India: Kashi celebrating Masan Holi with ‘chita bhasm’

Sudip Chanda

The religious capital of Varanasi lies in the center of the valley of the Ganges in North India. The city is full of unique and mysterious places. There is the famous Kashi Viswanath Temple, then Mahashamsha, where the funeral pyre never dies. The name is Manikarnika Ghat. In Hinduism, death is considered a gateway to another life marked by the result of one's karma. People celebrate Masan Holi, a celebration mostly observed among Shiva devotees using pyre ashes in the Manikarnika ghat in Varanasi has caught the attention of a lot of people. As Holi approaches, various Indian states have begun celebrating the festival according to their unique traditions and cultures. It is an age-old tradition of the city to celebrate death with the hope of attaining moksha (salvation), said an organizer and the local priests mentioning, “The tradition has been in practice since time immemorial and also has reference in Skand Purana and ancient texts.” People of Kashi gather at Manikarnika ghat to celebrate Chita Bhasma Holi. It is very auspicious occasion for all the Aghoris, sages and Nagas. As per the belief of our Vedic scripture, the phantoms, ghosts and all such Lord Shiva devotees gather on Manikarnika ghat to celebrate Masan Holi with their deity Shiva. Now the question arises how do people celebrate Masane Ki Holi Varanasi? There is a temple of Mahashamshan Nath at cremation ground in Varanasi, where people offer prayers to the Lord of Shamshan Ghat. They resonate with “Har Har Ma