Early Light

They say, or I read, I don’t recall any longer, that Varanasi is best seen in the early light. In the hour or so before sunrise. The advent time. The time of new beginnings.

It is both the light and those awakened by it.

There are two choices when stepping out from the Anand Kanan.

Turn right,

or turn left.

There is no wrong, as either will eventually get you to the ghats.

And the journey to them can be equal to the arrival,

depending on what you’re seeking.

There is industry,

and commerce.

Bathing,

and song,

and ritual.

There is the broker of boat rides,

and the vendor of chai.

And there is the burning of bodies,

so there might be moksha, liberation.

People arrive in Varanasi for many reasons,

sometimes for reasons unknown to them.

If you arrive in search of what’s important in life, you might find it’s as simple as a walk with your dog,

a walk along the river,

or just the pure pleasure of chewing.