Tour to Varanasi
Why Varanasi?
Varanasi is one of the oldest cities of not only India but the world as well and its history can be traced back to the same period as that of Babylon. Varanasi is not only one of the leading tourist cities in India but it is also the oldest living city in the world. Travel to Varanasi has always been highly popular among the pious Hindus as it is considered as one of the holiest cities in India according to Hindu mythology and religious beliefs. Travel to Varanasi is however not restricted to religious pilgrimage only and every year tourists from different corners of the country as well as all over the world visits this ancient city to explore its rich past and cultural heritage.
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About Varanasi
The entire city of Varanasi is full of innumerable temples and the sacred river of the Ganges and its ghats remain crammed with the Hindu monks creates a mystic aura. According to legendary American novelist Mark Twain, "Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Vaishnavism and Shaivism have co-existed in Varanasi in harmony for centuries. Jainism is also an integral part of the different religions that are followed here. Varanasi is considered to be the birthplace of Parsvanath, the twenty-third Tirthankar and thus it is a famous pilgrimage center for the Jains as well.
Location of Varanasi
The city of Varanasi is situated on the banks of the great Ganges and between the Varuna and the Assi streams and the city is believed to get its name from these two streams.
How to Reach Varanasi
The tourists who are planning to travel to Varanasi are provided with numerous options for traveling by airways, roadways and railways. Since Varanasi is one of the premier tourist destinations in Uttar Pradesh therefore the city has got its own airport. The airport of Varanasi is regularly served by a host of public and private airlines that operates scheduled flights to Varanasi from major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Khajuraho and such others. The visitors can also avail direct flights for Varanasi from Katmandu.
Other popular options of transportation for the visitors who are opting for travel to Varanasi comprise of roadways and railways. Varanasi is well linked by road with many popular cities in India like Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.
Varanasi Junction and Varanasi City are the two major railway stations in Varanasi and some of the most important trains connect Varanasi to Kolkata, Delhi and many other cities of India.
Tourist Attractions in Varanasi
Varanasi has the tradition of embracing millions of devotees with open arms and thus many visitors frequently plan to travel to Varanasi with their near and dear ones to pay homage to the various auspicious religious sites or to explore the ancient relics of the most ancient living civilization of the world. Tour to Varanasi India
Eminent tourist attractions that you must include in your travel to Varanasi are as below.
- Temples of Varanasi:
Religious Temples are undoubtedly the greatest tourist attractions in Varanasi and majority of the ancient temples are situated in the old city along the lanes and by lanes of the city of Varanasi. The most famous as well as the most auspicious temple in Varanasi is the temple of Kashi Vishwanatha, where Lord Shiva is the presiding deity. An evening aarti in this temple is an experience of a lifetime. The temple of Mother India besides the Durga temple and the Tulsi Manas temple are some of the other noted temples in Varanasi.
- Ghats along the Ganges:
The River Ganges is the lifeline of the city of Varanasi and forms an intrinsic aspect of the city. The riverbank of the sacred Ganges is punctuated with vast pavilions made of series of concrete steps that goes down straight into the water body of the river and these are popularly referred to as ghats in Varanasi. Dashashwamedha Ghat, Asi, Barnasangam, Panchganga and Manikarnika are some of the renowned ghats in Varanasi. A boat ride in the evening along the river Ganges can be a truly memorable experience for the visitors in Varanasi.
- Sarnath:
It is situated close to Varanasi and this place has attained popularity as a premier tourist attraction as well as a noted religious site as Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment. Ashoka the great emperor erected a stupa here to commemorate the significance of the site. Several other Buddhist monuments are found in Sarnath.
The observatory of Jantar Mantar and the oldest university of North India, the Banaras Hindu University also deserves a visit from the visitors.
