Invisible Neighbors: Metaphysical Members of Society in Varaṇasi, India
Invisible Neighbors: Metaphysical Members of Society in Varaṇasi, India
Seth Ligo
ABSTRACT
The city of Varaṇasi, north India, buzzes with networks. Arguably the oldest inhabited city in the world and Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage destination, contemporary social networks are interwoven with historical and religious narrative. In fact, in this densely populated and ancient space it is imperative not only to know one’s extended family, one’s community, and one’s history, but also the history of the city more broadly, the stories that are mapped onto it, and all the neighbors — both visible and invisible — one might encounter or call upon within the city’s sacred territory. This essay explores the role of invisible or metaphysical neighbors who are understood to inhabit Varaṇasi, and who are regularly engaged by the city’s residents. While some were residents who became transhistorical, and others have descended from myth to dwell in the sacred city, the ability to live well and flourish in Varaṇasi relies upon participation in social networks that extend to members beyond the contemporary and the mundane.
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