Oldest living City Varanasi, New year,civilization,New World

“I think Banaras is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen. It it has struck me that a westerner feels in Banaras very much as an oriental must feel while he is planted down in the middle of London”.
MARK TWAIN.

“I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion”

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac :wikipedia

Global+Local+Hindu+Bauddhism+Jain+Christian+Freeworld+New World+Civilization+Veg+Non-Veg+Egg+Right+Wrong+Old+New

NOW IN EARLIER times the worlds history had consisted ,so to speak, of a series of unrelated episodes, the origins and results of each being as widely separated as their localities, but from this point onwards history becomes an organic whole: the affairs of Italy and Africa are connected with those of Asia and of Greece, and all events bear a relationship and contribute to a single end. Polybius (died 118 b. c),on the rise of Rome (translated by Ian Scott- Kilvert).

My elder sister, who has been living in Denmark for four years, called me at Christmas. It was natural Christmas to be discussed. she told that most shops in Denmark remain closed. Many people like to celebrate this festival with their family. Suddenly there was talk about Christmas and New Year celebration of Varanasi and she said that she is missing Christmas of Varanasi. It was a matter of great surprise to me that Christmas is a completely Christian festival and the New Year concept has also come completely from the western countries, then to miss Varanasi.

If the national food of England can be Chicken- Tikka, a big discovery in England may be Tea time (tea is a completely popular drink in Asia) Christmas tree is selling in the whole market Made in China, then Varanasi Christmas is also unique It is possible. Away from the clash of civilizations, away from the cooperation of civilizations, far from right wrong From the oldest city in the world, a sudden thunderstorm of ideas, came to mind, wrote without any bond. The great writer and poet of Hindi literature Dr.Harivansh Rai Bachchan had said that the thoughts that arise in the mind should be written immediately. Just after remembering this idea of Bachchan Ji, I sat down to write.

Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. Marianne Williamson.

O HENRY:-Wikipedia  

It is natural to remember O Henry‘s story on Christmas and New Year, but I am not talking here about O Henry’s “The gift of the Magi”. I am talking about another of his stories, “A Cosmopolitan in Café”.

“A Cosmopolitan in Café”.

Excuse me, said he, “but that’s a question i never like to hear asked. What does it matter where is a man from?. “Is it fair to judge a man by his post office address”.? why,Ive seen Kentuckians who hated whisky, Virginians who were not descended from Pocahontas, Indianan’s who had not written a novel, Mexicans who did not wear velvet trousers with silver dollars sewed along the seams, funny Englishmen, spendthrift Yankees, cold blooded southerners, narrow -minded Westerners and New Yorkers who were too busy to stop for an hour on the street to watch a one -armed grocers clerk do up cranberries in paper bags. “Let a Man be a man and Don’t Handicap Him with the Label of Any Section”.

Charles Dickens‘s immortal A Christmas carol is a document of social changes and changes in people’s lifestyles in England.

Similarly, in a famous Book” Banaras (Varanasi) City of Light” written by Diana l. Eck on Varanasi, Diana says that changes are very slow in Varanasi.

 But there are changes, change is a returning rule of nature.

Varanasi is the oldest living city in the world, it is also known for its liveliness and fun. If it had completely rejected the change, it probably would not even exist today.

MARK TWAIN :- WIKIPEDIA

“Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than  legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together “

(Mark Twain)

“I think Banaras is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen. It it has struck me that a westerner feels in Banaras very much as an oriental must feel while he is planted down in the middle of London”.

Mark Twain

“The city illumines the truth and reveals reality. It does not bring new wonders into the scope of vision, but enables one to see what is already there. where this eternal light intersects the earth, it is known as kashi”(Varanasi).

Diana L.Eck

                        Seven days a week and nine festivals have been the hallmark of Kashi. (Kashi older name of Varanasi).

The city is full of festivals. People from other cities should not make fun of Varanasi people by calling them as doodles, so festivals were given religious form here. Due to economic and social conditions, many changes are taking place, but the love with which holidays and festivals are celebrated in Varanasi is not anywhere else in India.

Varanasi has the same place among the Hindus as the, Mecca among Muslims and Kyoto in Japan.

The common culture, language, way of life and many kinds of civilizations that have been talked about in the universal civilization written by VS NAIPAUL and a new evolving shared culture of this type is also Can not be ruled out. And this change in Clash of Civilization and remaking of world order (Samual . p Huntington)has also given the name of  Davos culture that the truth cannot be ruled out.

