Vaastuyogam

u May 2014

Dr Ravi Rao launches his book on Mundane Astrology

My purpose in writing this book is to show that astrology is a lens through which we can see our future
with clarity and thereby gain insight into the motives and actions that determine our future. Such an insight
can prepare us for future eventualities and help us live through our higher selves. - Dr Ravi Rao
Readers will be happy to learn that the past
month has been a momentous one with the
launch of the book, A Nations Prophecy.
by Dr Ravi Rao
We all know Dr Rao as a Vaastu consultant
and astrologer par excellence who has
brought positive change to the lives of
hundreds of businesses and families across
the globe. What has now unfolded is the
academic side. A Nations Prophecy. Is a
path finding study on a subject of immense
yet undiscovered value to all the countries of
the world.
The book also marks the beginning of
Star Publication House. It aims to publish
books in the field of astrology, Vaastu,
mythology, religion and spirituality with the
objective of bringing ancient science and
wisdom to the everyday lives of people.
The book was released to rave reviews and
thumping reception across the breadth of
the country.
Ahmedabad Launch
Shri Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman and
Managing Director of Arvind Limited, the
leading textile conglomerate based in

Ahmedabad launched Dr. Ravi Raos book

A Nations Prophecy: Inclusive
Methodology of Mundane Astrology on
23rd March at the Knowledge Consortium of
Gujarat, Ahmedabad. Mrs. Gayatri Devi
Vasudev, eminent astrologer, editor of
Modern Astrology and daughter of the Late
Shri B.V.Raman was the guest of honor.
Delhi Launch
The book was launched in Delhi on 6th April
by Shri Ashok Balasubramanian (Managing
Director) Morgan Industries Limited,
C h e n n a i , S h r i V. B a l a s u b r a m a n i a n ,
Mr Taj Hassan (I.P.S), and Shri Arun Kumar
Bansal, Chairman, Future Point (P) Ltd.
The launch is Vishakapatnam Launch
The book was launched in Vishakhapatnam
on 12th April by Mr B.M. Naidu Vizag Icas
Chapter Chairman, Mr T.N.Vasan Astro
Studio Director and Astro Consultant,
Bangalore, and Mrs Vasan
Hyderabad Launch
The book was launched at the Kowtha
Kalyana Mandapam, Secundrabad-on
27 t h April in the presence of leading
Astrologers of the city including
Shri K L Manohar ICAS (Secundrabad),

Shri A V Sundaram Nadi AstrologerICAS (Secundrabad), Shri Jayaram ICAS

(Secundrabad), Dr. V. Venkata Ramana
school of Management Studies (University
of Hyderabad) and Shri P. Venkat B.Arch,
A.I.I.A.M.B.A. (USA) Architect.
About the book
The book has been a labor of love; the fruit of
years long study, methodical research and
assiduous practice. Dr Ravi Raos concern
during these long years had always been to
bring this ancient Indian science to the
public and to kindle fresh interest amongst
the young astrological community.
In her introduction to the book, Mrs. Gayatri Devi
Vasudev, and an erudite author and astute editor
in her own right has said that:- The application of
mundane astrology principles can be of great
help in anticipating election results, wars and
violence.
A systematic approach based on
hypothesis, verification and inference
characterizes Dr Ravi Raos efforts
Additionally, the charts of national leaders
have also been made use of to gain more
insightful details

(LtoR) Mr M. Ramaprasad I.F.S, Prof. A.v.sundaram, Acharya. Sri. C.V.B. Subrahmanyam, Dr. Ravi Rao,
Mr Amarnath Shashtry, Prof. D.L.N. Murthy, Mr C.B.R.K.Sharma

(LtoR) Mr B.M. Naidu Vizag Icas Chapter Chairman, Mr T.N. Vasan Astro Studio Director & Astro Consultant, Bangalore, Mrs Vasan

u May 2014

Vaastuyogam

(LtoR) Dr Ravi Rao, Shri Sanjay Lalbhai MD. Chairman Arvind Ltd., Smt. Gayatri Devi Vasudev

Dr Ravi Rao addressing the audience at the book launch event in Ahmedabad, 23rd March 2014

(LtoR) Shri V. Balasubramanian, Dr Ravi Rao, Shri Ashok Balasubramanian, (MD) Morgan Ind. Ltd,
Mr Taj Hassan (I.P.S), Shri Arun Kumar Bansal, Chairman, Future Point (P) Ltd.

Acharya Sri. C.V.B. Subrahmanyam

(LtoR) Mr K.V.V.Prasad, Mr K.Satyanarayana, Mr K.Pranav Aditya, Dr. Ravi Rao, Mr K. Sitarama Rao (Supreme Court Lawer) New Delhi

Star Publication House welcomes proposals in these fields and seeks to publish works of authors with in depth research and a scientific approach.
For more information, please visit www.starpublicationhouse.com.

