Banaras -A City or Civilization.(Renowned journalist and scholar, Varanasi)
Benaras - A city living through ages where other cities progress and thrive up on modernity, it stands as an example of enlightening oneself to the highest state of self actualisation.
it is a city of detachment of desires or enable one to elevate once mind to state of desireless.
It gives the meaning of life. Manikarnika Ghat and Harichandra Ghat tells the world about the ultimate meaning of human life where the human body again becomes part of the nature.
It has a history, and it has a strong foundation. This foundation is the cornerstone of the the richness of the pluralistic life and culture which survived the invasions of Mughals, British and at the same time it shown the world coexistence of faiths and religious tolerance. 27 religious identities live in Banaras in absolute harmony.
The city is lives with Lord Shiv, the Ganga is the fluid form of Shiv and the Cosmic space embodies Lord Shiv. The uttharvahini Ganga is an indication of self introspection, and the flow here is not centrifugal, but centripetal that means awakening oneself to realise the truth. Lord Vishnu guards the city in the form of Jagannath in the South and Adi Keshav in the north. (Jagannath was brought by people from Baroda and later the Rani Ahilya Bhai's guruji Sri Beni Sharma had an important role in establishing this temple at Assi.
It was the only city in Asia Minor (8th century, which acted as the centre of learning, where knowledge was treated as life. 28 or more lanes, the ghats tells the story of its ancientness.
4 rivers borde the city from different sides. Gomti, Varana, Assi. and Ganga.
The city is not careless, but carefree, which also preaches beyond the psychosis of fear of death. i.e Aghor. People say I am God Fearing, but this city tells that God Loves you.
The city boasts the lineage of the Messengers of Light and Truth such as Jain Tirthankar Rishab, Lord Buddha, Pd. Raj Jagannath, Kabir, Tulsi Das, Dayanand etc.
The city is mystic and it remains as mystic. The etical and aesthetic values make this city different from other cities in the world. Banaras is not saturated, it remains as mystic as it evokes the mental physics of the truth seekers.
People from 29 states, citizens of 60 countries live here. The musical heritage, Dance, philosophy, sanskrit, literature, science astrology, ... in every field it has contributions. Acharya Sushruta, Charaka, to Singer Girija Devi or Birju Maharaj. Research shows that father of Tansen, was from Varanasi.
Question of the present day is whether modernisation can change the city. It definitely pauses challenges, but the moment it is open to to the planners of development, it might get affected, but none can change the cultural coexistence of the city or its divine sphere. The traditions vs. post modern thoughts will find its solution as converging different ways will finally meet at
Shiv Kashi Shiv Kashi.......Kashi Kashi Shiv Shiv.............
(A special lecture was organised on 23.08.2015 at Dr. Annie Besant Hall, Faculty of Arts as part of the valedictory of Research Methodology workshop. Sri Amitabh Bhattacharya is a known figure of Varanasi, who has immense experience as a journalist. Born here, educated in the city, and living here since berth, Sri Bhattacharya belong to the intellectual community of Banarasis.)
(Photos: Mr. Avnish, Ms. Sonali)