KASHI TRIP ‐ Part I

Preparations:
Ganga Kavery express which connects Chennai & Varanasi is a biweekly Express. We planned
the trip to Allahabad, Varanasi & Gaya 100 days before the actual date of departure
viz.20.10.08. As our trip was coinciding with Diwali(Thanga Annapoorni, Thanga Visalakshi,
Annakodda & Laddu Ther) we anticipated rush and purchased 90 days in advance, both
onward and return tickets:
We wrote to Swamimalai V.Ramasesha Sastrigal(his brother's name is Mr.V.Krishnamurthy
Ganapadigal) B‐5/311. Hanuman Ghatt, Varanasi‐221001(Phone 0542‐2310134). The
former's son is Mr.R.shiv Kumar. He is computer savvy. A MCA but in Purhoitam. His cell No. is
093353333137/09415336064. His email id is <[email protected]> He assured to
provide us accommodation, food and also arrange transport and perform pithru karyams. He
also gave contact name in Allahabad. Shri. N.Vasudeva shastrigal. Shivmath daraganj,
Allahabad. 0532‐2500799
Then we(each family) started doing purchases: For Khasi Shrraddham Dhoti for brahmana
and Vadhyar:9x5 Three Nos, Gaya Shrraddham Dhoti for Gayawalis 9x5 five number(if
mother is alive four nos only; Gaya Vadyar Dhoti 9x5 one no. Dhambathi Pooja: Two sets of
following: Dhoti 9x5 ; 9 yard saree with blouse piece, Mangalyam, metti, mookuthi ‐(one each
for Allahabad and Kashi). 
Extra blouse pieces with kannadi seepu manjal kungumam valayal about 25 sets.
For Dheepa Dhanam: 31 Brass agals with oil & thiri; for payasa Dhanam Tumblers: 12 nos For
Dhasa Dhanam: Gold coin, silver coin, silver kinnam, 9x5 veshti, Shawl/porvai, Kudai,
Padarakshai, Pithalai Theertha sombu, Eversilver Milk Pathiram, Eayam poosiya Curd
Pathiram, Visiri, Sandhana Kattaiu, Bell, Pusthagam(courtesy: Kunjan), 

YATRA

The purpose of a Kashi Yatra is to perform Vedic rites for our ancestors. The Purohits were
extremely helpful to explain various nuances of rituals. We performed the rites that are
traditionally performed during a Kashi Yatra. I share this with all of you in the hope that it
may be of reference material for future. I have provided contact numbers of some people
there who will be able to arrange everything for anyone who desires to perform these rituals.

We got down at Allahabad at 4.30 Am after a train journey of 35 hours. Mr.Vasudevan sent his
errand boy Mr.Venkatesh to Allahabad Rly Stn to pick us up. The Vedic rituals began at
Allahabad. The rituals (even the more extensive ones) take about half a day (early morning to
lunch). 

Day of Arrival ‐ Allahabad (Triveni Sangam) (Day 1)(22.10.2008)

Allahabad is the city where the three greatest rivers of India meet, and continue their
journey further. The Ganga weaves her way down from the Himalayas from Gangotri, passing
places made sacred by her arrival, like Rishikesh and Haridwar, and passing through the
industrial city of Kanpur, before arriving at Allahabad to join her sisters as she makes her
way to Kashi. Yamuna also begins her journey in the Himalayas, at Yamunotri, and passes
through Mathura and Brindavan, made more sacred by the association of Krishna, and finally
arrives at Allahabad where she joins the Ganga to merge her identity with her. Saraswati
arrives at Allahabad from god alone knows where, for she is an underground river, who
remains unseen to mankind, making her presence felt at certain, extremely special places.
She renders the holy Ganga and Yamuna even more pure, more sacred by her association
with them at Allahabad. The place where these 3 rivers merge is the Triveni Sangam, a place
where thousands and thousands congregate to pay their respects to the rivers and pray for
their well being and forgiveness for their sins.
The three rivers maintain their identity and are visibly different as they merge. While the
Yamuna is deep but calm and greenish in colour, the Ganga is shallow, but forceful and clear.
The Saraswati remains hidden, but the faithful believe that she makes her presence felt
underwater. During the monsoon, when the rivers are in full flow, the confluence of the
rivers is seen clearly due to the force of the water, but the same force makes having a dip at
the confluence difficult. I was told that during the monsoon, most devotees bathe at the
riverbank for safety, while the more ardent ones who are willing to pay for the risk involved
go to the confluence in a boat, where a shallow area is created by the presence of a number
of boats with a kind of net suspended in between, and bathe there. We went to the
confluence of the rivers by a boat. A sort of platform had been constructed there, from which
we climbed down into waist deep water. We had a wonderful time bathing in the river. We
could have stayed in the water for ages, if it hadn’t been for the rites and rituals we had to
perform back at the mutt where we were staying. It was a wonderful experience. 
A number of rituals are traditionally performed at Allahabad, mainly for appeasing our
ancestors. There are a number of Mutts there who perform the rites. As at Kashi, there is no
standard charge, but varies according to the rites one wants to perform and the budget.

