The Legend called Benaras..

I never doubted myself that I will not like this city. It is one of those places which one will like undoubtedly even without ever visiting the place. I love the music, culture, food, narrow streets and almost everything that Benaras referred as. When one arrives here, a spiritual energy is felt all around. A sense of belonging is there even for a first time visitor like me.

The Cycle rickshaw ride in the evening across the city gave me a glimpse of the city, contracted lanes, crowd, foreigners and even saints. Everything was just increasing my excitement. I was amazed to see web of lanes as I passed through, some hardly wide enough for a scooter to pass one at a time. The mixed aroma of milk preparations and chats aroused my urge to have street side food.

Story of Famous Ghats & Temples

The streets become crowded as soon as the sun rises, with worshippers, monks, pilgrims, localities and tourists like me. You will see pilgrims performing ritual ablutions on the ghats of Varanasi. This city has many ghats which were built during the time of Marathas. Each ghat has its own significance and they have mesmerising view.All ghats are east facing and sun kissed in the morning.

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest in India with continuous history dating back 3,000 to 5,000 years. It is a place where people come to wash away their lifetime of sins by taking a dip in the river Ganges

The Dashashwamedh Ghat is probably one of the oldest and Main Ghats in the city and close to Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It is believed that Lord Brahma sacrificed ten horses in order to welcome Lord Shiva on earth.

Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Evening Ganga aarti happens around 6:30-7:00 P.M regularly at Dashashwamedh Ghat which is also called “Agni Pooja” (Worship to Fire) dedicated to Lord Shiva, River Ganga, Surya (sun) and Agni (Fire) is being performed. It is well choreographed and rehearsed form of Aarti which over the years is attracting millions of tourists from all over the world. Cymbals, bells, drums, lights, conches, smokes of joss sticks and every thing else creates a festive atmosphere. It is definitely a treat to the eye.

One of the famous ghats here is Assi Ghat where two small rivers meet, Asi and Varuna. Tourists often visit this place for recreation because the ambiance of the place is so nice and comforting; one would want to just sit there endlessly. Rituals taking place, people relaxing on the steps of the ghat, tourists sitting in a cafe sipping coffee, is a common sight there. History tells that in Assi Ghat only the famous poet saint, Tulsi Das had written Ramcharitmanas.

What surprising in Banaras is that, every ghat has a personal character. Some are colourful, some have silk factories which are there from ages and some of them are used to perform the last rituals and some are just there looking mottled and aged.

Apart cheerful, energetic and active ghats of Benaras there is Manikarnika Ghat (known as Burning Ghat) which is situated at the middle of city where majority of cremation takes place. According to Hindu Mythology if a person is cremated at Manikarnika ghat then that person will receive “Moksha” (liberation from rebirth). This Ghat is always at work; around 200 people are cremated here each day.

Way to Kashi Vishwanath Temple

I got off from rickshaw and walk towards the road which gets into the serpentine gullies to reach Kashi Vishwanath temple which is located at Dashashwamedh Ghat. No cameras were allowed there, full of armed guards and NSG commandos intrude over every morsel of a thing entering the temple. There's a queue for the darshan. Sometimes, the queue is so long that it extends into the gullies outside the temple.  Nearby are the temples of Annapoorani and Vishalakshi.

Kashi Vishwanath temple is the most famous temple of Lord Shiva.It is being said that if you will visit this temple and take a dip in River Ganga once then the person will lead to the path of “Moksha”.

 “If you find peace while chanting “Om Namah Shivay”, if  peace is all you searching for, if interesting stories attracts you, if you love to meet new people from around the world, if you travel just for good food, if you love culture and care about your heritage, if spirituality is all you need. Then Benaras is the place you must visit, it welcomes all with a open heart”.

As Mark Twain said “Benaras is Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

It is true that Benaras have much more importance in each of our lives, Benaras speaks about our pasts, it has alluring present and it’s Benaras where we can secure our future. Benaras has rare sense of spirituality & religiousness. If you are in Benaras you will get a feeling that you already in some kind of temple, you will not at all feel that you are not in temple. Even when I was sitting at the ghat or even sipping tea at some stall I felt the same calmness and ease as one finds inside the temple.

Where to stay

 Tourist visiting Varanasi from outside India will not like the small, crowded roads of Varanasi. The narrow streets of Varanasi are a part of different world altogether. Shops selling small figurines of deities, restaurants with finger licking food, palm readers, children playing, monks walking around and much more.

When one visits this city, they can catch a ride to their hotel/accommodation using an automatic rickshaw or a manual rickshaw. Visitors like to stay near the river and be a part of the crowd, and hence they stay in the Guest houses/hotels situated along the ghats. Staying on the ghats is a very good experience.

What to eat

Honestly I am a big Foodie! And can never stay far away from food and being in Benaras and not trying delicious street food would be a little stupid & once I started I did not stop. Benaras is known for its Kachouri’s and Jalebi for breakfast, Milk preparations, Kulhad Chaai, Lassi, Thandai’s and Chat as an evening meal. Last but not the least Benaras is also known for its famous Benarasi Pan which one should definitely try after food.

Where to Eat

Kaashi Chat Bhandar:  At the famous Gadowliya chowk lies the “Kaashi Chat Bhandar” offering various mouth-watering chats like aloo bhalla, palak patta ki chat (Spinach leaves chat), Tamaatar ki chaat (Tomatoes chat), Gol-gappa/Paani puri, ad even kulfi. Kaashi Chat Bhandar serves the most genuine flavors and one can’t resist eating one plate. Atleast I won’t!

Blue Lassi: It is one of the famous Lassi shop of Benaras. You visit some places and you know this is the place where search ends. Whatever I heard about this place is right.The environment is so calm and relaxing after walking through the narrow streets of Benaras. One can sit there and quench the thirst by the famous fruit lassi and of course the plain lassi which will leave you drooling over them for months

Videshi Food

Benaras is an amalgamation of two cultures modern and traditional. I liked the fact that the city is neatly divided into a modern and old part and same goes with its food. Even being one of the oldest & traditional city Benaras allows you if you to eat Italian, Lebanese or American and that too authentic.

“Pizzeria Vatika”: An open air restaurant at Assi Ghat serves exquisite 100% Italian Pizza.

Pizzeria Vatika

“Bread of Life”:  Located at sigra this restaurant is running from 1990’s and offers baked goods. For Breakfast they offer omelette's,skillets,French toast,pancakes and fruit plates. Lunch has a vast variety including soups, salads,Portuguese warm salads and basically every American dish you can ever imagine. Espresso, tea, Japanese green tea, fresh juices are add-on's to the menu.

“Haifa Cafe”: Another restaurant located at Assi Ghat serving Middle-eastern cuisine but also have wide variety of Continental and Indian food.

Ganges flowing calming, little Dia’s floating like a tiny beads of lights and unlimited sky around you is a perfect setting to let go of the creative block, so I took out the camera and clicked some pictures for my memories. You can totally get lost in Banaras, gulping a glass of lassi and talking to some strange person.

Some return with enduring memories, some with mystical revelation, others with sanctification and many of them never return completely .Many foreigner come to India to visit Banaras but never return back just because it is a magical place which will never let you go. You will hate it for once because of the city is not very clean as one might expect it being one of the holiest and sacred cities in India, narrow roads and bad traffic but you will fall in love again and again because of its purity and the experience you had. Banaras is much beyond everything we feel it is.

Tip: One of the most important that a visitor should know that, they should bargain for the price with either a cabby or a shopkeeper, because the price given to the tourist is generally three times the norms.