'Where Even the Present is Ancient: Benaras'

'Where Even the Present is Ancient: Benaras' is a book that tells the little stories that make us who we are. . The author believes that Benaras resides in all of us Indians, in some beautiful often unknown way. The author is the Sutradhar, in that she attempts to connect an India that many do not realize exists, in that it is everybody’s story. Radha, Krishna, Ganga, Benaras and Me are all characters in this deluge of poems.This attempt at telling the story of the ancient, of love and of faith is to instil the confidence that poetry exists in all of us, all that is needed is to smell its fragrance. To those outside India, the book does not seek to be a representation of what India is or was, but a whiff of what it also can be. It is an attempt to ask people to see the little stories that govern all of our lives, stories that we often don’t see, but those that are important. A poem from the book goes thus-

-A Fisherman’s Ganga-

I sat on a dingy boat,
Looking at the Maha Aarati
on the Dashwamedha Ghat.

Seven priests adorned their Ganga
in every human way possible…
Tourists shrieked, conch shells sounded
humanity applauded.

I lit a small lamp and let it flow
Into the unknown corridors of faith-

A fisherman sat nearby
Perched on the helm of his boat
Looked at the skies,
And spat some Benaras
Into his Ganga.

(Dashwamedha Ghat is one of the main Ghats in Benaras, where every evening the Ganga Aarati takes place. Thousands of tourists and residents flock to see the Aarati, which has become synonymous with the pomp and glory attributed to Ganga.)

*The book is also available on Infieam, Flipkart, Amazon, Bookadda and Crossword bookstores

Available at- http://www.infibeam.com/Books/where-even-present-ancient-benaras-maitreyee-b-chowdhury/9789382473848.html

In search of calm a midst the confusion

Was in Benaras for a few days. I went looking for calm in the confusion, the strength of meditation, the power of the 'Sadhu'. I came back with the understanding that the mind is where the sadhu resides and the journey, the meditation. I met many saints, travelers, local people, but this man stood out. He lives near a wall in 'Dashwamedha ghat' in Benaras. For one whole day I watched him making his smoke, sleeping near the wall, behind which live snakes, light diyas in the evening. On the second day he called me and asked, "Kya chahiye", I told him I want to learn how to make and smoke the Chillum..he laughed..and asked me to take a puff..when I asked for more he said 'Pagal pan abhi baki hai kya?" we had great conversations..most evenings..I took back a lot from him..at last he told me.." aap hi Ma ho..aap hi mein bhagwan..dhundna band karo"