Thread by @nandaseth

Life and death in a single video.
Possible in only one city.

Namaskaram Kashi.

My first darshan of Mata Ganga was behind a pyre.
Kashi blesses us this. Reminding that we will all be dead. #Kashi

Banarasi Pan 😂

#Kashi

Harishchandra Ghat. The place has a pyre burning at all points of time. Seems like these burning pyres gives the energy to this place. Matrix is right. We are all but batteries that power this world.

#Kashi is an eternal reminder of the one constant. Death. 🙏

Har Har Mahadev

#Kashi played host to #Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi. This is the place where he stayed. Near Harishchandra Ghat. #NamaskaramKashi

Kanchi Kamakoteshwarar Kovil between Harishchandra and Hanuman Ghat.
Note that MS Amma's Suprabhatam is heard in the background.
Wherever you go, MS Amma will be there before you! 😍
#Kashi #NamaskaramKashi

The main purpose of my visit to #Kashi is to help my Dad perform Srardham at #Kashi and #Gaya for his mother.
This is the Sastrigal who will guide.
Shri. Venkataramana Ganapadigal.
He is also a trustee of #Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
#NamaskaramKashi

THIS is the charm of this city. Small roads. And there will be 2 wheelers navigating this!!!
Beautiful small temples all over. Amazemax!!
#NamaskaramKashi

Another beautiful part of this city. Every nook will have Pashu & Nandi. We have AgathiKeerai. Their favourite food. They were happy to oblige a few touches, pats and bless us. #NamaskaramKashi

Mom and Aunt enjoying the interaction #NamaskaramKashi

THIS is a steady flow.

Ram Naam Satya Hai.

#HarischandraGhat #NamaskaramKashi

Crossed Bodh Gaya last night. But didn't stop since it was pretty late. And wanted to reach Vishnu Pada Temple before it closes. So just a cursory pic from the car !! 😂
#NamaskaramKashi
#NamaskaramGaya

Generally I don't put up pictures of self. Guess some kind of inferiority complex! 😂
But this one's for keeps.
At Gaya. Just to support my parents to do Gaya Srardham for ancestors. A rare appearance in Panchakacham. 😂😂
#NamaskaramKashi
#NamaskaramGaya

One more...

Just for fun

Sri Vishnu Paadham Temple at Gaya. Apparently Gaya Asuran was troubling the world a lot and Bhagwan Vishnu has placed his feet on his chest and has held him down. The promise is that Gaya Asuran will be witnessing the moksham of everyone who gets a PINDAM placed on the feet

And the day there is no PINDAM placed on the Vishnu Paadham, Bhagawan Vishnu will take his feet out and release Gaya Asuran. The temple ever since witnesses people giving PINDAM to their ancestors everyday. Thereby keeping the Asura underground.
Beautiful temple.

And EVERYWHERE you see in and around the temple, you can see people performing Srardham. The Sastrigal explains the reason for each mantram and did the rituals. My dad was in tears throughout! #NamaskaramGaya

If #Kashi is the portal for the dead, Gaya is the portal for the dead to go to heaven.
Vishnu Paadham.
Yes. That's where they need to reach. And Gaya is the portal for that. It is such a humbling experience. #NamaskaramGaya

Just outside the temple, found this! 😂😍
Taste was like Vishnu Paadham
I mean "heavenly".
#NamaskaramGaya

Parents hopefully are pleased. 91 and 83 managed Kashi, Gaya trip. Om Namah Shivaya.
Few interesting points.
The number of people who speak Tamizh in #Kashi and #Gaya is NO JOKE! They speak such chaste Tamizh and that too different dialects. Agree it has a Hindi sound to it

But they speak Tamizh. The "Vaango" when they see madisaar changes to "Vaanga" when they see regular saree. UP ho ya Bihar, Tamizh hai sab jagah yaar!
And here we are... Calling them "vadakkans" and nonsense! #NamaskaramKashi #NamaskaramGaya

Agree, they are doing this for business. BUT, they have assimilated themselves with our culture, language to serve and take money. So, I felt happy. There was a Bihari Panditji in Gaya who was helping in preparing the PINDAM at Gaya. Speaking to us all in Tamizh.