The Christmas fair in Varanasi is mostly held in the church. The most famous of these is the fair of St. Mary School. The centenary crowd attending this fair is Hindu, who does not know the religious significance of Christmas but understands the birthday of Christ well (Krishna’s birthday is also celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami and Krishna  the famous Hindu god  There is a lot of similarity in the childhood days of Christ.) Many Hindu traditions can be seen in Varanasi even in the new year.

There is a lot of crowd in temples to seek the blessings of God on New Year’s Day.

Many Hindus like New Year and Christmas too because there is no restriction on eating non-veg. In general, non-veg eating is completely prohibited in Hindu festivals. The old generation has not forgotten the impact of non-violence on Hinduism by  Buddhism and Jainism even in this new year, because of this reason eggs are not used in cakes and pastries. (Buddha gave his first sermon in Varanasi itself and the famous 23rd tirthankar of Jainism was from Varanasi)

All this is going to make Christmas and New Year complicated for a foreigner, but it is not a problem for a person living in Varanasi.

It does not seem to be a problem even for some Americans and Europeans who have been running Good hope  Bakery in my neighborhood and have been living in Varanasi for twenty years.Two or three years ago, on the christmas , they were distributing cakes in the society, asking  “andey  wala bina andey wala” (egg or without egg cake)

What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn – I love it! Jamie Oliver

Author: nitinsingh

Postgraduate in International relations. Experience in writing in various journals, from BBC WORLD NEWS SERVICE to India's one of the oldest hindi daily. I like to write on international relations, religion, religious conflict. Social media has bridged the distance between writing and reading. Now writing is not just the expression of one's own thought, but also knowing the expression of people on various subject.

52 thoughts on “Oldest living City Varanasi, New year,civilization,New World”

  2. Nitin my Friend, this is a very interesting article you have written and shared and I find it most compelling and thought provoking, as well as spiritually insightful! A work of great good!

    Because this material world we are living in temporarily is imperfect then we should understand that there is constant tension, and we are living in a state of perpetual dynamic conflict. A high school teacher once said to me and my fellow class mates while we were studying world history and social systems; that in Russia the young boy or girl that is born there being brought up as a communist is only learning from his or her address in the world where he or she happened to be born and if they had been born here could be fellow classmates sitting next to you learning what you are learning here about being an American. But only because of where they were born by no choice of their own they are now learning what it is to be a citizen of that far off place just as you boys and girls here in these United States of America are being brought up with a Constitutionally based Democracy and it is what you know from your address; what it’s like to be a citizen of America; yet so far away from each other and so many significant differences of each other’s cultures, societies and governments, you do have some major things in common! First and most obvious is that you are all young people living on this earth with many other things in common that you could talk to each other about if you knew each other personally! That was the first time I really thought about what it must really be like for those other kids far away to be living where they do and how they must like to have fun or play games and be with friends just like we do here in my country.

    Nitin, this is a very powerful message you share here for the New Year; and when you say you didn’t have much, you may have felt that way at that moment but I see from my far off place or address on earth that you have so much to share with others near and far; the significant thing is crossing those chasms or thousands of miles to relate to others who are willing to listen and share each other’s differences and of course similarities; or the things we all find familiar and hold near and dear to our hearts! Amen. Peace, Health, God’s Blessings to You and Your Family now and through the New Year!

    Thank You! You brought back these memories of that school teacher many decades ago that I see him still in my mind and heart speaking these things to me and the other students!!! Connections from long ago and now today; yet so far away, but still so close!
    Lawrence

    Reply

    1. नितिन मेरे मित्र, यह एक बहुत ही रोचक लेख है जिसे आपने लिखा है और साझा किया है और मुझे यह सबसे सम्मोहक और सुविचारित और साथ ही साथ आध्यात्मिक रूप से व्यावहारिक लगता है! बढ़िया काम!

