Exploring Varanasi

I am just amazed to think about my childhood.
How amazing my childhood was!
Yep! I always feel so much proud to think about Varanasi which is my childhood place.
I lived for complete five years at Varanasi. Varanasi is a place which one can't neglect or decline from one's travel list. Exploring this city is always full of anticipation and thrill.
Varanasi or Banaras or Kashi is one of the worlds oldest cities and a famous renowned religious town. Varanasi is the cultural capital of the World and is one of the UNESCO identified city.
Varanasi is an ancient city. It lies on sacred banks of holy Ganga river. It is famous for its awesome well-maintained old temples, ghats, and old monuments and for lots more.

 I still remember how I enjoyed so much in Ganga river with my sisters and bother. It was a complete childhood fun. I still remember the famous ghats of Ganges. They are unique in the whole world. A few kilometers away from the main city, there is a world famous place called Sarnath...a place famous for Gautam Buddha. He gave his teaching under a pipal tree which is still present there.
 I was in 3rd standard when I was there. My school was placed in a very beautiful place, called BHU Campus.

TRAVEL TIPS TO VISIT VARANASI

The best time to Visit Varanasi is 15 days after Diwali/Deepwali.
Why?
Because you will get a chance to witness Dev Deepawali. Dev Deepawali is Deepwali of God. and It is celebrated in a most beautiful manner in Varanasi on the banks of river Ganga. And you can't get the celebration like this in the rest of India. It is celebrated after 15 days of Deepawali. So make sure that you can reach there one or two days before.

Here are some important tips one has to know before visiting this amazing city.

• PLAN YOUR TRAVELLING DAYS PROPERLY

One must have to give a minimum of 2-3 days to explore this city properly. Some people visit here for 10 days, some for one month and some just touch the city in just one day and simply return back with no exploration in their hands. If you want to see something new and exciting, there must be good proper planning to know about every aspect of this most chaotic city, yes it is chaotic because it is not only loved by foreigners but also Indians living there too.

• GETTING THERE

If you want to fly by air, you would be pleased to know that Varanasi is fully connected to the metropolitan and some big cities of India by air route, like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Khajuraho etc. And if you choose to travel by train it will take eight hours from Kolkata,10-12 hours from Delhi and 30 hours from Mumbai. You will be highly pleased to know that there is a new semi high-speed train which was just flagged off by the Prime Minister of India-Narendra Modi. It will run from New Delhi and will reach Varanasi in just 8-hours.

• MAKE A TRIP TO WATCH SPECTACULAR GHATS

River Ganges is the lifeline of Hinduism. River Ganges is considered a heavenly demi-Goddess who was sent to earth by God for flourishing civilization. Varanasi is said to be pure because of its contact with River Ganges. To allow easy access to the river, the city has many Ghats, which are basically a series of steps, which lead to the water.

Each Ghat is said to be fulfilling a specific purpose. Most of the Ghats were built during or after the 17th century and some of the Ghats are associated with mythologies.

Some of the important ghats are...

1. Dasashwamedh Ghat

2. Assi Ghat

3. Manikarnika Ghat

4. Manmandir Ghat

5. Harishchandra Ghat

6. Jain Ghat

7. Scindia Ghat

8. Shivala Ghat

9. Mansarovar Ghat

10. Chet Singh Ghat

11. Narada Ghat

12. Digpatia Ghat

...and lots more...

• GRANDEUR EVENING ARTI 

The spectacular event must be viewed from the Dasawamedh Ghat, where beautiful rituals unfold themselves in front of your eyes. Brass lamps of large sizes are used during this event, which is accompanied by chants and crowds of people waiting to pray. Ganga aarti of Varanasi is world famous. If you want to see these awe-inspiring rituals, reach Dasawamedh Ghat at 04:30 am and cherish the best moment of your life in the fresh morning air without any other noise. You can also enjoy the evening aarti. Believe me, you will never forget this moment in your life.

