Benares- Varanasi

Benarés or Varanasi, city of the north of India, is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the northern border of the Ganges river.
It is located in a fertile region in which sugar cane and cereals are grown. The city is also an important commercial center.
Brocades of silk, gold thread and silver are woven, filigree works and brass articles. Benarés is all year crowded with Indian pilgrims, you will distinguish by his dhotis or lunghis tied to the height of the knee, the shaved women, their different type of jewelry.

There are some buildings constructed during the sixteenth century, although the kingdom of Kashi occupied its present location in the antiquity. The Hindus consider the city holy; the travellers arrive at Benarés from everywhere and the stories of these pilgrimages go back to century VII.
Great multitudes meet along the sacred river Ganges, where embankments (or ghats) lead to the water. The Hindus think that the immersion in the Ganges purifies the sins and that to die in its borders leads to salvation; some ghats are used for the funeral pyres.

From Ramnagar, through the river, the city of Benarés gives a splendor impression that dissipates when watching with more attention. The narrow streets windingly wind between painted buildings or workings, many of which have hanging galleries.

Between more than 1,000 temples, the most known are the mosque of Aurangzeb, the observatory of the crack Jai Singh and the temple of Durga (both constructed in century XVII) and most sacred of all the temples, the Bisheshwar, or Gilded temple.

Benarés is also an erudition center, in special for the study of sanskrit, developed in the School of Benarés (1971) and receives economic subventions of the government. The Hindu University of Benarés (1916) was the first denominational university of India; also it is the seat of the Varanasaya-Sanskrit University, founded on 1958.

The population (2001) is 1.100.748 inhabitants.
Ganges (in hindi, Ganga; in bengalí, Padma), is the most important river of the Indian subcontinent. It is born in the southern slope of the Himalayas corresponding to the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the north of India.
The river basin of the Ganges, one of the most fertile regions of the world and also one of the most densely populated, extends between the Himalayas and the Vindhya hills, including more than 1.000.000 of km2 of surface.

The Ganges, that has a length of about 2,510 km, is born in an ice field between three mountains of the Himalayas that surpass 6,700 meters. Born like Bhagirathi river from a cave of ice 3,139 ms high, it descends to a rate of 67 ms by kilometer. To about 16 km of distance there is the temple of Gangotri, the first in its border and a center of traditional peregrination. In Devaprayag, 214 km of its birth, Bhagirathi is united to the Alaknanda river and together they form the Ganges.

Ganges is for the Hindu a holy river par excellence, as it is demonstrated in the numerous religious ceremonies that are celebrated in the cities by which it runs, like Benarés, Haridwar and Allahabad.

Bollywood

Bollywood is the movie industry in India, located in the financial and economic capital of the country, Bombay. It produces the greater amount of annual films, more than Hollywood. The Indian town is a great consumer of its native cinema. Also there is industry in Chennai, in its regional language, Tamil, and in other languages, like Bengali, Bhojpuri, etc.

The actors are very popular and admired, in this democracy with no royalty, the actors add the touch of glamour in the social panorama. Don´t miss an Indian movie in your trip in India, it's all an experience.

The dance items have always left me flabbergasted, they are so exotic! The term Bollywood masala movie, or film masala means a mixture of all genres. Masala means spicy, but also mix.
In the film you will see that both main characters are about to kiss each other when the bad one suddenly starts a persecutions scene. After that action scene, here comes again a romantic scene. This is so chaotic, weird and surrealistic for western audiences. There is also independent, minority, reivindicative cinema in India. Everything is not mainstream, although entertainment is still the main option.