An interesting ritual performed at the Sangam is that of Veni Daanam. This is a practice
followed by married women for the long life of their husbands. The husband is supposed to
comb and plait the wife’s hair and after decorating it with flowers, the end of the plait is cut
off and offered to the rivers. Some men even shave off their hair/beard and offer it also to
the rivers. This procedure is performed while travelling by boat to the Sangam and the hair is
offered along with flowers, etc at the confluence. There is nothing interesting in itself about
this. What is interesting is that hair, being light normally floats on water, but at this place,
the hair sinks straight to the bottom. Though hundreds of people offer their hair everyday,
there is not a single strand of hair seen floating on the river. Of course, there could and will
be a scientific explanation for this phenomenon, but whatever it is, it gives us proof that
nature is a wonderful thing….. Call it God or simply nature, it is indeed inspiring!

The temple of Veni Madhava (one of the trio along with Sethu Madhava and Bindu Madhava) is
a little way inside the city. It is a small temple, with a small idol of Vishnu representing Veni
Madhava. According to the legend painted on the walls of the temple, there was once a
rakshasa who troubled all the Devas. Narada sought an audience with him to find out his
weakness, and found that he suffered from a skin infliction. He told the Asura to bathe in the
Triveni Sangam at Allahabad, which the Asura proceeded to do. Amazed at finding himself
cured, he wanted to possess the 3 great rivers who had cured him, and began drinking them
up! When the rivers pleaded with Vishnu, he arrived in the form of Veni Madhava and killed
him, restoring the rivers to their rightful place.

The Shayana Anjaneya temple is an important one right on the banks of the river. Here, the
idol of Hanuman is larger than life, carrying Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders. Only, the
idol is lying down. There are many stories about this temple. According to one, hanuman
stepped over the rivers without their permission, angering them. They rose up and threw him
to the ground, and crushed his ego. According to the locals, every year, the river rises and
covers the whole idol before going back, which they consider absolute proof of this story.
Another legend mentions that this is where hanuman emerged with Rama and Lakshmana
after defeating the king of Patala, the netherworld, Ahi Ravana. Whatever the story, the
temple is a simple and nice one.

The Adi Shankara Vimana Mandapam, a temple built by the Kanchi Mutt is right next to this
temple. This is a 3 storeyed temple with idols and sculptures of various Gods and Goddesses.
It is worth a visit.

The other paces of interest in Allahabad are‐

The Allahabad fort, on the banks of the Yamuna, where we take a boat to go to the Sangam.

The Bharadvaj Ashram, where Sage Bharadvaj lived

Anand Bhavan‐ the birthplace of our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

