Swathi Reddy Instagram – Varanasi, with gentle invisible authority, caught me off guard and made me sit up and made sit down with it too.
Words can not do justice. Even though words have power, you can not hold on to them. They take you very close to a feeling but not entirely. It is all lovely when someone says the words I love you to you, it feels lovely, but when something happens unexpectedly that makes you know without them saying, that they, whoever said I love you, does really love you, you do not feel lovely then, you feel loved. You experience feeling loved. It hits differently. The knowledge from words and the knowledge from experiences are never the same.
Varanasi has to be experienced.
I did not have any epiphany there, find nirvana or enlightenment. What I did find is the universe showing off it’s wit. The streets packed with people and cows that don’t care, dogs that are also treated holy, the alternating mix of strong smells of tasty street food and human filth, glorious sunrises at the mighty Ganga, and dead bodies burning by her side.
Varanasi will overwhelm you. To such a degree that only after you get home, will you realise it’s magnitude.
It is a good shock to the system, one that isn’t just about God, religion or age but more about you, the you now. Your triggers, emotional blind spots, addictions and also, your weaknesses. If you allow, it will bring forth all these with tenderness.
It looks scary but is a female friendly city. Most importantly, it is non judgmental. The city and it’s locals have seen more crazy than you have or are. They’re laid back yet everything seems rushed at the same time. You can’t keep up with them. They are inhabitants of a different world and anyone is welcome.
I did not think I will miss or treasure it.
Kasi reminded me again – To be open and respectful to uncertainty in all of its many different forms. That just like this city, everything is running according to an order, even if it doesn’t look so from the outside. | Posted on 01/May/2024 16:53:37
