The city of Varanasi in India is also known
as Benares (or Banaras) and to the devout as Kashi - the 'city of light' where
Shiva once lived. Built on the bank of the Ganges River, Varanasi is one of
the oldest cities in the world and one of the most sacred places in India for
Hindus. It is believed that dying here allows release from the circle of rebirths
and eternal peace for the soul
To add to the city's charm, it is rich in tradition - be it arts and crafts,
music or a centre of learning. The silk weaving industry is famous around
the world and is well-known for the gorgeous Banarasi silk saris and silk
brocades. In addition, Varanasi's silk creations have started adorning upholstery
in modern times. The bed linen with a combination of silk and cotton, wall
hangings and curtains created in new designs are just a few items besides
the attire for women created out of the rich gold finished brocade.
This ancient city retains its antique look but is fast feeling the impact
of modern times. Commercial complexes, new markets are a big contrast to the
lanes and by-lanes which are dotted with the art and craft of this holy place.
History
The city dates back to 8th and 7th Century B.C. The Archaeological evidence
for this is from the excavations at Rajghat (near Varanasi). Varanasi has been
even before the advance of Aryans along the river Ganga. The city remained the
Capital of Kingdom of Kashi till the end of twelth century. It has been rightly
said that almost everything connected with Hindu Culture and Learning spread
out of this city, all around the world. Here goes the legend: Seven Hindu Saints,
wandered in vain in search of salvation. They prayed to Lord Vishnu, who created
a mysterious sound, mixed with dazzling light- that glittered over a zone of
peace on this earth. This zone was none other than Kashi, now called as Banaras,
Varanasi. Even before Rome and Greece had become known Varanasi had already
risen to greatness.
Places to See
Life in the city of Varanasi revolves around it’s over one hundred Ghats
(river landings). The River Ganga flows from north to south, and the city forms
a circular shape from the Asi ghat in the south up to the confluence of the
Varuna river with the Ganga. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe and worship
in the river at the first light of dawn. Boat rides down the river in the morning
are a very popular excursion.
Most of the ancient temples and structures along the ghats have been destroyed.
What remain are mainly 18th and 19th century buildings.
A very important pilgrimage for the devout is the Panchatirtha Yatra, a tour
covering the 5 important ghats of Asi, Dashashwamedha, Adi Keshava, Panchganga
and Manikarnika. The Panchkosi road, beginning from the Asi ghat and ending
at the Manikarnika ghat denotes the sacred area of Kashi. A tour around this
58 km route takes about 6 days on foot. Each of the important ghats has a
lingam.
The Asi River meets the Ganga at Asi Ghat. There is a lingam under a peepul
tree and a marble temple to Asisangameshwara (lord of the confluence of Asi).
An ancient tank dedicated to sun worship, the Lolarka Kund (pool) lies 15
metres below the ground and is approached by a steep flight of steps. The
Tulsi ghat, dedicated to the 16th century poet saint Tulsidas is crumbling
now. Further north is the Harishchandra ghat, one of the two important cremation
grounds in Varanasi. Named after the king Harishchandra, it is considered
the most sacred cremation ground.
The Kedar ghat has links with the Kedarnath shrine located in the upper reaches
of the Himalayas. The Dhobi ghat is a washerman’s area, while the Chausathi
(64) ghat has a shrine dedicated to Chausath Yoginis, the multiple manifestations
of the female force Durga.
The Dashashwamedha ghat is the busiest bathing ghat in Varanasi. The ancient
king Divodasa was said to have performed the Dashashwamedha Yagya (Ten horse
sacrifice) here. This pleased Brahma, the Creator, so much that he established
the Brahmeshwara lingam. Boats can be hired at this ghat for a tour of the
riverfront. It is also the most popular site for Hindus to perform ancestor
worship rituals, and the entire ghat is lined with umbrella covered stalls
where Brahmin priests perform pujas.
The Man Mandir ghat, built in 1600 by Maharaja Man Singh of Amer has a very
interesting observatory. Built in 1710 by the king of Jaipur, it is similar
to the ones in Jaipur and Delhi. There are numerous instruments used for astronomical
calculations. The observatory is open to visitors from 09:30 am to 05:30 pm.
The Dom Raja’s house is next door, with painted tigers flanking the
terrace. Doms, who handle the corpses at cremation grounds, are untouchables.
Though the Doms belong to a lower caste, their services are invaluable for
the dead to be released from their physical bounds and so the leader of the
doms is bestowed with the honorific title of Raja or king.
The Mir Ghat has a shrine to Vishalakshi (the wide-eyed goddess). It is one
of the 52 pithas (pilgrimages) where the body parts of Shakti landed after
a distraught Shiva performed his dance of destruction or tandava.