Vaastuyogam

u May 2014

Asian Paints
A Brand that reflects the consumer moods over the years

CORPORATE LOGOS
This is a researched article and relies
on sources from the internet,
published newspaper stories as well
as material provided by our panel of
research scholars and academics
and on the book Strategic Corporate
Communication by Argenti.
Introduction
Asian Paints is an Indian chemicals
company headquartered in Mumbai. It
manufactures a wide range of paints for
decorative and industrial use. It is one of the
largest paint companies in the world and
operates in 17 countries. Besides Asian
Paints, the group operates around the world
through its subsidiaries Berger International
Limited, Apco Coatings, SCIB Paints and
Taubmans.
The origin of Asian Paints, a brand that is
Indias largest and Asias third largest paint
company is surprisingly humble. In 1942,
the founders, Champaklal H. Choksey,
Chimanlal N. Choksi, Suryakant C. Dani and
Arvind R. Vakil, chose their companys
name The Asian Oil & Paint Company, by
picking a name randomly from a telephone
directory!
There is an interesting story about how
Asian Paints was founded. Chimanlal
Choksi, Champaklal Choksey, Suryakant

Asian Paints Logo

Dani and Arvind Vakil were four friends.
Chimnalal Choksi was a painter whose
daughter had died. Chimanlal Choksi was
unable to save her because of financial
problems. Suryakant Dani owned a Garage
where he did the painting work for Machines
& Vehicles. The same garage is where Asian
Paints started off its operations. Arvind Vakil
was a worker who did the bicycle painting
work for Suryakant Dani. These four friends
started a partnership firm to manufacture
paint in India to take on the big foreign paint
companies operating in India in the 1940s
and 1950s. And today 6 decades later Asian
Paints was rated by Forbes magazine as
one of the best 200 Small Companies in the
world and Economic Times rated it as one of
the most respected companies in India.
Old Strategy v/s New Strategy
The founders of Asian Paints understood

the concept of design much before any

Indian company realized the value of
branding and design. The company has
gone through a complete overhaul with a
new brand identity and logo more than three
times in the last 60 years.. The company has
also changed its positioning from being a
mere paint solutions firm to a complete
dcor and design solutions company.
Asian Paints realized the need for brand
building as early as the sixties. But at that
point of time, the company had a wide range
of brands/sub-brands. The focus of the
company was on product innovation and
service network and managing quality
proposition. The brand focused on mass
and rural market. Asian Paints had a mascot
called Gattu who was created by the
celebrated cartoonist R K Laskhman. These
efforts made the brand a leader during the
late sixties.
Over the years, Asian created over 20
brands, each of which had its heydays but
was eventually phased out in favor of an
eventual single branding exercise. This was
a logical step to take, given the ever
increasing media costs along with the high
degree of fragmentation and the benefits of
focusing media spends and creative inputs
on a single strong brand.

Old & New Logos

The company concluded that the customer

today was much more involved with the
continued on page 7

May 2014

Vaastuyogam

CORPORATE LOGOS

The Gattu Story

The origin of Asian

Paints, a brand that
is Indias largest and
Asias third largest
paint company is
surprisingly humble.
In 1942, the founders,
Champaklal H.
Choksey, Chimanlal
N. Choksi, Suryakant
C. Dani and Arvind R.
Vakil, chose their
companys name
The Asian Oil &
Paint Company, by
picking a name
randomly from a
telephone directory!
process of painting, and was looking at the
whole experience of interior decoration as
well as painting as an expression of their
personalities. The customer was not buying
paint but a product that promises selfexpression, sophistication, technology and
even services. And this is what the
companys advertising and branding began
depicting. The first was tweaking the brand
to reflect how consumers actually thought of
it as Asian Paints, rather than Apcolite or
Ace or Apex. The company discontinued the
promotion of its individual brands. Some of
them were dropped outright, the others were
reduced to sub-brand status first, and
dropped "migrated", in marketing-speak
in a year or so.
continued on page 8

Gattu
Gattu, the impish mascot, was born in
1954, conceived by none other than the
famous cartoonist R.K. Laxman of Times
Of India fame, when Asian Paints then
called Asian Oil and Paint Company - had
a massive turnover of Rs. 3.5 lakhs. Few
mascots personify their companies the
way Gattu did. He reflected perfectly the
smart-on-its-feet personality of Asian
Paints.
Given below are Laxman's comments on
Gattu which have been faithfully recorded:
``Representatives of an agency asked me
if I would create a symbol for a paint
company. They were not clear but said the
trademark should be attractive,
adaptable... but after a period of despair,
the hazy picture of a boy took shape _
Gattu. I worked on the details... gave him a
shock of black hair eternally dangling over
his right eye. I made him clutch a rather
over-worked bristling paintbrush in one
hand...'
This Gattu character got a big success in
advertisement industry. It was able to
appeal the nerves of the common man.
This mascot shows the love of Gattu with
Asian Paint that how desperate he is to
paint. Look at the passion and zeal of that
boy that he has painted his arms and legs
even.

