Thursday, November 22, 2012

A "fine" day

8am. Arrived in Shiva City. Auto to Shivala. Shiv-Ganga full. Driver shows me a few places. Finally take room in horrible dingy lodge Ganges Top. Leave bags and go hunting for a new place. Walk the gulleys. Decide to try out Babu House, Chouki Ghat. Oldstyle building. Room available on top. Terrace. Beautiful large Ganga-facing room with four big windows. Decide to take it. Pay advance. Walk to Balu's shop. Chai and cigarettes. Walk to Jaideeps shop. He calls me Rajni Kanth bhayya. Have Pav Bhaji. Go to musical instrument shop. Try out a sarod. Strings need to be changed. Then back to Balu's shop and then on the way back to the room accidently bump into Viswanath in Mansarover Ghat. Saw trapped cobra in bag. Apparently snake with two heads, moves both ways. Then to Harishchandra Ghat. See puppies drinking milk. Brahmin boys with chundi's below the moon. This time the moon has been protecting me from all evil. Through the whole bus journey from Vashisht to Delhi, the half moon stayed by my side. Back to Benaras. Then to Kedar Ghat. Chai and cigarette. Walk into temple. Pooja. Bells. Nice vibes. Then to Balu's shop with Lakshman Bhai. He has decided to be part of The Memory Project. Then with Mr. Fine. Someone who's name I don't know. The holy-things seller next to Balu's. I asked him "How are you, Mr. Fine?" and he replies "Fine!". A fine day. Meeting old friends in the gulleys of Shiva City. Seeing life unfold at every corner. All types of life. Live's of men, women, dogs, monkeys, cows. And then death. Also. Hand in hand. Always reassuring to know that we are just here for a few minutes. Then we go. Time for more realizations in this lifetime. Then. Long chat with Viswanath about his break up with Deepa (who apparently looks like mummy's early black and white photos), of the hidden stories of Benaras, the spirits, the lost souls. More chai. Back to room. Avishai Cohen. Writing this.

The creator's eye looks at the bands groove, the boat lit
The destroyer's eye looks at the hands move, the throat slit

2 comments:

  1. awesome. you are being welcomed back to benaras with lightness and familiarity. may you have a beautiful journey premjit.

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  2. :) Beautiful Premi. Waiting for December to come.

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