Transcription
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Shiva's city, Banaras.
Welcome to Study Ek! My name is Aadesh Singh.
Crowded lanes, and on the sides of those lanes, there are small and big shops. The sweet smell of paan, thandai, and hundreds of temples connected with faith at every corner. Those ghats attract thousands of people as if someone is calling them—the land of Ganga, the lap of waves, and the light playing with this lap. The rays stretch as far as the eye can see, with the sun gods peeking from behind the clouds.
The sounds of empty bells, aartis, and bhajans create a harmonious tune. Free birds roam around, and some still moments are based on the banks of the Ganga. In this amazing city, you will see the real Ganga-Jamuna culture of India, prevalent in its various colors and forms. This city is a pilgrimage site for Hindu and Buddhist religions.
Friends, till now you all must have known. You must have guessed which city we are talking about. Jiya, we are talking about Banaras, the city of Bhole.
After hearing about Banaras, many questions must have come to your mind, like: What is the history of Banaras? What is the significance of Banaras and Kashi in Hindu religion? What is the importance of the Vishwanath temple? How is Banaras synonymous with Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb? For what things is Banaras famous in the world?
In today's discussion, we will talk about all these questions. So let us introduce you to Banaras.
**Brief History of Banaras**
Banaras, one of the cities of Varanasi, is also known by names like Vishwanath Nagari, Mukti Nagari, and Kashi. It is believed that a person who dies here is freed from the cycle of life and death. Apart from this, it is also called Ghat Nagar because there are more than 100 ghats here.
Although there is no authentic proof of how ancient this city is, in the words of American traveler and author Mark Twain, "The story is older than Kashi's history. It is older than traditions; it is older than legends," i.e., it is the most ancient.
Whenever we try to know the history of Kashi, its evidence takes us towards Vedic literature. The word Kashi was first used in the Atharvaveda. Apart from this, there are many Puranas like Shiva Purana, Brahma Purana, Agni Purana, Matsya Purana, and Skanda Purana that also use the word Kashi. Along with this, Kashi is also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana.
In the Ramayana, Maharaj Dashrath's wife and Laxman's mother, Sumitra, was the princess of Kashi state. I told you that in the Kashi section of the Kand Purana, in about 15,000 verses, various pilgrimage places of Kashi have been mentioned.
Apart from this, 635 people who came to India have also mentioned in the description of Kashi that Kashi is a city that is densely populated and is situated on the banks of the Ganga. Spread over about five kilometers along the riverbank, Banaras is one of the first major cities based on the middle Ganga Ghat.
Before the 2nd century, Banaras was a center of Vedic religion and philosophy, as well as a commercial and industrial center known for its muslin and silk cloth. It was famous for its perfume, ivory, and sculpture. Historical documents prove that in the 6th century AD, Banaras was the largest and most important city in the country from the Sanskrit point of view.
In the Middle Ages, it was a part of the Kannauj kingdom and later came under the rule of the Palas of Bengal. The kings took control of this place. After this, in 1194 A.D., in the Battle of Chandawar, Mohammed Gauri entered Kashi after the defeat of Jaichand. During this, Mohammed Gauri looted this city and destroyed many Hindu temples. Because of this looting, Banaras was badly affected.
The Nikon scholars residing in the 16th century migrated to other parts of the country. In the 16th century, the Mughal emperor Akbar again encouraged the religious and Sanskrit activities of the city. During this period, Banaras was renamed Mohammad Abad, but by the end of the 17th century, it was renamed as Banaras.
Banaras suffered another setback during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1669. He demolished the Vishwanath temple and built the Gyan Vyapar Mosque there. However, around 1700 AD, Varanasi sponsored a fresh revival of the Vishwanath temple. Most of the modern ghats that we see were built by the Marathas.
Not only this, in 1780, the Maratha queen Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar also rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath temple. After this, in the 18th century, when the power of the Mughals decreased, Varanasi emerged as an independent state, and Banaras was a feudatory or subordinate state of it.
During this time, the British also entered India and started establishing their power here. In this process, the Battle of Buxar took place. Later, the Allahabad Treaty was signed with Awadh in 1765. At that time, Chat Singh was the king of Banaras.