R.K.Laxman creator of Gattu

Gattu caught on well in rural areas where
literacy levels were low and aided brand
recognition. Rural folks often asked for
"ladkewalla paint"(Boy Brand) Gattu came
at a time when print was prominent, and
created a visual relationship with Asian
Paints. Now, beauty, warmth and so on are
drivers, which Gattu cannot convey easily
since today most of the advertising that is
done is predominantly television
advertising. (New Perspectives on Rural
Marketing by Ramkishen Y.)
After over four decades, it was phased out
after 2002, when the company's
advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather
(O&M) initiated a rebranding exercise.
Gattu , finally vanished in 2006 when the
company decided to capture more mass
appeal especially in urban, upmarket
India.
Even though all concerned stressed that
Gattu had not been used in advertising for
many years, and in fact, his only presence
was to serve as a reminder, it could not
have been an easy decision. This is what
his creator RK Laxman had to say on
Gattus exit, I did it long ago, and I don't
care what they do with it now. I have
nothing to do with Asian Paints, so if they
want to drop it, they can go ahead."

Vaastuyogam

with some dripping paint it still retained from

the previous logo but unlike its predecessor,
the term paints is in red not yellow

CORPORATE LOGOS
7

Current Status
In the far end of 2012, Asian Paints unveiled
a new brand identify and logo.
Conceptualized by WPP's Singapore-based
design agency Fitch, the new look was
based on a research conducted by the
agency. The existing logo was about 10
years old and the new identity was born after
an extensive consumer survey was
completed in some major cities across India.
Fitch, along with Ogilvy, created a 360
degree campaign to promote the new look,
which has already been rolled out across
various media including television, print and
online.
The new logo represented "a more
meaningful and personalized engagement
with the increasing number of interior dcor
consumers in the home, retail and
commercial segments across India". Some
of the elements of the new logo are
described below:- At the heart of the new logo, is the ribbon
which flows to create the lower case letters
'a' and 'p
- The ribbon's design is meant to highlight
the easy flow, smoothness, dynamism and
possibility that their solutions and offerings
will provide
- The ribbon has bright colors red, orange
and purple giving it a nice contemporary feel
- The word 'asianpaints' with the 'p' shown

Packaging featured the new look (Asian

Paints is the logo, in yellow and red, with the
vertical of the 'p' converted into a
brushstroke), giving all the companies
products a uniform look. According to the
agency, "Previously, if you went into a retail
store that sold almost 70 per cent Asian
Paints, you wouldn't know it, because each
pack was designed when each new product
and brand name was introduced, there
was no family feeling for them.
According to, Amit Syngle, vice-president,
sales and marketing, Asian Paints, "The
change in our brand identity signifies our
intent to establish a deeper connect with our
customers as well as ensure that the Asian
Paints brand is able to stir the consumer's
imagination, ignite their creativity and
expand their vision to a new vista of
possibility. Our new logo conveys those
elements with the flowing ribbon formation
that creates the 'AP' design that highlights
the easy flow, smoothness, dynamism and
possibility that our solution and offerings will
provide.
As part of our effort to create and manage
inspiration, we go the extra mile to enable
consumers to design the home of their
dreams," He added further "Our aim is to
start our interaction with customers by
providing inspiration or managing the
inspiration of the customer. As part of the
process, we must ensure a systematic and
seamless one-stop-solution for color and

Old poster

May 2014

dcor guidance, best labor practices, on

time and efficient service delivery and
follow-up knowledge on maintenance of
their newly painted beautiful homes, thereby
alleviating the pain usually experienced in
the home renovation process.
Conclusion
The company has steadfastly catered to the
customer and to this end, it has tailored its
branding and logo strategy. It has
demonstrated its ability to adapt itself to the
changing environment effortlessly with
innovative strategies in the marketplace.

The founders of
Asian Paints
understood the
concept of design
much before any
Indian company
realized the value of
branding and design.
The company has
gone through a
complete overhaul
with a new brand
identity and logo
more than three times
in the last 60 years..
The company has
also changed its
positioning from
being a mere paint
solutions firm to a
complete dcor and
design solutions
company.

Vaastuyogam

u May 2014

KASHI
THE ANCIENT TIRTHYATRAS OF INDIA
Kashi (Varanasi, U. P.), Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Mayapuri (Haridwar, Uttaranchal)
Ayodhya (U.P.), Avantika (Ujjain, M. P.), Mathura (U. P.), Dwaravati (Dwarka, Gujarat)
Kashi

Kashi draws into powerful focus the greatest symbols of Hindu culture-its Gods, especially the Great
lord, Shiva; its sacred geography, especially the Heavenly River, Ganga: and its vision of
transcendence, moksha. For over 2,500 years, the people of India have come to this place, which they
have described as both the Great Cremation Ground and the Forest of Bliss. Here they have built
temples and ashrams, palaces and homes, schools and businesses, transforming the ancient groves
and pools of the yakshas and nagas into one of the most awesome cities in the world. It is a city of
wealth, exuberance, and life. It is also a city of poverty, confusion, suffering, and death. But the City of
Light, they say, extends ones vision across the river of life and death to the far shore of immortality. It
is called Kashi, for here the light shines.