My favorite actor, a former Indian model, called John Abraham, is the handsome guy of the moment. And her eternal fiancèe, Bipasha Basu.. In my next life I want to be Bipasha, je je.
Favorite my peli is of them, Jism. The cool couple are widely exposed in the press daily.
Jism, a 2003 thriller that also united to this pair in the real life. Many queens of the beauty happen to make films, like Aishwarya RAI, Universal Miss in the decade of the 90. Rani Mukherjee is another actress who works much in Bollywood, from the last decade. It is the premium of Kajol, in these cinematographic dynasties abound the relations although they are very distant.
Aishwarya is most international of the actresses of Hollywood, although some put in doubt their talent as actress, and has participated like jury in festivales like the one of Cannes, does few years. Of it is quoted at the moment. Some last films of them are ´The mistress of spices´, or ´Pride and prejudice´, and classic like ´Devdas´, with SRK.

´Devdas´ also has like protagonist to Madhuri Dixit, that was without a doubt the queen of the 90. Was also considered it like a magnificent actress, very expressive. Now it is retirement, and dedicated to his family. She was a great dancer.

Devdas - Maar Dala A great success in capital letters of the 90. Maar dala, kill me, means. A great India tragedy, cradle in the book of Rabindranath Tagore.

Preity Zinta is an actress panjabi very wanted also, actress less sensual than Bipasha, more intellectual. But very likeable, with its characteristic dimples.
Preity Zinta participates in great productions and successes of the hand of the sagradas cows of the Indian cinema, like Amitabh Bacchan, the gentleman sesentón of the knob that you will see in all the fences and announcements of TV. And SRK, that is Shah Rukh Khan, the guaperas official, although I do not see much him the guapura, go to tastes, will be… He has already more than 40 and he follows of official gallant.

Another famous marriage of actors of Hollywood is Ajay Devgan and Kajol, she was like Julia Roberts in America, India's girlfriend, precocious actress. It is action hero, the hard type of Bollywood. It has returned east year to work of the hand of Amir Khan in ´Fanaa´, super hit of the summer. She pleases much since she is very natural and extroverted, and causes that to act it seems so easy! She is one of the great ones, next to Madhuri Dixit.

Old glories like Hema Malini, the prettiest girl of the years 60 and 70, who still causes commentaries when she appears in screen in the cinemas due to his beauty. She continues working, although her daughter Esha Deol has been it happening. Abhishek Bacchan has done the same with its father, Amitabh Bacchan, and until they work together. Rekha, Azmi Savannah, are actresses of the years 80 that still follow in active-duty.

Now there is a film, the success of ticket office of the season, call Khrish, the second thousands part of ¨Koy gaya¨, remake from E.T to the India of few years ago that it was a supersuccess. Also Fana, with Kajol is being peliculón. The gallant or hero in Fana is Amir Khan, an actor polifacético and admired by his talent, a species from Robert de Niro to India. The film has supposed the return of Kajol after several years retired by its maternity, treats on the Muslim terrorism in Kashmir, with the history of love of bottom of a small blind person.

There are sagas of actors, of 2 or 3 generations, like the Kapoor, with his two sisters, one already retirement, the Karishma, and youngest one, Kareena. Salman Khan belongs to the trio of Khan, or Muslim actors in the Hindu majority, although this last one has given more than to speak by its behavior to the margin of the law, and later judgments. It has generated much controversy. The life of the actors of Bollywood is followed by means very close by and to newspaper. The Indian cinema recycle many films of Hollywood, makes its versions, does remakes of old glories of the Indian classic cinema. In general it is repeated much, but also the forms have been modernized. It surprises that always it deals with wealthy and millionaire families, in a country where these are as soon as 20%.

Everyone knows lyrics and songs of more of those whole times, as well as dialogues. The sound tracks of the new films of each season devastate and they are heard throughout, in ringtones, that walk crazy by them, in the weddings, the radio, TV, in the compulsive tarareo of people who happen through the street, etc. Already you know that the Indian is a very musical town.

