Is Varanasi losing its appeal among foreign travellers?

By Meera Vohra

 

My visit to Dashshwamedh Ghat the other day, perhaps my first this year, coincided with the evening Ganga arti. The arduous task of wading through the sea of humanity that attends the Ganga arti, almost daily, was enough reason not to be part of an activity that had been an essential element of my nightlife ever since I moved to Banaras more than a decade ago. 

 

What was quite noticeable was the presence of some groups of foreign travellers, which was a common sight before the pandemic hit us.

 

 Post pandemic, this evening ritual has become a domestic traveller's activity primarily, since the number of such travellers coming to Banaras has increased manifold due to various reasons, the prominent being the setting up of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, while the footfall of foreign travellers has considerably declined, again due to various factors.

 

What really crossed my mind suddenly, while watching these foreigners negotiating for space at the jam-packed ghat, was how they are coming to terms with the changed Banaras. The city is deluged with domestic travellers from all regions of the country who have erased the concept of seasonal tourism, which the city had known till a few years back, when the tourists ( read foreign travellers) frequented the city between the months of October to March.

 

 The predominance of these domestic travellers is not only seen in the major tourist spots of the city, like the ghat, which I mentioned earlier, but also in the logistics involved in the tourism industry, like the hotels,  transportation, etc.

While interacting with the guides or agencies who are handling the tour of these inbound travellers, they do agree that it is a cultural shock for some of them to witness such heavy crowds. The number of people attending the Ganga arti has increased four to five times, so this involves a lot of preparation, while handling a group of foreign travellers.

 

One of the guides shared that now it is tough to organise a rickshaw tour, which was a major way for us to bring these foreign travellers for the evening Ganga arti at the ghat. Earlier, the group would reach a point sitting on a rickshaw, going through some parts of the city and would walk to the ghats that gave them an actual feel of the city.. This has become unfeasible due to traffic restrictions coming in place because of constant VIP movements and the constant flow of domestic tourists. Even the walk on the road towards the Dashshwamedh  ghat is no longer enjoyable to them, as fighting for space on the road is a major task.”

 

This intensity is difficult to deal with for inbound travellers, so a majority of them only stay for a night. “Only a few stay for a longer period. Earlier, the minimum stay for foreign travellers was at least two to three nights. A lot of their favourite activities, like walking on the ghats, exploring the lanes, have been curtailed due to overpopulated ghats and lanes,” says Kuldeep Kumar, who is in the hospitality industry.

 

The kind of development happening is diluting the old-world charm of the place, which was the major attraction for them, feel a lot of travel agents.

 

 

This change has reduced the number of inbound travellers to the city. Shipra Bhargava, a senior official at a luxurious hotel chain, says, "The footfall of foreign travellers has gone down by nearly fifty per cent. As the major revenue is coming from domestic travellers, the hospitality industry is concentrating more on them, despite them being more demanding. We are bringing a lot of change to accommodate our new clientele. Our food has become spicier according to the Indian tastes, which was earlier blander, keeping our foreign guests in mind. The hospitality industry is now shifting according to the needs of the domestic tourists.”  

 KALPAVAS IN PRAYAGRAJ DURING MAGH: AN INNER JOURNEY OF PURIFICATION

By Meera Vohra

(pics by Shalini Maheshwari)

Prayagraj, which has been conferred with the title of tirthraj, assumes a greater significance during the month of Magh.  The Puranas have enumerated the importance this pilgrimage destination enjoys in the month of Magh. According to the Matsya Purana, a mere visit to Prayajraj removes all sins, while the Kurma Purana mentions that those who reside here are not only able to attain salvation for themselves but also for their ancestors.

 

The sanctity of the place is the reason that even Gods and Goddesses feel blessed to reside in this land, which is also considered to be the utpatti sthal or genesis of the earth, according to the scriptures. It is believed that acts of benevolence done on this sacred land, taking the holy dip, removes one from the cycle of birth and death.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYAGRAJ DURING THE MONTH OF MAGH

The importance of staying in the area magnifies during the month of Magh. The scriptures mention that if a person resides in the Sangam area during this period and follows a certain way of living, they are bestowed with the benefits at par with those of the Ashwamedha Yagya. The Puranas state that during the sacred month of Magh, it becomes the abode of all deities, gandharva, learned and holy men. Anyone taking a holy dip during this time reaps the benefit of all the tirths or sacred places.

