Kashi AKA Varanasi is one of the oldest cities of India often referred as Moksha Dayani Nagari is the only city on earth which is famous for death and liberation. It represents India on account of its Prestigious Traditions, Temples, Shrines, Ashrams, Muths, Holy Ganges River and respected Hindu Religion.
Varanasi has captivating charm and spiritual challenge, which can be seen in its exaggerated rituals, festivals and cultural activities performed in the city.
Banaras, name given by Britishers was formally known as Varanasi, kashi, Avimukta, Mahashamsan. About the history of Banaras Mark Twain , who visited around the world wrote, “Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”
Some of worth seeing places in Varanasi :
Mesmerising Ghats of Varanasi:
The Ghats of the Varanasi are the most beautiful and ornamental in the country .Total of 52 Ghats along Ganga embody the life and identity of Varanasi. Stretching from the southern Assi Ghat to the northern Adi Keshava Ghat , close to the Malviya Bridge are lined with temples and shrines. Important ones are Dasashwemedh, Harishchandra, Manikarnika, Panchganga and Assi Ghat. Dasashwemedh is the most important and is one of the 5 holy bathing ghats and was constructed by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao. On Dev Deepawali all the Ghats are illuminated with earthen lamps and stairs of the Ghats shine with the golden light as well as the view of Ganga Arti have now become major attraction for tourist. Ghats reverberate with the endless cycle of Hindu religious practice- from daily rituals to profound rites of passage, various cultural programs, different concerts, Subh – E- Benaras, and its full of various performing artists as well as practitioners.
The Ghats of Banaras are actual talent hunt spot.
Renowned Temples of Varanasi:
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
It is said that Kashi is sitting atop the trident of Lord Shiva and in Kashi his abode is Vishwanath temple. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has a Shivalinga situated below ground level. Located not far from the Ghats, the temple is topped by 750 kg of gold donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab in 1839 while the temple was built in 1777 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. It is often referred as golden temple of the city. The Shivlinga in the temple is amongst the twelve jyotirlingas.
Annapurna Temple
Situated close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the sanctuary of Goddess Annapurna is very popular amongst devotees. The temple has a bronze idol of the Goddess, seated on a silver platform. The Golden idol of the deity is opened only once a year for “darshan” for the general public.
Sarnath
One of the most frequented Buddhist spots in India, Sarnath has wealth of religious traditions and archaeological remains , where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after gaining enlightenment . Sarnath attracts lots of pilgrims, archaeologists, historians and students from India and abroad. Buddhists attraction in Sarnath are Mulgandha kuti Vihara, Dhammekh Stupa,Chaukhandi Stupa , Tibetan, Korean, Japanese, Thai,Buddhist temples and an Archaeological Museum, housing a precious collection of Buddhist artifacts including an Ashoka lion capital (India’s national emblem) in polished sandstone. Besides a large complex of ruined monasteries having Asoka pillar, which is the evident of his visit to Sarnath,can be seen.
Vishwanath Temple
It was planned by the founder of Benaras Hindu University, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and executed by the Birla Family. The temple was built for the propogation of Hindu culture but used it for the revival of ancient Hinduism free from the prejudices of caste , creed and religion.
Bharat Mata Temple
A novel temple dedicated to mother India, houses one of the most perfect maps of India carved out of marble. The temple was gifted by the nationalist Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Shri Durga Prasad Khatri, a leading numismatist and antiquarian. It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi.
Gyanvapi Mosque
It was constructed by Aurangzeb in the seventeenth century over the ruins of Vishveswara temple which he destroyed. The foundation and the year of the mosque still reveal rare specimens of the ancient temple art of India.
Alamgir Mosque
Popularly known as Beni Madhav Rao S india in early seventeenth century. The temple was destroyed by Aurangzeb and a mosque raised on the site. It is an odd mixture of Hindu and Mughal styles of architecture.
Durga Temple
Built during the eighteenth century in Nagara style of North India , the temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga, the epitome of power in the Hindu mythology. The shikhara or spire is formed of many small shikhara, one atop the other. Starting with five at the base, they converge into one at the top, symbolizing that this world of five elements has ultimately to merge with the supreme (the Brahma).
Tulsi Manas Mandir
Constructed by a Philanthropist family of Kolkata, this temple is dedicated to Lord Ram . It is said that the great seer Tulsidas lived and composed the Ramcharitmanas here. The entire marble structure is inscribed with quartets and couplets from the Ramcharitmanas.
Sankat Mochan
This temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman has the idols of Ram, Sita and Lakshman on one side and Lord Hanuman on the other side. The sprawling campus is also popular for religious discourses and annual music festival.
Kalbhairav Temple
This is a temple of Lord Kalbhairav, who is believed to be the Kotwal (protector) of the city. It is only with his permission that anyone can enter or leave the city. Sunday is considered as auspicious day for worshiping the Lord Kalbhairav.
Tridev Mandir
This is a newly built temple, symbolizes modern style of temple architecture. The temple houses the attractive idols of Tridev Lord Brahma, Bishnu and Mahesh, besides beautiful idols of other Gods and Goddesses are also established in the temple.