This article is a researched article and

borrows heavily from printed and
electronic encyclopedias as well as
material provided by our panel of
research scholars, astrologers,
academics and pundits

Varanasi
Varanasi, also called Kashi, Benares, is an
ancient city, said to be the oldest inhabited
one. The city was known by several names
such as Avimuktaka, Anandakanana,
Mahasmasana, Surandhana, Brahma
Vardha, Sudarsana, and Ramya.
Varanasi has also been a great center of
learning for ages. Varanasi is associated
with promotion of spiritualism, mysticism,
Sanskrit, yoga and Hindi language and

honored authors such as the ever-famous

novelist Prem Chand and Tulsi Das, the
famous saint-poet who wrote Ram Charit
Manas. Aptly called as the cultural capital of
India, Varanasi has provided the right
platform for all cultural activities to flourish.
Many exponents of dance and music have
come from Varanasi. Ravi Shankar, the
internationally renowned Sitar maestro and
Ustad Bismillah Khan, (the famous Shehnai
player) are all sons of the blessed city or
have lived here for major part of their lives.
continued on page 10

10

continued from page 9

The city is host to numerous religious

festivals. Mahashivaratri, the great night of
Shiva, is celebrated by a procession from
the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi
Vishvanath Temple. The Ganga festival in
November or December is dedicated to the
goddess of the Ganges River, considered
sacred by all Hindus. Thousands of lamps
are placed on the ghats and set afloat on the
river. The festival of Bharat Milap in October
or November commemorates the reunion of
Lord Rama with his younger brother Bharat
after 14 years of exile. A five-day festival of
dhrupad (classical Indian vocal style) in
March attracts renowned artists from all over
India to the citys Tulsi Ghat along the river.
How Varanasi Got Its Name
The present name Varanasi has its origin in
the two tributaries of the Ganges - Varuna
and Asi, which flank its northern and
southern borders. Banaras or Benaras, as it
is popularly known, is only a corruption of
the name Varanasi.
In view of its ancient historic, cultural and
religious heritage it is considered as the

u May 2014

most holy of the seven sacred cities of

Hinduism. Its historical and religious legacy
dates to the Budhha period (6th Century BC)
and has been the centre of religious
Brahminical learning with sages,
philosophers, writers and musicians making
it their home in the past several centuries.
But much of its temple glory was subject to
plundering and destruction by Mohammad
Ghauri in the 12th century. The temples and
religious institutions seen now in the city are
mostly of the 18th century vintage.
During the course of its 3000 or more years
of history, the city of Varanasi witnessed
many important events and movements of
Hindu religion and Indian civilization. The
city passed through several tumultuous
phases starting from the ascendance of the
Vedic culture around 1000 BC. It bore
witness to the transformation and
integration of the Vedic traditions in the
Gangetic valley, the teachings of the
Buddha on the banks of the Ganges to the
new converts, the wanderings of the much
revered Jinas and Ajivakas begging for
alms, the construction, expansion and
consecration of its many temples by
generous patrons, the religious animosity
that led to the desecration and destruction of
its Gods and temples from time to time, and
its reemergence in modern times into a
famous Hindu pilgrimage center.

Benares Varanasi 1922

The ancient city of Varanasi was located on

the northern side of present day Varanasi, in
the area known as Rajghat, where remnants
of city wall, pottery and artifacts dating back
to 800 BC were unearthed suggesting to the
evidence of ancient settlements in the area.
Kasi is referenced in the ancient Indian
literature as the capital of the kingdom of
Kasi, which had rivalry with the
neighbuoring kingdom of Kosala. Later king
of Kosala annexed Kasi and made Varanasi
the capital of the combined kingdom.
Subsequently both Kosala and Kasi were
occupied by the Magadhan rulers and
remained part of the Magadhan Empire for a
very long time.
Historians have now ascertained that the
Aryans first settled in the middle Ganges
valley and by the second millennium BC,
Varanasi became the nucleus of Aryan
religion and philosophy. The city also
flourished as a commercial and industrial
center famous for its muslin and silk fabrics,
ivory works, perfumery and sculptures.
In the 6th century BC, Varanasi became the
capital of the kingdom of Kashi. During this
time Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon
at Sarnath, just 10 km away from Varanasi.
Being a center of religious, educational,
cultural and artistic activities, Kashi drew
continued on page 11

u May 2014

Vaastuyogam

11

Varanasi Ghats
the religious festival, Shivratri in the year
1507.

continued from page 10

many learned men from around the world;

the celebrated Chinese traveler Hsan
Tsang, is one of them, who visited India
around AD 635.
Varanasi was ruled by the Muslim ruler
Qutb-ud-din Aibak who had destroyed
thousands of the temples and religious
monuments in the year 1194. Thousands
years later, after the Afghan invasion, some
new temples were established in the 13th
century. Some of the other old temples were
also destroyed by the rulers in the year
1496.
Even after facing such difficulties, Varanasi
has maintained its honor as a cultural center
of the religion and education. Varanasi has
been lead by the most popular personalities
such as the Kabir Das, Ravidas who were
the superior saints and poets of the Bhakti of
the 15th Century. Guru Nanak Dev (founder
of the Sikhism) had visited the Varanasi at

