Kashi

By Vidhya Aiyer

Saffron hues light the dawn

Signals the start of the day

In a city that never sleeps

Bells and conches

Set the background score

That resonates till the core

Of our very being

Chants surround us

Fills us with vibrations deep

Vedic fires hustle with funeral pyres

She embodies a character

That is unique and varied

She displays a

Myriad of emotions

Faith, hope, despair

And sorrow jostle

For a space in her

Vibrant landscapes

Saffron clad babas

Mysterious aghoris

Co-exist in a peaceful way

She offers salvation

To those who come there

Cacophony of sounds

Collage of views

She is the pathway

To the civilisations

Of the bygone era

Cobblestone streets

Bears the marks

Of the feet

That had passed by

Hollowed corridors

Tell tales of generations

That lived and

Breathed there

A rare peace envelops you

When the sun sets down

A vibrant view

Salutes to the power

Of the divine

Bells and cymbals

Announce the

Parade

With lamps lighting the way

She hosts a procession

That hypnotises me

To a spectacle beyond this realm

A brutal sight

Awaits my eye

Beneath the bright colour

Lies a poignant tale

Of a civilization forgotten

A seat of great learning

She spread knowledge

To whose came to her shore

Half burnt corpses

Polluted her sanctity

that stripped her

Divinity

From the very

Vestiges of her nature

Weaves of finest quality

Was the envy of many

Blushing brides

Covet the designs

Created from hours of toil

An undercurrent of

Failures permeated the air

It was not without

Its share of debacles

And disputes

That ran deep

Hands folded in prayer

Eyes dry with tears

We believe in the

Power of rebirth

As we chant the

Heavenly hymns

Praying to combine

With the divine

And go beyond

Our kith and kin

We pray at her banks

To appease the souls

Of the dead

With the hope

They will bless us

For the life ahead

She carries a torch

To the world

To show that

Faith could move mountains

She is the city that never sleeps

She is Kashi

The portal to heaven

That I would love to peep!!

By Vidhya Aiyer