Varanasi

The city is distinguished in various history books and popular culture as a symbol of renaissance, Hindu learning, philosophy and culture and civilization for about 3000 years. Mrs. Annie Besant, the famed theosophist and philanthropist, selected Varanasi as the residence for her ‘Theosophical Society’.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, established ‘Banares Hindu University, the seat of learning and culture for many and the largest University in Asia in Varanasi. Ayurveda is said to have originated at Varanasi. Social reformers such as Kabir and Ramananda found initiative for their struggle against the caste and class system in Varanasi.

Maharshi Patanjali, the eminent guru of Ayurveda and Yoga, was also associated with Varanasi. Acclaimed patrons of dance and music have learned their craft and polished their skills at Kashi. Ravi Shankar, the globally renowned Sitar player and UstadBismillah Khan, the famous Shehnai player have honed their talents here.

The word Kashi is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kash’ meaning “concentration of cosmic light”. It is called the city of light that illumines liberation: moksha-prakshikakash. Sarnath, a small town outside of Varanasi had seen Buddha preach his first sermon after enlightenment, there, The festivals of Diwali, ChahthaPooja and MahaShrivratri are celebrated with great gusto where the ghats at the bank of Ganges are illuminated magnificently and the spectacular celebrations at the temples and Ghats for days is a sight to behold.

The site receives more than a million pilgrims each year, and thousands of domestic and foreign tourists flock to the city annually. Tourism-related activities constitute a significant component of the local economy.

These words by Mark Twain, on his travels to India, capture the timeless essence of Benaras: “Banares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

A Guide of the best attractions in Varanasi:

Being a popular pilgrim center for Hinduism, temples are the main attraction of Varanasi. People perform rituals and religious activities at the Ganga Ghats. Here are the must-visit tourist attractions in this holy city.

This river is personified as Goddess Ganga, and it’s considered holy by Hindus and Jains, believed to provide sustenance to all those who live by its banks and come to visit it from far away. Its purifying nature is so strongly upheld by Hindus who believe that taking a dip in its water is equivalent to absolution of all their sins and purification of the soul, as mentioned in the Puranas, ancient Hindu scriptures.

Kumbh Mela has been declared the largest peaceful gathering of more than 120 million pilgrims in one place at a time and has been mentioned in the UNESCO’S list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The main ritual of this gathering is pilgrims bathing themselves in the Ganges in the open in huge numbers, offering prayers and repentance for their sins. Tokens are set adrift in the river. Men smear white and orange paint and ash and storm into the river.

Although its sanctity is incomparable in modern Hindu culture, it has also become one of the most populated rivers in the world, with 80 % of the sewage being dumped here being left untreated.

This is the main cremation ghat in Varanasi. It is considered a very auspicious location for dying among the Hindus pilgrims. Hence the number of elderly and sick patrons comes here to breathe their last and be cremated.

The story goes that Lord Shiva himself gave Manikarnika Ghat its revered status. Lord Vishnu himself had to pray to Lord Shiva to forgive Varanasi. At the time, Varanasi was known as Kashi. Lord Shiva accepted his prayers and appeared before Lord Vishnu in Kashi, along with his wife, Parvati. Pleased from the prayers of Lord Vishnu, a boon was given to Varanasi. It is believed that any soul that receives its final ritual, the rites in Varanasi, receives moksha. Also known as freedom from the rebirth cycle.

It is believed that Lord Vishu built Manikarnika Kund, with an intention to offer a well for the couple to bathe. When Lord Shiva was taking his bath, one of his jewels fell off his earrings. The jewels that Shiva wore were known as Mani; hence the Ghat and Well received their name as Manikarnika.

Two to three hundred corpses are burned out in the open at this Ghatevery day. The corpse is first dipped in the Ganges to wash away all its sins and then burned at the banks. Piles of firewood line the shores. The ghastly sight of burning bodies might be too overwhelming to some tourist, so discretion is advised.

A site of spectacular celebrations and pageantry, this is considered the main introductory Ghat in the heart of Varanasi. The AngniPooja(worship to the fire) takes place at this Ghat every evening. There is also a hectic marketplace here, due to which there is a constant and uninterrupted flow of tourists, priests, locals, photographers, sellers, beggars etc. Celebrations such as Diwali and Shrivrarti are celebrated grandiosely here. It is located close to the sacred Vishwanath Temple, and Jantar Mantar is a few paces from here. Boat rides all along the Ganges area available at this Ghat.

This ghat owes its origin to two legends. One goes as Lord Brahma built this ghat so that he can welcome Lord Shiva to Kashi. The other one states that Lord Brahma ten horses during the Dasa – Ashwamedhayajna, (a ritual performed in front of the huge sacred fire) he had performed in the name of Lord Shiva.

Kashi boasts of more than 23,000 temples dotting every lane and corner of the city. Some are centuries old, and others are relatively new. These temples have become of great spiritual significance to Hindus across India. The crowning glory of Varanasi is its array of temples. Some of the most significant ones are:

A stunning specimen of Nagara style of architecture, which is a style of building temples on a stone platform and have giant steps that lead up to the main temple, popularly in Northern India. This red stone temple is built across a rectangular pond called Kund and features multi-tier spire. Dedicated to the goddess Durga, it was built by the orders of a Bengal queen n the 18thcentuary. The cool waters of the pond and the mesmerising beauty of the temple make for a memorable experience.

Legend has it that the idol of Goddess Durga inside the temple was not installed during its construction but in fact, appeared inside the temple. Devotees believe this as a blessing from Goddess Durga herself.

1. Nepali Temple- Built by the Nepal king RanaBahadur Shah as a replica of the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. He had also constructed the LalitaGauri temple.
2. Vishalakshi Temple- Dedicated to the Divine Mother. The goddess is worshipped as the one with large eyes in this temple, and so, she is known as Vishalakshi (the word Vishal means large and akshi means eyes)
3. Annapurna Temple- Dedicated to Annapurna, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. In this temple, she is worshipped as the provider of food and nourishment.
4. SankatMochan Hanuman Temple- Built by Tulsidas, it is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The temple is filled with monkeys, reminiscent of Hanuman, the God with the face of a monkey.
5. Bharat Mata Temple- The campus of Mahatma Gandhi KashiVidyapith contains this temple dedicated to Mother India. The temple was set up around the year 1936 by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta.

This one of its kind space observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the year 1737 is one of most unique historical landmarks found in India. Near DasashwamedhaGhat, located on top of the Man Mahal, it features various astrological instruments of fascinating design.

Maharaja Jai Singh had a profound interest in astronomy, and he built five such observatories; the rest are in the cities of Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain and Mathura.

Sarnath-
From a distance of 10 km from Varanasi is the town of Sarnath. Most notable for being the place where Buddha received enlightenment and gave his first dharma. A hot spot of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Archaeological Museum and the Ashoka Lion Capital in polished sandstone are other major attractions in Sarnath.
Ayodhya-
This town is considered as the birthplace of Lord Rama, located on the remarkable banks of River Sarayu. In addition to a large number of temples thronged by pilgrims annually, this town is considered one of the holiest by Hindus.Itis almost 205 kilometres away from Varanasi

Varanasi is an ideal destination to start your pilgrimage holidays. The serene ghats of this destination are ideal to experience the saintly vibe. Explore the beautiful temples on the banks of River Ganges and other religious attractions through the attractive India tour packages from Colourful Indian Holidays.