Varanasi is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Call it Varanasi, Kashi or Benaras. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Being one of the ancient cities in the world, the city has a lot of history attached to it.
A unique ancient city that has a lot to offer
It really depends on what your expectations are from this city. It is definitely not a place where you will find modern buildings, malls etc. Varanasi, with its plethora of temples, winding alleys, number of ghats, crowded and chaotic streets and lanes, is indeed a unique amalgam.
Every day, Varanasi is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Hindus believe that taking a dip in the Ganges in Kashi would wash away the sins and liberate their souls.
My experience in this holy city
After landing at Varanasi airport, I was very excited to see the boards saying” Welcome to the city of Lord Shiva”. I really felt there was Lord Shiva somewhere and I would definitely see him :). Well, like they say its all in the mind but I did feel the divinity. It was already dark by the time I reached the city. The drive was great with the newly built highway of which the driver was very proud of.
If you will be staying in a guest house near the ghats, you will most probably have to walk through the alleys since the cars or even three-wheelers do not have enough space to enter the alleys. I had a boy from the guest house to help me with the directions. The streets belong to everyone without any partiality- cows, dogs, monkeys, two-wheelers, people all share the space and you will be part of the crowd.
Please Do Not Disturb! We are resting
I was already feeling the streets to be so crowded but it was interesting to walk through the narrow intriguing lanes. Once I entered the guest house, I found it to be very clean with just the basic amenities including AC and ensuite bathroom. That was all I was expecting. Though overwhelming initially, I started liking the peculiar mix of mundane and spiritual ways that people of this city pursue with aplomb.
I had a good night’s sleep and the breakfast was included and was served on the rooftop. One thing I noticed was all the terraces were mostly covered with grille. I could find monkeys jumping all over. Every day it was a pleasure to watch them while having breakfast( a pleasure because I knew that I wouldn’t be attacked because of the grille all over). The view of the Ganges with the boats sailing in the morning was so beautiful.
The terrace was also a perfect place to do some yoga and meet with other guests.
What to do in Varanasi?
Explore the ghats The first day, I went to explore the nearby ghats and the Gowdolia market. With Diwali around the corner, the streets wore a festive look and the vendors were selling colourful diyas(lamps), flowers, bangles etc.
The lanes are complicated but whichever way you go, you will end up on some main road. While relaxing at the ghats, it was a pleasure to watch the kids flying kites and boatmen merrily singing while rowing.
Boat owners kept approaching with attractive rates for the rides but I kept saying I will come back later. All the boat rides and excursions were arranged by the guest house manager at a very reasonable price.
Kashi Vishwanath temple
It is the holiest of all the Shiva temples. The first Jyotirlinga out of the twelve jyotirlingas was installed here and is of utmost importance to the Hindus. You can leave your shoes and bags in one of the sweet stalls before the entrance and buy sweets and garlands to offer to the Lingam. There are several rounds of security checks before you enter the temple. I went there early morning at 3:45 to avoid the long queue. I had a darshan within 30 minutes. Altogether, it took an hour or so.
Evening aarti at Dashashwamedh ghat
On Dashashwamedh Ghat, the aarti is held on a grand scale every day. I was flabbergasted by the overall experience. The fragrance of the incense, the smell of the flowers, camphor, fire, ghee(clarified butter to light the lamps), blowing of the conch and the elaborate decorations of the daises were all mesmerizing.
I wonder the amount of training the young priests would have undergone to perform such a synchronized aarti. Sounds of bells and the last Shiv Tandav Stotram was heavenly. It was wonderful in every way. I attended this aarti every day during my stay and offered lamps and flowers to the holy Ganges.
Every day, thousands of people from all over India and around the world were present. Aarti comes from the Sanskrit word Aratrika which means offering the lamps to different deities. On the whole, it is a soul elevating experience.
Manikarnika Ghat
Ghat is a flight of steps going down to a river. There is a total of 88 ghats in Varanasi and Manikarnika Ghat has a great significance. According to a legend, one whose body is cremated here attains Moksha( salvation) and unites with the Shiva.
It is the cremation ghat and yes, you can actually see the cremations 24/7. I was having intense feelings to watch something like this for the first time in my life and I was actually a little scared. They have a building where the cremation takes place during the rainy days. Please do not take pictures while you are near the ghats as it is an occasion of mourning for the families. You can take pictures from a distance and the boatman would actually tell you when to turn off your cameras.
Sunrise boat ride
Ratneshwar Mahadev- leaning temple of Varanasi
To enjoy this you have to start quite early around 5:30 to see the sunrise and watch the Siberian birds flocking above the Ganges. I could see people meditating on Manikarnika ghat, Sadhus doing their morning ablutions, pilgrims having a dip in the Ganges and the locals busy with their daily routine.