The terminology kalpvas or the practice of living in the Sangam area during the month of Magh is not mentioned in the Puranas, but there are references to kalpvasis in Vishnu, Agni and Shiv Puranas with a different connotation.

The literal meaning of kalpa means 4.32  billion human years, which is akin to one year of Brahma. Kalpvas performed by householders may have their antecedent in the importance of the month of Magh, as mentioned in the Padma Purana.

Guidelines laid for the devotees to be observed during this period are quite similar to what the kalpvasis follow while their stay at the Sangam area.  The core elements of kalpvas are restraint, nonviolence, and faith. A person observing kalpvas should make a commitment for taking holy dip at Prayag, control over sensory desires, and observe sanctity in thought and action.

LIFESTYLE FOLLOWED DURING KALPAVAS

The duration of the kalpvas  also varies, as some start from the eleventh day of the Hindu month of Paush to the twelfth day of the month of Magh. Some begin their stay from Makar Sankranti to Maghi Purnima, while some opt for shorter durations as well.

The kalpavasis, mainly householders, are not affiliated with any akharas; instead, they have their family pandas or genealogy priests and stay in the camps allocated to these priests.  Often, the heads of the families stay as kalpvasis, but they are often joined by other family members who come and stay with them for a brief period. Some prefer to use the traditional method of cooking their meals, which include earthern furnace or chula, while others opt for the modern ways like cooking gas, etc., but what runs common is their lifestyle, which is mainly spartan.  The straw or puaal is used as a bedding for them, and they have minimal facilities to survive during the kalpvas. 

 

 

Those who are under a commitment of kalpvas should have a meal only once a day and control their desire. They should renounce things considered luxuries of life like perfumed objects, the use of sandalwood, oil massages, tobacco, lavish food, and refrain from any slanderous talk. They should also avoid communicating and getting in touch with a person involved in some misdeeds.

Padam Purana enumerates the daily life of the person to be observed during Magh. They should sleep on the ground, give up certain kinds of food, do hawan or make offerings to the sacred fire with ghee mixed with sesame seeds, pray to Lord Vishnu thrice a day, light an eternal lamp or akhand deepak in his reverence. According to the scriptures, Prayag is the favourite place of Lord Vishnu, so he should be worshipped, and a tulsi plant should be placed before the cottage of those residing in that area during Magh.  

 

Taking the holy dip or Magh snan at Prayag should be the prime activity of the person. They should take the dip three times a day. Bathing in the holy river cleanses one from all sins and removes all obstacles of life. One is bestowed with long life, health and growth of the family. The person is granted a place in heaven in the next life.

A person taking the holy dip for three days during Magh gets the benefits similar to those of a person fasting for a hundred years. Though it is highly auspicious to bathe in the holy rivers during the entire month of Magh, the benefits of taking the holy dip on Makar Sankranti are beyond any calculation.

Matysa Purna also mentions that it is during this period river Ganga encompasses ten thousand tirth or pilgrimage places and three crore rivers within itself.

IMPORTANCE OF FASTING DURING MAGH

 The importance of fasting or upvas during Magh also finds mention in the Param Puran. Those who fast during the month, all their prayers, meditation, donation and rituals bear the fruits. The entire month of fasting should be initiated with the reverence of Lord Vishnu and with the approval of a guru.

The period of fasting begins from the eleventh day of the Hindu month of Paush to the twelfth day of the month of Magh. Even those who are not able do the fast for the entire month should perform the ritual on some special occasions or dates of religious importance falling within this pious month.

On the completion of one month of fasting, thirteen brahmans should be fed, given a donation of clothes and money to mark the conclusion of the fast.

THE ACT OF DONATION DURING KALPVAS

Giving a donation during the month of Magh is also held in high esteem. According to the Rig Ved any kind of donation releases a person from worldly miseries and moves him towards divinity.

The act of donation done during the month of Magh, at Prayag, holds great significance. After the conclusion of kalpvas donation should be made to Brahmins, which includes food, grain, clothes like yoga patta etc, blanket, ghee, saffron, footwear, cotton quilt etc,  Padma Puran also mentions the benefits of donation of various things during this month, like sesame seeds.

Matsya Puran states that special importance has been given to gau-daan or donation of a cow, as it is believed to lead a person to heaven after his demise. The cow should be adorned with gold and silver.

