Benares  - Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was a modern writer who was born in the year 1894 and died in the year 1963. He is a well-known thinker and writer of modern times. He was a rationalist. He has how concern for the moral values and the dread of the top sided development of science.  The present essay ‘Benares’ shows his rationalistic approach in life.

The sun eclipse was about to take place on 14^th of January 1926. It was not to be seen by naked eyes. It was visible from Benares. So Aldous Huxley came to observe it.

On that particular day the city of Benares, a pilgrim place, was crowded with a big populace. Millions of people from all over the country come there to save the sun from being eaten up by a serpent. Huxley observed the orthodox Brahmins with their chants and deeds on the crowded banks of the Ganges, the sacred river of the dirty water. Men, women and children from all walks of life with utensils and new clothes to be touched after the holy dip were carried in on head loads. Huxley observed the ocean of ignorant mankind on the banks of the Ganga, the mother of civilization.

In the mid-noon six persons carried the princess in a palanquin.  A carpet was spread to the barge. The princess in mask went to the river and got into a boat, which was decorated like Noah’s ark.  The boat went into the middle of the stream. The curtains were opened and the princess was to bath away from her poor sisters clamouring on the banks in the crowd.

Later the author, Aldous Huxley, came to the ghats on which he observed three dead bodies were cremating on the pyres of wood. Their feet were stretched out of pyre like the poor man’s out of his little bed.  The body was seen like in the torn out blanket.

The time of climax came in at last. The eclipse was to take place. Suddenly the Brahmins started sitting in a line like cormorants chanting and singing. They were gazing tip of their nose to concentrate their  meditative sleep.  Huxley who was an unorthodox and a non-conformist western man clicked his camera.

Later the author felt extremely sorry for poor India when he came into the city of Benares packed with beggars. He saw a sacred bull eating away the rice from one of the sleepy beggar. He was of the opinion that animals are not intelligent and have no imagination but they are very happy. When the whole mankind was engaged to influence gods for their benefit the bull came with timely care and ate away the rice given to a beggar in charity.

Aldous Huxley regrets the religious ignorance of the Indians. He asks the Indians who were trying to save the sun. Who will save India? Much of their energy is wasted in imbecile superstitions. He says India will not be free unless they give up all their superstitions and try to realize their own state of life.

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