We could hear Vedic mantras being recited from various temples during our boat ride. Traditional Hindustani instrumental music emanating from a group of musicians on the banks of river Ganga was refreshing. All these made me feel like I was travelling through the time machine to see the ancient most civilization.
Evening boat ride with a view of aarti
Illumination of the ghats especially during the Diwali time is a real feast to the eyes. Crossing the Manikarnika ghat, we moved on to Dashashwamedh ghat for witnessing the aarti from the boat.
Seeing the aarti from the Ganges is an exceptional experience since you can actually watch the young men performing just in front of you (just my friend Kate and I on the boat).
It was an experience to remember for a lifetime.
Try local delicacies
I liked the Banarsi Thali at Shree Cafe near the Dasashwamedh Ghat. Keshari Restaurant near Kashi Vishwanath Temple is also worth trying. If you crave to have a simple traditional South Indian Thali, head to either Ayyar’s Café or NSR Café.
Kashi Chat Bhandar is an eatery serving chaat and snacks. Their Tamatar Chaat and aloo Tikki were really good.
Banarasi Chai is thicker than the usual chai with a unique flavour and served in earthen pots.
Get high on Banarasi Bhang Lassi
Benaras is famous for its Lassi( usually sweetened Yogurt). Among many lassi shops, I loved the Baba Lassi’s Pomegranate Lassi the most. The lassis come in a number of flavours. Another popular place is Blue Lassi.
You should specifically mention if Bhang is to be added to your Lassi. Bhang is an edible cannabis preparation (made from the leaves of the Cannabis and not the buds) that is prohibited in many parts of India except a few places like Varanasi where it can be sold legally.
Bhang Lassi can be had in three different strengths (Light, Medium, Strong). It takes about 30 minutes to feel the effect and it may get you high for the whole night. If you decide to try it, make sure you are with a reliable person because the effects can be laughing hysterically for hours 🙂 :). A couple from Poland staying in the guest house had a not so pleasant experience after having medium-strength bhang lassi. When consumed in high doses it may cause panic and create a feeling of disassociation with your body.
Sarnath Temple
Sarnath Temple
Archaeological ruins, Sarnath
Take a half-day trip to visit the beautiful Sarnath where Gautam Buddha preached his first sermon.
Dhamekh Stupa
This Buddhist temple is worth visiting and also a great place to get away from the pollution and crowd of Varanasi. On your way to Sarnath, you can see a beautiful Japanese and a Jain temple.
Sarnath is flocked by tourists from all over the world particularly from Japan, Thailand and Srilanka where Buddhism is the prominent religion.
Horseback riding
I had no idea about this till my friend Kate, who I met during the trip told me about the horses on the other side of the river. I decided to go there the next morning after my breakfast and had a wonderful time riding the horse and meeting some tribal people from the nearby forests.
Banarasi silk saree
Banaras is famous for its silk sarees. There are lots of saree shops in the market. Buying a genuine Banarasi saree is expensive. Most of the shops can recommend a tailor to get a blouse stitched while you are there. If you would be wearing the saree only once or twice, buying a cheaper version is better. Prices are negotiable.
Accommodation
There are a lot of accommodation options from budget to high-end hotels. I looked for something close to the ghats so that it would be easy to walk around every day instead of taking rickshaws. I stayed at Shivakashi Guesthouse that is just a 3-minute walk to Chausatti ghat( a ghat with very steep steps but quieter than many other Ghats. Dasahwamedh ghat, the main ghat for the evening aarti is just a 5-8 minutes walk from here.
Tips
- You will be walking most of the time. Covered shoes should be good to keep away from dust and dirt on the streets.
- If you would like to take a dip in the Ganges, go for a ghat that is less crowded. Chaussatti ghat is relatively cleaner.
- Do not buy bottled water near the ghats. I didn’t find them to be genuine. Buy it from the shops.
- Instead of bargaining for boat rides, if your guesthouse or hotel can arrange it, it would be great especially if you are solo, you will be clubbed with other passengers from the guest house.
- Do not walk alone in the streets in the dark after the shops are closed.
- Varanasi is well connected to all the major cities by rail and air. Booking railway tickets in advance would be good.
- The best time to visit Varanasi is from November to February. It is not at all pleasant to visit in the summer.
I would like to mention that I travelled solo to Varanasi in spite of being discouraged by many but I felt completely safe and came back refreshed with a wish to go back to Varanasi many more times in the future.
Leave A Comment