DINODIA.COM/ARUN K MISHRA
Prayag Ghat: Priests seated under the umbrellas perform the pind daan rituals for the ancestors of their clients while boatmen wait for customers to tour the nearby ghats
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VARANASI: OLDEST & HOLIEST CITY OF SIVA
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Come with us to “Kashi” and hear its people describe the city’s unique place in Indian history, Hindu tradition and their own lives
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KASHI, EVERYONE HERE WILL TELL YOU, IS NOT ON the Earth at all, but sits poised on the trident of Siva, eternally auspicious, ever above the vagaries of mortal life. Indeed, mortality could be its watchword, for dying here is said to grant salvation. Holiest of Hinduism’s seven holy cities, Kashi is unquestionably one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet, dating back to 800bce and likely much further. This report will not cover every aspect of Kashi’s complex life and history, but it will delve into its magic—largely through the voices of residents, from the priests of the famed temples to the attendants of the burning ghats.
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