The Lalita Ghat is well known for its Nepali style temple with an idol of
Pashupateshwara. This ghat also has a temple dedicated to the Ganga. The Manikarnika
Ghat is perhaps the most well known cremation ground in the country. Since
Shiva, the lord of Destruction, is said to have resided in Varanasi, the entire
holy area is considered Mahashmashana (the great cremation ground). It is
said that the funeral fires never die out at the Manikarnika ghat. The Manikarnika
kund (tank) is said to predate the arrival of the River Ganga, who descended
from the heavens to purify the earth.
Only parts of the Scindia Ghat now survive. The Alamgir mosque, popularly
known as Beni-madhav-ka-dera dominates the Panchganga Ghat. The mosque stands
on the ruins of the Bindu Madhava temple, dedicated to Vishnu, which was destroyed
by Aurangzeb. The Adi Keshava ghat on the outskirts of the city is the point
where the river Varuna meets the Ganga. The ghat is completely submerged during
rains. This is the original site of the city, where Vishnu is believed to
have landed as an emissary of Lord Shiva.
The old city, from Dashashwamedha Ghat and Godaulia in the south to the Manikarnika
Ghat in the North, is known as the Vishwanatha Khanda. It is a maze of narrow
lanes and bylanes.
Bharat Kala Bhawan, B.H.U
Started in 1950 as a university museum, Bharat Kala Bhawan in famous for its
unique collection of miniature paintings. It has a rich collection of Rajasthani
paintings, Pichhawai's, pahari painting, Nepalese & Tibetan Thankas, Company
paintings as well as paintings of contemporary artists, illustrated Mrigavati,
Kalpa Sutra, Chora-Panchasika, Laura-Chanda, Shah-nama and some pages of Humza-nama
Are the proud possessions of this museum.
MaharajaBanarasVidyaMandirMuseum, Ramnager
Ramnager fort was originally built by Maharaja Balwant Singh (1740-70 AD.)
The Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum is housed in the Ramnager fort itself. The
museum collection mainly comprises textiles, pieces of decorative arts, arms
& armours, utilitarian objects, means of transport-old bagghis, palkis
& haudasivories, furniture & manuscripts.
Banaras Hindu University
The Banaras Hindu University was established in 1916 by special efforts of
Nationalist Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. Today it has grown into one of the
biggest universities of India.
Kashi Vidya Peeth
The Kashi Vidyapeeth was set up in 1920 by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta to provide
alternate education arrangement discarding that of the British. It soon became
a centre of national education with Hindi as the medium of instruction. Acharya
Narendradev, Babu Sampurnanand, Babu Sriprakash and many more Luminaries of
the time have been associated with this institute.
Excursion
Sarnath
10 kms north of Varanasi is Sarnath, one of the three holiest sites for Buddhists.
This is where theBuddha delivered his firstsermon in 528 BC. There are many
temples here, representing the many cultures where Buddhism is the dominant
religious philosophy. You'll find the Tibetans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the
Burmese and the Thai have set up centres of learning, monasteries and temples.
The Ashokan Pillar here used to be crowned by a capital that had four lions
with their backs to each other looking out in the four cardinal directions.
the capital, now a national emblem for the Indian Union, is in the Archaeological
Museum in Sarnath. The Ashokan Pillar, constructed by the legendary King Ashoka
(3rd century BC), still stands. There are many stupas here, as is a bodhi tree
that is a sapling from the bodhi tree in Sri Lanka. The Bodhi tree is the peepul
tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. A cutting from the original
was planted in Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka), and the bodhi in Sarnath has been grown
from a sapling from that.
You can get to Sarnath by bus, auto rickshaw and taxi, and can stay there
at hotels and in the monasteries.
Chunar, 40 kms from Varanasi is famed for its polished sandstone.
It has a fort on the northern spur of the Kaimur Hills, overlooking the Ganga.
The fort, which was of great strategic importance, was occupied by Sher Shah
Suri (1540), till it was captured by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1575. The Mughals
held it until it passed to the Nawabs of Avadh in 1750. In 1764, the British
took over the fort and Warren Hastings sought refuge here after an uprising
in 1781. Chunar village on the banks of the river has shops, mainly dealing
in the Chunar sandstone. Chunar is connected to Varanasi by a bus service starting
at Godaulia. There is a PWD bungalow at the fort that can be booked at the PWD
office in Mirzapur.