1. Anugnai (Sankalpam) 
2. Vighneshwara Puja (Prayers to Ganesha) 
3. Prayschitta Sankalpam (atonement for sins committed, knowingly or unknowingly) 
4. Veni Daanam (Women offer a part of their hair to the river praying for the long life of their
husbands. The husband plaits the wife’s hair, decorates it with flowers and cuts off the tip of
the plait and offers it to the river. It is an interesting fact that while hair normally floats on
water, at the Sangam; it immediately sinks to the river bed. Though almost all married women
offer their hair here, there is not a single strand found floating on the river!!!!) I did it for
Mohana! first time in life. 
5. Manal brought from Rameswaram is dissolved in Thiriveni
6. Triveni Sangam Snanam (husband and wife bathe together at the confluence of the 3
rivers, holding hands. One has to go to the confluence in a boat. A sort of platform has been
erected at the point for the convenience of pilgrims) 
7. Hiranya Shrraddham * 
8. Pinda Pradaanam, Kshetra Pindam, Tarpanam **
9. Brumayagnam
10. Venimadhavar Dharisanam
11. Vada Vrutcha Dharisanam
12. To collect Pure Ganges water from Thriveni Sangamam for carrying back to home.
13. Aram Ghat Hanumar Dharisanam
14. Kanchi Kamakodi Temple visit
15. we performed Dampati Pooja at Allahabad. We reached Varanasi at 10 Pm.
Mr.Krishnamurthy Ganapadigal has sent us Idly for night tiffin. We were accommodated in his
newly purchased house which is a two storeyed building with a muttram for drying clothes.
The house had 3 rooms, one big hall of around 700 sq.ft with one bath, one w.c and one
Indian toilet. The house had pillows, jamukkalam & mats and 4 cots.
The rituals at Kashi take place over three days – the first day for the Maha sangalpam, the
second day for Manikarnika Parvarupa (by doing homam) Shrraddham and the third day for
the Pancha Teertha Shrraddham. Then, one goes to Gaya and performs the rituals there, and
returns to Kashi for the Ganga Puja, Dampati Puja and only then visits the temples at Kashi. 

To be continued in Part 2 

NANU(R.Narayanan)

Elder brother of RK Patham Iyer 

Permission taken to publish this travelogue

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Part II ­ Kasi Yatra Continued
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Kashi (Varanasi) Day 2(23.10.08)

1. Anugnai (Sankalpam) 
2. Vighneshwara Puja (Prayers to Ganesha 
3. Poorvanga Sangalpam
4. Navagraha Preethi Dhanam
5. Poorvanga Dasa Daanam *** 
6. Naandhi Shrraddham * 
7. Vaishnava Shrraddham * 
8. Punyaa Vajanam (purification ritual) 
9. Maha Sankalpam
10. Prayschitta Sankalpam (atonement for sins committed, knowingly or
unknowingly) 
11. Pala Daanam *** 
12. Mahathasirvatham
13. Uttaranga Godaanam *** (we did not do)
14. Chakra Theertha Snanam
15. Manikarnika Teertha Snanam

Day 3(24.10.08)

1. Manikarnika Hiranyaroopa Theertha Shrraddham : This was done in

Parvanroopam(Homam Valarthu) Two Brahmanal Bhojanam(Those who are
budgeted can do this hiranya roopam also)
2. Anna roopa theertha Shrraddham 
3. Pinda dhanam
4. Shethra Pinda Dhanams
5. Thila Tharpanam
6. Brumayagnam

Day 4(25.10.08)
1. Pancha Teertha Yatra (We went by a motor boat to these 5 Ghats and
performed the rituals) Like Madras Auto towing another auto, The motor boat
was towing two ordinary rowing boats. One boat exclusively for Rug Vedis. One
boat to prepare avis and make pindams. The mai motor boat for performing
hiranya Shrraddham
i) Asi Ghat (Haridwar Teertham) – this is where the Asi river merges with the
Ganga. Performing the rites here is believed to give one the fruits of
performing the rites at Haridwar.
ii) Dashashwamedha Ghat (Rudra Sarovara Teertham) – this is the place where
Brahma performed 10 Ashwamedha Yagnas, and hence it is considered sacred
to perform the rites.
iii) Trilochana Ghat or varana Ghatt( Vishnu Paada Udaka Teertham)
iv) Pancha Ganga Ghat ( Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana, Doodhapappa‐
Sangam); Bindu Madhava Temple
v) Manikarnika Ghat (Manikarnika Teertham, Chakra Pushkarni Teertham)
Shethra pinda dhanams in all 5 ghatts, thila tharpanam and Bruma yagnam
We left in the evening by 5 pm Varanasi by 2 Tata Sumos to Gaya. We reached
Gaya at 10 Pm. we immediately rushed to see Thulasi Archanai, Sandhana
kappu to Vishnu Padham.
Gaya Shrardham Day 5(26.10.08)
Gaya being located in is a Shrraddha Bhoomi. The place where we were asked
to stay is managed by a Gujarati lady who also speaks Tamil. We experienced
continuous power cuts, no sun‐ light in bathrooms, inadequate water in Gaya(
Lallu Prasad Yadav's Rajyam) (almost zero water for those who preferred to
enter bath rooms at the end) (power cut also compounded the problem of not
having water in overhead tank). We were also told Phalguni river is having knee
deep water only and only Brokshanam is possible. Gaya is a holy place revered
by Hindus and Buddhists alike. While to Hindus, it is the footprint of Vishnu
(the Vishnu Padam), the Akshaya Vatam and the chance of performing the Vedic
rites not just for 3 generations of ancestors, but anyone and everyone that
attracts them to Gaya, for Buddhists it is the sacred Banyan tree under which
the Buddha attained enlightenment. Indeed the regular influx of Buddhists
from all over the world has made Bodh Gaya a tourist spot in Bihar, and a
tourist attraction with all kind of facilities, something like an oasis in the heart
of a desert! 

