Varanasi | Humans of Kashi

Raj Kumar ji: An Artist Who Finds Value Where Others

From Kitchen Waste to Black Gold: A Varanasi Family’s Quiet

Banarasi Paan: Swad-e-Banaras, Wrapped in a Leaf

Manikarnika Ghat: Where Life End and Liberation Begins

Malaiyo: Banaras’ Winter Whisper That Melts Before You Blink

March 19, 2026
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Humans of Kashi > Blog > Varanasi
When Kashi Prays for Life and Blessings
05
Mar

Lolark Sasthi: When Kashi Prays for Life and Blessings

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    Humans of kashi / 2 weeks
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Every year, as dawn breaks over southern Varanasi, thousands of devotees gather at Lolark Kund, near Tulsi Ghat. It is dedicated to Lolarkeshwar Mahadev. This is the sacred Lolark Sasthi festival, where couples take a holy dip in the ancient pond to pray for children, health and prosperity. The tradition dates back centuries, the word Lolark means “trembling sun,” symbolizing fertility and renewal. Even the great sage Ved Vyas is said to have described the glory of this Kund and the deity enshrined here Aasha Purveshwar Mahadev, the fuller of wishes. The belief is that a dip here washes away sins and brings divine blessings from the Sun God and sincere prayers offered here never go unanswered. Women clad in yellow sarees offer fruits, bangles and clothes into the water, whispering prayers for their families. Locals recall countless stories of hope fulfilled and wishes answered. Days such as Chaturthi, Ekadashi, Sunday and Purnima hold special significance, drawing devotees from across India and even abroad. Every year, during the Lolark Sasthi Mela, the kund witnesses a divine spectacle of over 4 to 5 lakhs pilgrims gather to take a holy dip in its sacred waters, believing it blesses them with progeny, good health and prosperity. Even ailments such as leprosy and chronic skin diseases are believed to be cured by the divine grace of Mahadev. Amidst modern chaos, the festival continues to thrive a testament to the city’s enduring faith. Even young volunteers now help manage crowds, clean the surroundings and ensure the sacred pond remains preserved. Lolark Sasthi is more than a ritual, it’s Kashi’s living symbol of devotion, continuity and rebirth.

Smart Heritage
05
Mar

Smart Heritage: How Kashi is Blending Technology with Tradition

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The world calls it modernization. Kashi calls it balance. In recent years, Varanasi has become a symbol of how technology and tradition coexist. As part of the Smart City Mission, the ancient city is undergoing quiet transformations. Kashi is embracing modern technology while staying deeply rooted in its timeless traditions. The goal is not to change the character of the city but to enhance it to create a model city that balances modernisation with the heritage. This initiative focuses on improving quality of life through sustainable development, upgraded infrastructure and more accessible public spaces. Solar-powered streetlights now illuminate the ghats. Digital information kiosks guide tourists through temple trails. CCTV-monitored waste systems keep heritage areas clean. One of the most innovative efforts is the digital mapping of heritage structures, allowing conservationists to monitor temple foundations and ghat erosion in real-time. Redeveloped spaces like Namo Ghat blend spiritual serenity with world class facilities, offering clean water, resting areas and safe public amenities to pilgrims and locals alike. Even the Ganga Aarti is now streamed globally, connecting millions of devotees who can’t physically be there. Every project be it from infrastructure to citizen engagement, reflects a simple truth: Kashi is evolving but never forgetting where it came from.

Where Food and Faith Become One
05
Mar

Banaras: Where Food and Faith Become One

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To taste Banaras is to taste devotion. Every corner of the city offers a story in a bowl, from the divine simplicity of Kachori Sabzi at Kachori Gali to the tangy Tamatar Chaat served steaming hot at Dashashwamedh Ghat or to the sweet Malaiyo that melts like morning mist. Here, food isn’t just about flavors; it’s about faith and feeling. Many dishes in Kashi have ritualistic roots Prasads offered in temples, langars during festivals and sweets made in honor of deities. Old families still follow secret recipes passed down for generations. Shops like Kashi Chaat Bhandar and Raja Halwai have become landmarks, where vendors greet you with a smile and stories that stretch back decades. And of course, the Banarasi Paan that seals every meal, fragrant with rose, gulkand and nostalgia. Every meal here connects people, pilgrims, locals and wanderers alike through shared moments of warmth and taste. In Banaras, food and faith are inseparable. Every meal is a celebration, every bite a blessing. The city teaches that the divine can be found not only in temples and rituals but also in the warmth of shared food and the joy of everyday life. Because in Banaras, to eat is to pray and to pray is to taste the eternal.