Cultural importance of the Varanasi was

improved greater around 16th century
during the time of the Mughal emperor,
Akbar. Some new temples of the Lord Shiva
and Vishnu were built by the Akbar. One of
the temples of the Goddess Annapurna was
made by the king of Poona.
The 18th century again brought back the lost
glory to Varanasi. It became an independent
kingdom, with Ramnagar as its capital,
when the British declared it a new Indian
state in 1910. After India's independence in
1947, Varanasi became part of the state of
Uttar Pradesh.
The 'Ghats
The 'Ghats' are undoubtedly the most
valuable assets of Varanasi. None can
imagine this holy city sans its numerous
Ghats that dot the nearly 7 km arc line of the
Ganges riverfront between the confluence
of the River Asi in the south and the Varuna
in the north.
What Are 'Ghats'?
These are a very special type of

embankments that are actually long flights

of wide stone steps leading down to the river
where people can take a holy dip. But there
is more to these Ghats than just bathing and
cremating. Each of the eighty-four Ghats of
Varanasi holds some special significance.
Viewing the Ghats from a boat on the
Ganges, especially at sunrise, is an
unforgettable experience! They offer a
panoramic view of the various early morning
activities - from ablution to workout - of a
multitude of people, for whom the river is the
be all and end all of life. It's also a pleasure to
walk down the entire stretch of the Ghats
along the Ganges. Here people consult the
astrologers under their palm leaf parasols,
buy offerings for rituals, sell silk apparels
and brassware, or just gaze at the faraway
horizon where the mighty river meets the
heavens.
A Walk along the Popular Ghats of Varanasi
The Tulsi Ghat is famous for its association
with the poet Tulsidas (C.E 1547-1623). The
Asi Ghat, situated in the south at the union of
the rivers Ganga and Asi is significant for the
Surya Shashthi festival. The Ganga Mahal
Ghat is an extension of the Asi Ghat, and
continued on page 12

12

u May 2014

continued from page 11

includes a palace built by the Maharaja of

Benaras in 1830. The King of Rivan's palace
stands at the Rivan Ghat, another extension
of the Asi Ghat.
The Bhadaini Ghat is one of the most
ancient sacred sites in Varanasi that got its
name from the famous sun shrine. Janki
Ghat is named after the Queen of Sursund
State, and the Anandmayi Ghat after Mother
Anandmayi. Vaccharaja Ghat is a holy place
for the Jain community, for it is close to the
birthplace of the seventh Jain Tirthankara.
Beside it is the Jain Ghat, which has two Jain
temples on it. Nishadraj Ghat, named after
Nisad, a mythical and heroic fisherman in
Ramayana, is a place for boatmen and
fishermen.
The Panchkoat Ghat was built by the king of
Madhya Pradesh in 1915, and the Chet
Singh Ghat was built by King Chet Singh,
who fought a fierce battle against the British
troops of Warren Hastings at this place.
Niranjani Ghat has a historical connection
with king Kumaragupta, and is famous for its
Kartikeya temple.
The Dasaswamedh Ghat is where Lord
Brahma is said to have sacrificed ten horses
in order to celebrate the return of Shiva on
earth. Manikarnika Ghat is a sacred place
for cremation.
The Man Mandir Ghat was built in 1770 by
Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur, and is known
for its 'lingam' of Someshwar, the Lord of the
Moon.
Some of the other Ghats in Varanasi are the
Maha Nirvani Ghat, Shivala Ghat, Gulariya
Ghat, Dandi Ghat, Hanuman Ghat,
Karnataka Ghat, Mansarover Ghat, Bachraj
Ghat, Kedar Ghat, and the Lalita Ghat.
Varanasi For Visitors
Both Hindus and non-Hindus from around
the world visit Varanasi for different reasons.

Varanasi is a city of temples. It has reportedly over 23000 of them within its municipality

Although Varanasi is popularly called the

city of Shiva and Ganga, it is at once the city
of temples, the city of 'ghats', the city of
music, and the center for moksha or nirvana.
For every visitor, Varanasi has a different
experience to offer. The gentle waters of the
Ganges, the boat ride at sunrise, the high
banks of the ancient "Ghats", the array of
shrines, the meandering narrow serpentine
alleys of the city, the myriad temple spires,
the palaces at water's edge, the ashrams
(hermitages), the pavilions, the chanting of
mantras, the fragrance of incense, the palm
and cane parasols, the devotional hymns all offer a kind of mystifying experience that
is unique to the city of Shiva.
What Makes It Holy?
To the Hindus, the Ganges is a sacred river
and any town or city on its bank is believed to
be auspicious. But Varanasi has a special
sanctity, for it is believed, this is where Lord
Shiva and his consort Parvati stood when
time started ticking for the first time. The
place also has an intimate connection with a
host of legendary figures and mythical
characters, who are said to have actually
lived here. Varanasi has found place in the
Buddhist scriptures as well as the great
Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The holy epic
poem Shri Ramcharitmanas by Goswami
Tulsidas was also written here. All this
makes Varanasi a significantly holy place.
The City of Temples
Varanasi is also famous for its antique
temples. The renowned Kashi Vishwanath
Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has a
'lingam' - the phallic icon of Shiva - that goes