Shayya Daan is also an important part of the donation. There is a tradition of shayya daan during the month of Magh. Devotees who have observed twelve kalpvaas organise this shayya daan or donation. This involves donation of bed and other articles used in daily life, like clothes, jewellery, furniture, footwear etc. It also marks the competition of kalpvas for those who perform this donation, as they don’t observe kalpavas once this is done.

THE RITUAL OF SHRADHA DURING KALPVAS

Performance of shradha or ritual in the memory of the ancestors is also part of the kalpvas. Matsya Puran states that the devotees, apart from invoking the deities during the month of Magh, should also perform rituals in honour of their ancestors. Even Padam Puran mentions that those who perform this ritual find a place in the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is not only the devotee but also their ancestors who find space in this revered place.

PARIKRAMA OF SACRED SPOTS

The entire exercise is incomplete without visiting or doing parikrama of sacred places. Though there is no mention in the Puranas of doing parikrama in Prayag, there is some  reference regarding the darshan of local deities here.

There are two kinds of parikrama done at Prayag, antarvedi and bahirvedi parikarama. The antarvedi parikrama begins from Sangam or the confluence of the river Ganga and river Yamuna, and the invisible River Saraswati. The journey begins with the holy dip at Sangam and puja near the Benimadhav temple. This is followed by the offering of a stream of honey, ghee in the River Yamuna, then moving to Niranjan tirth, Aditya tirth, Rindhmochan tirth, Paapmochan tirth, Parashuram tirth, Goghattan tirth, Pishachmochan tirth, Mankameshwar tirth, Kapil tirth, Indeshwar Shiv tirth, Taksham Kund, Takshkeshwar Shiv, Kaliyahrad, Chakra Tirth, Sindu Sagar Tirth. Taking the road route, one should visit Pandav Koop, Varun Koop, Kashyap tirth, Datweshwarnath Shiv, Surya Kund and rest at Bharadwaj Ashram. From Bharadeshwar , move to Sitaram Ashram, Vishwamitra Ashram, Gautam Ashram, Jamdagni Ashram, Vashishta Ashram, Vayu Ashram, Ucchaishwa sthan, Benimadhav, Naagvasuki, Brahmakund, Dashashwameshwar,( Ganga) Lakshmi tirth, Mahovidhi tirth, Malapah tirth, Urvashi kund, Shakra tirth, Vishwamitra tirth, Brihaspati tirth, Atri tirth, Dattatreya tirth, Durvasa tirth, Som tirth, after having darshan of Saraswat tirth one should pay obsience to Lord Hanuman and conclude this pilgrimage at Triveni or confluence of all the three sacred rivers.

The bahirvedi parikarma normally takes ten days to complete. On the first day of this sacred journey begins with a holy dip at the triveni or the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati, followed by a darshan at Akshayvat. Crossing the River Yamuna, the devotee should visit Shooltankeshwar, Sudharas tirth, Urvashi kund, Adibindu Madhav, Hanuman tirth, Sitkund Ram tirth, Varun tirth, Chakramadhav, and Someshwarnath. The second day of this pilgrimage, one should visit on the banks of the River Yamuna sacred places like Somtirth, Surya tirth, Kuber tirth, Vayu tirth, Agni tirth, Shri Vallabhacharya ki baithak, Gadamadhav, Kamblashtawar Naag and Ramsagar. The third day is dedicated to doing shradh on the banks of the river Yamuna and darshan of Mahadeviji on an elevated place in the midst of the river. On the fourth day, one should do a darshan of Banmahadev across the River Yamuna. There is a tradition of resting at Draupadi Ghat on the fifth day. On the sixth day, one should move to Shivkuti, while on the seventh day a visit to Parila Mahadev and Manas tirth is made. On the eighth day, one should pay reverence at Naag tirth and Shankh Madhav temple at Jhunsi. On the ninth day of the journey, one should visit places in Jhunsi like Vyasashram, Samudrakupa, Eyl tirth, Sankatharan Madhav, Sandhyavat, Hansakoop, Jalkund, Urvashikund, and Arundhati tirth. One should conclude this journey with the holy dip at Triveni Sangam on the tenth day.

The tales of the lanes of Varanasi

 By Meera Vohra

Living all these years in Varanasi, the maze of narrow lanes continues to enchant me every time I walk through them. During my early days in the city, quite unfamiliar with the ways of the lanes, certain markers made me reach my destination without faltering. 

