The tales of the lanes of Varanasi

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. 

Getting Lost in the Gullies

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.

Malai Poori

A Shop Out of a Retro Film

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)