sandstone blocks and red granite. It is possibly the largest built in India and was consecrated on 18 November 1989 by the's 14th Dalai Lama.The foundation stone for the statue was placed in 1982

Other places that we must see here...
Thai monastery
Royal Bhutan monastery
Metta Buddharam temple
Muchalinda Lake

Dev Diwali :

The Dev Deepavali ("the Diwali of the Gods" or "Festival of Lights of the Gods") is the festival of Kartik Poornima celebrated in Varanasi. Dev Diwali, marks Lord Shiva's victory over demon Tripurasur.The gods are believed to descend to Earth to bathe in the Ganges on this day. The festival is also observed as Tripura Purnima Snan.

As the sun rises on the river Ganges, the ghats of Varanasi witness hordes of people making their way to the holy river, in order to pay their respects and conduct their daily puja. Although the city is chaotic and busy, the ghats offer a serene view over the water body where one can be at peace with themselves.

Assi Ghat:

Of the 100, or so, ghats that are home to Varanasi, one of them is called the Assi Ghat. The city of Varanasi is known by many other names, but this particular name originated from the confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Assi. The birth of the river Assi has a mythological story behind it. It is believed that when Goddess Durga was fighting the demon Shumbha- Nishumbha, her sword struck the ground when she destroyed him, resulting in the inception of a stream, now known as the river Assi. The ghat, which came to be on this edge of the river, where the river Assi joins the Ganges, was thus named the Assi Ghat.

The ghat is situated near the Shivala in Varanasi. Although it may not be the most popular ghat amongst the many that the city has, it sees at least 300 people every morning and the number multiplies many folds during Mahashivratri and other auspicious Hindu festivals. It serves as a special favorite for a lot of people since it is situated in the south of the city, a little far away from all the hustle and bustle, providing a place of peace and tranquility while the river flows in front as the sun sets.

The Asisangameshwar lingam, set up to pay respect to the lord of confluence is enshrined in a small marble temple. And it is here that Tulsi Das, a realized soul and saint, Hindu poet, penned down the Ramcharitmanas.

During Dev Deepawali, houses are decorated with oil lamps and colored designs on their front doors. Firecrackers are burnt at night, processions of decorated deities are taken out into the streets of Varanasi, and oil lamps are set afloat on the river. Boat rides (in boats of all sizes) along the riverfront in the evening are popular among tourists, when all the ghats are lit with lamps and aarti is being performed.

The festival is a major tourist attraction, and the sight of a million lamps (both floating and fixed) lighting the ghats and river in vivid colors have often been described by visitors and tourists as a breathtaking sight. On the night of the festival, thousands of devotees from the holy city of Varanasi, surrounding villages, and across the country gather in the evening on the ghats of the Ganges to watch the aarti. The local government makes several intensive security arrangements to ensure order during the festival.

Thus, ends our trip with lots of beautiful memories and lifetime knowledge. Thanks to F5escapes.com for making such a itinerary that included Bodh Gaya, Sarnath alongwith Varanasi.