Visit to Varanasi

 Varanasi also known as Kashi is considered as the most holiest place for Hindus - I grew up hearing to the stories that people in their old age with their lifelong savings used to travel to Kashi as a means of preparing their end of life. The saying was most of them would never come back. Visiting Kashi wouldn't had made into top 100 places that I would have loved to visit, but seeing the patterns through the course of my life I came to clear understanding that the destiny or the Nature has a different story written for us. The every day actions and events that are happening around us is preparing the outcome that we experience on daily basis. What we do is only one variable out of numerous variables that affect the experiences. 

Kashi is also the place where the ashes of the departed are merged in the river Ganges - the belief is the soul would get Mukthi from the bondages of the Earth and any hurdles on its path to reach the final End state (God probably) are removed. Kittanna suggested we either go to Basara, which is around 200 kms from Hyderabad or visit Kashi, which is in a different State and we had to take the flight to reach there. Basara is another place where the river Godavari flows and it is as well considered Holy place to immerse the ashes. Kittanna after few days and with strong inner-feeling suggestion from my Sister-in-Law suggested that we go to Kashi. I agreed with him and asked him to make the travel arrangements accordingly. Then we decided to take with us all our close relatives who were with us during this challenging times - Mallikarjun mama, my brother-in-law Shiva, my cousins Ravi and Hari, and Parsha-ram. Parsha, even though he is younger to me, he is my uncle by relation. The tickets costed a little more than 1 Lakh for all of us including.

The days after the funeral, according to the rituals the family is supposed to stay in our native place for 10 days. But since our home in native place (Sadashivapet) is small, we decided that Kittanna and Mom stay in Sadashivapet and rest of us to daily commute from our flat in Hyderabad. It was 5th day after the funeral we were planning to visit Kashi. Ravi and Shiva came to our Flat to pick me up and we drove together to the Airport, while Kittanna along with Mallikarjun and Parsha came from Sadashivapet, and Hari joined us there. Kitttanna was carrying Dad's ashes in his Hand. 

We checked-in into the airport and after having some breakfast got into the flight. When I looked at my company, I realized these are the same bunch of people that I used to love hanging out during my childhood. And as we got busy with our lives, our direction diverged and as the distance between us. I felt it is just ironic that some how the Nature brought the same folks that I used to hangout together again. Probably at a very inner subconcious level, our souls are connected to each other and when we are brought to this world the first connections we make are the genuine ones. 

We landed in Kashi after one and half hour flight journey.

The trip to Kashi is something that will ever stay memorable in my life and probably changed me as a person to some extent. Our travel agent guided us from airport to temple premises, from there met another agent who walked us to Ganga river, and from there got on to the boat to meet a priest on banks of the river to perform the final rights. Me and Kittanna sat for the prayer with Kittanna as the elder son led the prayers. Mallu mama and rest were watching us on the side. As the prayers are going on, I was seeing the dead bodies being dipped in the river next to us, before setting the pyre on fire. Some reason, wasn't getting disturbed seeing the dead bodies, probably because of the state of mind I was in. 

After the prayers concluded, priest asked us to take the 5 holy dips in Ganga - I went there instantly and took the dip inspite of water being cold. Mallu mama and others followed us after we were done - only later did the rest tell me that initially they were hesitant to take the dip, but after seeing me taking the dip even though I was used to luxurious American life they felt like doing it as well. 

We wanted to visit Kashi Vishwanatha temple but one priest mentioned that it is not advisable to visit since we are still in mourning period. Others went to visit the temple, while myself and Kittanna completed the rites and waited for rest of them to get back to airport. We then set off the boat with the ashes to immerse the ashes in the river, my heart was heavy but calmness swept my heart once we immersed the ashes in the holy Ganga. There were people on other boats chanting holy slogans as were completing the rites.  

We set off to airport and reached airport right on time. Since we were racing with time, we had to skip having lunch and ended up having some snacks in the airport in the evening before boarding the flight. We reached Hyderabad by 9pm and were in my home by 10:30pm. 

In olden days, people in India used to visit Kashi as they aged and would bid final farewell to their family before setting off the journey as most of them wouldn't end up returning back because of arduous journey. But now we are here, in one day, went and came back. Kashi etched a deep mark in me with the special bonding I established both spiritually and as my fathers ashes are immersed over there. I will definitely make a plan to visit this holy city some time soon in life, on a spiritual journey.