Places To Visit In Varanasi

Varanasi, also known as Banaras is one of the oldest cities in India. The place is considered the City Of Moksha and it is believed that one who gets cremated here gets an instant gateway to heaven. The term Varanasi is derived from two tributaries of Ganga that are River Varun in the north and stream Assi in the south.

How To Get There?

Air: Varanasi Airport or Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is well connected to different cities not only domestically but internationally too.

Rail: There are two options to get down to Varanasi. You can either arrive at Varanasi city Junction or Kashi railway station.

Road: Varanasi has wide and expansive road networks. The city is well connected to different national highways. The city also has a bus depo that connects different parts of India.

When To Visit?

Varanasi is open throughout the year. However, the best time to visit the city is winter i.e from October to February as the temperature is low due to which it is easy to explore the city without getting tired. You can plan a trip in summers as well but the temperature reaches up to 45°C and it experiences high and dry temperatures.

Tourist Attractions:

Some of the best places to visit in Varanasi are:

1. Ghats: There are more than 80 ghats to visit in the city. Some of these ghats are built by legendary kings while some of them are associated with mythological legends.

• Assi Ghat: This place is related to two mythological stories, one of them is that Goddess Durga, threw her sword, after killing the demon Shumbha-Nishumbha. The place where the sword landed, resulted in the emergence of a river which was then called Assi. Another mythological tale reveals that Lord Shiva in his Rudra form killed 80 (Assi – eighty)) asuras in his rage at this place. Taking a dip at Assi is equivalent to taking a dip at thousands of other holy rivers.
• Dashashwamedh Ghat: This Ghat is probably the busiest in Varanasi and is often referred to as the main Ghat. This Ghat is famous for its Ganga Arti that takes place every morning and evening. There are two stories related to it, one is that Lord Bramha created this Ghat to welcome Lord Shiva on Earth, while other texts say that Lord Bramha performed Dashashwamedh Yajna (sacrifice of 10 horses) here.

• Scindia Ghat: This Ghat is named after Scindia who built it in the 1830s. Tilted Lord Shiv Temple, named as Ratneshwar Temple makes it uniques from the rest of the ghats. It is believed that this temple was cursed by a mother. One of the tales says that this temple was built by a son for his mother Ratna Bai, he then boasted he paid all the debts to his mother. However, the debts to a mother can’t be repaid. The temple started leaning because of the curse.
• Tulsi Ghat: This Ghat is named after the great poet Tulsidas (1547-1622 A.D.) who wrote Ramcharitmanas, a translation of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Originally the ghat was known as Lolark Ghat, named after Lolark Kund.
• Chet Singh Ghat: The ghat is named after the brave ruler Chet Singh, who was an illegitimate son of Balwant Singh, the first Maharaj of Banaras. Chet Singh denied providing his troops to East India Company which resulted in a fierce battle that took place at Chet Singh Ghat. He made his escape by climbing out of a window and hence the ghat was originally known as Khirki Ghat.
• Harishchandra Ghat: This Ghat is dedicated to legendary King Harishchandra and is one of the two cremation ghats of the city. Harishchandra was known for his loyalty and determination. He was dutiful and he was offered to get an instant place in heaven by several Lords but he denied the offering because of his kingdom. Seeing this the lords offered heaven to his kingdom as well.
• Kedar Ghat: The Kedar Ghat has great mythological importance. It is believed that anyone who visits Kedareswara Shiva Temple, gets blessings as the same after visiting Kedarnath Temple.
• Manikarnika Ghat: It is one of the prominent Ghat in Varanasi. It is believed that people who get cremated here attains moksha. There are various stories related to this ghat. One of them is that, when Adi Shakti jumped into the fire in anger, Lord Shiva carried her burning body to the Himalayas. Seeing this pain, Lord Vishnu sent his divine chakra to cut her body into pieces. These pieces fall on earth as shakti peeths. It is believed that her earring fall here. 

• Lalita Ghat: This Ghat is built by the king of Nepal. It is a shrine to two temples i.e, Lalita Gauri Mandir and Nepali Temple. Goddess Lalita is one of Dasha Mahavidyas.
• Badri Narayan Ghat: It got its name from the Badrinath temple built there, which is a replica of the Badrinath temple of Uttarakhand.

2. Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Kashi Temple is one of the famous temples in India dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India. The deity here is known as Vishwanath which means Lord Of The Universe. This ancient temple was demolished and rebuilt several times between 1194 to 1777. The present structure of the temple was built by the Queen Of Indore, Ahilyabai Holkar, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who offered 1000 kgs of Gold for its dome.

3. Annapurna Devi Temple: This temple is a shrine to Annapurna Devi, ‘the Goddess of food and nourishment. There are two mythological tales related to it. One of them is that one day Lord Shiva commented that everything in the world is an illusion (Maya) including food. This made Goddess Parvati angry and she disappeared from the world. The world became infertile and suffered famine after her disappearance. Everyone was forced to beg for food, even the lords but couldn’t find any food. Finally, Shiva and followers came to know there’s still one kitchen in Kashi where food is available. Shiva went to Kashi for food and to his surprise, the place was owned by Goddess Parvati, in the Annapurna form. She made shiva realize the importance of food and serves him. 

While according to another tale, Parvati closed all the eyes of Shiva and the entire world was full of darkness. Parvati became dark (which means she lost her Gauri form). She then asked for Shiva’s help to reacquire Gauri’s form. Shiva asked her to donate anna (food) in Varanasi. She took Annapurna form along with a golden bowl and ladle and donated food in Varanasi.

4. Kaal Bhairav Temple: This temple is dedicated to Lord Kaal Bhairav and is believed that even death is afraid of him. It is the fiercest form Of Lord shiva and Kashi Temple Darshan is incomplete without him. It is said that one day Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were competing for supremacy. They both went to different Vedas to get the answer. To this question, everyone had only one reply i.e, Lord Shiva. The fifth head of Lord Bramha which is considered to be egoistic said that even I can do what Shiva does, I’m Shiva. Lord Shiva got furious which resulted in the origin of Kaal Bhairav who beheaded the fifth head. But the skull got stuck to his hand and he was cursed of Brahmanahatya (killing Of Brahmin). Kaal Bhairav went to all the loks but Brahmanahatya followed him everywhere until he reached Varanasi. The skull fell and Kaal Bhairav was freed from his sin. The place came to be known as Kapal Mochan Teerth. Shiva then said that Kaal Bhairav will stay forever in that place to remove sins from people. He is also regarded as the Guardian of all the Shaktipeeths.

5. New Kashi Vishwanath Temple (BHU): This is one of the prominent places in the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. This temple was constructed in 1930 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, which is a replication of the Kashi Temple. The positive aura in the air helps to forget all the distractions of life.

6. Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple: Sankat Mochan is another name for Lord Hanuman, meaning reliever from troubles. This temple was founded by Tulsi Das, author of Ramacharitamanasa. The temple has the statue of Lord Hanuman facing Shri Ram, whom he worshipped with selfless devotion.

7. Tulsi Manasa Temple: This temple is one of the prominent places in Varanasi. It is believed that Author Tulsi Das wrote Ramacharitamanasa, a Hindi version of Ramayana. This place is a must-visit in Varanasi as the walls of the temple has complete Ramacharitamanasa engraved on them. On the second floor, you’ll get the tickets to watch Krishna Leela.

8. Tridev Mandir: This temple is one of the most peaceful temples in Varanasi. The temple has idols of Salasar Hanuman, Rani Sati Dadi and Khatu Shyam. 

9. Durga Mandir: This place is a shrine to Goddess Durga, and it is believed that the idol of Goddess appeared on its own. According to mythologies, Ayodhya king Dhruva Sandhi got killed by a Lion. He had two sons namely Sudarsana (from wife Manorama) and Satrijith (from wife Lilavathi). Lilavathi’s father Yathajith plans to kill Sudarshana to give the kingdom to his grandson. Listening to this Manorama along with his son escaped from there and became Vanvasis. Sudarsana was a devotee of Goddess Vaishnavi.

