VARANASI : A MUST PLACE TO VISIT IN INDIA
Varanasi is the India of your imagination. One of the most colorful and fascinating places on earth,surprises abound around every corner.
This is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities in Hinduism. Pilgrims come to the ghats lining the Ganges to wash away sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones. It's a particularly auspicious place to die, since expiring here offers moksha(liberation from the cycle of rebirth).
Most visitors agree Varanasi is magical – but not for the faint-hearted. Intimate rituals of life and death take place in public, and the sights, sounds and smells on the ghats – not to mention almost constant attention from touts – can be intense. Still, the so-called City of Light may turn out to be your favourite stop of all. Walking the ghats and alleyways or watching sunrise from a boat can be unforgettable.
VARANASI : TO DO LIST
- EXPLORE THE GHATS OF VARANASI
A walk along the ghats is also fascinating experience (although do be prepared for filth and to be hassled by vendors). This Varanasi ghat guide will point you in the right direction of some of the must-see ones, from south to north.Assi ghat is the best one to visit.
- TAKE BATH IN RIVER GANGES
The holy Ganges River supplies Varanasi with a spiritual charm. The waters of Ganges River are blessed. The divine river offers salvation to everyone who bathes in the water. Pilgrims from all over in the world no matter their age take a dip in the water to absolve their sins and attain moksha, liberation form the cycle of birth and death.
Varanasi has more than 84 Ghats with stairs leading to the waters. Bathing can be seen since the crack of dawn. People chant prayers to appease river Goddess.
- A VISIT TO KASHI VISHWANATHA TEMPLE
Kashi Vishvanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning Ruler of The Universe. Varanasi city is also called Kashi, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishvanath Temple.
- VIEW THE MAGNIFICENT GANGA AARTI
Every evening thousands of visitors assemble at Dashashwamedh Ghat, to view the spectacle of evening Aarti in Varanasi. Though this tradition itself may be thousands of years old, in the modern days the Aarti is a choreographed show with priests in traditional Indian clothes using huge deepams and mashals or Cressets, moving to the tune of melodious Aarti and Bhajans.
- A BOAT RIDE ALONG THE RIVER GANGA
The best time to take the boat ride is at dawn when the temples at the river front are bathed in a lovely hue of orange and the ghats are just beginning to bustle with various activities and rituals. However, that day the sun was in no mood to peek out from behind the dense cloud cover. The prevailing foggy and hazy conditions , nevertheless, were just adding to the entire mystical aura associated with Varanasi.
- INVEST YOURSELF FOR ONE DAY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SAINTS/BABA'S/AGHORIS IN VARANASI TO KNOW WHAT IS LIFE!!
Varanasi baba's can be found sitting on banks of river Ganga and it's worth it to invest sometime to talk along with them about the meaning of life, happiness,karma etc..
- EATING OUT IN VARANASI
Food in Varanasi is a gastronomical experience. Relish the wide assortment of mouth-watering delicacies. The streets of Varanasi present you with the most famous food and various specialities unique to this city. The famous snow cone, roasted peanuts, the delicious chat items like Tamatar Chat, Pani Puri, Kachoris, Aloo Tikki, variety of sweets like Jalebis, Banarasi Kalakand, Rabri, etc. Another famous treat of Banaras is their Paan. It is a speciality of Varanasi made of betel leaf and should be definitely on your list.
- GETTING HIGH IN VARANASI
There are places where you need to look for a place to get high, and then there is Varanasi. You might be wondering a little as to where on earth there is such a place in the holy city? Well, I can list down for you a list of such places where the crass hullabaloo of the city subsides as soon as you take the pot in your hands and turn on some psychedelic music, even before puffing on a chillum. At sunset, the ghats assume a surreal look as hordes of nirvana-seekers can be seen witnessing the circular disc submerge itself beneath the tranquil waters, while passing each other the much celebrated hookah.
Did someone just mention beer? Say no more. And do not let such trivial considerations such as distance come in your way. Aahar Vihar Dhaba and Chahat Resturant on the Allahabad Highway are an oasis of calm for the hippies. For beer is amply available, along with excellent food to satiate your taste buds
Bhang, carefully moulded in the shape of crude spheres, is as representative of Varanasi as its temples and ghats. I would not be exaggerating if I were to say that if it is bhang that you crave for, it’ll find you out with a dogged persistence. Couple it with a glass full of thandai, and there you go, euphoria itself will come begging at your feet.
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