back to the time of the epics. Skanda Purana

by Kasikanda mentions this temple of
Varanasi as Shiva's abode. It has withstood
the onslaught of various invasions by
Muslim rulers. The present temple was
rebuilt by Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar, the ruler of
Indore, in 1776. Then in 1835, the Sikh ruler
of Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had its
15.5 m high spire plated in gold. Since then it
is also known as the Golden Temple.
Major Temples of Varanasi
The 8th century Durga Temple, situated on
the Ramnagar Pandav road, is home to
hundreds of monkeys that reside in the
nearby trees. Another popular temple is the
Sankatmochan temple dedicated to the
simian-god Hanuman. Varanasi's Bharat
Mata Temple is probably the only temple in
India that is dedicated to the 'Mother India.'
Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936, it
has a big relief map of India carved in
marble. Another relatively new temple is the
Tulsi Manas Temple built in honor of Lord
Rama in 1964 at the place where Tulsidas
composed the Ramacharitmanas, the
vernacular version of the epic of Ramayana.
The walls of this temple adorn the scenes
and verses depicting the exploits of Lord
Rama.
Other significant places of worship include
the Sakshi Vinayaka Temple of Lord
Ganesha, the Kaal Bhairav Temple, the
Nepali Temple, built by the King of Nepal on
Lalita Ghat in Nepali style, the Bindu
Madhav Temple near the Panchaganga
Ghat and the Tailang Swami Math.

u May 2014

13

City of Death and Liberation

(The Following Excerpt is from the classical book Banara City of Light by Diana. L. Ecke. In her
account of the sacred history, geography, and art of the city, its elaborate and thriving rituals, its
myths and literature, and its importance to pilgrims and seekers, Diana Eck uses her wealth of
scholarship to make the Hindu traditions come powerfully alive so that we come to understand
the meaning of this sacred city .)

No OTHER CITY on earth is as famous for

death as is Banaras. More than for her
temples and magnificent ghats, more than
for her Silks and brocades, Banaras, the
Great Cremation Ground, is known for
death. At the center of the city along the
riverfront is Manikarnika, the sanctuary of
death, with its ceaselessly smoking
cremation pyres. The burning ghat extends
its influence and the sense of its presence
throughout the city. Entering Banaras from
the villages to the south, one sees, leaning
against the walls of the shops on Lanka
Street, stacks of bamboo litters for carrying
the dead. Along the main roads of the
suburbs or in the dense lanes of the city one
suddenly hears the familiar chant of a
funeral procession on its way to
Manikarnika: Rama name satya hai! Rama
name satya hai! Gods name is Truth!
Gods name is Truth!
In Kashi, life is lived in the perpetual
presence of death. One of the most popular
couplets of the poet Kabir, painted upon the
walls of buildings throughout the city,
reminds the passerby of deaths inevitability:
Seeing the grinding stone turning, turning,
Kabir began to weep.
Between the two stones, not a single grain is
saved!
The verse is often accompanied by a vivid
folk art depiction of a woman turning the
simple domestic grinding stone, throwing
not grains but people into the mill, where
they are sure to be crushed between the two
stones. Death is as common, as certain, as
the grinding of wheat once it is thrown into

mill. Rounding the corner of the narrow lane,

or glancing up from a street side market, one
will see this famous couplet, next to the
advertisements for the newest movie, or the
slogans of the latest political campaign. The
rickshaw-pullers and vegetable vendors
know it by heart. Kashi is comfortable with
the fact of death.
For death in Kashi is death transformed. As
the saying goes, Death in Kashi is
Liberation Kashyam maranam muktih. It
is dying that unleashes the greatest holy
power of Kashi, the power of bestowing
liberation, moksha or mukti. Death, which
elsewhere is feared, here is welcomed as a
long-expected guest. Death, which
elsewhere is under the terrifying jurisdiction
of Yama, is free from that terror here, for
Yama is not allowed within the city limits of
Kashi. Death, which elsewhere is polluting,
is here holy and auspicious. Death, the most
natural, unavoidable, and certain of human
realities, is here the sure gate to moksha,
the rarest, most precious, most difficult to
achieve of spiritual goals.
Shiva pledged to dwell in the linga which
Jaigishavya established in order to bestow
siddhi, fulfillment, upon all who practice
yoga.
The linga of Jaigishavya may still be seen
today. Its temple is in a small, peaceful
monastic compound in the northeastern
sector of the city. Here the ancient traditions
of the yogi Jaigishavya continue. The linga
in the temple is striking: an enormous,
rounded stone some five feet tall.
There are many renouncers who have
emulated Jaigishavyas severe ascetic
practice, the most radical being those called
the Aghoris, who not only renounce the
world for a life of asceticism, but turn the
values of the world upside down and fasten
upon the reverse side, so to speak. Their
name is euphemistic, meaning Not