Gaya is all about legends, and there are legends connected to every temple
there and every rite that is performed.

Let me start with the name of the place. 'Gaya'. According to the legend, there
was once an Asura named Gayasuran, who was a great devotee of Vishnu. When
the Devas couldn’t bear the trouble he caused any more, they went to Vishnu
and asked for a way out. Vishnu approached Gayasuran and told him that He
wanted to perform a special yagna, and wanted a special place to perform it.
Gayasuran offered his heart, and Vishnu accepted. The yagna began, and soon,
the fumes and the heat became unbearable, and Gayasuran started
succumbing to it. Vishnu asked him for his final wish, and Gayasuran asked
that the place he died would be immortalized by his name, and hence the name
‘Gaya’. Second, he asked that people should be allowed to perform the sacred
rites (Pinda pradaanam) not only for their ancestors, but for anyone‐ family,
distant relatives, friends and foes, non‐Hindus, pets, unclaimed bodies‐ in
short, for any dead human/creature they could think of. This remains the only
place where Pinda pradaanam is carried out in this manner. In fact, I am told
that in a normal Shrraddham , 6 pindams are made (two for each generations
which are no more); in a Teertha Shrraddham , as at Kashi, Allahabad,
Rameswaram, etc., 16 pindams are offered, including all ancestors on both
parents side; in the Gaya Shrraddham, 64 pindams are offered, of which 16
are for the mother alone, since she carries her child for 9 whole months within
her body, 16 for the ancestors, and 16 for all others as I have mentioned
earlier. Of course, all this is a matter of faith and belief, but what is there in
life if we don’t have faith? Anyway, once Vishnu granted his wishes, he stepped
on him with his foot, leaving a footprint at this holy place, and granting
liberation to Gayasuran. It is this footprint which is worshipped as the Vishnu
Padam. For the information of devotees, I must mention that for a fee of
Rs.50/‐ an imprint of the Padam is taken on a muslin cloth and given. This is to
be kept in the Puja room and is considered very auspicious.
1. Phalguni (Falguni) Teertha Snana Maha Sangalpam
2. Phalguni (Falguni) Teertha Snanam by way of bringing water from the river
in sombu and brokshanam
3. Phalguni Hiranya Shrraddham (this is the traditional Shrraddham performed
on the banks of any sacred river, here the Falguni.) 
4. Shethra Pinda dhanam(17) (given to cow later)
5. Thila tharpanam
6. Vishnu Paada Hiranya Shrraddham † 
7. Pinda prathanam ( 64 Pindams for those who have lost mother also; if
mother alive 48 pindams)
8. Shethra Pinda Dharisanam at Vishnu Patham
9. Mathru Shodacee(not applicable to those whose mother is alive)
10. Akshaya Vata Anna/Hiranya Shrraddham † (with anna Shrraddham ) with
homam
11. Akshaya Vata Pinda Pradaanam ** † 
12. Shethra Pinda dhanam
13. Mathru Shodacee(not applicable to those whose mother is alive)
14. Thirupthi Dhakshinai Ask Gaya Brahmans if they are satisfied (according
to legend, the Brahmins at Gaya are not easily satisfied and it is a tradition to
ask them anyway in an attempt to satisfy them)
Acharya sambhavana (payment of the fees to the pundit)
15. Saka‐Pathra‐Ful‐ Dharisanam(Oru kai‐Ilai‐Pazham viduthal)
16. Bhodhi Vruksha Dharisanam
The next legend concerns the Falguni (or Falgu) river. There is knee deep
water in the river at Gaya, though apparently, there is water upstream as well
as downstream. It is clear that there is water under the ground, because, even
as one digs into the ground with ones fingers, water appears. This is
apparently because of a curse on the river. The story goes that Rama, along
with his brothers and Sita, came to Gaya to perform the sacred rites for his
father, Dasaratha. When the brothers were bathing in the river, Sita was sitting
on the banks, playing with the sand. Suddenly, Dasaratha appeared out of the
sand, and asked for the Pindam, saying he was hungry. Sita asked him to wait
till his sons returned, so that she could give him the traditional Pindam of rice
and til. He refused to wait, asking her to give him pindams made of the sand in
her hand. Having no other option, she gave him the Pindam he desired with
five witnesses – the Akshaya Vatam, the Falguni River, a cow, a Tulsi plant and a
Brahmin. Soon, Rama returned and started the rituals. In those days
apparently, the ancestors would arrive in person to collect their share, and
when Dasaratha did not appear, they wondered why. Sita then told them what
had happened, but Rama could not believe that his father would accept
pindams made of sand. Sita now mentioned her witnesses, and asked them to
tell Rama the truth. Among the five, only the Akshaya Vatam took her side and
told the truth, while the others lied, trying to take Rama’s side. In her anger,
Sita cursed all of them thus: the Falguni river henceforth would have no water
at Gaya; the Cow would no longer be worshipped from the front as all others
are‐ only its backside would be worshipped; there would be no more Tulsi
plants at Gaya and the Gaya Brahmins would never be satisfied, they would
always be hungry and crave more and more. She then blessed the Akshaya
Vatam saying that all who came to Gaya would perform the Pinda pradaanam at
the Akshaya Vatam too.

