Varanasi Important information

Varanasi & Banaras & kashi

Varanasi or Banaras, the 'Abode of Lord Shiva' is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Its place in Hindu mythology is virtually unrivalled and is in fact, the microcosm of Hinduism. According to legends! the city was created by Lord Shiva himself and the Puranic literature dates its existence toat least three millennia. The early history of Varanasi is replete with hoary tales of plunder and destruction by conquerors and religious zealots. Kashi, the mythological name of this eternal city is said to be derived from the word 'Kasha', meaning shine or bright, as it was considered to be the 'city of light' or spiritual luminance. The present name is a combination of Varuna and Asi, the two tributaries of Ganga flowing along the northern and southern borders of the holy city. At Varanasi, Buddha and Mahavira preached and Shankracharya wrote his commentaries on Hinduism. Patanjali, the Sanskrit grammarian wrote Mahabhasya and Tulsidas composed Ramcharitamanas. And Kabir preached amity between religions. Varanasi is also an important centre of education and has produced several world renowned academicians, musicians and artists. It is a famous centre for fine arts and crafts. The Benarasi silk sari with zari brocading in gold and silver and fine metal wires is a priceless possession of any Indian woman. It also has a rich repertoire of silver, brass, copper artefacts and trinkets as well as aromatic perfumeries. There is no Indian attraction like Varanasi. It is much more than just a mere city, but is a way of life.

Tourist Acctration in Varanasi

• The Ghats
• Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple
•  Gyanvapi Mosque
• Alamgir Mosque
• Bharat Mata Temple
• Tulsi Manas Temple
• Durga Temple

The Ghats : The major attraction of Varanasi are the 5 kms. stretch of bathing and burning ghats that line the western bank of river Ganga. About 100 big and small ghats were built during 18th and 19th-century, some of them have withered away, while most of the ghats have withstood the vagaries of time. High above the chain of stone steps of the ghats are pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces. Every ghat has its own religious significance, but bathing in the. five most important ones - Assi, Dasashvamedha, Harishchandra, Panchganga and Manikaranika in the same order on the same day absolves pilgrims from their sins.

Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple : The ancient temple of Lord Shiva in the heart of Varanasi, enshrines the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Vishwanath or Vishveswara, the 'Lord of the world' and the shrine is the main centre of devotion for the pilgrims visiting Varanasi. The temple has been a living embodiment of cultural traditions since time immemorial. The original temple was destroyed by Aurangzeb and was rebuilt in 1776, by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. In 1835, the shikaras of the temple were gold nlated by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of Punjab and shrine also came to be known as golden temple. The shrine of Annapurna Bhavani dedicated to goddess Shakti is located nearby.

 Gyanvapi Mosque : It lies adjacent to the Vishwanath temple and was built on the ruins of the original Vishwanatha temple in 17th century, by Aurangzeb. The foundation and rear of the mosque reveal rare specimens of the ancient temple art.

Alamgir Mosque : Aurangzeb destroyed the Vishnu temple here and built the mosque on its ruins. It is a blend of Hindu - Muslim architecture and religious sentiments and is also known as "Beni Madhav ka Darera".

Bharat Mata Temple : This unique temple was gifted by two nationalists Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri and inaugurated in 1936, by Gandhiji. It enshrines one of the most perfect relief maps of Indian sub-continent and Tibetan Plateau, carved out of marble.

Tulsi Manas Temple : This beautiful modern temple dedicated to Lord Rama is said to be located on the same place where Tulsidas, the great medieval seer and poet, lived and wrote the epic "Shri Ramcharitmanas".

Durga Temple: The 19th century shrine is one of the finest temples of Varanasi. Banaras Hindu University : It was established in 1916, by Pandit Madan Mohan Mal viya and is considered to be the largest residential university in Asia, sprawling over an area of about 2,000 acres. The New Vishwanath Temple and the Bharat Kala Kendra located within the premises of the university are worth visiting.

Reaching There:

Airport: Babatpur airport is 22 kms.  from Varanasi and 30 kms. from Sarnath.

Railhead: Well connected.

Road : Varanasi lies on the Delhi - Kolkata NH2; NH7 to Kanniyakumari and NH29 to Gorakhpur.