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| + TRAVEL TO VARANASI |
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Places to go to : |
1) The Ghats:
The city of Varanasi, built on the banks of river Ganga has some 80 odd Ghats stretching for some 3 km along the river front. These Ghats – which are literally flight of steps extending from one side of the city to another. A morning walk down the stretch will introduce you to the interesting facts of life in Varanasi. |
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Raj Ghat lies at the northern most end, which is also the site of ancient Varanasi. Right before the Raj Ghat is the huge 20th century bridge and the extraordinarily pretty ‘Lal Khan ka Rauza’, the tomb of a Mughal noble, made in 1773. On the other side of the tomb you will find some excavations taking place. Just left of
that will take you to the ‘Adi Keshara Temple’, the 200 year old temple of Lord Vishnu.
The other end of the bank is the ‘Assi Ghat’, which is considered to be one of
the five special Ghats, which are required to be done in a certain order and collectively the ritual is termed as ‘Panchatirthi Yatra’.
The order of this yatra is Assi, Dasaswamedh, Adi Keshava, Panchganga and Manikarnika.
Dasaswamedh Ghat is located conveniently in the center is one of the epicenter of all the activity. It is believed that Lord Brahma sacrificed 10 horses here and hence the name Medh (sacrifice), Das (10) and Aswa (horses).
2) Vishwanath Temple:
Vishwanath Temple or the Golden Temple is the most sacred temple in Varanasi. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple built in 1776 by Ahalya Bai is located in the old city.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who also gifted the gold adorned top of the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar, had also gifted the 800kg of gold plating on the tower of this temple.
Lately this temple has been in news and due to its religious sensitivity the security around the temple has been beefed up.
Non - Hindus are not allowed inside this temple. Next to the temple is also the ‘Gyan Kupor Well’ or the ‘Well of Knowledge’.
3) Durga Temple:
This 18th century temple is dedicated to goddess Durga. Durga in Indian mythology is the embodiment of the female power or ‘Shakti’. The temple was built by a Bengali Queen and is typical of Indian Nagara style architecture.
4) Tulsi Manas Temple:
This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, with walls engraved from ‘Ram Charit Manas’, the Hindi version of ‘Ramayana’. It is believed to be the place where the great saint Tulsidas had lived and written ‘Ram Charit Manas’. The temple was built in 1964.
5) Bharat Mata Temple:
The temple is dedicated to the country and has a huge marble map detailing the Indian sub continent.
6) Alamgir Mosque:
This mosque is also known as “Beni Madh Ka Daera” and is an amalgamation of Hindu and Mughal architecture. It was built by Aurangzeb on a site that was earlier a Vishnu Temple.
7) Banaras Hindu University:
BHU, as it’s most commonly known as was built in 1917 and was founded by the great Indian nationalist Pandit Malaviya. This center for education’s campus also houses ‘Bharat Kala Bhavan’ which holds some collection of miniature paintings, sculptures and old photographs of Varanasi.
8) New Vishwanath Temple:
Located at the University campus, this temple was built by a renowned Indian industrialist family of Birlas. The temple is tastefully done with a nice open feel. It is believed to be the replica of the earlier Vishwanathan temple that was destroyed by Auragzeb.
9) Ram Nagar Fort and Museum:
Right across the river, a ferry ride away lies the 17th century Fort of the former King of Banaras. The Fort although not much in comparison to the ones in Rajasthan, however it’s still well maintained and also houses a small museum.
10) Sankat Mochan Mandir:
Located near the University, the temple is dedicated to Hanuman. Just recently in March 2006, three explosions hit the temple. This temple was founded by Tulsidas.
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