The city of Kashi is filled with temples, big and small, old and new. There are temples at every corner, and you never know where you will stumble upon a small shrine. There are idols beneath what remains of trees (there are hardly any trees any more within the core area of the city), there are saffron covered forms resembling deities which seem attached to walls, an especially incongruous sight when the idol itself appears to be old, while the wall is evidently new…. And there are surprisingly large temples rising from what appear to be a bunch of houses. The city is sometimes colloquially said to be as old as time, and some of the shrines and temples are said to date back to times unknown, at least the deity itself, if not the structure. Not much remains of the ancient structures anyway. The city has seen more than its fair share of good and bad times. It has seen the heights of grandeur, and the lows brought about by destruction. The city that exists today has grown so haphaza...
Roaming around as we did, under the merciless glare of the summer sun, the only relief was in the form of these fruits which were available at every street corner. They quenched our thirst and filled our stomachs, and we needed little else to keep us going..... Here they are....
The fruits of the palm tree.. which we call 'Nungu' in Tamil. The fruit is sweet and juicy...
Interestingly, the palm shoot is cut and the juice is traditionally collected in a hanging earthen pot. Collected before noon, this juice is called Neera (Padaneer in Tamil), and is one refreshing drink. The same juice, in its fermented form is the infamous 'Toddy' or 'Tadi' - a raw alcoholic beverage much in demand among the villagers!
This one needs no introduction.... the coconut is a fruit which can be eaten anywhere, anytime, and its water is much better and tastier than any bottled water!
and finally, last but not the least - the fruit of the season.... the mango! Trees covered by the luscious fruit were a common sight all through our trip.....
In fact, Samhith and his aunt even climbed one of these....
and came back with their own loot of raw mangoes.. Yum! a taste not easily forgotten!
They really make travelling in that terrible heat worthwhile!
The fruits of the palm tree.. which we call 'Nungu' in Tamil. The fruit is sweet and juicy...
Interestingly, the palm shoot is cut and the juice is traditionally collected in a hanging earthen pot. Collected before noon, this juice is called Neera (Padaneer in Tamil), and is one refreshing drink. The same juice, in its fermented form is the infamous 'Toddy' or 'Tadi' - a raw alcoholic beverage much in demand among the villagers!
This one needs no introduction.... the coconut is a fruit which can be eaten anywhere, anytime, and its water is much better and tastier than any bottled water!
and finally, last but not the least - the fruit of the season.... the mango! Trees covered by the luscious fruit were a common sight all through our trip.....
In fact, Samhith and his aunt even climbed one of these....
and came back with their own loot of raw mangoes.. Yum! a taste not easily forgotten!
They really make travelling in that terrible heat worthwhile!
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