The uniquely divine Banaras

By Meera Vohra

Religiosity is the most discussed aspect of Banaras, but few are aware of the unique equation the Banarasis have with the divine.

 "While in other places people are God-fearing, in Banaras they are God-loving. Here they consider the divine, especially the presiding deity, as someone close to them or perhaps the head of the family. The emotional chord with the divine is more intimate and informal for the Banarasis. It is the underlying premise on which this relationship rests. Most of the festivals and local celebrations are done with this belief, and every event of the Lord is celebrated as a personal celebration. This is supramental romanticism," says Amitabh Bhattacharya, a known scholar and writer.

Shiv Bharat is taken out on Mahashivratri, the day when Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took their nuptial vows, as an extension of this thought process. Most people in Banaras consider themselves part of Lord Shiva’s family, so they enthusiastically participate in the festivities. Some are baratis (from the groom’s side) while others are gharatis (from the bride’s side). 

The day before the festival, the haldi ceremony of the deities is held, where devotees sing folk songs usually sung for the marital bliss of couples during weddings. Similarly, Rangbhari Ekadashi, which heralds the Holi (festival of colors) celebrations in the city, is marked with gaiety as it is observed as a post-marriage ritual popularly known as gauna (bringing home) of Goddess Parvati by Lord Shiva after their marriage. This ritual is common in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for married couples.

What is really interesting is that a majority of the people here are not proficient in Sanskrit and are unable to chant the mantras, but this does not in any way hinder their process of worship. Many of them daily visit the Shiv temple, offering their prayers with just a simple request in Bhojpuri: "baba yaad rakhiya" (Lord, please keep me in your thoughts). 

There is no time frame for worship, as in the old city area, people performing jalabhishek (pouring water) on the Shivlinga late at night is a common sight. On top of it all, they would offer woolens like blankets in the winter to keep the Lord warm. "Baba ka thand lag jayee" (The Lord will feel the cold) is the thought behind this as they consider God as part of the family. 

A lot of priests have their mouths full of paan masala even while performing Rudra Abhishek, quite nonchalant that it might distort the recitation of the mantras. "Baba samajh lihaye tu chinta mat kara" (The Lord will understand, don’t worry about that) is their retort if the host of the puja questions this. For them, the emotion or way of presentation is more important than mere ritual.

This proximity to the divine does not end here. Some people, in their moments of emotional swamp, are said to bless the God rather than the other way around. People show affinity with others by addressing them as ‘malik,’ which could also be spiritually interpreted as Lord. The same affinity applies to the Divine. This could be an oversimplification of this bond, but it does exist.

Pics: Utsav Sharma