Terrible, but in truth they are the most

terrible of all from a worldly point of view.
They haunt the cremation grounds and
sleep upon graves. They drink wine, sever
on the embers of cremation pyres. Like
Shiva, who is also known by the name
Aghora, they seem deliberately to adopt the
things the world scorns, following a path of
spiritual tempering that ensures their
liberation from the values of dharma. If all,
indeed, is Brahman, then one modern
Aghori, Baba Bhagvan Ram, has
established the most active center for the
treatment of lepers in Banaras.
The goal of renouncer, whether the ordinary
yogi or the radical Aghori, is to become
liberated-in-life, a jivan mukta. Such a
person has transcended the tensions, the
dualities, the anxieties of life and of death,
even while living on this shore. When he
dies, he will make that final crossing, never
to return.
Renouncers, of course, are not the only
continued on page 14

14

continued from page 13

ones bound for moksha in Kashi. In a sense,

this city, while it is famous for its ascetics,
yogis, and renouncers constitutes a
challenge to their labors, for everyone here
is bound for moksha. We have already
heard that sleep if yoga in Kashi, and it is
said that what is discovered by studying the
Vedanta and all the Upanishads may be
learned playfully in Kashi, with no effort at
all. The Puranic mahatmyas are filled with
the radical juxtaposition of the hard path of
the ascetics and the easy paths of those
who do nothing more than meet their death
here in Kashi.
People come from all over India to live in
Kashi until they die. They come for
Kashivasa-living in Kashi. Having come to
Avimukta, they never leave. For them, this is
the final stop on a pilgrimage that has lasted
for many lives, through birth and death and
birth again. Dying in Kashi, they make the
final crossing, which ends the pilgrimage of
this life, and of all lives.
Through the ages, Banaras been colonized
in its various sectors by these Kashivasis.
The Madrasis have settled at Hanuman
Ghat, the Bengalis in Bengali Tola, the
Maharashtians near Rama Ghat and
Panchaganga Ghat . Some have come here
to retire. Some are widows who are left

u May 2014

without recourse in their old age. They have

been the pillars of their family religious life
for decades. They have gone barefoot on
more pilgrimages, observed more fasts,
sung more devotional hymns than either
their husband or their sons. And now, thin
and almost invisible in their plain white saris,
they are among the most pious of the
Kashivasis.
In addition to the Kashivasis, there are
others who have come to Kashi at the
eleventh hour. They come for what is
colloquially called Kashi Labh- The Benefit
of Kashi. They make it just in time .They are
brought to hospices such as Kashi Labh
Mukti Bhavan, near Godaulia crossing .
Here they may die in peace, for dying a good
death is as important as living a good life.

No OTHER CITY on
earth is as famous
for death as is
Banaras. More than
for her temples and
magnificent ghats,
more than for her
Silks and brocades,

Shiva, the Teacher at Deaths Door

The PLACE where Shiva himself, the Great
Lord, teaches the araka mantra at the time
of death that is Avimukta.
When one dies in Kashi, they say, it is Shiva
himself who whispers. In ones ear the
taraka mantra, the ferry boat mantra, or the
mantra of the crossing. In the Hindu
tradition, it is the guru who ordinarily
bestows the mantra upon a qualified
student, and the mantra is the means of
wisdom. The guru mediates the kind of
wisdom that cannot be learned from books
but is conveyed in personal instruction from
one generation to the next. Here in Kashi,
Shiva himself is the guru. The light of
wisdom here is shed by no human teacher
but communicated directly from God to the

Banaras, the Great

Cremation Ground,
is known for death.
human ear and the human heart. Shivas
personal role as bestower of salvation is one
he chose in the beginning . Remember how
Shiva and Parvati stood in Kashi, before the
world was made, and decided to create
Vishnu precisely so that Vishnu could take
over the task of sustaining and governing
the rest of the universe, freeing Shiva to
spend his time doing that in which he most
delights: bestowing liberation. Shiva
continued on page 15

Dashwamedh ghat

u May 2014

15

continued from page 14

became the ruler of Kashi, the place of light

and wisdom , and he pledged:
This land, bounded by the Panchakroshi, is
dear to me. My rule will prevail here, and no
other rule will have power. O Vishnu, no
other shall teach the creatures who live in
Avimukta, even if they are sinners. I alone
shall be their teacher.
Hindus have portrayed Shiva, the merciful
deathbed teacher, with great tenderness . In
his posture of granting liberation, Shiva has
a very personal form, bending down to the
ear of the dying to whisper the secret of
wisdom. It is said that when the great saint
Ramakrishna came to Kashi in the late
nineteenth century, he went into a deep
trance of meditation as he passed
Manikarnika by boat . He later described
what he had seen in his moments of vision:
The goddess Annapurna held in her lap the
body of a dead man, while Shiva knelt to
whisper the taraka mantra in his ear. It is little
wonder that death is said to lose its terror in
Kashi, for Shiva will be present and will
speak into ones ear all one needs to know.
The Last Sacrifice
At Manikarnika cremation ground, there is a
sacred fire which is said to have burned
constantly for as long as anyone can