From this decade actresses more behaved sexis, like Mallika Shewarat, Priyanka Chopra, Sameera Reddy etc, that do put in photos of supplements that do not let anything envy to the western ones. Films like ´Murder´, Murder, thriller something raised of tone for the India mentality, so mojigata and preservative opened the wave of clónicas to teach body. It was a hit box office film of 2004. It treats on a pair of lovers whom they assassinate to the husband of her. He is graceful which always they are filmed in Thailand or other countries, always outside India…
The actor who interprets all almost, is Emram Hasmi, a Muslim not very attractive in my opinion, that gives more laughter me than another thing. In English they call it ´man slut´, that is gulf or something worse, je je, of as much paper play boy that it does not stop to interpret. The only one which I have liked of him is ´Gangster´, of this year, and not by him indeed… You will see that the films Indians are autocensuran, as the society demands to them. There is no kiss front hardly, all are of backs, je je. And by all means, nothing of naked, more hard is to teach to the protagonist everything wet after a monzónico shower, but taking sari or punjabi, by all means! Everything is so chaste and so pure. In the musical numbers, the protagonists occur literal tumbles by a mountain down, in incomparable bucolic marks, and she already is, we must get it…

Music plays an important role in the films, rare she is the one that does not have only a musical number of sings and dances folk, or modern, by far virtuosity and suits of the thousands and one night. For world-wide years SRK it has been mounting tours that take more to the actors quoted by countries with much India population, like the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, etc. The establishment consists of Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, and new faces like sex Priyanka boom Chopra, who acts in ´Krish´, next to Rhritik Roshan, the plus cool doubts Bollywood. Although for me but cool it is Ajay Devgan. without I like in individual, but I recognize its elegance to him. The film ´Water´, of Deepa Mehta, I have seen east year it in the vacations in Spain. Here in unnoticed India there is past, or perhaps vetoed, so that it accuses the situation of the widows in the years 30, when they prohibited them to return to marry, and many families sent them to houses of widows to undo of them. It is a tragic history of love with John Abraham of protagonist. To me it gives me just as they say that he is not good actor: -)

I prefer cinema with a little message that the intrascendente comedy of families, malentendidos, and weddings (what obsession has the Indians with the scenes of weddings in the films). Although the dances, classic or modern, to me continue leaving with the open mouth: -) And kitsch that distills still admires to me more: -)
Years ago, in 2003 we traveled to Goa by days in winter, and in a hotel of Bombay they walked looking for extra for an India film. We scored and on the following day they took us to the studies, where by 500 rupias I could see as they record of slow and they repeat 100 million times the same scenes. It was the film of Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra ´Muhjse saadi karogi´Te you want to marry with me, was great taquillazo soon. In those studies they simulated the coast of Goa and was full therefore of other tourists doing of extras, next to the Indian extras, authentic professionals. It was amused, although only by a day already it was sufficient.

Videos about Benares

View of Benares from the Ganges 'Maha arti' by the Gangas, Varanasi Ganges' sons

Our stock

Silk scarves is one of the best sellers. They are made in handlooms in the city and they are a colourful souvenir of India. These scarfs take 4 to 7 days to weave. They have very old indian designs, like the city, more than 2000 years old.
Motives and figures like the rose, the flower pot, the pajhli or kashmiri feather, are very present. You can not find these scarfs out of Benares, at least at the affordable price you will find in the city. Benares is definately the city of the silks.
How to test silk, as there are many kinds, mixes, etc? Raw silk, paper silk, and so many qualities in each pure silk. By burning one the threads of the side of the scarf. If it´s real silk it smells like protein, like human hair, it is the silk cocoon. If not, it smells of plastic, and the carbon doens´t come out, like it does in the silk ones.

Bed covers are wonderful in pure silk, also there are mixes with cotton, synthetics, and so on. Prices starting from 1000 rupees till thousands of euros. The price depends on the work and the materials used in them.
Fabrics of linen, cotton, wool, and sinthetic materials are in our stock as well, tough we know the western choice for natural fabrics.

Available are many readymade articles like fisherman trousers, sarouel, ladies tops, kurtas for man, kaftans, skirts, Bollywood outfit, etc, western and indian design.

