Attractions in Varanasi
| The
Ghats - There
are about hundred ghats in the city and
each of them is marked by a lingam, occupying
its own special place in the religious
geography of the city. The ghats, though
some of them have crumbled over the years,
continue to thrive with early-morning
bathers, Brahmin priests offering puja
and people practicing meditation and yoga.
Though most of the ghats are used for
bathing, there are several 'burning ghats'
were bodies are cremated. The pilgrims
here are supposed to bathe at five special
ghats in a sequence during a ritual called
the Panchatirthi Yatra.
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The Kashi Vishvanath Temple -
Located in the premises of the Banaras Hindu
University this temple is about thirty minutes
walk from the gates of the university. The temple,
built by the Birlas, was planned by Pandit Madan
Mohan Malaviya. Unlike many other temples in
Varanasi, this temple is open to all irrespective
of caste or creed.
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Durga
Temple - Located
2 kilometres south of the old city, this
eighteenth century Durga Temple is also
known as the Monkey Temple due to numerous
aggressive monkeys that reside here. The
temple was built in a common north Indian
style with an ornate shikhara, consisting
of five segments symbolizing the elements
and supported by finely carved columns.
Here Durga is represented as the embodiment
of shakti or female power, clad in red
and riding a tiger and fully armed with
Shiva's trident, Vishnu's discus and a
sword. |
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Alamgir
Mosque - Also known as Beni
Madhav Ka Darera, the Alamgir Mosque is
a blend of the Hindu and Mughal styles
of the architecture. The mosque, built
by Aurangzeb on the site of the Vishnu
Temple, overlooks the Panchganga Ghat.
Banaras
Hindu University - One of the oldest
educational centres in India, the
Benaras
Hindu University was built in 1917. The
university was founded by Pandit Madan
Mohan Malviya, as a centre for the study
of Indian art, culture, music and Sanskrit.
The campus is spread over five square
kilometres and is home to the Bharat Kala
Bhavan. The Bhavan has a fine collection
of miniature paintings, sculptures from
first to fifteenth centuries, old photographs
of Varanasi and brocade textiles. The
campus also houses the New Vishwanatha
Temple.
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Tulsi Manas Temple - Built in 1964,
the Tulsi Manas Temple stands about 150
m south of Durga Temple. The temple, dedicated
to Lord Rama is situated at the place
where Tulsidas, the great medieval seer,
is believed to have lived and written
the great epic "Shri Ramcharitmanas".
The two tier walls of the temple are engraved
with the verses and scenes from this great
epic.
Bharat
Mata Temple - This temple of Bharat
Mata (Mother India), inaugurated by Mahatma
Gandhi, lies about 3 kilometres west of
Godaulia, outside the old city. Here,
instead of gods and goddesses, one finds
a huge relief map in marble of the whole
of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau.
The map is said to be perfectly to scale
both vertically and horizontally with
mountains, rivers and the holy tirthas
(pilgrimage centres). |
Annnapurna
Temple - The 18th
century temple has an idol of the Goddess Annapurna
and also has shrines dedicated various Hindu
gods and Goddesses.
Quick Getaways near Varanasi
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Sarnath
- A major Buddhist
centre, Sarnath lies 10 kilometres north
east of Varanasi. It was here that Buddha
delivered his first sermon on attaining
enlightenment at Bodhgaya. In around 234
BC, Emperor Ashoka, a great follower of
Buddhism, erected a stupa here. Between
the 3rd century BC and the 11th century
AD, several Buddhist structures were built
here in Sarnath. Most of the Sarnath's
monuments are set in large gardens making
it quite pleasant for a visitor to spend
some time here. The Buddha Purnima festival
is held here in May to celebrate the birth
of Lord Buddha. |
Allahabad
- One of the holiest cities of India, Allahabad
is situated at a distance of about 135 km
west of Varanasi and 238 km from the state
capital Lucknow. This ancient city finds reference
in the Vedas, Puranas, the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata, as Prayag. Allahabad stands at
the confluence of two of India's holiest rivers,
the Ganga and the Yamuna. The confluence called
the Sangam, is the venue of many sacred fairs
and rituals and attracts thousands of pilgrims
throughout the year.
Kushinagar - About 51 kilometres
from Gorakhpur lies Kushinagar, a place famous
for the Mahaparinirvana (death) of Lord Buddha.
The town, once a celebrated center of the
Malla kingdom, has many of the stupas and
viharas that date back to 230 BC-413 AD. One
of the important sites to see here is the
Mahaparinirvana Temple, where you can find
the famous reclining statue of Buddha, a 20-feet-long
statue is seated on a brick platform. Around
the temple, you can find the ruins of as many
as eight monasteries.
Ramnagar - This 17th-century
fort is the home of the former Maharaja of
Banaras. The fort lies at a little distance
to the south of the Asi Ghat. During the monsoon,
the area is accessible by a ferry. The museum
inside the fort houses a collection that includes
horse-drawn carriages, old motor cars, gilded
and ornate silver howdahs (elephant seats), hookahs, costumes, a collection of minute
ivory carvings, an astronomical clock, hunting
trophies, vintage silver and brocade palanquins,
a replica of the royal bed and an armoury
of swords and guns.
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