Sasikala (Daughter of king of Kashi, Subahu) fell in love with Sudarsana. One night, Mata Vaishnavi came into her dream and told her to marry Sudarsana. Subahu did not know about this and arranged a swyamvar for his daughter. When he got to know that his daughter is madly in love with Sudarshana he got shocked and feared that the kings might kill them for this insult. He then called off the swayamvar and postponed it to the next day. Subahu married his daughter with Sudarsana on that night. On hearing this all the kings became furious and attacked Sudarsana on their departure. A serious battle started between Satrijith and Sudarsana. Goddess Vaishnavi appeared to protect Sudarsana. They won the battle and Subahu asked Mata to stay here forever.

10. Bharat Mata Temple: This temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata (Mother India). It has a huge undivided Indian map carved from marbles. The unique feature of the map is the detailed layout of mountain ranges, peaks, water bodies, etc.

11. Sarnath: Located 10 km away from Varanasi, this place is where Gautam Buddha first taught about the dharma. Various tourist attractions here are:

• Mulagandha Kuti Vihar: It is a Buddhist monastery constructed by Angarika Dharmapala, founder of Mahabodhi society. This place is one of the best gateways to enter peace and calmness.

• Dhamek Stupa: This place is considered as one of the sacred places in Sarnath and it is believed that Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon to his five disciples over here.
• Tibetan Temple: The structure of this temple is inspired by Tibetan architectural design. The entrances of the temple are guarded by two lions. It is said that this temple is constructed by Tibetans to pay gratitude towards the Indian government for giving asylum to Dalai Lama. The unique features of this temple are prayer wheels and paintings.

• Japanese Temple: The original name of this temple is Nichigai Suzan Horinji Temple. This temple resembles Kyoto Temple in Japan and is the best place for meditation. Inside the temple, there’s a huge wooden idol of Gautam Buddha in a sleeping pose made up of sandalwood. This is the best place to visit in Varanasi.

• Chinese Temple: This temple is also dedicated to Gautam Buddha. It was established in 1939 by Tao-Kai, abbot of Beijing.
• Chaukhandi Stupa: The stupa got its name because of its four-armed plan. This stupa was constructed to mark the place where Gautam Buddha first met his disciples.
• Thai Temple: This temple presents the Thai style of architecture and is maintained by Thai monks. 
• Vishwa Shanti Stupa: This stupa is next to a Japanese temple. The entrance of this stupa is a replica of one of the entrances of Sanchi Stupa.

Must-Try Food:

• Litti Chokha; This savory snack is a must-try in Varanasi. These are wheat dough balls stuffed with roasted Chana dal (Sattu), onion, and some spices. It is served with Chokha which is made of a spicy mixture along with mashed potatoes, brinjal (eggplant), and tomatoes.

• Kachori Sabzi: This is another tastiest breakfast to have here. The kachori is usually a bread filled with some lentils and is served with hot potato sabzi.
• Tikki Chat: This is another type of chat that is made from potato patty (Tikki). It is then garnished with some chickpeas, Tamarind chutney, mint chutney, onion, and sev. The hot and sweet taste of this chat makes it a must-try in Varanasi.

• Chooda Matar: It is the Banarasi version of poha and is a famous snack here. This is made from poha soaked in ghee and then mixed with green peas, chilies, and coriander. Spices like Chat masala, black pepper, garam masala are added to enhance the taste.
• Tamatar Chaat: This is another version of Aloo Tikki Chat, which is made by using tomatoes. This chat has a sweet and tangy taste.
• Malaiyyo: This is the best dessert that I have ever tried. Malaiyyo is a saffron-flavored milk foam made from churning milk. It is served in earthen pots known as Kulhad. It is influenced by Persian cuisine and is garnished with some pistachios and almonds.

• Banarasi Paan: Banarasi Paan is famous all over India. People here say that dinner or a feast is incomplete without Paan. It is made from a betel leaf filled with areca nuts (Supari), cardamom, fennel seeds, and slaked lime (chuna).
• Malai Lassi: This creamy malai lassi in Varanasi tastes like heaven. These are also served in Kulhads and are garnished with malai and nuts.

Conclusion:

Varanasi is a place where you can get to know much about Indian mythology. It is a City of Ghats, City of Saints, City of Temples and words are less to express beauty of the place. The city is a hub to thousands of tourists, pilgrims and photo enthusiasts. A boat ride to these ghats can give you a panoramic view of the city.

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