• TEMPLES

Best known for its Ghats and Temples, a visit to Varanasi is incomplete without the best temples of this city. There is one on almost every road and road crossing in Varanasi. While the small temples are used for daily local prayers and rituals, larger ones are associated with Hindu history and mythology. These places of worships are regularly visited by travelers in large numbers. They also reflect the architecture in India.

There are two Vishwanath temples there -The old Vishwanath temple and the new Vishwanath temple. The new temple is in the BHU campus area and the old one is on the banks of Ganges. Old temple is believed to be highly auspicious. Deities from all over the world, come here and we can see long queues daily. There are lots of rush every time in this temple. If I speak truthfully, I really love to visit the new temple area as there is no chaos there and it is a very spacious and peaceful temple. One can stay there for the complete day. The most famous temples of Varanasi are: 

Kashi Vishwanath Temple,

Sankat Mochan Temple,

Durga temple,

Kal Bhairav
Sarnath
Sankat Mochan Temple
Nepali Temple
Bharat Mata Temple
Tulsi Manas Temple
New Vishwanath Temple
...and lots more...

• PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE  HERE

The people of Varanasi are fondly called by many in North of India as, Banarasi. People here and from all over India deeply believe that Varanasi is Lord Shiva's home. The old people of Varanasi say that Lord Shiva protects this city from all evil and sins. People have a very deep feeling of love and devotion towards Lord Shiva.
People of Varanasi are very loving and caring. They love to help in guiding lots of tourists who come here to watch this spectacular city. They are very soft-spoken and adorable. That's why  I really want to go there again and again. The language there is Bhojpuri and Banarasi. Most people are highly educated and well mannered.

• BHU...a must visit place

BHU ...Banaras Hindu University campus area is totally green and peaceful campus area. Lots of students from all over the world come to this university for higher education. In between the campus, there lies the most beautiful temple -Vishwanath Temple.

• SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF SARNATH

Just a few kilometers away from Varanasi, is the sleepy village of Singhpur. While Varanasi is a Hindu religious center, Singapur's Sarnath is a Buddhist religious center. Visiting this village, which is known for its Buddhist monuments, is one of the best things to do in Varanasi and nearby areas. Sarnath is also referred to a deer park, which is the place where Gautama Buddha first came and taught about the concept of Dhamma.

• SHOPPING LIST

I like to shop here more and more as the rates are so much cheap and the products are really awesome. Varanasi is famous for its Banarasi silk sarees, the holy water of Ganga, crystal and stone Shivalinga, Gulabi Minakari, Glass Beads, Rudraksha Mala, Wooden Toys, Flutes, Sweets, Indic Literature and much more. And the main markets here are...

1. Godowlia Market
2. Vishwanath Lane
3. Thatheri Bazaar

• BOAT RIDE IN RIVER GANGA

The ride along Ganges River offers the quintessential Varanasi experience. It takes one through different Ghats and former palaces situated close to the banks of Ganges, giving a panoramic view of this River and the region.

• SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

That being said, what Varanasi has to offer is a large number of people and Ashrams, all following different ideologies apart from calm places with a lot of positive energy, where you can look for what you're seeking.

When Budha was wandering in search of enlightenment, he was actually going around different places understanding different schools of thought and trying to find something that suits him (Everyone is different and not the same path is meant for every soul). 

In Varanasi you can find people looking for Spiritual awakening following hundreds of different paths, it offers a pool of choices to you in the radius of 4kms. As the yin and yang symbolize, there's something good in everything, so you can talk to all of them, grab whatever good teachings you can find in each of them and look for your own perfect path and also your Satguru (Spiritual Guide) maybe.

• MONKEY ...MONKEY EVERYWHERE MONKEY

Please beware of these monkeys ..haha..though they don't harm anyone but don't show or give them something to eat otherwise they will not leave you. Sometimes they snatch the food. Their main motto is to eat something.

I visited Varanasi a few times more and this city always welcomes me with great new amazing things to explore. But I never forget my childhood connection with this spectacular city. That was the best moment of my life. I will never forget that time.