My Trip To Benaras

My friend tells me that 24^th December 2019 was a wonderful winter day in Mumbai – moderate sunlight, cool breeze blowing and birds chirping gleefully. But I did not get to see it as I had to catch a flight to Banaras (or Varanasi) early in the morning at 7:45 AM.

 

The winter vacation plan was to visit my Bade Abba (father's elder brother) and Badi Ammi in Banaras for a few days, explore the city and then go to Faizabad (our ancestral home) for a few days. I was very excited as I had not been to a cold place in my living memory. My sister Noosh and I struggled to get out of bed at 5 AM but made it to the airport well in time. After a quick check-in and security, we ate a hearty meal of my favorite Theobroma Brownies. As we reached the boarding gate we were informed that the flight was delayed by an hour because of dense fog in Banaras. After some confusion, we were made to board shortly thereafter but took off an hour and a half later. We noted that the aircraft had to mark not of Spice Jet but Cordeon Airways, an airline I had never heard off. The captain spoke with a foreign accent and the crew looked Caucasian. Little did I know that this flight would be the most troublesome one in my life yet.

 

The flying time from Mumbai to Banaras is just under two hours but as we neared the aircraft seemed to slow and started circling as they do during peak hours in Mumbai. My sister and I peeped out hoping to get a view of the holy river Ganges but could only see dense cloud cover. Well after the scheduled time the pilot, announced that we had been asked to hold as the fog in Banaras has not reduced. After more than an hour of circling we were told it was still not possible to land in Banaras and our flight was being diverted to Delhi. People around us sighed out in disbelief but Abba (my father) had already predicted that this was likely to happen as the aircraft would have to refuel.

 

The flight to Delhi was smooth but the situation after landing was chaotic. The pilot said he was not aware of the plan and would need to ask the airline ground staff and we will need to sit in the aircraft until then. This was a shocker coming from the Captain, who is supposed to be in command, and the passengers started to panic. The ground staff who came in also did not help by saying they were waiting for orders from their seniors. While this was going on they turned off air-conditioning and the air became stuffy. The wait seemed endless and the airline did not even offer us any food or drink. We had thankfully carried some food and drinks so were saved. To cheer ourselves we started to play games, one of which was to guess the airline, crew and pilot's nationality. I thought he was Irish, and Abba encouraged me to ask the Pilot. So, I framed my statement like this: “Hi, you have an interesting accent. Where are you from? The pilot, who seemed like he was about to choke replied gruffly “I’m Scottish, now please could you excuse me. We have an emergency." So back to my seat I went and told everyone “No, he is not Irish but Scottish”. After what seemed like a few days in Delhi we were told we were going back to Banaras and finally took off. When we reached close to Banaras, we could see a beautiful view of clouds, as if they were cotton candies flying past us and weak sunlight filtering through.

 

When we finally arrived at Banaras Airport and left the aircraft we got the first taste of winter - the temperature was 5 degrees Celsius. All of us started to shiver and quickly zipped our jackets and wore our caps. Abba remarked” If we are feeling so cold here, imagine what will happen to us in Faizabad which is less populated. We were feeling relieved to finally reach our destination and took some pictures in full winter gear. Little did we know this was the last time we would see Abba's cap which seemed to have been left somewhere in the excitement.

 

It was half an hour’s drive to Bade Abba's place in the heart of Banaras. He is in the hotel industry and the family has a private residence on the top floor of a hotel. We went inside the lift to find a special access button for the family floor! We were welcomed warmly by Badi Amma, Bade Abba and Samia Baji. Their cozy and heated living room was a welcome respite from the winter chill.

 

We then settled in warm blankets close to room heaters, a first for us Mumbai folks. Since we were meeting them after a while there was a lot to talk about. Banaras is known for its cuisine and Badi Amma is a great cook. I always look forward to her innovative and tasty dishes. One of her innovations is a healthy and fulfilling snack made from sprouts. Hot and spicy, it is great in the cold. Haleem, a dish made of lentils and meat, was just out of this world.

 

 

We got gift hampers full of amazing goodies too. Mine consisted of a bag, two crowns, a little diary, a big diary, and a cute little knick-knack pouch! My sister got a big diary with a lock! Though I do not think that she has even once locked it for the fear of losing the keys.

 

The next morning was a cold one when we went outside in the large balcony garden, all bundled up. It was still foggy but we managed to walk out for some time. Then we had breakfast started out for the day’s excursion - ‘Ganga Darshan’. Banaras, especially the river Ganga, is very sacred for the Hindus and the river is lined up with many ghats (embankments) built over centuries.

 

One of the biggest ones was Manikarnika Ghat – a place where the dead are cremated. A thing that I still remember was that there was a big fire going on where there were dead bodies burning. Abba, the history buff and Bade Abba told me that the fire there had been going on since time immemorial and that people waited with their relatives remains in lines. Looking at the many pyres burning, the dark surroundings and heavy smell of wood smoke was in a way eerie and humbling. Another ghat I remember is Assi Ghat.

 

After a quick break, the driver of the boat bought us some peanuts and grains to feed flamingoes on the river. It was an amazing sight when the birds flapped up to us, craving for the food we had to offer them. There were diyas floating in the waters and a lot of history and mythology behind it.

 

After the ride of a lifetime, we had lunch at the Italian Pizzeria - said to be the first Pizzeria in India established with the help of Italian students who came to study Yoga in Banaras. We then had a scrumptious lunch and the Apple Pie was a highlight. Then Bade Abba and Badi Amma bought us some interesting souvenirs - Noosh chose a kitchen set and me a Russian Doll. After a good dinner and a night's rest, we left the next day after a very good breakfast and off we went to our next destination, Faizabad in a comfortable SUV.