It is night and the mighty river Ganga has finally fallen silent. The ghats are hushed without the characteristic intense hustle and bustle of the daytime.
The sounds may have quietened but the lights stay on and the illuminated ancient structures on the river bank, keep the show going all night, bathed in the glow of bright hues.
The only noise is that of my motor boat as it slices purposefully through the dark waters. I am the only passenger and my boatman has picked me up from Raj ghat where my taxi deposited me from the airport.
The December night is very cold and the sides of the boat are open. I am glad for the coat that was easily accessible in my baggage and is now hugging me in a valiant attempt to keep me from freezing. As I breathe in the chill air, warm memories rise up within me and a wave of nostalgia washes over my being. I am back in Varanasi after many many years, a place where I had spent 2 memorable years of my childhood.
We sail upstream for 20 minutes before my stream of thought is interrupted, as the boat glides up to the pier and docks at the ghat leading to the Guleria Kothi hotel. This is going to be my home for the next 2 days and I feel a deep thrill as I disembark and gaze at the steps leading to the imposing building which is all aglitter, as if waiting to welcome me in its dazzling embrace.
Come, step back into time with me and enter the portals of the very ancient mansion turned hotel … the Guleria Kothi, in the city of Varanasi, which is located in the district of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, one of the largest states of India.
