Varanasi

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN VARANASI

Varanasi was once contemporary to the Babylon in Mesopotamia (3rd millennium BC). While most of the civilizations of that period have been lost into oblivion, Varanasi is still bustling with life, which earns for it the epithet the oldest living city. Since times immemorial, Varanasi has been the seat of Hinduism. The city is often said to have embodied the soul of Indian civilization. Crumbling old temples, the life giving river Ganges, teeming with austere Hindu monks clad in saffron lend an aura of sanctity to the land. Important tourist attractions in Varanasi are: Temples: Temples are one of the biggest tourist attractions in Varanasi. Most of the temples are located in the old city along the lanes and the lanes and by lanes. The most famous one is the temple of Kashi Vishwanatha, where Lord Shiva is the presiding deity. Catch up an evening aarti in the temple. Ghats along the Ganges: The River Ganges is part and parcel of the sacred city. The riverbank is punctuated with huge pavilions made of series of concrete steps going down right into the water body of the river. These are called the Ghats, which are major tourist attractions in Varanasi. Dashashwamedha Ghat, Asi, Barnasangam, Panchganga and Manikarnika are some notable Ghats in Varanasi. Several legends go into their makings. Take a boat ride in the early morning along the river to watch hordes of people come to take a dip in the river in the morning and worship the rising sun. Sarnath: Close to Varanasi, lies Sarnath where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. Ashoka the great later erected a stupa here. Several other Buddhist monuments were set up in Sarnath later. The remnants today lie in a serene ambience. Festival of Buddha Purnima is celebrated here with much fanfare.

RIVER FRONT - Varanasi lies along the sacred Ganges River and has a 4 km long river front with hordes of devotees performing rituals at all times of the day. The Ghats look the best at dawn and boats can also be hired at reasonable rates from the ‘Dashashwamedha’ ghat.

ALAMGIR MOSQUE - Popularly known as Beni Madhav Ka Darera, this mosque is a blend of Hindu and Mughal styles of architecture. It was built by Aurangzeb on the site of the Vishnu Temple and overlooks the Panchganga Ghat.
DURGA TEMPLE - About 2 km south of Varanasi, this 18th century Durga Temple is also called the Monkey Temple due to aggressive monkeys that reside here. It has been built in a common north Indian style with an ornate shikhara, with five segments symbolizing the elements, supported by finely carved columns. Durga represented as shakti or female power is clad in red, riding a tiger and fully armed with a sword, Shiva’s trident and Vishnu’s discus. A forked stake in the courtyard was used in the past during festivals to sacrifel goats. Non-Hindus are allowed to the courtyard but not into the inner sanctum.

VISHWANATH TEMPLE - Located within the premises of the Banaras Hindu University this temple built by the Birlas was planned by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. This temple is open to all people irrespective of caste or creed.

TULSI MANAS TEMPLE - Erected in 1964, this temple lies about 150 m south of this Durga Temple. It is dedicated to Lord Rama and is situated where Tulsidas, the great medieval saint, is believed to have written the great epic, Shri Ramcharitmanas. The two-tier walls are engraved with verses and scenes from this epic.

BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY - One of the oldest educational centres of India, this university was was founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in 1917 for the study of Sanskrit, Indian art, culture and music. The university campus extends over five square kms and contains the Bharat Kala Bhavan. The Bhavan has a beautiful collection of miniature paintings, sculptures dating from the first to the fifteenth centuries along with old photographs of Varanasi and brocade textiles. The campus premises also houses the New Vishwanatha Temple