Varanasi

Places of Interest - India

introduction

Varanasi, city of Hindu God "Shiva", exists for more than 2700 years and is one of the oldest still inhabitable cities in the world. His present name consists of a combination of the two rivers that meet here; the Varuna and the Assi. The city lies on the holy river Ganges and is one of the holiest but also most colorful cities of India.

Hindus from all over the world come to this very spiritual city to bathe here in the holy river (and get rid of the sin of life) but also to let it cremate here. For Hindu believers, the city is a crossroads between physical life on earth and the spiritual afterlife. Boat trips can give an overwhelming but good picture of the ritual places on the banks of the river (the so-called ghats).

highlights

Ghats:

The spiritual life in Varanasi and India can best be admired on one of the 80 ghats that were built in Varanasi mainly along the Western side of the holy river Ganges. These run step-by-step from the houses and buildings towards the waterfront. You can by means of a walk along the ghats and/or a river-boat trip get a good impression of what is happening on the waterfront.

Most ghats are used for sacred baths while a number are designated as cremation or fire-ghat's. Some do the laundry, prayers or yoga is practiced while at other places flowers are sold, massages take place or cricket is played. The area between "Assi" ghat and "Panchgangha" ghat is the most impressive. The best time to go to a ghat is with sunrise and sunset; In the morning "puja" is performed which literally means sacrifices or respect, while in the evening hours "ganga aarti" is shown.

Assi ghat is the southernmost of the most important ghats and is important for Hindus because here the assi river passes into the holy Ganges. Harishchandra ghat is one of the cremation ghat's, one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi. The city's most colorful and popular seaside resorts is Dasaswamedh; this is very central and is very easily accessible. At Man Mandir ghat is an old stone balcony on which Raja Jai Singh II from Jaipur built one of his famous observatories in the year 1710.

Manikarnika ghat is the most important and largest cremation or fire-hole in Varanasi. For Hindus, this is the most wanted place to be cremated but also the most expensive. In the streets behind this ghat you often see death ceremonies where the cremated is worn on a bamboo stretcher on the way to the Ganges River. On the site itself you see a large stone block above the river where the wood (sandalwood is the most precious) is piled up to be lit a little later.

Vishwanat temple

The Vishwanath or golden temple is the most popular Hindu temple in Varanasi. This was built in honor of Vishfveswara - Shiva and was built in the year 1776 even though there were always temples here.

The previous editions have all been destroyed. Especially the 800 kilograms of gold plates on the tower makes it a sensation to look at. Only Hindus are welcome inside and security is overwhelming.

Other attractions:

Benares Hindu university and Ramnagar fort and museum.

history

Varanasi is a learning center and civilization for more than 2000 years and claims that it is one of the oldest still habitable cities in the world. The first proven facts regarding Varanasi took place between 1400 and 1000 BC when the Kasi tribe settled in what is now Varanasi along the Ganges river.

The city soon became an important Hindu center and was included in the much larger Kosala Kingdom which in turn was taken over by the empire of the mighty Magadha (ruled from Patna). From the 11th century the city was regularly attacked and looted by Islamic fighters. Around the year 1300, Varanasi was destroyed by Afghan rebels. They also plundered the nearby Sarnath.

The Mogol leader Aurangzeb was the most bloodthirsty - all Varanasi temples were destroyed. The old city of Varanasi may have an authentic atmosphere - most buildings are no more than a few hundred years old.

tips & advice (2004)

About 22 km northwest of Varanasi is the international airport Lal Bahadur Shastri. The main train station (Varanasi

Junction) and the small chaotic bus station are a few hundred meters apart, about 2 km northwest of the city center.

Varanasi - Gorakphur - Sunauli (border Nepal) - Pokhara: the best is to take a train from Varanasi to Gorakphur (there is a train at 22:30 which arrives around 05:00 - price 134Rs for a sleeper). Then you can take the local bus at 10:00 to the border of Nepal (Sunauli).

There is one at 10:00 that arrives around 15:30 - price is about 54Rs. Train and bus station are 300 meters apart in Gorakphur. In Sunauli (where there is nothing to do) you can take a bus to for example Pokhara deeper in Nepal. Buses leave at 18:00 and can take up to 9 hours - costs around 230 NS.

Varanasi has three areas where many accommodation options are situated. Most budget hostels are in the cozy, busy and chaotic part of the old city with small alleys and streets behind the ghats. At Assi ghat are some upmarket hostels and hotels.

North of the train station (in the Cantonment district) are the more expensive hotels and sleeping options. Finally, there are about 75 possibilities to sleep in people's homes - for this you can retrieve a list from the information center.

Boat trip across the Ganges

One of the most impressive tours you can make in Varanasi and India is a rowing boat tour at sunrise over the river Ganges along the former palaces and many large ghats in the center of the city.

Facts:

Prices are about 25Rs per hour Most boat trips last an hour and go from Dasaswamedh to Harishchandra; other boats (also for longer trips) leave at Meer, Mamandir and Assi;
The best time is to leave around 5:30 am when it is still cool, the sun is not up yet (but it is coming soon) and most of the ceremonies are taken place on the ghats. Another popular time is when the sun goes down and you can let a Lotus flower candle float on the water.
Finally, you can attend the ganga aarti on an "evening" tour - a ceremony performed at the Dasaswamedh ghat.

TIPS:

Do not talk to intermediaries but directly with the owner of the boat to avoid spending too much money and disappointments;
Ask the boatman which ghats are being used and how long the boat trip lasts;
Assume you see a cremation when you go on a morning boat ride at Harishchandra - prepare yourself (mentally);
Ask host owners, but especially to independent people at the tourist information center, for example, how much a boat trip costs per hour at that time