Varanasi is a city filled with charm. It’s called the city of Lord Shiva. This holy city of India attracts a lot of international tourists. There are a lot of shrines, temples, and ghats which gives this city a serene and majestic vibe. Even an atheist will not be able to escape from falling in love with this city.
Let’s take you to spend a day visiting this great picturesque city and feel the extravaganza of the place. Let’s travel through the sacred city, and probably the oldest too, of Varanasi visiting Ganga Ghats and beautiful temples. Banaras is also an important manufacturing center of silk, sculptures, and perfumes along with being a religious center.
Assi Ghat
For planning a perfect day in one of the oldest cities in the world, you need to start your day very early. You should reach Assi ghat half an hour before the sunrise. Though early morning is a quiet period, you will easily find a few Rikshaws (vehicle pulled by a person) waiting for you.
As soon as you arrive at the Ghat you will feel a breeze of calmness pass through your heart. The synchronized classical musical tones will lead you to the ghat stairs where you will witness the Subah-e-Banaras event. What could be better to start your day than a beautiful sunrise with classical music!
The Sunrise In Assi Ghat
You cannot escape the serene effects of classical notes. You will be sitting there enjoying the music when suddenly you notice a beam of light. On turning towards the sky, you will witness one of the most beautiful sights in this world – the sunrise!
The rising sun will paint the sky orange. The shimmering waves of Ganges will cheerfully welcome the new day. It will be the picture-perfect moment that the Ganges will capture through its blurry waves. The music will continue to mesmerize you while the sight of sunrise moves you.
Subah-e-Banaras
It won’t be wrong to claim that Subah-e -Banaras is a life-changing event. Once you witness the beauty of the birth of a new day you won’t be so afraid of darkness anymore. After all, there is delightful dawn waiting to brighten up your life every time the sun goes down. Soon you will notice that the sky is bright and full of joy.
This was just the start of your day in Varanasi with visiting Assi Ghat. There are a lot of life-altering experiences awaiting your arrival. After enjoying your breakfast on the banks of the holy river Ganges you should start venturing through the city.
Sankat Mochan Temple
Varanasi is best known for its Sarees, Street food, and Spirituality. Visiting a few temples is a must whenever you are in Banaras. Since you are at Assi Ghat, it will be convenient to visit the Sankat Mochan temple.
Saint Goswami Tulsidas, the author of the great epic Ramcharit Manas, established this temple for worshipping Hindu Lord Hanuman. As you enter the temple, you will be welcomed by some friendly monkeys. Sankat Mochan temple is home to thousands of monkeys, and their interaction with people is both weird and wonderful.
You can also make them friends by offering them a piece of Prasad (holy offerings). From the first step inside the temple, the ambiance is filled with positivity. Though there will be a lot of chattering around you, you could still feel the peace in your heart. Sankat means problems, and Mochan means reliever. Thus people visit this temple to find solutions to their problem and relieve themselves from the worldly burdens.
Lanka In Varanasi
After enjoying the stressless surrounding of Sankat Mochan Temple you could take a stroll through Lanka. Initially, Lanka was considered as outskirts of Varanasi. But due to the presence of Banaras Hindu University which is one of the finest universities in the country, this region gradually established as an integral part of Varanasi. Lanka is a lively market place where you could buy almost anything. Don’t forget to taste the street food while exploring Lanka.
Bhairav Baba – The Kotwal of Kashi
When the bright sun starts bothering you, take a rickshaw to Bhairav Baba Mandir. This temple is one of the oldest temples of Lord Shiva. Bhairav baba is considered the Kotwal of Kashi.
Kotwal means guardian. Kashi is another name for the sacred city Varanasi. Bhairav Baba is believed to be the fierce form of Lord Shiva. He is the protector of Varanasi.
As you reach the temple, you will understand its significance. You will find numerous pandits chanting while people are seeking blessings from the Bhairav Baba. Some will be offering flowers while others will be sitting in silence. You can grasp from the temple architecture that it dates back to the seventeenth century. The environment inside the temple is completely different from the outside world. It is chaotic yet somehow peaceful. It’s crowded, yet you are alone with your soul.
Varanasi Street Food
After spending a few soothing moments inside the temple, get ready to discover the most crowded road of Varanasi. As you come out of the street where Kaal Bhairav mandir is situated you will notice the sight of a busy city. Everyone is in a hurry. The school buses are dropping off students while few students are rushing their two-wheeler to attend their tuitions. Auto rickshaw and hand rikshaw cover the majority of the land.
