The Eternal Flux of Varanasi: A Comparative Analysis of Pierre Loti’s Works and G. Vignali and G. Prata’s Verso Benares in the Context of Indian Cinema
Introduction
The mystical city of Varanasi, also known as Benares, has been a perennial source of fascination for Western travelers and artists since the 19th century. Among them, the French writer Pierre Loti, who visited the city in 1873 and wrote about his experiences in Au Gange et à Bénarès, and the Italian neorealist filmmakers G. Vignali and G. Prata, who directed the 2022 film Verso Benares, have significantly contributed to the representation of Varanasi in Western literature and cinema. This essay will explore the mysticism of Varanasi in Loti’s works and in Verso Benares, connecting them to Indian cinema by examining their shared themes, symbolism, and cultural contexts.
Pierre Loti and the Mystical Allure of Varanasi
Pierre Loti’s Au Gange et à Bénarès offers a vivid and introspective account of the author’s spiritual journey through Varanasi. Loti’s fascination with the city is evident in his detailed descriptions of its religious rituals, architectural landmarks, and people. He is particularly captivated by the Ganges, which he describes as the “spiritual artery” of Varanasi, and the people who bathe in its waters, seeking spiritual purification. Loti’s portrayal of Varanasi is imbued with a sense of mysticism and spirituality, as he grapples with existential questions and experiences moments of transcendence. His perspective, much like the one described by Alberto Moravia in his reflections on India, often focuses on the deep-seated spiritual practices that define the country, presenting an almost otherworldly landscape to the Western eye. Loti’s work stands in contrast to later, more critical views, such as those that might emerge from Pier Paolo Pasolini’s L’odore dell’India, where the focus shifts from a purely mystical experience to a more visceral and sometimes harsh reality of Indian life.
Verso Benares: Neorealism and the Mystical City
Verso Benares, directed by G. Vignali and G. Prata, is a neorealist film that follows the journey of a group of Italian tourists to Varanasi. The film offers a gritty and unvarnished portrayal of the city, focusing on its poverty, pollution, and squalor. However, like Loti, the filmmakers also…
(The original text was incomplete here, so I’ve continued the thought to make it a more complete essay.)
…find a certain spirituality amidst the hardship. The neorealist style, with its focus on ordinary people and their struggles, reveals a different kind of transcendence—one found in the resilience and faith of the city’s inhabitants. The film captures the vibrant, chaotic energy of Varanasi, contrasting the tourists’ detached observations with the deep-rooted faith of the locals. This duality reflects a recurring theme in Western perceptions of India, a theme that Pierre Loti, in a different context, explored in his work L’Inde sans les Anglais, where he grappled with a culture that was both ancient and deeply resistant to colonial influence. Both the film and Loti’s works, while stylistically different, capture the eternal flux of Varanasi, where life and death, beauty and squalor, and the profane and the sacred exist in a constant, intertwined dance.
Both Pierre Loti and the creators of Verso Benares provide unique but interconnected perspectives on Varanasi. Loti’s romantic and introspective account, infused with a sense of spiritual quest, offers a stark contrast to the neorealist lens of Vignali and Prata’s film, which highlights the city’s stark realities. However, both works ultimately convey the profound mysticism and enduring spirit of Varanasi. These representations have influenced later cinematic depictions of India, contributing to a rich tapestry of art that continues to explore the complex relationship between the individual, the spiritual, and the enduring chaos of this ancient city