Exploring Enigmas: Varanasi Unveiled
I have been an internet addict since around 2016, watching trends come and go. During this period, I’ve had multiple genre switches, like sketch, commentary, vlogs, tech, and more. But something that has remained constant in these genre switches is travel vlogs, and the specific channel that I regularly watch in this genre is Ronnie & Barty. They have a specific style of cinematography that I like a lot. You can start any of their videos on a big screen and just sit back.
But why am I talking about this in my February recap article? Because in all these travel vlogs, whether it be Ronnie & Bart, Tanya, or anyone else, one thing they talk about is the idea that whenever you feel cluttered or things are not working out, you should take a break and travel. I have never felt a requirement of just going out or traveling in order to regain sanity or find solace, but I genuinely felt it this February 2024.
So I never felt the need to travel to regain sanity because things never went that bad in my simple life. I have always been a generally quiet kid around school. Yes, a general quiet kid who did things, but things that no one else should care about. And when things were meant to shape and train me to understand the complexities of my body or mind, I was not there. I was dealing with other problems and trying to solve issues that were never anticipated, but they happened.
When things hit me emotionally, I never knew what to do or how to handle them. I reacted impulsively and tried to resolve them by taking the worst possible steps. When I felt that things were not going according to the rhythm I wanted, I became selfish. When I felt unproductive, I blamed others. I began distancing myself from people, which was the worst thing I could have done at the time. However, I moved away because I believed that resetting would help. But I was wrong.
Events unfolded one after another, and I found myself preparing to depart for Varanasi, a trip I had planned a month prior. Despite not feeling particularly inclined to go, I proceeded with the journey. The trip lasted for three days, excluding four days of travel by train.
On the first day of my trip, I went to the Varanasi ghats. The atmosphere there was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It was powerful and captivating. My words can’t fully capture Varanasi’s essence, but you can watch this short documentary series to get a better understanding.
If you ever visit to Varanasi then there is an unspoken rule that you need to eat The Ram Bhandar’s kachori. While eating to it, one thing was constant in my mind that why is this kachori so famous and in search of that answer i forgot to enjoy the specific taste of it. While eating it my further plan was decided as i received the info that major event i came to Varanasi is about to happen.
I visited a cafe named Behind Yellow Doors. It was a generic, high-cost cafe built around the idea that people would come for the interior to flaunt on the internet and buy their pricey and fancy items. However, the visit for me was not about their fancy interior or the cute little things they added around to enhance the aura they wanted to create. Just like the little cat that was roaming around in that area, my aura was different because I was in the companionship of my cat, who traveled a-lot and joined me on this visit. And this visit changed a lot; the simple silence around that area and comfort within it alleviated the discomfort I had been searching for throughout this entire trip. We can consider this as an interval, as if this trip were a movie, as things start to gain meaning from this point onward.
Similarly, the next day, we embarked on another visit, yet this time, it unfolded with a stark contrast to the previous one. Today, our friends joined us, infusing a fresh dynamic into the experience. I observed this shift in the atmosphere; typically, people harbor feelings of judgment and an inner drive to assert their superiority or social status, influencing the way they expect to be treated. However, amidst this backdrop, my attention was captured by my cat, who seemed to be experiencing a discomfort unlike the previous day. Later, we made our way to the ghat, where we sat and immersed ourselves in the authentic essence of Varanasi, an experience that transcends the confines of a mere café.
On the third and final day, we woke up early to visit the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After exploring the temple, I relaxed by the ghat, taking in the peaceful environment and the beautiful morning sky. The atmosphere around me seemed to offer something special, although I wasn’t consciously seeking it. Afterwards, we packed up and headed to Vijayawada.
I’m writing this to preserve my memories, but why is it public? It creates a sense of obligation, leading to a responsibility to consistently write the next month’s edition. Nowadays, I have been listening to Prabh Deep a lot. I’ll try to include at least one artist at the end. If you’re still reading, please let me know by leaving a simple comment, suggestion, or even just a clap.