Vatik is a 30 years old printing techniques that is very fashionable nowadays. It is used as wall hanging, in different sizes, but also comes in cotton bed press, t´shirts, lunghis, etc. Motives painted by hand in colourful wax of gods, goddeses, countryside scenery, working, dancing, abstract, the sun and the moon, romantic scenes, even erotic, of the kamasutra!!

How to place an order online

You can give order from your country, I ship worlwide, fast and safe. Send me an email asking me for prices, quantities, and shipping method.
If you are staying or think of visiting Barcelona soon, we can arrange a meeting so you can purchase and bring with you all these articles.

Contact me in this email, motherganga@hotmail.com
We accept payments by bank account transfer and paypal.
You can purchase online in the following site, in English.
http://www.motherganges.com

Any doubt don´t hesitate to email me, I will get back to you quickly

The monsoon

The river is quite high in late July... This season is called Sawan in hindi, a very romantic spell ...

Arti, the indian princess

This is the interview to Arti, in www.lavanguardia.es, an Spanish newspaper, appeared in October 2003. Arti was 12 years then, and lives in Benares. After this interview I had the chance to meet her in Harischandra Ghat. Arti means prayer.

Interview by Ima Sanchís.


She wears a school uniform, white socks and two pony tails with red laces. Arti is a happy and imaginative girl, the first of her class, but her life is not like the rest of the class. With the money she earns selling postcard in the streets of Benares since she is 6 years old, she pays for her school, her books, his older brother fess and cares for all family, 4 brothers and two illiterate parents.
They live in a room without windows, 4 square meter, and sleep over the floor. But Arti wants to go to college, wants to become a doctor, wants to "help all these people who have nothing".
Arti doesn' t want to marry an indian, she says she want to be free and independent.
All this in her world is like pretending to become a princess in our.

I am 12 years old. I was born and live in Benares. I have 4 brothers, from 9 to 1 years old. Mi father is 36 and sells postcards in the street, my mothers is a housewife of 35. I work since I am 6. I don' t know about politics. I believe in reencarnation, that is why I never lie and try to be good to everybody.

