Varanasi, the most holy city in India, where dying means salvation, is not only a city to die rather it offers a lot of things to live. May be one would think it to be the shrine for Hindu Pilgrimage but still it holds a position for Muslim, Jainism, and Buddhism. Believed to be the second home Lord Shiva, the most famous Hindu God, this city was the subject of a lot of books, movies & holds a permanent position in Hindu mythology & pilgrimage centres. The mother river of India, The Ganga or Ganges runs through this holy cities sweeping all your sins. This is one of the famous weekend getaways from kolkata.
Soaked in mysticism the city abodes the most famous and believed to be the first Jyotirlinga of lord Shiva, Kashi Biswanath. This city also has the famous Manikarnika Ghat which cremates around 30000 bodies per day & is said to be cleanses the soul to attain salvation.
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| Boats on Ganga River |
Life at Varanasi is simple and the lively people work real hard to earn their living. The life revolves mainly by the river Ganga. You can travel through the endless ghats & see the picturesque river & the dwellers. The Ghats are not very clean I must say. People use to bath in most of the ghats along with their daily habitat or perform rituals. Dashaswamedh Ghat is the most famous due to its long historical legacy. Harishchandra Ghat & Manikarnika Ghats are some other most famous ghats due to its history & presence. The Ganga arati every evening is a must see experience where the river is worshiped as mother goddess. Its a very scenic event & you can get the best view from the river itself siting on a boat.
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| A View of Dashaswamedh Ghat from top |
If you don't visit the Kashi Biswanath temple, it is said your journey to Varanasi has no meaning. You ave to stand in a long queue & go through winding alleys to reach the famous Jyotirlinga & when you reach the heavenly abode of the Lord Shiva you can see the black coloured Jyotirlinga. Its divine & make you feel spiritual. Other famous temples which are a must visit are Sankat Mochan Temple, Durga Mandir, Bharat Mata Temple etc. Although you can find temples in almost in every kilometer. The winding alleys, around 90 ghats, thousand of temples, munching bulls, and different kind of Sadhus, famous tea & Kulphis would make your journey a memorable one.
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| Kashi Viswanath Temple |
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| Kund Near Durga Temple |
Apart from the being a Hindu pilgrimage centre, the city has its one of the most famous Buddhist shrine, The Sarnath. The giant Dhamika Stupa, Sarnath Museum, The Ashoka Pillar, Mulagandhakuti Vihar are the most famous thing to see in Sarnath. It is said that this is the place where Lord Budhha delivered his first sermon and Mulagandhakuti Vihar is the place where used to stay. This place has a long historical trail and counted as the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centre. It also hosts a mini zoo which is quite good.
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| Dhamika Stupa in Sarnath |
The Ramnagar fort is another place of visit which gives you the glimpse of majestic living of the Kings of Varanasi. The his magesty Kashi Naresh & his family still stays here in the fort which was built in the 18th century. The fort has a great collection of items and arts used by the kings. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs, vintage cars, ivory artifacts, antique clocks and weapons are some of the artifacts on display in the museum. Also present inside is a Durga Temple, a Vyas temple and a Hanuman Temple. Check out the huge clock within the fort – it displays year, month, week, day and astronomical calculations about the sun, moon and the stars! The place also has a 360 degree view of the river Ganga from top.
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| Ramnagar Fort |
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| A view of Ganges from Ramnagar Fort |
Varanasi has many surprises to offer you in its zigzag alleys with unknown smell of history, Masala Banarasi Pans, evening aratis in the Ghats, the boat rides, the Ayurveda treatment. The city is old and needs improvements in several areas. The holy river is strained with pollution & needs urgent care to sustain it for thousand more years. People should understand this is the river which makes it one of the most important vacation places in India. And they are the one who should take care of it.