Jaunpur, founded in 1360 by Feroz Shah Tughlaq is a dusty small
town 58 kms from Varanasi. Its most distinguishing feature is the 16th century
Akbari Bridge, which spans the Gomti River that runs through the town. The bridge
designed by an Afghan architect, was an important landmark on trade routes across
the country. A large sculpture of a lion and an elephant at one end of the bridge
mark a provincial milestone from which distances were measured. The Old Shahi
Fort, north of the river, is a quadrangular complex which is now in ruins. Among
the structures that remain is the oldest mosque of Jaunpur and a Turkish hammam.
Just 400 metres away from the fort is the Atala Mosque built in 1408 on the
ruins of the Atala Devi temple. The grand Jami Masjid, completed in 1470, is
raised about 6 metres on a platform. A flight of steps leads up to the prayer
hall which has a square chamber capped with a dome. About 5 kms from the Jami
Masjid is the Lal Darwaza Masjid. It is a much smaller mosque, built probably
as a private prayer chapel attached to a palace. It takes about two hours to
reach Jaunpur from Varanasi. Most of the tourist accommodation is in the vicinity
of the fort.
For those keen on an outing close to nature, there is the Chandraprabha Wildlife
Sanctuary 70 kms from Varanasi. The sanctuary has the Rajdari and Devdari
waterfalls, and makes for a quiet picnic spot. In addition, a little further
away is the Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary. 130 kms from Varanasi, this wildlife
reserve has the Mukha waterfalls, a popular spot for tourists.
Ramnagar
14 km from Varanasi, the Ramnagar Fort houses a museum that has a collection
of vintage cars, royal palanquins, armoury of swords and old guns, ivory work
and antique clocks.
Dining Out
Best dining options in the city are limited to restaurants in the hotels.
For a fine dining experience and more variety in Indian cuisine you can go to
Hotel Clarks Varanasi and the Hotel Taj Ganges, Raddison hotel which are relatively
expensive but have exclusive restaurants and bars and facilities for holding
conferences.
A number of restaurants which serve a variety of cuisines - continental,
Chinese, Indian and of course, the traditional Mughlai are:
Mandap, Taj Ganges, Nadesar
Shakuntala, Hotel Clarks, Cantonment
Konamey, Bansphatak
Kesari, Godowlia
Kwality, Lahurabir
Kerala Kafe, Bhelupura
Hotel Satkar, Near Nagar Nigam, Sigra
Darpan, Pallavi International
Sidhartha, Hotel Clarks, Cantonment
Shopping
Varanasi is a shopper's Paradise. It has been known since time immemorial as
a premier centre for handicrafts, especially silk weaving. Baranasi Sarees produced
by the local craftsman are popular not only with local Indians, but are famous
all over the world. In fact no Indian wedding celebration is complete without
the addition of a Benarasi saree in the girl's trousseau. Other attractions
include brassware, ivoryware, gold jewellery, glass bangles, woodcraft, clay
toys, wall hangings and lamp shades, musical instruments, The hand-knotted Mirzapur
and Bhadohi carpets and masks of various Hindu/Buddhist gods, goddesses and
saints. Banaras is also famous for its 'Langda Aam', a variety of mangoes available
in the summer. Betel leaves is also a speciality.
The main shopping areas are Chowk, Godowlia, Vishwanath Lane, Thatheri Bazar,
Lahurabir, Godoulia, Dashswamedh Gail, Golghar and Dalmandi.
For silk, the best place is the Temple bazaar in Vishwanath gali. Qazi Sadullahpura,
a Muslim neighbourhood is an important silk weaving centre. Sometimes, however,
it is difficult to make judgements on price and quality.
For brassware, the best area is the Thatheri Bazaar, Gyanvapi and the Temple
bazaars are also well known for their gold jewellery shops.
Visiting
The best season to visit Varanasi is between October and March. Some of the
major festivals and cultural events also take place in this period.
How to get there
By Air :Varanasi is connected by air with major cities like
Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho, Calcutta, Mumbai, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar. The Babatpur
airport at a distance of 22 kms from the city is linked by a shuttle bus service
that takes passengers’ upto the Cantonment. Alternatively, you can hire
a taxi to take you into the city.
By Train : The main railway station is the junction station
near the cantonment area. It is about 3 kms from the old city centre and can
be accessed on autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws. The other major rail station
is at Mughalsarai, 16 kms from Varanasi. Some of the major trains connecting
to Calcutta, Guwahati and other places stop at Mughal Sarai. It is easy to find
transportation from here to reach Varanasi. There are buses and taxis that ply
to Varanasi.
By Road : Most buses terminate a short distance from the junction
station, and some at the cantonment bus station. Buses connect to Gorakhpur,
Gaya, Allahabad, Lucknow, Delhi, Khajuraho and places in Nepal.