- You like your house?
- Yes, I like much.
- As soon as it has four square meters, how dormis?
- In diagonal, my father eases up here, to his side my mother, soon I come and my four brothers. And as it is your house
- To the side of this, my house is very great.
- Vives with your parents, children and cousins?
- No - And you do not feel single?
-. Cuentame as a day in your life passes.
- I rise to 6 in the morning and I am going away next to the Ganges to sell postal. 7 and the average one I enter the school. To 16,30 I return to gats to sell but postal until it grows dark. Then study one hour, game awhile, I have supper and I speak with my friends. To 11 at night I am going away to sleep.
- That the money to house brings, you or your father?
- My father are months that nothing obtains, at the most rupias removes 300 to the month. I of average gain 800 rupias to the month.
- How you imagine your life in the future? - I want to be doctor, to help the people who need it, and in special, to all those that do not have legs or arms, nor money to buy medicines.
- And so that you want to do that?
- Because I see by the street too much people whom suffers and that needs aid. I believe that if I help them I help my same one, is good karma for me, you understand?
- Ves possible to go to the university?
- I will try It, costs between 3,000 and 4,000 rupias to the month. I already know that when is greater I cannot sell postal by the street because nobody will buy to me. I have glided to give classes of hindi to foreigners.
- You would like to marry you?
- No, I want to be doctor and to be free. If you marry to you no longer it allows you to leave house. Your husband says everything to you what you must do. Not even you have permission to speak with that you want.
- You deal with many western ones, what you think of them?
- The western ones are like the Indians, want to make money; what happens is that desire there much more that here. We are not inferior to the western ones, but we needed part its money to survive. Even so, I believe that the money is due to win honestly.
- To what you talk about?
- I refuse to work with the stores that offer money to take to me to the tourists. I refuse because that seems to me dishonest. I prefer to have a treatment of equal to equal and for that he is essential not to deceive the other.
- I understand.
- I buy the postal and must remove a benefit to them, but I do not put price, always I say to them: dame a happy money, the one that to you you makes happy will make me happy.
- And if they give you less than what you invested?
- I smile.
- Of what you speak with the foreigners?
- I speak of the greed, the money and kindness. I notice to them of so many strange Indians that the only thing whom they love it is to remove money to them.
- How you know if people are good or bad?
- Wendish postal from the six years. When I approach I see how they react: some or watch to me, others smile, others ask and they touch to me and I hate that they touch to me. If sights to the eyes to people, you know.
- You would marry with a western one?
- I have thought It, before said that no, but now I say that yes. I have realized that if I marry with a western one and I am going away to live to the foreigner I will be able to maintain to my family without losing the freedom.
- That will depend on that you choose.
- It is certain, but I can speak the sufficient thing with a western one to give account me of how she is. Nevertheless, with the Indians I cannot nor speak, our culture is thus. But I do not want to depend on any husband, nor want that he is the one that helps my family, is I the one who is going to continue becoming position of my family and for it I must and is going to work.
- What think of you your friends and friends?
- They say that I am crazy. My friends of rich families…
- Tienes rich friends?
- Yes, I am the poorest girl of my school. Those boys, the rich ones, do not understand that I am going to sell postal. Sometimes they accompany to me as if outside a game. And all are very jealous of the good that I speak English.
- In India those are the parents that decide with whom the daughters marry.
- My mother wants that marries to me and I have convinced it that she lets to me choose me. As condition demands to me that he is a good boy and that is not of very black skin, because the people of dark skin have it very difficult.
- And you what you say to him to your mother?
- If encounter a clean heart, although it is covered of a dark skin, I marry with him. To my father it does not like that I speak with Indian children because that creates commitments and bonds, worse I entrust myself in my own intuition.
- You bathe every day in the Ganges?
- A time I saw the corpse of an pregnant woman floating, is not rare that in the Ganges river they appear bodies floating but this one made an impression to me because the woman was watching to me: I had the sensation of which it meant something to me. I was three days ill. I have not returned to bathe to me in the Ganges since then. -
What you think of the death?
- That all we must ourselves die. Only they give to fear the ghosts and story me histories on them in exchange for currencies.
- Where you learned to count histories?
- Reading cómics. But histories that I more like to tell are on friendship.

Up to here the interview.

Arti reflects the reality so common in India of children's labour. Many western ones cannot think that the children are working when they approach them. It's hard but necessary to maintain the family, or to help at least.

Arti explains how the relations between sexes, even from childhood, are badly seen, and how they create commitments. The child marriage is present still between families of very humble extraction, more in towns and villages than in great cities.

The university is reserved for a very elitist group, as she counts. 3.000 or 4,000 rupias is a monthly wage in many houses. Although many chaste losses have been able to leave that wheel thanks to the governmental scholarships, to reserve seats to more underprivileged people economically. These months there has been much tension indeed by that subject. The high class have reacted indignant before the ascent of the quota of seats for the university for the chaste losses. The middle-class and high I calculate that it does not exceed 30% in India…

But Arti is a girl with something special, no doubt. I hope that she does great in life.

Namaste from Barcelona, Spain

We are a Barcelona, Spain firm for sarees and Indian wear. Benares is worldwide famous for its silks, brocades, bed covers and saris. I was living there and have direct access to wholesale indian prices, as I was running a shop there and dealing directly with suppliers. We do export and tailoring too. We accept orders by email, phone, whatsapp and accept paypal and bank account money transfer for payments. I am always available in this email, motherganga@hotmail.com, You can contact us for any doubt or price, we are wholesalers too. You can purchase online at www.motherganges.com motherganga@hotmail.com