Kashi Through the Ages
05
Mar

Kashi Through the Ages: The Eternal City That Refuses to Fade

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“Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” – Mark Twain This is Kashi — Varanasi — Banaras, the city where time stands still yet flows like the Ganga. From its mention in the Rigveda to its reverence in the Puranas, Kashi has always been described as the spiritual capital of India, a place where birth and death coexist peacefully. The city’s history stretches back over 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Ancient texts describe Kashi as Ananda Vanam, the forest of bliss. It has seen the rise and fall of empires — Mauryan, Gupta, Mughal, British but never lost its soul. The great reformer AdiShankaracharya revived Shaivism here. Saints like Kabir and Tulsidas walked its lanes, composing verses that still echo through the ghats. Even colonial explorers were drawn to its mysticism, calling it “a city of temples, where every stone is a shrine.” Today, while Kashi embraces modernity, new infrastructure, electric boats, a rejuvenated Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, its essence remains timeless. It has always been more than a spiritual hub. It is centre of learning, art, culture, poets and mystics throughout history. To walk through Kashi is to walk through history itself: every step a story, every temple a testament. Kashi’s glow has never dimmed, nor it will. Through the ages, it continues to shine as an eternal city, unbroken and profoundly alive.

If Peace Has a City
05
Mar

If Peace Has a City, It Must Be Kashi

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When the first light of dawn touches the ghats, the city wakes not to noise but to prayer. The Ganga shimmers, priests chant, bells echo and the world slows down. This is Banaras, where spirituality and simplicity merge. It is known to be an eternal city where time seems to pause, where chaos finds calm and where the soul finds its rhythm in the hum of mantras along the ghats. Take a morning boat ride on the river and you’ll see stories unfold: monks meditating, tourists in silence, locals performing rituals passed down for centuries. Each ghat tells a tale from Dashashwamedh’s grandeur to Assi’s calm. Beyond the ghats, the narrow lanes reveal the heartbeat of the city, street food stalls, hidden temples, laughing children and the smell of incense. As night falls, the Ganga Aarti paints the sky in gold and sound. For visitors, it’s mesmerizing. For locals, it’s home. Every corner of Kashi holds a story. Every prayer offered here carriers the weight of centuries. The city is ancient yet alive. Here, history. Mythology and faith converge that creates a sanctuary for the spirit. Kashi isn’t just a place you visit; it’s a feeling that stays long after you’ve left.

Banarasi saree
05
Mar

The Looms of Kashi: Threads of Legacy & Livelihood

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In the dim glow of an oil lamp, a rhythmic clatter echoes — tak-tak-tak. It’s the sound of a weaver’s life in Varanasi. Kashi’s weaving tradition dates back centuries, with references to its exquisite fabrics found in ancient texts like the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata. For centuries, the Banarasi saree has been India’s fabric of grace, worn in weddings and worship alike. Yet behind its shimmering zari lies the untold struggle of thousands of weavers. Documentary films like Bunkar have highlighted their plight but also their pride. NGOs and government schemes are trying to revive the art through training, digital sales and exhibitions. Each saree is a work of art that can take weeks, sometimes months to complete. Every motif from kalga to bel is a silent prayer woven into the thread. These artisans aren’t just weaving fabric; they are preserving the heritage. Every saree they create carries within it stories, emotions and timeless traditions. To own a Banarasi saree is to hold a piece of India’s soul which is a living legacy of art, culture and devotion passed from mother to daughter, generation to generation. Families in areas like Madanpura and Lallapura have carried this craft for generations. But as machine-made fabrics flooded markets, traditional handlooms began to fall silent. “I learnt weaving from my father when I was ten” says 56-year-old Mohammad Idris. “Now my sons don’t want to continue as there’s no stability.” Despite challenges, the loom keeps beating. Because in Banaras, weaving isn’t just a livelihood, it’s devotion woven into silk.

