Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 2)

A few days after we returned to Mumbai from Rameshwaram, which was the first leg of this yatra, we proceeded to Kashi. We performed rituals / ceremonies at Prayagraj, Kashi and Gaya - Prayag is supposed to be Vishnu face, Kashi is Vishnu nabhi (navel) and Gaya is Vishnu Padam.

Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya visit is described below.

Day 1 -

At one ghat in Kashi

We landed in Kashi and were escorted to our hotel by a car arranged by our vadhyar. The vadhyar has an arrangement with a hotel which is very near his house. It is a budget hotel meant exclusively for yatris and people who come to do rituals. The hotel name was Sunshine and is located at Shivala Ghat. The room tariff was Rs. 500/- for ordinary room, Rs. 750/- for deluxe room and Rs. 1500/- for deluxe AC room. We stayed in non-AC deluxe room. The rooms were simple, compact and decent. People who are used to luxury travel and fancy hotels may not like this place.

In the evening, we visited local temples in Kashi - Kashi Vishwanath, Annapoorna, Vishalakshi, Kala Bhairav. The temples are open through the day except for a brief Siesta time in the afternoon. A good time to go would be around 4 pm as the crowds will not be much. You are not allowed to carry cell phones, electronic items etc. inside Kashi Vishwanath temple. Luckily for us, we had good darshan in all the temples without much waiting.

In the evening we had our dinner in the form of snacks / tiffin which our vadhyar had arranged from a nearby Lady's house. It costed Rs. 70/- per person and comprised of idlis with sambar & chutney. It was delicious and quantity sufficient.

Day 2 -

Boat full of yatris at Triveni

The next morning after bath & prayers, we checked out of Hotel Sunshine and proceeded by car to Allahabad. Went straight to a local Vadhyar's house - Shiva Mutt (contact provided by Kashi Vadhyar). This house has stay facilities also for people who want to stay overnight. The rooms are average and compact with no furnishing.

There, we first did sankalpam for Veni Danam. Veni danam is a sacred Hindu ritual where a married woman offers a small portion of her braided hair to the holy waters at the Triveni sangam area. This is done accompanied by the husband to pray for the health & longevity of the spouse and the prosperity of the family. The hair represents her vanity & offering it symbolises shedding of ego. 

After the sankalpam, we gave betel leaves, coconut, blouse piece etc. to one Sumangali (you can give to more Sumangalis if you come across them). Vadhyar dakshina Rs. 1000/- Then we went by car to river banks, and proceeded to Triveni Sangam by boat accompanied by a boy sent by the Vadhyar (paid Rs. 180 for boat plus tips). At Triveni Sangam, we were attended to by a local Panda (priest) who made us do another sankalpam and then we had to do Veni (Hair) danam. Dakshina to Panda was Rs. 40 plus another Rs. 30 for 'annadanam'.

All this was done on a stationary boat for which we had to pay Rs. 10/- per person for the use.

I had to comb and braid my wife's hair and snip off a bit which was offered at the Sangam. The barber also cut my hair and gave me a shave. Barber was paid Rs. 30/-

After Veni Danam

We dissolved the Veni (Hair) and also the Bindu Madhav & Veni Madhav sand heaps, which we had collected at Rameshwaram, at the Triveni sangam. Later, we had a holy dip at the Sangam (where Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati meet). The water was only upto the waist and we got off from the boat midstream for this bath. Then, we collected holy Sangam water to be later offered to Shiva lingam at Rameshwaram. Tips to the boy who accompanied us Rs. 100/-

We then returned to the Vadhyar's house and did tarpanam and pinda danam for Pitrus (17 pindams). The Vadhyar who facilitated this was very good person who has retired from corporate life and is doing this work. One could give him dakshina as per ones desire. There was another vadhyar (his assistant) who helped us do the tarpanam and one could give additional dakshina (optional) to him too.

Our boatman

This was then followed by a change of clothes into dry clothes and then lunch. Lunch was about Rs. 75/- per head. It was a South Indian style lunch - delicious and cooked by a couple who operate out of the Vadhyar's residence on a commercial basis.

Then we visited a few local temples. First was Veni Madhawar (Vishnu & Lakshmi temple). It is regarded as the presiding deity of Prayagraj and a holy dip at Triveni is not complete without a visit to this temple. The other temple we visited was of Shri Bade Hanuman also known as Lete Hanuman (Sleeping Hanuman where 20 foot long reclining Hanuman holding Ram & Lakshman in His right hand). Legend has it that Hanuman ji rested here after the Lanka war. This idol, whose origin is unknown, was recovered from the river bed at Prayagraj several centuries ago when the waters had receded.

After this we were free to return to Kashi. However we went to Ayodhya as it was nearby. This was in 2014 and Ram Lalla at Ayodhya was still housed in a temporary makeshift shelter.

To be continued....