As someone from Varanasi, I’ve started reading Jonathan P. Parry’s Death in Banaras. It’s fascinating to see my city through the eyes of a British anthropologist. Rather than focusing only on religion, he examines how death, ritual, social structure, and daily life all intersect.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s read it. Did it change the way you thought about India or anthropology?
For Varanasi, one of my favourites is Indica Books.
It’s the kind of place where you can walk in looking for one book and leave with five especially if you’re interested in Indian history, philosophy, and spirituality.
Have you visited it? What book did you pick up?
No reverse image search.
Here are a few clues:
🌸 Holds a lotus in each hand
🌞 Surrounded by a radiant halo
🪨 An ancient stone sculpture still worshipped today
Who do you think this deity is?
Drop your guess below before checking the comments!
Here are a few I’d start with:
* Banaras: City of Light - Diana L. Eck
* Kashi Ka Itihaas - Motichandra
* Banaras Reconstructed - Madhuri Desai
* Benares: A World Within a World - Richard Lannoy
Have you read any of these? Which one would you recommend first, and what book should I add next?
Everyone knows about Kashi Vishwanath.
But how many have visited Kardameśvara Mahādeva?
Widely regarded as one of the oldest surviving temples in Varanasi, the present structure dates to the 12th century, while several of its sculptures are believed to be from the 6th–7th centuries, hinting at an even older sacred site.
What fascinated me most wasn’t just its age, but its carvings Ardhanārīśvara, the Trimūrti, musicians, dancers, and scenes of everyday life, all sharing the same walls.
It feels like the temple is making a philosophical statement: in Kashi, spirituality was never separate from life.
Has anyone else here visited Kardameśvara or the nearby Virūpākṣagaṇa Temple? I’d love to hear your thoughts or learn if there’s anything I missed during my visit.
I said, “How bad was he?”
She said, “Pretty bad.”
I said, “Perfect. I thrive in low expectations.” 😏
A guy’s friend sets him up on a blind date.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous.”
The date goes amazingly.
At the end of the night he says, “Why have you never had a boyfriend?”
She smiles.
“I have.”
“Then why are you still single?”
“They all said they’d never leave me.”
She points to the cemetery across the street.
“Liars.”