Oh how far we’ve come. How low we’ve fallen. How depraved and deranged a time we now live in. How despicable and desperate everything seems.

In contrast to a time like this.

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Bismillah Khan describes a unified vision of India through the city of Banaras. | “I roam all over the world and see wide roads and huge buildings, but when I think of Banaras (Varanasi), I remember this captivating view, and this pulls me here. If you ask me, it makes me happy. The place is such. You can bathe in the Ganga, offer namaz in the Mosque and then rehearse at Balaji Mandir. Our way of life used to be like that of a holy man. Thanks to God, I have come here again after so many years. It seems like such a happy place to be. I’ve been travelling not just in India, but around the world, but I don’t see such a sight as is here.” Excerpt from ‘Meeting a Milestone’ by Gautam Ghose (1989).

A post shared by MEETING RIVERS (@_meetingrivers) on Feb 26, 2020 at 7:33am PST

Watch Bismillah Khan sing praises to the spirit of Benaras, reliving his days and life there, where the duality of Islam and Hinduism found peaceful coexistence in one of the holiest cities in the country.

A reality that seems unbelievable and impossible to retrieve today.

SHAME.

One year ago: Winter joys
Two years ago: You’ve been on my mind