It’s almost time for lunch. Since you are in Varanasi, street food is never scarce here. Try any food you want, you will love everything. But if you crave the best Chat (Indian name for street food) of Varanasi then ask directions for Deena Chat. You would have never tasted so many flavors blended eloquently in a bowl before. You will be able to experience the true flavor of Varanasi here. Remember to order a tomato chat. After this, you will no more think of Tomato just like ketchup.
Vishwanath Temple
Once you have thoroughly enjoyed the delicious dishes, it’s time to visit the most famous temple of Varanasi. We waited this long because the afternoon is the least crowded time for Vishwanath temple. This temple holds an important position in the Hindu religion, as it is included in the twelve sacred Jyotirlinga.
Jyotirlingas are the holiest temples of Lord Shiva. Vishwanath translates to the lord of the Universe. People worship Lord Shiva as the Keeper of the Universe.
You have visited the temples with the idol of Gods but now you are going to witness the worshipping of ‘Linga’. It is believed that Lord Shiva bless us through the Shiv Linga sitting in the silver altar at the temple. This temple is not just a spiritual place but also an important architectural site.
The intricate carvings on the pillars and the Swarna Shikhar (golden top) will steal your heart. You will find people chanting and offering milk and flower to the Shiva Linga while a few of them are circumambulating the main building. This circling of the temple is known as Pheri and is a holy activity to worship the Lord.
Pheri will allow you to visit the architectural beauty of this temple also. One thing that will be common in all the people inside the temple is the purity of purpose. Everyone surrenders themselves to the Lord and enjoys the breeze of positivity and power.
Once you visit the Vishwanath temple, you will understand why people from all across the world come to visit this temple. Vishwanath temple is located in Vishwanath Gali which also happens to be one of the shopping hubs of Varanasi.
Shopping In Vishwanath Gali
As you come out of the sacred environment, you will feel that a part of your heart is filled with spirituality. And now is the time to buy souvenirs and fill your bags. Varanasi is best known for the intricate wooden toys which you could easily find in Vishwanath Gali (street) and they are really affordable. Along with this, you can buy numerous accessories such as bangles, necklaces, bracelets, bindis, and whatnot.
It does not matter if you love shopping or not, you will fall in love with Vishwanath Gali. Those small shops in the street with a colorful display and friendly faces are perfect for shopping souvenirs.
Boating In Ganga
After shopping now we should go for boating. Yes, boating! And you won’t believe your eyes when you glance at the shore while sitting in a boat surrounded by the sacred water of the Ganges.
You are amidst the holy waves of the river Ganges while the sky turns orange once again but this time its bidding goodbye. The waves are again shimmering and wishing a good night to the sun. But a day visiting Benaras is not over without witnessing Ganga Arti.
Dashaswamedh Ghat
The next stop is the Dashaswamedh Ghat. You have to walk down a few stairs but it is all worth the efforts. You can also fuel your energy from the bhelpuri and Chana Jor stalls on the Ghat. Book yourself a boat before the time for Ganga Aarti and get ready for witnessing the mesmerizing moment.
Ganga Aarti At Dashaswamedh Ghat
Finally, the moment arrives. On the Ghat an elaborate Ganga Aarti has started. You notice seven pandits standing under the seven umbrellas worshipping Goddess Ganga in unison. If you are not too far from the shore and you could hear the chanting of mantras and feel the serene tone.
Then all the seven pandits light up the big brass aarti lamp. You will be amazed but don’t remove your focus from those flames. Under the blanket of darkness, those flames form numerous shapes. It’s an intriguing experience to figure out the different figures formed of flames. The sight is dazzling and surprising. This experience is indescribable. If you think you can describe it then do witness Ganga Aarti.
Dashaswamedh Market
It’s almost night now but if you still want to travel a bit more then you can walk through the Dashaswamedh market. It is very crowded in the evening. But what is the fun of visiting Varanasi if you do not witness the hustle of the spiritual City? You can enjoy street food, you could buy all kinds of accessories and dresses. Here you can also shop for the world-famous ‘Banarasi Sarees’.
Concluding Your Day In Varanasi
It will be your perfect, peaceful, and productive day in Varanasi. This city has a lot of small surprises to offer. Varanasi is an important spiritual center in India. A few ancient architectural wonders are also found in this city.
This was your day inside the holy city. If you have another day, remember to visit Sarnath, where Buddha gave his first sermon.
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Fantastic and thoughtfully written are two words coming to my mind. Keep it up! Would like to read more articles.