An Awakening on Sacred Ground

As the plane touched down on the sacred land of Kashi at dawn, I felt a jolt—an awakening of sorts. Though I'd simply woken from sleep as we landed on that early 5 AM flight, the metaphor felt apt for what awaited me. A trip to Kashi startles your soul. It's like hitting a speed bump you didn't notice from afar. I had been manifesting this visit for months, and it finally happened. My primary intentions were simple yet profound: visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple and witness the legendary Ganga Aarti. What I experienced was a celebration of faith, devotion, and hope unlike anything I'd encountered before.

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The Temple Experience

Kashi Vishwanath - The Heart of Devotion

First on my agenda was Kashi Vishwanath, my inaugural visit to a Jyotirlinga temple. Like many sacred sites, paying extra can get you closer to the deity faster. But can money truly buy devotion or the energy of millions of seekers? You can purchase a box seat at a cricket match, but can you make your team win? You can get physically closer to God, but does proximity equal connection? We opted for the express darshan, and as I walked toward the sanctum, I felt an energy so real and raw that tears streamed down my face unbidden. Bhakti—true devotion—is a blessing. Not everyone who seeks receives it. This was one of the most moving experiences of my life. After darshan and navigating the sea of humanity, we visited the nearby Annapurna and Vishalakshi temples within the complex. Within the first three hours of arrival, my journey had already reached a profound sense of fulfilment.

 

The Ecosystem of Enterprise

One could make a living doing almost anything in Varanasi. The entrepreneurial spirit operates at every level: one person guides you from point A to B, another from B to C. In between, someone offers tilak, another presents flower baskets, yet another claims special access. Each service comes with an expectation of payment. Yet millions choose to wait in long queues, reveling in pure bhakti, patiently seeking an audience with the divine that lasts exactly two seconds. The choice is always yours.

 

 

Evening: Sunset Boat Ride & Ganga Aarti

After returning to our hotel for much-needed rest, we set out for the evening's highlight. The boat ride at sunset was magical—the sky splashed with dreamy colours, the ghats alive with activity. On some ghats, people performed rituals; on others, flames flickered; and then we reached Dashashwamedh Ghat for the famous Aarti. You have two vantage points: sitting on the ghat behind the performers, or watching from a boat on the river, facing the spectacle. Just as the Aarti began, the colourful sky turned grey. When the mantras commenced, absolute silence fell over the audience. A mild drizzle began, and then—the most beautiful full moon appeared in the sky. The gentle sound of the Ganga, the majestic chanting of mantras, the music of the breeze—it was all beyond words. This is an experience you must live to understand. However, I'll be honest: it was crowded, chaotic, and overwhelming even for a devoted believer like me. But the Ganga Aarti should absolutely be on your Kashi itinerary. In the chaos, you lose yourself. In the confusion, you find deep meaning. In the crowd, you search for your reason and purpose.

 

Textiles & Tradition

Day two was devoted entirely to Varanasi's legendary textile heritage. We visited weavers, explored shops, spent hours discussing weaves and choosing sarees and brocade fabrics, even video-calling family to confirm preferences. The artistry and craftsmanship of Benarasi silk deserves this kind of time and attention.

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Dawn, Discovery & Serendipity

Morning Aarti at Assi Ghat

Having experienced the evening spectacle, we planned for the morning Aarti and sunrise boat ride on day three. Leaving the hotel at 5 AM in one of Kashi's ubiquitous rickety rickshaws, we reached Assi Ghat by 5:30 AM. The morning Aarti was strikingly different—beautiful, peaceful, and serene, with none of the evening's intensity. After the ceremony, we took an hour-long boat ride before asking our boatman to drop us at the newly renovated Dashashwamedha Ghat. The ride was pleasant, clean, and quiet—a meditative start to the day.