Varanasi, Manikarnika Ghat

remember. It is kept by the Doms, the
untouchable caste that cares for the
cremation ground and tends the pyres. With
the flame of this sacred fire, the cremation
pyres are lighted, although some groups of
mourners may bring embers from home.
The cremation rite is called the last
sacrifice-antyeshti. The rite is, indeed, a
sacrifice in India, from the most complex to
the most simple. What is prepared,
ornamented, and offered into the fire is , in
this case, the deceased. When the body
arrives at the cremation ground, after the
chanting procession through the lanes of
Banaras, it is given a final dip in the River
Ganges. It is sprinkled with the oil of
sandalwood and decked with garlands of
flowers. The deceased is honored as would
befit a God, and in Kashi it is said that the
dead take on the very form of God.

Varanasi, Manikarnika Ghat

At Manikarnika
cremation ground,
there is a sacred fire
which is said to
have burned
constantly for as
long as anyone can
remember. It is kept
by the Doms, the
untouchable caste
that cares for the
cremation ground
and tends the pyres.
With the flame of
this sacred fire, the
cremation pyres are
lighted, although
some groups of
mourners may bring
embers from home.
continued on page 16

16

continued from page 15

The word for a dead body is shava, and

Hindus have often underlined the phonetic
relation between shava and Shiva. The
identification of the dead with Shiva is
suggested by the Brahmins in their
mahatmyas of Kashi. In the great cremation
ground, they say, the dead receive the form
and emblems of Shiva. They become threeeyed, wearing the crescent moon in their
hair, carrying the trident. Little cares Shiva
for the pollution usually associated with
death, and here in Kashi he takes up his very
likeness. In the fire of the last sacrifice, the
shava is a holy offering indeed.
It is the chief mourner, usually the eldest
son, who takes the twigs of holy kusha
grass, flaming, from the Doms eternal fire to
the pyre upon which the dead has been laid.
He circumambulates the pyre
counterclockwise-for everything is
backward at the time of death. As he walks
round the pyre, his sacred thread, which
usually hangs from the left shoulder, has
been reversed to hang from the right. He
lights the pyre. The dead, now, is an offering
to Agni, the fire. Here, as in the most ancient
Vedic times, the fire conveys the offering to
heaven.

u May 2014

After the corpse is almost completely

burned, the chief mourner performs a rite
called kapalakriya, the rite of the skull,
cracking the skull with a long bamboo stick,
thus releasing the soul from entrapment in
the body. Now, truly, nothing but ash
remains. The chief mourner takes a large
clay pot of Ganges water, throws it
backward over his left shoulder upon the
dying embers, and walks away without
looking back. These living have turned
back, separated from the dead, they say;
this day our invocation of the gods became
auspicious. We then went forward for
dancing, for laughter, firmly establishing our
long life. The members of the funeral party
do not grieve openly, for it is said that many
tears pain the dead.
The rites for the dead that follow the
cremation last for eleven days and consist of
daily offerings of rice balls, called pindas,
which provide a symbolic, transitional body
for the dead. During these days, the dead
person makes the journey to the heavens, or
the world of the ancestors, or the far shore.
As a whole, these rites are called shraddha,
or pindadana, the offering of pindas. The
rites also include the providing of feasts for a
group of brahmins, who take nourishment
on behalf of the dead. On the twelfth day, the
departed soul is said to reach its destination
and be joined with its ancestors, a fact
expressed symbolically by joining a small
panda to a much larger one.

Varanasi, Manikarnika Ghat

Death is dangerous because it is a time of

transition. In this transitional period, the soul
is called a preta, literally one who has gone
forth from the body but has not yet arrived at
its new destination. The rites following the
cremation enable the preta to become a
pitri, an ancestor, or more precisely, a
father. Without such rites, one might
remain a homeless preta for a long time. For
those who are very great sinners or who
have died hideous death, this transition from
life to new life might be obstructed by
becoming a pishacha.
Kashi draws into powerful focus the greatest
symbols of Hindu culture-its gods,
especially the Great lord, Shiva; its sacred
geography, especially the Heavenly River,
Ganga: and its vision of transcendence,
moksha. For over 2,500 years, the people of
India have come to this place, which they
have described as both the Great Cremation
Ground and the Forest of Bliss .Here they
have built temples and ashrams, palaces
and homes, schools and businesses,
transforming the ancient groves and pools
of the yakshas and nagas into one of the
most awesome cities in the world. It is a city
of wealth, exuberance, and life. It is also a
city of poverty, confusion, suffering, and
death. But the City of Light, they say,
extends ones vision across the river of life
and death to the far shore of immortality. It is
called Kashi, for here the light shines.