VARANASI
PLACES TO VISIT
The antiquity of Varanasi is veiled in immortal time. An 'eternal' city, it abounds with a rich and vibrant past.Varanasi is another holy dot on the life giving Mother Ganges. As a religious centre, it is beyond compare. It is one of the foremost 'tirthas' (place of pilgrimage) Varanasi, as the legend goes was created by Shiva, the cosmic lord. It figures prominently in the epic Mahabharat. Puranic literature dates its existence to at least three millennia. Varanasi has been a great centre for learning and civilization and is sacred to the Hindus. It has an endearing universal mystique which has to be experienced to be understood. Varanasi's original name Kashi, is said to have been derived from the word 'Kasha' .meaning bright which defines its significance as the' city of light' or its spiritual luminance. The present name is believed to be a combination of Varuna and Asi, the two rivers on its northern and southern periphery. Benaras, as it is popularly known, is only a corruption of the name by an ever changing culture. But such is the invigorating strength of the holy waters of the Ganges, that Varanasi refused to die. However, Varanasi is most reputed for its silk brocade sarees and carpets. The Benarasi saree is more than a garment, it is sheer poetry in five yards of silk that comes to life with zari brocading in gold and silver and fine metal wires. There is no Indian attraction like Varanasi. There are no architectural splendours, no exquisitely carved palaces or impregnable forts, and yet the city has an inherent charm. Situated on the west bank of the Ganges, it extends back from the riverbank ghats to a winding maze of picturesque alleys overlooking tall houses alongside, dotted with temple It is a fascinating area to wanc around.Varanasi today, is also a centre of education, art and craft. The city has given birth to many academicians, musicians and artists of world acclaim. As a centre of art and craft it has a vast repertoire, right from silver,brass, copper artifacts to perfumeries and trinkets.

Alamgir Mosque
It was built by Aurangzeb and is a curious Hindu/Muslim mixture.

Bharat Mata Temple
Dedicated to 'Mother India', this temple has a marble relief map of India. It gives an excellent impression of the high isolation of the Tibetan plateau. The temple was opened by Mahatma Gandhi.

Ram Nagar Fort and Museum
This 17th century fort is the home of the Maharaja of Benares. The interesting museum contains old silver and brocade palanquins for the ladies of the court, elephant howdahs made of silver,old brocades and an armoury of swords and old guns.

The Ghats
Many a story has been told of the Ghats of Varanasi. Quite an amazing experience as you either walk along or brave the waters. This is the real Varanasi, with its godmen in saffron, the echoes of the shlokas, bathing pilgrims with prayers on their chilled and stuttering lips, the shoreline with flames lapping up towards the sky where the dead are sent to heaven - a thousand sights and smells assault and overwhelm you. The more famous of the Ghats are the Dasashwamedha, Manikarnika, Assi, Panch Ganga and Harishchandra Ghats.

Vishwanath Temple
With the only constraint being that only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, the Vishwanath Temple was built in 1777, by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. Aurangzeb's destruction of the temple and the rebuilding of it on the same site gives its history value and the temple has been the principal Shiva Temple in Varanasi for more than a thousand years. Known as the 'Golden Temple', because of the 800 kgs of gold, which adorns its shikharas, the roof was gold-plated by the blessing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. In the inner sanctum, the shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar.

Gyan Kup
Said to date back to well before the birth of the Ganges, Gyan Kup literally translates into the 'Well of Knowledge and Wisdom'. The kup is conveniently situated next to the main temple and the water from the well is believed to 'indicate the highest spiritual illumination'

Gyanvapi Mosque
In an act that was typical of its eccentric and destructive builder Aurangzeb, this great mosque was built with materials salvaged from plundered Hindu temples. The monument is an architectural wonder, with minarets, which are 71 m in height. It is only the rear portions of the mosque that give away its Hindu origins.

Benares Hindu University
The BHU, as it is popularly known, was founded in 1917 by well-known nationalist Pt Malviya. The largest residential university in India, it houses an excellent Sanskrit School as also a museum within its campus, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum. The Museum has an amazing collection of old manuscripts, ancient sculptures and paintings.