Shopping in Varanasi
The travel to Varanasi never comes to an end unless the visitors go for shopping in Varanasi and this city takes pride in its rich tradition of handicrafts which are appreciated in all over the world. For ages, Varanasi has received widespread global acclamation for exquisite silk saris with intricate floral patterns and elaborate zari works. Stone carved items of Varanasi are also very famous. In Varanasi, the shoppers usually come across a multitude of specialty crafts from other parts of the state like Zardozi from Agra, embroidered fabric from Lucknow, leather works of Kanpur and many more specialty items.
Getting to Varanasi
Varanasi is a city that is well connected by both bus and train. There are plenty of trains available to Varanasi from Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Kolkata and Lucknow. There are to Mughal Sarai Junction and Varanasi Junction. The major trains to Varanasi are Rajdhani Express, Ganga Kaveri Express, Shivganga Express, Sangamitra Express, Lokmanya Tilak - Varanasi Express, Secunderabad-Patna Express, Vibhuti Express, Marudhar Express and Howrah-Jodhpur Express.
There are buses to Varanasi from various locations in northern India as well as the Nepali border. Buses are available from Lucknow, Allahabad and Kanpur. Planes are available from Mumbai and Delhi and there are flights from Indian Airlines, Kingfisher, Air Sahara, Spice Jet and Jet Airways.
Places to See in Varanasi
There are plenty of places to see in Varanasi. The temples and the ghats are the major attractions in Varanasi. The major tourist attractions in Varanasi are Vishwanath Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Nepali Hindu Temple, Durga Temple, Alamgir Mosque, Banaras Hindu University, Man Mandir Observatory and Ram Nagar Fort. Tour to Varanasi India
The ghats are steps that lead to a river. It is used by pilgrims to bathe as Ganga is considered sacred by Hindus. There are certain ghats that are known as burning ghats. In these ghats deceased are cremated. The various ghats of Varanasi are Narad Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat, Panchganga Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Shivala Ghat, Dasaswamedh Ghat, Tulsi Ghat, Rana Ghat, Assi Ghat and Kedar Ghat.
Things to do in Varanasi
There are plenty of things to do in Varanasi but the most favorite activity of the tourists is boating. The boating trips allow them to see the various sides of this ancient and splendid city. The visitors can also visit the alleys of Varanasi. Tour to Varanasi a good idea.
Visitors can also learn classical Indian instruments and yoga in Varanasi as this city has a rich history in both these disciplines. They may also take part in educational programs on Indian topics at the Benares Hindu University. Instructions are provided in English.
Tourists can buy silk products for their near and dear ones in Varanasi. Wow India, located near the Assi Ghat, offers handicrafts products along with music, herbal tea, ayurvedic cosmetics and incense. The prices are fixed and reasonable. Mehrotra Silk Factory offers silk goods at decent prices.
There are a lot of eateries in Varanasi. They can be categorized into budget, splurge and mid range. The budget eateries in Varanasi are Buffalo's Restaurant, Diamond Hotel and Jaika Restaurant, Shiva Cafe and German Bakery, Sa Re Gama Restaurant, Mona Lisa Cafe, Ganga View and A.C. Shahi Restaurant & Kesari Restaurant.
The mid range eateries in Varanasi are Open Hand Cafe, Zaika, Flavours Cafe, Moti Mahal Delux and Bread of Life Bakery. The splurge eateries at Varanasi are Chowk and Varuna. Middle-Eastern food is available in Haifa Cafe, Phulwari / Sami Cafe, Hayat's and Tahsin's Mediterranean. The various forms of drinks available in Varanasi are Bhang and Thandai apart from the alcoholic drinks.
Accommodation in Varanasi
There are plenty of options available in Varanasi as far as accommodation is concerned. They may be categorized into budget, splurge and mid-range. The budget hotels in Varanasi are Sita Guest House, Maruti Guest House, Shanti Guesthouse, Ganga Fuji Home, Sahi Riverview Guest House, Groovyganges Guest House, Vishnu Rest House, Tiwari Lodge and Hotel River View. The mid range hotels in Varanasi are Kautilya Society Residence and Hotel Malti. The Gateway Hotel could be classified as a splurge hotel.
TSI Holidays.com provides information on Travel to Varanasi.
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