Varanasi or Kashi is the spiritual capital of India,famous for its Ghats,Temples and Music. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva.The city was also known by several names such as Benares or Banaras. This city is one of the India’s oldest living city situated on the banks of the Ganga(Ganges) river. The temples and the bathing ghats are located on bank of the holy Ganga(Ganges) river and the count of temples in the city is claimed to be 23,000 and the bathing ghats number 81.
I am very fortunate to visit this place and experience the rich culture by taking walk along the river and see all of the ghats.Some of the important temples to visit in Varanasi are Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva,Kashi Vishalakshi temple, Maa Annapoorna Devi temple, Gauri Matha Temple,Kaal Bhairav Temple,Nepali Hindu Temple, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple,Durga Temple,Tulasi Manas Temple. Dont miss to experience evening aarti ceremony on ghats of River Ganga,Charter a boat and view all ghats from the river.
Many Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi brings salvation/nirvana, so some ghats are known as burning ghats, where over 200+ corpses are cremated per day in full view before their ashes are eased into the Ganga. For some, the culture shock of the burning corpses in plain view can be a bit overwhelming. However, the scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the River Ganga at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world.
The beauty of this place is that streets are too narrow to be reached by auto-rickshaw, and car and therefore, you may have to walk a bit or take cycle-rickshaw, to reach your destination. The chaotic streets of Varanasi are surrounded by shops,eateries, animals, people everywhere. Every Foreigner who visits India has Varanasi in their bucket list to experience rich culture,tradition,spectacle of life and death on the banks of river and meandering through the alleys of the old city. I was astonished to see foreigners taking music classes for my favourite musical instrument VEENA. I wish one day i could join the classes to learn Veena…
Food here is known for its Flavours.Many dishes here are flavored with asafoetida, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & dried fenugreek leaves. Varanasi is also known for its street food,chaat vendors,Rabri(Sweet Milk Dish) & world famous Banarasi Paan.Banaras is also famous for its Silk Saris.
10kms from Varanasi one can visit Sarnat, One of the most sacred places for Buddhists, known as the place where Lord Buddha gave his first speech after his enlightenment. There are also temples built by the Maha Bodhi Society and by the Chinese, Burmese, and Tibetan Buddhists.
#ConnectWritingChallenge