A temple near the Scindia Ghat, which was my favourite destination of my wanderings and continues to be till date, was a tough one to reach through the lane. The entry opposite to Chowk police station has a complex web of lanes that not only confuses you but transports you to a world with an enigmatic old-world charm. Clusters of buildings on both sides of the lanes, where you can barely see the sky, are further hooded with a mesh of overhead wires.

 Huge bundles of Banarasi sarees and fabrics are being transported from one place to another by human carriers and, at times, on two-wheelers in these narrow lanes, which definitely test the navigating skills of the commuters. Stepping on the steps or the pavement of private premises to make way for other commuters is a common practice.  A strikingly beautiful old mansion with a stunning main door could catch your attention, with no sign of its inhabitation, at least to me, whenever I have moved in that area. The locals enjoying some leisure time on chabutra or elevated platforms, a make-shift sabzi ( vegetable)  stall, and then some uncelebrated eateries serving delicious goodies are an important component of life at ease in the old area of Varanasi.

Finding a way through these intricate lanes was a tough task, initially for me in Varanasi. Taking the help of more than ready locals was later replaced by the beautification initiative taken to revamp the conditions of the lane, which became my guiding light. The way leading to my destination had cemented tiles, as a result of this beautification effort, unlike other lanes. With my gaze glued to the ground, following these tiles, I could reach the temple without any wavering. Gradually, as the beautification spread across the entire area with look-alike cemented tiles fixing the grounds of the other lanes, a clobber sitting on the trickiest turning of my destination became a marker. Sitting on the ground with an ancient wall of a building in the background, he also fits perfectly into the old-world appeal of Varanasi.

During a recent trip to the area, I had a strong craving for malai poori, a mildly sweet delicacy served in shops in the old city area of Varanasi. Turning to the lane where a make-shift sweet shop sells this unique goodie, hoping to indulge myself, but to my disappointment, the shopkeeper informed me that the sweet was not available. Sensing my displeasure, he said, “In case you want to relish other typical Banarasi mithai, you can go to Raswanti, an iconic sweet shop which is in the vicinity. As I was unfamiliar with the lanes leading to that shop, I hesitated, pointing to a person sitting next to him,  he said,  He will take you till there.”  

Malai Poori

I felt guilty of bothering the person, but he seemed quite eager to show me the way. As it was slightly dark, some lanes did not have any lighting arrangement. To top it all, bulky cows with fiercely pointed horns were occupying half of the already narrow lanes. Passing all this, we finally reached the sweet shop Raswanti. 

The shop seemed just out of a retro movie. It had a small counter with a few traditional sweets, while the rest of the area had workers cooking on massive kadhais ( large cooking pots). The iconic lal peda ( a culinary delight of Varanasi) was being prepared.  The shop was with no frills but great taste. Out of sheer courtesy, I requested the person who accompanied me to also try some of the sweets, which he refused. After getting some goodies packed, I thought the person would just bid me goodbye, but instead, he said he would walk with me till the main road. I could see him taking some respite by sitting on the stairs of a shop, from the long walk across through the Thatheri bazar that was buzzing with activity.  As we reached the main road, I turned to thank him, but he was gone, disappearing in the crowd. I got the taste of not only some delectable sweets but also endearing locals that these lanes of Varanasi continue to hold.   

( pics by Arvind Kumar)   

 A road to Sangam

Meera Vohra

Maha Kumbh this time had a tagline of being once in 144 years. Apart from the unique planetary configuration, the biggest spiritual gathering was unprecedented in several ways.  Have covered several Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh in the past, but the Maha Kumbh this time not only caught everyone, including journalists like me, by surprise.  While coming from Varanasi I had my bags full of essentials for Kumbh Mela, with comfortable shoes topping the list, least did I know, the kind of use or rather overuse they would be put to.

Having skipped the first snan of Makar Sankranti, I reached Prayagraj a few days after the snan's hullaballoo had subsided. Venturing out on my first day for the Maha Kumbh Mela, I was greeted by a jam-packed road with no room for pedestrians. With no transportation available, I had no option but to walk to the media centre in the Kumbh Mela, which was more than 3 kilometres from my place. Dodging the traffic, I somehow reached the media centre to get the vehicle pass, intended to comfortably report from the mela area but destiny had other plans.