 

The New Corridor & Unexpected Blessings

The Dashashwamedha Ghat corridor, recently completed, features statues of eminent personalities like Ahilyabai and Adi Shankaracharya. After exploring it, we wandered into Kashi's narrow lanes. A small board caught my eye: "Government of Tamil Nadu" with directions to where the great poet Bharatiyar once stayed. Following the signs through winding lanes, we stumbled upon the Kanchi Mutt. I'd heard that the Shankaracharya of Kanchi was in the city but had been told he'd departed the previous day. Something compelled me to inquire anyway. To my astonishment, he was still there. After a brief wait of 15-20 minutes, not only did I receive his darshan, but I was also able to speak with him for several minutes. He blessed us with prasadam, gifted me meaningful books, and introduced me to their author—also from Bangalore. Such serendipitous encounters are what make travel truly transformative.

 

Exploring Kashi on Foot

We returned to the hotel briefly before heading out to explore more on foot. We purchased beautiful wooden toys—traditional Varanasi crafts perfect for festive displays. We checked off all the mustdos: chaat at the famous Deena Chat, lassi at the iconic Blue Lassi shop, meals at charming ghatside cafés. We experienced both morning and evening boat rides, Aarti at dawn and dusk, visited all the important temples, bought exquisite sarees, and navigated the city by auto, taxi, and foot. We met fascinating travellers from around the world—a testament to Kashi's universal magnetic pull.

 

Understanding Kashi: Lessons from the Sacred City

Kashi is a lesson in balance. It testifies to the coexistence of harmony and chaos. The city thrives in its chaos; its people revel in its harmony.

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Kashi teaches tolerance, integration, and coexistence. It is an intersection between the mortal and spiritual worlds, between materialistic desires and existential reasoning, where life meets death. Perhaps that's why tradition holds that departing from Kashi liberates you from the cycle of rebirth.

 

Kashi reverberates energy—the kind that completely draws you in, takes you for a spin, shows you sparks, and then suddenly brings profound calm. It's what happens after an intense yoga session followed by pranayama. If you've experienced deep meditation, you'll recognise this sensation. Kashi was, is, and forever will be.

 

The Pull of Return

I've now visited Kashi four times in twenty-four months. Each visit has been different, each transformative. The first time, I was repelled by the noise, the street conditions, the visible chaos. I told myself "never again"—until I saw Kashi Vishwanath, met incredible artisan weavers, and felt the city's undeniable pull. I left a piece of myself there. The second visit changed me profoundly. The experience was overwhelmingly spiritual, beyond words. I no longer saw the surface imperfections. I immersed myself in the Ganga repeatedly, spent extended time at the temple, and entered a trance-like state of devotion I'm still reeling from. I knew I would return soon. The third visit, even amid spillover crowds from the Mahakumbh, revealed Kashi's perfect timing. Everything aligned within a day and a half—all the temples, both Aartis, sunrise boat ride with live music. We were so absorbed in the experience that it felt like we stood still while the world moved around us. When I returned to Kashi the fourth time, something had changed. There was no jolt, no searching. It felt calm. It felt familiar. Almost like being welcomed back home. The chaos that once overwhelmed me now felt like an old friend's embrace. This time, I understood: Kashi had given me something profound. I realised then that Kashi had moved from being an experience to becoming a knowing. And with that knowing came clarity—that the joy, stillness, and transformation this city offers cannot remain personal. It must be shared. This led to the birth of this journey—curating immersive travel experiences that help others discover what I found in Kashi. Not just the temples and rituals, but the transformation that happens when you allow a place to truly touch your soul. Polama Journeys, in many ways, is an extension of that realisation: to create space for others to arrive at Kashi not as tourists, but as participants—unhurried, open, and ready to listen. Some places don’t just call you once. They stay with you and just like that you learn how to carry them forward. Kashi calls you back if it sees something in you. Kashi recognises you, let that soak in!

 

The Journey That Chooses You

These are not trips you plan. These are calls you answer. Kashi is an experience, an emotion, an enigma.

 

Om Namah Shivaya 🙏