A man who never needs any introduction and has many feathers on his hat, Chef Vikas Khanna is in Varanasi, or popularly known as Kashi. The renowned chef has always spoken about his connection to one of the oldest cities in India. He also calls it his home of incarnation. Well, if you have never been to Kashi, here’s why you should plan a trip to this city soon!
Chef Vikas Khanna Visits India’s Kashi
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Chef Vikas Khanna is a renowned name in the world of culinary art. He has carved a niche for himself with all his dedication, hard work, and talent. Floating on the success of his short film, The American Sikh, Vikas visited the famous pilgrim site, Kashi.
Vikas posted a video on his Instagram on Wednesday showing his visit to this pious city. The clip showed him sitting in a boat, sailing in the Ganga river, and feeding birds. He was also seen offering water to the sun god. He attended a small pooja organised for his late sister Radha. In the caption of this post, he hoped that his sister was happy in the lap of the Ganga. He lost her to multiple organ failure in 2022.
Vikas Khanna calls the city of Kashi his home of incarnation. This is because when Vikas lost his father in 2015, he sought refuge in the laps of the Ganga in Kashi. He had lost all hope, and that’s when a boatman came in and spoke wisdom to him, which eventually brought him back to life.
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One Of The Oldest Cities On Earth
Varanasi, also known as Kashi, which has been inhabited since at least 1800 BC, is renowned for being one of the oldest towns still standing and one of the most sacred to the estimated 1.2 billion Hindus worldwide.
Thousands of devotees descend the 88 stone ghat steps of the city every day to immerse themselves in the Ganges river to wash away their sins, while the sound of ringing temple bells reverberates overhead. Ganga aarti is a heavenly experience.
Grieving family members swarm to the two cremation sites in Kashi, where funeral pyres burn nonstop, on the grounds that Shiva utters the Tarak mantra, or “chant of liberation,” into the ears of cremated ones, bringing them quick moksha, or salvation.
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From Ghats To Street Food
Kashi’s beautiful ghats, most of which date back to the Maratha Empire’s rule, have a unique tale to tell.
There is a deeply held religious belief that cremation at one of Varanasi’s cremation sites will result in moksha after death. Certain customs are highly common here, such as Tarpan, which involves providing water to one’s ancestors, and Daan.
Varanasi’s holiness is due to the over 23000 temples that are dispersed around the city, in addition to its ghats.
It is well-known for its cuisine and offers an extensive range of flavours and cuisines to choose from. Varanasi has a wide selection of regional street delicacies that you can eat.
It is revered for its religious festivals and fairs, in addition to its abundance of pilgrimage destinations. The festival of colours, Holi, assumes a new meaning in this city as the vibrant celebrations change the landscape. Diwali is another well-known celebration, during which the ghats are bedecked with countless lit diyas.
Make sure you visit Kashi/Varanasi atleast once!
Cover Image Courtesy: @chefvikas/Instagram and Canva
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