The four-wheeler, which had the coveted Maha Kumbh pass, remained parked on the porch of my home, not venturing out even once.  The deluge of humanity that descended the mela area made it difficult to navigate it in that area, moreover days near the major snans the area was declared a no-vehicle zone. This Maha Kumbh was the first when I majorly walked for the assignments; my comfy shoes came to my rescue.

My walk to the media centre, situated on Kali Sadak, which was the meeting point with my other team members,  was a pattern that ran common during the major part of the mela reporting. To reach the meeting point I had to walk on the road that connected the Mela area from the city and was a popular route for travellers who wanted to reach the Sangam area, the most sought-after place for the holy dip. While rubbing shoulders, literally, with the travellers, some of them who have walked more than 20 kilometres, as no proper public transport was available, one could see the kind of change the mela has undergone.

Sensing me as a localite, a young couple from Delhi checked with me whether they should leave their clothes behind after taking the holy dip. I was really amazed at how social media has penetrated our minds. I had seen a reel on social media with some random astro expert giving the details about do’s and don’ts while taking a dip at Sangam and had mentioned this.  In fact, the presence and impact of social media in this Maha Kumbh was tremendous.

It was a sort of Kumbh of social media influencers as well with our timeline being bombarded with reels related to the mega fair. Right from vital information about the traffic and crowd situation you could find it on social media, some of them also turned out to be sources of information when tragedy struck in the Maha Kumbh. With people posting pictures of their snan on their social media accounts, it gave a big-time FOMO (Fear of missing out) effect so the deluge of humanity was quite understandable.

In the absence of any proper transport available, the jugaad factor worked overtime.  Cycle trollies used to transport goods were painted overnight and used to ‘transport’ devotees unable to walk several kilometres to reach the Sangam area.  A lot of travellers, including foreigners, opted for this joy or rather jugaad ride. Then there were bikers to make the pilgrims reach their destination but at a cost.  A horde of bikers’ right from youngsters to middle-aged men hovered over the area intending to earn some ‘extra’ money, for some bikers extra had no capping to it. One of my acquaintances had the privilege of being driven around by a B.tech student so it was not just the baba who was an IIT-ian but also a biker with a tech background.

The impact of Kumbh-onomics  was also evident while traversing through a market area situated on the road leading to Sangam. An ordinary kirana or grocery store has been given a major makeover as it now has a confectionary counter to meet the hunger pangs of travellers. Similarly, a lot of make-shift tea, pakora and idli shops had come up. A mithai shop,  that till now had indulged the sweet tooth of its customers, has also started a samosa counter, keeping in mind the Maha Kumbh crowd that walked passed that area.  

pics by Amardeep

 By Meera Vohra

Dev Deepawali: A mesmerising experience 

A few months after shifting to Varanasi in 2007, a lot of buzz could be heard about the forthcoming festival of Dev Deepawali. Since Diwali was over so was not expecting any kind of razzmatazz in the event.

 A three-day cultural event, Ganga Mahotsava, prior to the Dev Deepawali organised at Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat though had been thoroughly enjoyed by me. Not only had the performances of the artists but also the ambience truly mesmerised me. I was introduced to the beauty of the ghats just before the winter sets in, which continues to enamour me till date.

 Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat, then the only ghat to host the cultural fiestas, was perfectly suited with an elevated platform that served the stage while the stairs of the ghat housed the audience. This was when the city was not deluged with the maddening crowd and we could enjoy some serene moments even when some commendable performances were happening.

On D-day (read Dev Deepawali) as it was my first time, we ( as a colleague of mine accompanied me) were told to reach the Dashshwamedha ghat(( the ghat which was then the epicentre of the celebrations) by four in the evening.

 I was perplexed as to why should we reach the venue so early when the event was slated to start by 6 pm. The reason I got to know later on. So taking heed, we left our office around 3.30 pm to be at the venue by 4 pm.

 On reaching the Luxa area I could sense that we were heading to be part of something huge. At that time social media had not evolved so social media influencers had not immersed our timelines with the visuals of this stunningly ethereal event. 

The only information I had was of some newspaper stories available on the Internet. I was quite unprepared for what I was about to witness. As we walked to the Godowlia crossing suddenly we were surrounded by a large crowd all moving in the same direction, towards the ghat. Everyone trying to reach the area, to find a space on the ghat, that was beginning to be engulfed with people when we reached there. 