In 1775, when the Nawab of Awadh, Sujhad Dola, died, his son Asafola became the Nawab. British Governor General Warren Hastings announced this change. They took advantage of the situation and forced the new Nawab to sign a new treaty. According to this treaty, Banaras was transferred to the Company, and Chat Singh now became a subordinate of the Company.
There was also a provision in the treaty that Chat Singh would become a subordinate of the Company. He would be paid 22 lakh rupees annually, and apart from this, no other demand would be placed on him, and he would be allowed to rule Banaras peacefully.
But due to financial difficulties, Warren Hastings violated this provision and started making questionable demands. He demanded an additional 5 lakh rupees from Chat Singh. This demand was repeated again so that no further demands were made. But Warren Hastings still demanded extra subsidy and sent 2000 calorie changing.
The king wrote a letter to Warren Hastings and apologized that he could not fulfill this demand. In such a situation, Warren Hastings decided to punish Raja Chat Singh and gave him a finance of Rs 50 lakhs and he himself proceeded towards Banaras.
The king met him at Buxar and put his durban at his feet, but Warren Hastings refused to have any discussion before reaching Banaras. Upon reaching Banaras, he had Jai Singh arrested. Jai Singh's soldiers insulted their king. On seeing this, they revolted against the British, but their rebellion was easily suppressed by giving the Raja an annual payment of Rs 40 lakhs instead of Rs 22 lakhs.
In this way, the king of Banaras now remained only a pensioner of the Company.
This was about the history of Banaras.
**The Unbreakable Relationship Between Hindu Religion and Banaras**
Friends, what kind of a place is Banaras where the effect of morning is physical? It can be felt on these three mental and spiritual stars. This city of Bhole is as carefree as Shambhunath himself.
Banaras is shown in the media and films with these pictures, but this is just one aspect of Banaras. Banaras also has its fairies. It is known among the common people as the holiest city of the Hindus. Many travelers who visited Banaras in the medieval period have described it as the holiest city of the Hindus.
In ancient Hindu mythology, Banaras has an ancient name derived from Varanasi. Many small and big rivers flow through this city, but both these rivers have a different attachment to the city. It is believed that after his marriage with Goddess Parvati, Shiva came to live here and had said that he would never leave. Since then, Kashi has been called the city of Kashi.
It is called the city of Shiva and is also synonymous with Mahadev. It is believed that like Malang Ashutosh, the imagination of Kashi is incomplete without the supernatural and extraordinary Shiva. Shiva has a deep imprint on every street and corner of this city.
There are hundreds of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in this city, the most prominent of which is the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is located on the west bank of the Ganges. It is said that in the 11th century, King Harishchandra rebuilt the temple.
When we turn the pages of history, we come to know that the process of construction and demolition of this temple has been ongoing for a long time. It lasted from the 11th century to the 15th century. In the year 1194, on the orders of Mohammad Gauri, Qutubuddin Aibak demolished it. The temple was rebuilt once again, but in the 13th century, Firoz Shah Tughlaq ordered its demolition.
Then in 1447, Sultan Mohammad Shah of Jaunpur ordered to demolish it. It was demolished. After this, in 1585, Pandit Narayan Bhatt rebuilt the temple with the help of Raja Tutor Mal, one of the nine gems of Emperor Akbar. Restoration was done, but on 18th April 16, Aurangzeb ordered to demolish this temple.
After this, in 1780, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar got this temple restored. Later, in 1835, Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated 1000 kg of gold to the temple. This was used to restore the temple's urn.
Apart from Lord Shiva, Banaras also has very famous temples of other deities, like the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ji Temple, which was established by the great poet Tulsidas. The music festival held here every year is famous all over the world.
Apart from this, there is a temple of Manda Devi. The old temple is also situated here, which is very famous for its huge pond with blood in it. Near the Vishwanath temple is the temple of Mata Annapurna. This temple is the only temple in the world where devotees have to wash their hands before offering the Prasad to God.
Death is given away in the hustle and bustle of life. Another truth of Banaras is death. Death is not considered as the end of life, but it is considered as a part of life. According to Hindu belief, Kashi Manikarni is a city of salvation. The dead are cremated day and night at the ghat. The fire of the pyre never dies down here.
That is why, since ancient times, people from all over the country come here to attain salvation in their last days after fulfilling all the responsibilities of their lives. Like Vrindavan and Haridwar, here too you will find an ancient temple in every house.
