Varanasi has been in the news for a while. In fact, the city has caught fire with foreign tourists who wander the narrow streets of the city looking for taxi service in varanasi, ashen-faced sadhus smoking weed. Now I am not sure exactly what they were looking for between the two in the first place.
Varanasi is one of the world’s oldest cities and a world-renowned religious town. A famous American writer, Mark Twain once wrote that “Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.
Varanasi is an ancient city, located on the banks of the River Ganga in the state of Uttar Pradesh around central India. It is renowned for its history and connection to spirituality. It is one of the seven Hindu and Jain holy cities in India. In Sarnath, 10 km from Varanasi Gautama Buddha taught Dharma for the first time.
Hindus believe that the water of the Ganga river is a fluid medium of Shiva’s divine essence. There is a particularly important river-side location a few kilometres ahead. It is where Ganga meets two other rivers, the Asi and Varana which when merged make “Varanasi”.
Places To Visit In Varanasi
Assi Ghat
Assi Ghat is for those who seek spirituality. It is the place where the great poet and legend of Indian poetry Tulsidas passed away. This ghat is located in the southern part of the city, pretty popular with the tourists. You can attribute its popularity to a huge lingam (an embodiment of Lord Shiva) situated under a peepal tree.
The lingam attracts a lot of attention during the festive time especially if it is related to Lord Shiva. As one of the biggest ghat, Ganga aarti is performed here. I suggest you take a boat ride on the river to make it memorable. Sometimes, a hot air balloon excursion is also available.
People come to the Ghats of Varanasi from all over India and the world to perform holy rituals and take a dip inside the river. They believe the water at its purest form will wash away their sins. At night, you can find several entertainers and hawkers at the ghat.
Dashashwamedh Ghat
This ghat is special since people consider it the oldest of the lot. It is known for its spiritual transcendence.This ghat is especially abuzz at night.
The famous aarti here are the Agni Pooja and Ganga aarti. You must not miss it. Special aarti is held every Tuesday. The timings range from 7 pm to 7:45 pm during summer and between 6 pm to 6:45 pm during winters.
By sunset, pilgrims flock to this place to watch the arati ritual. You can even hire a boat to watch the ritual from the water. If you want to enjoy a clear view of the ritual, walk at any of the rooftop restaurants near the ghat. Although I would go with the boat.
Manikarnika Ghat
Although the ghat is popular among all tourists, it is mainly a cremation place for the body to get motch, especially for Hindus. Many Believers and mahatma say Devi Parvati’s ear ornament fell at the exact spot of this ghat of Varanasi when Lord Shiva came here with her. You can always spot the glowing pyres and several oil lamps that people leave to float on the river with a wish for their loved ones to attain eternal salvation.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
This is one of the holiest Shiva temples on earth.It is known as the golden temple of Varanasi as the domes of the temple are covered in gold. It happened when a ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh covered the temple domes in gold. As a common feature in Punjabi tradition, you can also see it in the Golden Temple at Amritsar. A lot has happened here but most of it is lost in time. The column of light was put on earth in 12 places. People consider these 12 places as Jyotirlinga. One of those twelve places is the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple Aarti Schedule:
Mangal Aarti: 2:30 AM
Bhog Aarti: 11:30 AM to 12:00 pm
Saptarishi Aarti: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Shringar/Bhog Aarti: 9:00 PM
Shayana Aarti: 10:30 PM
Durga Temple
The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga, as a symbol of feminine divinity. It is also called the monkey temple. This is also one of the reasons why children would love to visit this place. But safety first! The temple was built in the 18th century by a Bengali Maharani or the Queen of Bengal.A pond (Durga Kund) lies very close to the temple that has a duct connecting it to river Ganga.
Alamgir Mosque
On a list filled with temples, Alamgir mosque is a perfect representation of the Muslim community who has settled here for centuries. Famed for its Islamic architecture, the mosque’s scale and size are astounding apart from the fact that it is located at the banks of the Ganga.
Mughal Sultan Aurangzeb, the great-grandchild of Akbar, constructed it. Historically, it has been noted that Aurangzeb was responsible for the destruction of a temple to construct the mosque. But still, the mosque retains many Hindu influences that you can make out in its unique architectural style.
How To Reach Varanasi
Flight: Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport operates direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Jaipur and many other cities in India as well as abroad.
The airport is 24 km outside the city centre. The easiest and the only direct way to reach the city is a prepaid taxi that costs ₹700 (can come down to ₹500 upon negotiation) and takes around 30 minutes. Ola cabs are also available. You can also catch a bus to Varanasi Railway station from Babatpur crossing that is around 2 km from the airport.
Train: Most cities in North India and the major ones in other parts of the country have good connectivity with Varanasi.You can easily find an affordable option to reach anywhere in the city just outside the station.
Bus: You can also get a bus from most of the nearby cities like Prayagraj, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Patna. You can head to the city’s bus station and enquire for the next bus. However, most buses are rickety and you will have to take special care of your luggage.
You can also book your ticket ahead for AC/Deluxe/Sleeper buses. Use redbus.in for the most convenient options.
Cabs: taxi service in varanasi are widely available and charge fair rates. If you want to customize your trip or just want to get around freely, this is the best way in comfort. Just book Varanasi cab by cab booking services in varanasi.
Do not get in without an agreement to the price beforehand or you will be caught by surprise later. Keep google maps handy too or the drivers often take you for a long ride (literally).
Other festive times to visit are during Diwali and Chat Puja (dates shift every year) that are festive enough but leaves you space to breathe and enjoy.
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