Other temples in the vicinity are the Sakshi Gopal temple and the Mangala
Gowri Temple, which is among the Shakti peethams. By the time Shrraddham
was over, it was about 4.30 pm. we left Gaya around 5.30 Pm after visiting
Bodh Gaya and reached Varanasi around 11.30 Pm. The roads were excellent
thanks to National Highway Authority roads improvement programme of Govt.
of India. Since one of the vehicles developed a snag, we had to wait for some
time enroute.
BODH GAYA
We worship Dhakshinamurthy,Guru or preceptor. A preceptor is more than a
teacher, for he not only teaches us things that extends our knowledge, but also
those that enrich our lives, and make out life worth living. One of these was the
Buddha. Whether we consider Him simply as a Buddhist guru, or the ninth
avatar of Vishnu, it remains a fact that He was one of the greatest teachers of
all time, and his legacy lives on today in the hearts of millions, some his
followers, some simply his admirers. I take the opportunity to write an article
on Gaya, one of the places most closely associated with the Buddha. Sanjay &
Siddhu can be asked to go through this portion.
Bodh Gaya is about 18 Kms from Gaya. This is where Buddha came in quest of
 knowledge, and where he finally was enlightened. This is, truly, the birth place
of Buddhism. There are, in all, seven sacred places for Buddhists, all
associated with the life of Buddha. These are:

1. Lumbini – his birthplace, now in Nepal

2. Kapilavastu – his kingdom, also in Nepal
3. Bodh Gaya – where he attained enlightenment, in Bihar
4. Sarnath – where he gave his first discourse, in UP
5. Shravasti – where he taught many of his students, near Lucknow
6. Rajgir – where he loved when he fell ill, in Bihar, 80 Kms from Gaya
7. Kushinagar – where he breathed his last, in Bihar.

To be continued in Part III

as narrated by Narayanan ( Brother of RK Patham Iyer)

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Part III Continued‐ Kasi Yatra

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Buddha spent 6 weeks at Gaya. The first week he spent under the Bodhi tree,
the second inside the temple, the third near a lake (it is said that when he
placed a foot on the water, a lotus appeared under it), the fourth week in the
area around the temple, the fifth under another Bodhi tree (which is no more‐
a pillar stands in its place) answering the questions of learned Brahmins, and
the 6th week at the centre of the pond. It is believed that when a severe
thunderstorm approached, Adisesha himself arrived to protect the Buddha,
forming an umbrella over his head with his hoods. This is the reason Buddha is
sometimes counted as the 9th avatar of Vishnu.