Friends, in this city based on the banks of the Ganga, the real Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb of India is seen in its various forms. The more than 100 concrete ghats present here give the whole city a Dhanushkar shape. Here, on the banks of the ghat, there is an ancient palace, and the people living in it have a different style, every aspect of which reflects our culture and customs.
In the sixth century, Lord Buddha gave his first sermon here at Sarnath near Banaras to his five monks. It was also here that he established the Buddhist Sangha. In such a situation, if we say that Buddhism started from this city, then it will not be an exaggeration.
Apart from Buddhism, Kashi is also a major pilgrimage site for Jainism. 24 Tirthankaras were born here. Tirthankar Chandra Prabhu is the 11th Tirthankar. If Shreyansh Nath and the 23rd Tirthankar Parshvanath are believed to have been born in Varanasi, the interesting thing is that among these, the 11th Tirthankar Shreyansh Nath was born in Sarnath, which is a Buddhist pilgrimage site.
There are many pilgrimage centers in Banaras. Ancient Jain temples are present, including the birthplace of Suparshvanath at Jain Ghat and the birthplace of Tirthankara Parshvanath at Bhilpur. This attracted Acharya, and he composed Kashi Vishwanath Shatak here.
Banaras is also the birthplace of Kabir, a prominent saint and social reformer of the 14th century. Kashi is incomplete without him. His ashram is in the Kabir Chaura locality in the middle of the city and is famous all over the world.
Along with him, Ravidas, who was a contemporary of Kabir, was also born in Banaras. He was the guru of Mirabai. His followers are called Rai Dasis. Guru Nanak Dev also came to Kashi in the 16th century and held a satsang with the priest of Kashi Vishwanath.
At the same time, a devotional poet like Goswami Tulsidas composed his classics on this ghat. Another important sect of Banaras, where Ramcharitmanas was written, is the Aghor sect. The main saint of this sect was Baba Kinaram.
In Banaras, the name of Baba is seen with great reverence. The saints of this sect are called Aghoris, who are known in the world for their mysterious meditation method. Tourists from all over come to Banaras with the hope of meeting these saints.
Banaras is not just this; here, on one hand, the sound of bells and aarti is heard from the temples, and on the other hand, the sound of azan from the mosques also gives peace to the ears. These are the places of saints.
Apart from this, it is also the city of Mirza Ghalib, who lived a peaceful life. Mirza Ghalib also wrote a very long poem, "Chiragon," i.e., "Mandir ka Deepak," for this city. This is the city where the great Shehnai player Bharat Ratan Ustad Bismillah Khan used to practice his music sitting in the Balaji temple.
This coordination of different cultures gives birth to the Ganga Jamuni culture of Banaras and makes it special. Apart from this, Banaras is as famous for Baba Kashi Vishwanath as it is for Banarasi Paan, which is discussed in Bollywood songs and in India and abroad.
Not only this, eating and drinking is also a ritual in Kashi, which starts from morning and continues till night. Banaras is the own city of Bhaktipuri. Rabri, pistachio, almond, and the sweetness of sugar on top add a different taste, while the Thandai of Banaras further enhances the taste of Banaras.
Here, after adding the tempering of fruit and flower juice along with dozens of spices in Thandai, it is made according to every season. It is prepared after eating.
If it comes to attire, then who can forget the Banarasi saree? The Banarasi saree, which has been the first choice of Indian women for centuries, is popular even abroad today.
Apart from this, there is also a major industry in Banaras whose craftsmanship is quite famous. One of its identities is Gulam Meenakari. Meenakari on silver and gold metal is famous in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, but pink meenakari is not found anywhere else except in Varanasi.
Different types of mineral substances are attacked or fused on the metal surface to give it a different color and shine. The metal used in this is called Chitra. It is said that the uniqueness of this product is that Varanasi adds pink color, whereas Delhi and Jaipur add red, green, and blue colors.
In this way, Banaras creates a distinct identity in the entire country with its rings, culture, food, and many unique products.
**Conclusion**
Friends, this is your and our city, Banaras. Even after being destroyed thousands of times, Banaras never lost its faith and its existence. Due to all these characteristics, it is also called the Sanskrit capital of India.
Apart from this, do you know any other thing related to Banaras? And if you know any other story, then please share it with us in the comment section.
Study this, and now the preparation is done.