Banaras First Net-Zero Library
05
Mar

Banaras First Net-Zero Library: Where Tradition Meets Innovation

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In a city known for its temples and timeless chants, a new temple of learning is taking shape that is powered not by faith but by sunlight. By 2026, Varanasi will host India’s first Net-Zero Library, a green-tech marvel where heritage design meets sustainability. This project is led by Varanasi Development Authority (VDA). It is located at the LT College campus; this library aims to create a fully self-sustaining educational space one that generates as much energy as it consumes. The architecture reflects the ethos of Kashi blending sandstone facades, jaali windows and open courtyards with solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, energy efficient systems and passive cooling structures. Students and locals alike will have access to digital learning zones, archives of ancient manuscripts and a sustainable public space to read and reflect. It will have a seating capacity for 500 people with over 35,000 books. “We want to make Kashi a global example of how heritage and innovation can coexist beautifully” said a senior official from the Varanasi Development Authority. The project not only symbolizes India’s green future but also honors the ancient city’s tradition of wisdom, now reborn through modern design. The design of library is inspired by the sacred Ganga River and traditional temple aesthetics.

Shelter, Care & Hope for Stray Animals in Kashi
05
Mar

Himanshi’s Compassion: Shelter, Care & Hope for Stray Animals in Kashi

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When others looked away from injured, abandoned or starving animals on the streets of Varanasi, Himanshi Pathak stopped and stayed. Five years ago, she founded Jeev Rakshak Animal Care Foundation, a shelter that has since become home to over 150 voiceless beings. From dogs hit by vehicles or abandoned on the streets, every rescue here begins with one call and a race against time. Himanshi and her team are feeding over 150 animals every single day, providing medical treatment to more than 50 strays and responding to emergency rescue calls. Her team of volunteers, though small is driven by the same compassion. “We can’t save everyone as the number of cases are increasing day by day and it’s becoming difficult for us to manage due to shortage of funds. I want to give them best care however, it’s expensive. We are trying our best, if you can come forward and support me, I can save more lives.” – Himanshi Pathak. But challenges persist rising medical costs, limited space and lack of funds. Still, her spirit doesn’t falter. Through community donations and awareness drives, she continues her mission. Impact: Her journey reminds us that service doesn’t always happen in temples sometimes; it’s found in a small shelter filled with wagging tails and second chances.

How Kashi is Healing Its Ghats
05
Mar

From Discarded Clothes to Eco Bags: How Kashi is Healing Its Ghats

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In the sacred city of Varanasi, where devotion meets the Ganga every single day through offerings, rituals and countless prayers. But beneath the beauty of the ghats lies an unnoticed challenge: the heaps of discarded clothes and fabrics left behind by devotees after rituals. When IAS officer Akshat Verma was posted in Varanasi, he noticed that these discarded clothes which was once part of someone’s faith now ended up polluting the river or piling up along the steps of the ghats. Instead of treating it as mere waste, he saw an opportunity for change. Through this Mission, he launched an initiative to collect, clean and repurpose these clothes. The fabrics were stitched into eco-friendly carry bags by women from local self-help groups. He teamed up with the Hope Welfare Foundation, their ‘Green Army’ helped the IAS officer set his plan into motion. “We wanted to make the ghats cleaner and empower local women at the same time,” he shared. Today, thousands of such bags are distributed to shopkeepers, replacing plastic and giving a second life to fabrics once left behind. Beyond the environmental benefit, the project has also become a livelihood source for dozens of women who now earn through stitching. These are not just bags they are stories of devotion, transformed into sustainability. Impact: As the Ganga flows endlessly, so does this circular journey from faith to fabric to future.