There are over 50 temples at Bodh Gaya, all built by foreign Buddhists. The
most important one however, remains the Maha Bodhi Temple, where the Bodhi
tree stands. But we visited only the main temple. 
Bodhi Tree:This tree, though not the original one under which Buddha sat, is
however, its descendant. The original tree was destroyed by the Mughals. A
branch of the original tree had been taken to Sri Lanka by some Buddhist
monks, and Ashoka ordered a branch of that tree to be brought and planted
here. He himself took care of this tree. This second one was cut down on the
orders of Ashoka’s wife because she was jealous of the attention he paid to it.
Nevertheless, he got a second branch from the Sri Lanka tree and planted it.
This third one was destroyed during a cyclone, and another branch planted.
The present tree is the 4th. It is an amazing thing that branches from the
original tree flourish wherever they are planted, all over the world!
Explanations:

* Shrraddham or performing the Vedic rites to appease one’s forefathers is of

two types‐ Anna roopam and Hiranya roopam. Anna Shrraddham is where a
certain number of Brahmins are invited, and are fed at the completion of the
rituals. This is considered equivalent to feeding one’s ancestors. However, this
is quite tedious, and sometimes expensive. Hence the second option, Hiranya
Shrraddham, where the Brahmins are fed only symbolically. This is a quicker
and cheaper alternative to the same rituals. At places like Kashi the pundits
offer us the option of choosing which kind of ritual we would like to perform,
depending on our time and budget.
Naandhi and Vaishnava Shrraddham refer to the rites for appeasement of one’s
ancestors and the Gods, respectively.

** Pinda pradaanam is the ritual of offering food to three (in case of Gaya, more
than that) generations of our ancestors. Balls of cooked rice and Til (sesame
seeds), which are thus offered are called the pindams.

*** Daanam ­ Strictly meaning Charity, Daanam refers to the procedure of
donating things to the Brahmins in the name of our ancestors. There is a
long list of things that need to be given, starting from simple things like
umbrellas, fans, and mats to more expensive things made of silver and
gold. Among the more auspicious ones is the donation of a cow
(Godaanam) and land, both of which are usually done in symbolic
terms. Poorvanga and Uttaranga Daanam refer to the things needed to be given
at the beginning and end of the rituals respectively, while Dasa Daanam refers
to a set of 10 things that need to be donated.

† The Akshaya Vata and the Vishnu Pada are the only two places where one can
perform the Vedic rites not only for our forefathers, but for anyone, family,
friends, acquaintances, whatever caste, religion or community they may
belong to… and also for animals, our pets, abandoned bodies, etc.. This is the
uniqueness of Gaya which draws thousands of people from all parts of India.
DAY 6(27.10.08) DIWALI
(This year we did not have Diwali but had Asli(original) Ganga Snan)
1. Deepa dhanam
2. Payasa Dhanam
3. Dampati Puja (Prayers offered to an elderly married couple, invoking them
as Vishwanath and Annapurna) 
4. Uttaranga Dasa Daanam *** 
5. Thanga Annapoorni, Kasi Viswanathar Dharisanam, Visalakshi
Dharisanam(silver pavadai), Thanga Visalakshi in Nattukoottai Chettiar
Chathiram Dharisanam
6. Kala Bairavar Samaradhanai ( 4 Brahmanal bhojanam) Samaradhanai
expenses were borne by Kashi Vadhyar

DAY 7(28.10.08) North Indian Diwali(amavasai)

1. Ganga Puja (it is a tradition to bring back small sealed containers of water
from the Ganges and distribute it among our near and dear ones. One
container is kept at home as it is considered sacred and one is taken to
Rameswaram where it is used to perform Abhishekam to the lingam. All these
containers are kept and prayed to before they are distributed.)
2. Dhundi Ganapathi
3. Sozhiyamman Dharisanam
4. Kala Bhairavar Dhaisanam(Kasi Kayiru Vanguthal)
5. Bhanaras Hindu University‐ Birla Temple
6. Kala Bhairavar Dhaisanam 
RAM NAGAR FORT
Kashi might be the abode of the gods, but it also been ruled by various kings,
who left their imprint on the city. The Raja Ghat on the river, for example, was
built by one of them, and history tells us that one of the kings actually jumped
from one of its high turrets while trying to escape the British troops during the
mutiny, and actually succeeded! 