When asked, he says, I have been doing this for 20-25 years. Tamizh is my second language now. God... I love this country man!!! 😍😍😍
#NamaskaramKashi #NamaskaramGaya

Would be going back to #Kashi post lunch. Hoping to have an evening out there! #NamaskaramKashi #NamaskaramGaya

Prasad Bhavan. One stop solution provider at #Gaya
Sastrigal, Srardha food and other needs are all available in one place. Being run for at least 2-3 generations, this place is just Amazemax level!
#NamaskaramGaya

Another VERY important point. All this Iyer vs Iyengar arguments are non existent in Gaya. And Kashi. All rituals are performed by same Vaadhyar. And he instructs that these are for this sect etc.
So all your Iyer Vs Iyengar nonsense is COMPLETELY unfounded. Stay together.

Ganga Snanam today! After doing Ganga Poojai. Was wonderful to get my 91 year old child to have Ganga Snanam. He was thrilled! 😂
#NamaskaramKashi

There. A "not so presentable" pic of me with my children. Appa was a child again. Running towards Ganga Mata. Shouting "Jai MAa Gange" and did Dubki! 😂😂😂
Had a tough time pulling him out of the water!
#NamaskaramKashi

Yesterday was most beautiful. Ganga Snanam for parents. Followed by a Thambadhi Poojai. And then one of our friends donated Gaumata. My big child wanted to play with the small child! 😂😂
Feeding Bananas!
#NamaskaramKashi

And after this, we went to #Kashi Vishwanath Temple. One benefit of having old children with you. You can take them in a wheel chair. And go have a Darshan straight up. No waiting! 😂
Brilliant Dharisanam thanks to Appa & Amma. #NamaskaramKashi

I was blessed. Mahadev got me to attend the #SaptarishiAarthi at 7:15 PM. A day before @SadhguruJV has arranged to being Saptarishi Aarthi to Sadhguru Sannidhi. The Sama Veda Patham. The layers and layers of Shringar. And Mahadev in all Beauty.
NO WORDS!
#namaskaramKashi

And now... Today!
After parents left this morning, I had half a day before my flight. So started my day at 6 after Meditation and Nithyakarma.
With a cycle rickshaw ride towards the general direction of the temple. And the famed bylanes of #Kashi
#NamaskaramKashi

Started here. #Kashi Karvat. Legend has it that people who wanted salvation used to get their head sawed top down. With a SAW. Of course, the practice is not there now. But the power remains. #NamaskaramKashi twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Manikarnika Ghat wasn't far. Walked up. To see the only constant. The steady flow of the dead. To be confined to flames. The portal to the other world. #NamaskaramKashi

The famed #Kashi Corridor. There are people who constantly clean. But then, there are people who constantly litter! 😂
The place is spectacular and maintained clean despite human beings.
#NamaskaramKashi

Tried my hand at an Instagram type video! 😜
#NamaskaramKashi

#Kashi bylane graffiti can be brutal.
Fair warning please!
#NamaskaramKashi

Next stop was Dhandapani Temple and Kala Bhairav Mandir. Two of the "must visit" temples of #Kashi.
No photos from here. But one must navigate through extremely small bylanes (where two wheelers ply up and down) to get there. Not for the faint hearted! 😂
#namaskaramKashi

But... @myogiadityanath visited Kal Bhairav Mandir when I was in the line. People greeted him with a chant that can land them in jail in a few states! 😜
And Yogi waved at us with a smile. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

And the journey continued in the lanes of #Kashi towards Trailanga Swami Mandir. Walked a lot and ended up at Bindu Madhava Temple. Again, one of the must visit temples of Kashi. Beautiful Saligrama Swayambu Vigraham. And a Narasimha Saligrama as well. #NamaskaramKashi

As soon as I got out of the Bindu Madhava Temple, I found Sri Trailanga Swami Ashram as well. Look up if you don't know about him. Lived for over 300 years. And his stories are legends! 🙏🙏🙏
Even now, one can feel his presence. #NamaskaramKashi

I couldn't keep Ekadashi yesterday because my parents performed Brahmana Bhojanam and we were supposed to eat after them. So was hoping to follow Ekadashi today (Vaishnava Ekadashi). But the priest at Bindu Madhava Temple gave me sweets and said EAT.

After having consumed sweets at the temple, Ekadashi vratham was broken in the wee hours of the morning itself. So I treated myself to the famed Poori Bhaji at #Kashi 🙈
It is unfair that the food there is so great!
#NamaskaramKashi

Walked more than a KM to Lahiri Mahasaya's house which hosts his Samadhi and is opened for public once in the year. And I met this cutie. She was extremely friendly 😍
#NamaskaramKashi

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