      क्योंकि यह भौतिक दुनिया जो हम अस्थायी रूप से जी रहे हैं वह अपूर्ण है तो हमें समझना चाहिए कि निरंतर तनाव है, और हम सतत गतिशील संघर्ष की स्थिति में रह रहे हैं। एक उच्च विद्यालय के शिक्षक ने एक बार मुझे और मेरे साथी वर्ग के साथियों से कहा, जब हम विश्व इतिहास और सामाजिक प्रणालियों का अध्ययन कर रहे थे; रूस में उस युवा लड़के या लड़की का जन्म हुआ है जिसे कम्युनिस्ट के रूप में लाया जा रहा है, वह केवल दुनिया में अपने पते से सीख रहा है, जहां वह पैदा हुआ था या यदि वे पैदा हुए थे, तो वे साथी सहपाठियों के बगल में बैठे हो सकते हैं क्या आप अमेरिकी होने के बारे में यहां सीख रहे हैं। लेकिन केवल इस वजह से कि वे अपनी मर्ज़ी से नहीं पैदा हुए थे, अब वे सीख रहे हैं कि यह उस जगह का नागरिक होना है, जहाँ आप इन संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका के लड़कों और लड़कियों को संवैधानिक रूप से ला रहे हैं। आधारित लोकतंत्र और यह वही है जो आप अपने पते से जानते हैं; यह अमेरिका का नागरिक होना पसंद करता है; अभी तक एक दूसरे से बहुत दूर और एक दूसरे की संस्कृतियों, समाजों और सरकारों के इतने महत्वपूर्ण अंतर, आपके पास कुछ प्रमुख चीजें हैं! सबसे पहले और सबसे स्पष्ट यह है कि आप सभी युवा हैं जो इस धरती पर कई अन्य चीजों के साथ रहते हैं जो आप एक-दूसरे से बात कर सकते हैं यदि आप एक-दूसरे को व्यक्तिगत रूप से जानते थे! यह पहली बार था जब मैंने वास्तव में सोचा था कि यह वास्तव में उन अन्य बच्चों के लिए कैसा होना चाहिए जो दूर रह रहे हैं जहाँ वे करते हैं और वे कैसे मज़े करना चाहते हैं या गेम खेलना पसंद करते हैं और दोस्तों के साथ रहना पसंद करते हैं जैसे हम अपने देश में करते हैं। ।

      नितिन, यह एक बहुत शक्तिशाली संदेश है जिसे आप यहां नए साल के लिए साझा करते हैं; और जब आप कहते हैं कि आपके पास बहुत कुछ नहीं है, तो आपको उस समय ऐसा महसूस हो सकता है, लेकिन मैं पृथ्वी पर अपने दूर के स्थान या पते से देखता हूं कि आपके पास पास और दूर के लोगों के साथ साझा करने के लिए बहुत कुछ है; महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि उन chasms या हजारों मील को पार करने के लिए दूसरों से संबंधित हैं जो एक-दूसरे के मतभेदों और निश्चित रूप से समानताओं को सुनने और साझा करने के लिए तैयार हैं; या जो चीजें हम सभी परिचित हैं और हमारे दिलों के पास और प्रिय हैं! तथास्तु। शांति, स्वास्थ्य, आपको और आपके परिवार को नए साल के माध्यम से ईश्वर का आशीर्वाद!
      धन्यवाद! आपने कई दशक पहले उस स्कूल शिक्षक की इन यादों को वापस लाया था कि मैं उसे अभी भी अपने दिमाग और दिल में देख रहा हूँ और मुझे और छात्रों को ये बातें बोल रहा हूँ !!! बहुत पहले से और आज से कनेक्शन; अभी तक बहुत दूर है, लेकिन अभी भी इतने करीब!
      लॉरेंस…

      Reply

  13. I’ve never hear of Varanasi before, interesting, thank you for sharing and I wish you a Happy & Healthy New Year 2020 from Malta.

    Reply

  22. Mahavir Swami was not from Varanasi ! Otherwise , your post is nice. I feel proud that i belong to oldest city of the world nd the cultural capital of India…Kashi❣️

    Reply

    1. The twenty-third Tirthankar belonged to VARANASI,not the twenty-fourth Mahavir Swami Thanks a lot for pointing out my mistake. 🙏🙏🙏
      KASHI KRIPA HAMESHA BANI RAHEY

      MAHADEV

      Reply

      1. My pleasure,sir 😊 Kashi is the birthplace of Suparshvanath, Chandraprabhu, Shreyanshnath and Parshvanath — the 7th, 8th, 11th, and 23rd Tirthankaras — respectively. महादेव ☀️✨🌟

  23. I have also written the blog on the city I live in ie. Varanasi= banaras = kashi ❤️
    Do check it out I hope you like it 😍

    Reply

  26. It will be a strange Christmas in 2020 with global Covid.
    An interesting post.
    Thanks for following my posts. See you soon on your site, or mine!

    Reply

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