The last remnant memory of the kings of Benares is the Ramnagar Fort and
Palace on the opposite banks of the Ganga, in a section of which the present
scion of the royal family still resides. The palace is about 15Kms away by road,
and an auto takes about half an hour to reach there. We however chose the
longer, but more interesting and relaxing option‐ that of taking a row boat to
the palace across the river. The journey took us a good one and a half hours,
but the sheer bliss we experienced made every minute worth it! 

The palace has now been converted into a museum, which closes around
4:30PM. If you want to have a leisurely stroll among the various antiquities
displayed, make sure you keep at least 2 hours for the palace alone. 

The entrance to the fort‐ the Lal Darwaza

The first section of the museum has various vintage cars belonging to the royal
family. After this, we are led back in time thanks to the impressive collection of
howdahs and palanquins made of silver and ivory. It is indeed wonderful to see
such magnificence, and one wonders what things would have been like when
the kings were at the height of their glory. The next section comprises entirely
of weapons. 

Anyway, coming back to the museum, the portions I found most interesting were
those which displayed beautiful works of art, and gifts from kings of other
states. These were truly worth seeing, considering that with the great
advances in science and technology, it is impossible to come across such
wonderful handwork. Carvings on ivories, brass and bronze, tapestries from
various regions of ancient India… The list goes on and on and on……… 

The Palace

The section containing the ancient clothes of the kings, priceless collections
from their wardrobe, don’t look so priceless any more. Most of them are moth
eaten, and deserve much more care than they are given at present. The section
containing portraits of the rulers is good though, and a must‐see for al history
buffs. 

The Palace Door

The pride of the museum is an ancient clock which displays not only the year,
month, week, and day, but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and
constellations of stars! On the day of our visit the clock was not working. I wish
the clock is repaired and restored early. 

Another Section of the Palace

The name ‘Ramnagar’ is believed to have been given by the kings of Benares,
when they decided to build their fort at this place. In ancient times, it was
known as Vyasa Kashi, because the great Sage Vyasa (of Mahabharata fame) is
believed to have lived here. According to the legend, Vyasa once incurred the
wrath of Lord Shiva, who exiled him from Kashi. Vyasa chose to reside on the
opposite bank of the Ganga, from where he could at least see the holy city.
Thus this place came to known after him as Vyasa Kashi.

A tunnel‐like passage from the quadrangle of the fort leads us under the fort to
the river, on the banks of which is a temple known as the Vyasa temple. This
temple has 3 lingams representing Vyasa, his son, Suka and Kashi Vishwanath.
There is nothing much one can say about the temple, except that its location is
absolutely wonderful. On one side is the Ganga, flowing in full force and on the
other side are the high walls of the palace. The view is breathtaking, and as for
the breeze, I have no words to describe it! I can assure you that it will be a
wonderful experience.
DAY 8(29.10.08) Day of Departure
1. Visit to Varahi (Though many in our group visited, Self, Mohana, mother &
Uma did not visit)
2. We visited Kasi Viswanath Temple to see Laddu Ther and Annapoorni Temple
to see Anna Kooda(This dharisanam is available only for a day that is on the day
following North Indian Diwali or Prathamai Day) It would be better, if one cross
checks with Vadhyar from Kashi about this Dharisanam before embarking on
this trip)
3. Vadhyar Sambavanai
4. In the afternoon I visited Mrityunjeswar Mahadev Temple before winding up
Kashi Yathra. We reached Chennai at 10.50 Am on 31.10.08.
While doing all Karma/rituals we prayed for all(macro family) and sought
blessings of pithrus(all).
We are thankful to God for making this trip possible. We are also thankful to
Mr.K.Viswanathan (LMW retired)for his valuable guidance.
We derived lot of mental happiness.
NANU(R.Narayanan)
Brother of RK Patham Iyer