A college experience can hardly - in fact never be forgotten. It is here, where you have slogged it out, broken your heads to solve tricky problems, where you have dreamed and burned midnight oil to maintain, improve or pass the grades. It is something special because it has laid your foundation to the adult life, an adolescent in teens maturing to Adult hood to take on the challenge of real life, a really very exciting period of life …
All my college life has been spent in Varanasi, home of one of the most important Central University, Banaras Hindu University. After having been selected in IIT Engineering Entrance, I chose to join ITBHU at Varanasi for my
B. Tech in Chemical Engineering.
Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in India / World. And it is famous in various ways, but especially in India, All Hindus want to be taken to Varanasi at least during their old age so that they can breath their last there. The belief has it that if you breathe your last there, you will go to Heavens – “whatever it means”. The word “Varanasi” comes from “varan” and “assi”. Assi is a ghat on the banks of the Ganges.
Varanasi is famous for many things. It has one of the best water drainage systems in India. It has many ghats and temples, the famous among which is the old Shiva temple and Dasaswamegh ghat. Of course, its “Pan” (sweet betel) also is very famous as described in the song “Khaike pan banaraswala ……..”
The city itself is not very clean, but the BHU campus is an exception and is kept impeccably clean. Varanasi is also known as “Kashi” and its mention is found even in some Vedic literature and Puranas. The word “kashi” is mentioned in some Vedic chanting and other Mantras. So we can imagine its and ancient antiquity. It has been home for many Great Scholars and Saints like Goswami Tulsidas, Kabir, Munshi Premchand and many others. The Ganges water is supposed to cleanse the sins of People and is supposed to be very pure although this may be disputed as lot of Water purification projects are on and it is said that Ganga has become unclean or “Maili” (“Ram teri Ganga maili ….”). But all said and done, People still carry Ganga water back to homes for using in difficulties. It is more of a Faith and Belief, which works or not works.
Varanasi has many other visiting spots like Vedic Library and other monuments. People take its “Bhang” along with “Thandai” with relish. Let us also visit once, if at all for a dip in Ganges to cleanse ourselves and relish the warmth of the Old and ancient, which the City has to offer alongside modern 5 star hotels like Taj Varanasi