Banaras, the city of colours and carnivals that takes you to the world of divine belief and witness dignity of the great culture of India at every step of your journey. Being one of the seven sacred places (Sapta Puri) Banaras the divine city has more to offer as we believe it won’t be an exaggeration if we say this place captivates your heart and gives you memories that you remain for a lifetime.
Besides all the whimsicalness, the name of this place also has its little history.
The name Banaras was given by the natives of the Pali (village nearby), but it is officially called Varanasi.
The name Varanasi is given to this place as it lies between the two rivers namely Varuna and Assi which gave birth to the name Varanasi.
Best Places to visit in Varanasi
Banaras (Varanasi) is one of the great pilgrimage centres which reflects the beliefs and culture of India in its own way. As that has been said, you will be seeing a lot of temples, ghats that are worshipped for their divine powers.
There are more than 30 tourist places in Banaras (Varanasi) as it is one of the world’s oldest cities with a history of more than 10,000 years.
But, in this article, you will be seeing the top 5 places that please you with their grace.
1. Kashi Vishwanath temple
Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the best Hindu temples, where lord shiva is worshipped with all glory, and devotees come from all over the world to offer their prayers and do their rituals. This temple is located on the bank of the holy river Ganga, Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
This temple is destroyed and reconstructed, But the last destruction was done by the 6th Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and the current structure was constructed by the Maratha Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar and Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1780 and it took 1 ton of gold to construct the ravishing arch of the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
You can see many saints bathing in the river Ganga as it believed that the holiness of Ganga cleanses their sins and soul, and break the chain of reincarnation by providing them moksha (liberation).
2. Dashashwamedh Ghat
Dashashwamesh Ghat is closer to Kashi Vishwanath temple where the spectacular ritual “Ganga aarti” (offering prayers to the river Ganga) takes place.
This ritual usually happens every day after sunset and goes on for 45 minutes. People feel delighted and blessed to see this astonishing ritual as all the priest lit their aartis and moving them according to the rhythm of bhajans (prayer).
Dashashwamedh is constructed by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in 1748 and later it is remodeled by Ahilya bai Holkar in 1774.
3. Assi Ghat
It is the southernmost ghat located on the bank of the river Ganga. Before Assi is considered a river but now it is more kind of a streamlet.
Assi ghat is the sweet spot for fun-lovers as it awakes the sporty kid in you with its tourist activities like boat riding in the sunset, flying over the cloud in a hot balloon, music, and great food. It leaves you with great experiences and of course, you can’t stop awing this beautiful ghat.
Devotees will also get the privilege of offering water to Shivalinga which is a “once in a lifetime” thing for many devotees.
4. Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat is located near Lalita ghat, on the bank of river Ganga it has great mythical insight, as people believe at this ghat goddess. Sati’s ear ornament has fallen when Lord Vishnu shattered her body with Vishnu chakra.
But some stories say that Lord Shiva’s earring that is fallen into Manikarnika Ghat, A well which is built by Lord Vishnu to please Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.
In this ghat, cremations are commonly seen as Indians believe it opens the gate of moksha.
This place gives you a heart-stirring experience as you see hundreds of people get cremated. In the holy land to get moksha. this may make you see life from a different perspective as it states” death is the one real end”.
5. Dhamek Stupa
Dhamek stupa is located in Sarnath 13 km away from Varanasi. It is constructed by the great emperor Ashoka in 500 CE this is one of the popular Buddhist pilgrimage centres.
According to history, lord buddha’s mortal remains are cremated under the 8 stupas and the ashes and the container are cremated under 2 other stupas but it became hard to find the 10 original stupas due to lack of historical data.
It is also a place where the eightfold path to nirvana was preached by Buddha. The eight steps to follow in order to break the chain of rebirth and get moksha.
It is also said to be the spot where Lord Buddha preached to his five disciples after attaining supreme enlightenment in Bodh Gaya.
Arts, Culture, and food at Banaras
Food
Banaras (Varanasi) is well known for its street food here are some street food that makes you drool
1.Kachori Sabji
2.Chena Dahi Vada
3.Malaiyyo
Art
Banaras (Varanasi) has great silk fabric of all times. It’s silk fabrics and muslin, ivory works, perfumes, and sculpture made. Varanasi not only a spiritual centre but also a commercial hub.
Festivals at Banaras (Varanasi)
Being a land of divine powers Varanasi has many festivals which celebrate the holiness of the place some of them are:
1. Ganga Mahotsav
2. Budga Mahotsav
3. Maha Shivaratri
4. Holi
5. Deepawali
Best time to visit
Winters are best to travel Banaras (Varanasi) which is from November to February the average temperature is noted as 5 Celsius.
Now, as you know all about Varanasi, Explore and Experience the most beautiful Indian spiritual spot which calls you with all its glory, Varanasi is one such place with great civilization and culture. It tells you many stories that blow your mind and lasts for a lifetime.
Also Read: Top 15 Best Places to Visit in India