A stage had been erected in the middle of River Ganga where a cultural event was scheduled to be held (a tradition that had been discontinued for the last few years). Making our way to the stage amidst River Ganga we could have the view of the ghat that was getting ready for the grand Ganga arti all decked up with flowers and diyas. 

Gradually the sun began to set and the entire area lit up with diyas and the Ganga arti began. With minimal electric blubs and no laser show, the entire area was illuminated with earthen diya, it truly appeared as if the Gods had descended on earth as it is believed happens on  Dev Deepawali. Not only the ghats but even the River Ganga was illuminated, with devotees offering diyas to the holy river. It was a scenario that I had not experienced in my life till then. The view was ethereal and I stayed looking at the ambience forgetting to make a memory of it through any humble camera, as I believe that even the most sophisticated technology could not capture what was etched in my memory and remains till date.

      

A pen collector's delight

By Meera Vohra

 The market leading to the Dashshwamedha ghat could dazzle you both by the huge crowd that engulfs the area, particularly during the evenings but also due to the series of Banarasi saree and clothing shops situated in the area. Jostled between this shimmer is a pen shop, The Pen Co, which has existed since 1946. Stepping into the shop one is greeted by an array of collection of pens that fulfil one's writing needs and go even beyond, as it is a stylophile’s or a pen enthusiast’s delight. 

According to Nishant Sahu, owner, “The showroom was started by my grandfather in this area as it was then the major marketplace that the people most visited. It was always a pen shop, dedicated to writing instruments and never a stationery shop.”

The shop has maintained its spirit, as the collection ranges from a meagre Rs 10 pen to the collector's pride priced at Rs 3.5 lakh. Some unique writing instruments, like the slimmest pen, form part of their collection. Another standout is the astronaut’s pen, which has a special kind of ink that will write underwater on lubricated paper, upside down, which is anti-gravity. This pen also works in space where there is zero gravity.

With technology taking over traditional writing instruments, still some people are rooted in the nostalgia of using these conventional pens. “As fountain pens are no longer mandatory in schools, it is the passion which youngsters have inherited seeing their parents or anyone from their family who uses a fountain pen, that makes them go for it, “says Nishant.

What has kept the business going despite the changed scenario is innovation. “Moving to need-based to making it an instrument of passion is making things work. If a person has fifty pens, I will just not add one more pen to this number but will have to give him something unique. So we have much more variety in terms of variety, new brands and new techniques that are coming in. Fountain pen is the first choice of such customers. We still have fountain pens with 14 and 18-carat gold nib but what has changed is the filling mechanism or some aesthetics involved in the handcrafted pens. We have limited edition pens which are numbered of different brands. For a collector it is a good investment as it gives a greater value with time,” he adds. 

  

Things not to do in Varanasi

     By Meera Vohra

Things to do while in Varanasi are something that has been discussed at large by the itinerary planners and now the social media influencers. However, certain things are best to be avoided for a visit to the city with minimum hiccups.

Avoid a weekend if you plan to visit Varanasi

With the city bursting at the seams on the weekend, visiting Varanasi on the weekdays is preferable if you are looking for some peaceful moments. You can also skip the important festivals for the visit if tranquillity is also part of your plans, if not, then enjoy the vibrancy of the city which is always in a celebratory mode.

Avoid unofficial facilitators for darshan at the temples

Those keen on a less time-consuming temple darshan should take help of such provision, if any, from the temple's official website or walk-in ticket counters. They should avoid the unofficial facilitators hovering around the temples who could charge much more than the official amount and the amount paid will not go into the exchequer of the temple.

Wander, but don't get lost in the lanes

The old-world charm of the lanes of Varanasi transports you to a different world altogether. The architecture of some of the houses in this old part of the city is quite enchanting. These lanes also have some delectable eating places to gorge on sweets, so pamper your taste buds with sweets like malai puri, and palang tod among a long list of delicacies that are only served by shops in the lanes. But then a word of caution as well, be wary of the middlemen popularly known as lapkas who could lure you to the 'authentic' Banarasi saree or fabric stores, some of them situated in the lanes in the old part of the city. Instead, try shopping for products with the silk mark or a GI tag (Geographical Indication) in case you are keen on authentic stuff.

Stay away from the self-proclaimed guides

Those desirous to understand this spiritually layered place or the experience the worldly charm of the city with the help of a guide, steer clear away from the self-proclaimed ones. Instead, take the services of government-approved guides for a more safer and enriching experience.

 

Pics by Utsav Sharma