Varanasi Destination Guide

Varanasi is inherently spiritual. The site of the famous and holy Ganges River, Varanasi attracts pilgrims from various religions around the world. Even if you've never considered yourself religious, Varanasi's spiritualism is so compelling that you'll find yourself being carried along.

It is believed that Varanasi is the oldest city in the world with 3000 years of mystified history and tales of ancient theology.

Religiosity being such an integral part of Varanasi, it is little wonder that most attractions too are of the spiritual sort. The city is dotted with Buddhist Stupas, as well as Hindu and Jain temples. However, Varanasi has also been the cultural capital of India since ancient times, and cultural buffs will find plenty to interest themselves.

This Varanasi Destination Guide gives some handy information about the many exciting Varanasi highlights you can expect to see whilst travelling in India. The best way of visiting the area is to take a tour in Varanasi with a local company. For useful general country information check out our India Country Guide.

Things to see and do in Varanasi

Follow the links to the right or scroll further down the page for details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Varanasi:

No visit to the site of the Ganga would ever be complete without a visit to the ghats (river fronts with steps leading down to them). The main centre of religious activities and rituals, they are one of Varanasi's chief attractions. There are over a hundred ghats and visiting them all may prove to be impractical, but here are a few that are worth visiting:

Manikarnika Ghat: One of the most sacred ghats, this is considered an auspicious place to be cremated. If you're staying back to watch a cremation, take care that you dress conservatively and avoid taking pictures.

Dasaswamedh Ghat: This is pretty close to the Manikarnika Ghat. It is also called the 'ghat of the ten sacrificed horses', referring to the Hindu mythology where Lord Brahma makes a sacrifice to pave the way for Shiva's return from banishment. It is a great place to fully absorb the riverside activity, do yoga, get a massage or take a ritual bath. It is also a great place to arrange a dawn boat trip.

Temples are one of Varanasi's main attractions. One of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites, the city attracts devotees from all over the world. Some of the most important temples of Varanasi are the Durga temple, the Vishwanath temple, the Bharat Mata temple, and the Kaal Bhairav Temple.

Durga Temple: Dedicated to the Goddess Durga, this 18th century Nagara Style (the North Indian style of temple architecture) temple is located on a rectangular tank, called the Durga Kund. Stained red with ochre, it has a multi-tiered spire (shikhara). Due to the overwhelming presence of monkeys, it is also called the ‘monkey temple'.

Vishwanath Temple: This is the principal Shiva Temple in Varanasi. The original temple was destroyed in 1669 by the Muslim king Aurangzeb. It is also known as the Golden Temple, referring to the 800 kg of gold adorning the ‘shikharas'. The roof of the temple is also gold-plated and in the inner sanctum, the shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar.

Naturally, the security at the temple is very tight and many portions are off-limit. The renowned Gyan Kup well (well of wisdom and knowledge) is located at the entrance. Supposedly, the waters in the well provide spiritual enlightenment.

Bharat Mata Temple: This temple is dedicated to India and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, it houses a large relief map of the Indian sub-continent and the Tibetan plateau.

Kaal Bhairav Temple: This is also a temple dedicated to lord Shiva, or rather to Kaal Bhairav, one of his avatars who symbolizes death. Traditionally, tourists buy black threads here and tie them around the wrist to ward off evil forces. There are also a number of Jain temples that are worth visiting, especially at Sarnath.

Nepali Hindu Temple: Built by the King of Nepal, this Nepali-style temple on Lalita Ghat is also known as the Kathwala temple. The woodwork is simply magnificent and has survived the ravages of time, thanks to the special termite-resistant wood.

Considering the historical animosity between Hindus and Muslims, finding mosques in Varanasi may seem a wonder. But mosques do prevail and even flourish, yet another testimony of India's legendary unity amidst diversity.

Some of the most notable mosques are:

Almagir Mosque: A blend of the Hindu and Mughal styles of architecture, this mosque overlooks the Panchganga Ghat and gives you a bird's eye view of the area.

Gyanvapi Mosque: Built by the Muslim fanatic king Aurangzeb, this mosque has been built with the booty gained from plundering Hindu temples. An architectural wonder, it features tall minarets that are almost 71 m high. It is only at the rear portion that you'll find traces of the mosque's Hindu origin.

Ramnagar Fort
A 17th century fort-palace, this was the ancestral home of the former Maharaja of Varanasi. It has a temple dedicated to Ved Vyasa (author of the Mahabharata), who is supposed to have stayed at the Ramnagar Fort. There is also a museum housing a rather interesting collection of gold-plated howdahs, weapons, vintage cars, antique clocks, ivory work, old guns and ornamental palanquins.

Banaras Hindu University
The Banaras Hindu University or BHU has been dubbed as the ‘Oxford of the East.' Built during the Indian freedom struggle, it is India's largest residential university and houses an outstanding Sanskrit School. The campus also has a museum called the Bharat Kala Bhavan, housing ancient sculptures, old manuscripts, and paintings.

Jantar Mantar
An observatory built by the Maharaja of Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar at Varanasi has been built in line with the observatories at Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura, and Jaipur. It was constructed to measure the declination of the Sun and stars, the local time, the altitude and to determine the occurrence of eclipses .There are several masonry instruments that are pretty efficient to this day, and accurately record the motion, speed and properties of various heavenly bodies.

Sarnath
A Buddhist hamlet situated just about 10 km from Varanasi, Sarnath has a number of historically important monuments that are set amidst beautiful landscapes. Some of the most interesting sights in Sarnath are the Ashoka Pillar, the Digambara Jain Temple, the Dhameka Stupa and the Dharmarajika Stupa.

St. Mary's Church
Situated in Varanasi's cantonment area, St. Mary's Church is deemed unique for its hooded ventilation and louvered doors. The low tower with its spire, the projecting portico and plain timber canopy gives it a faraway other-worldly ambience.

Take a Boat Ride
Hire a boat and watch the beauty of the river unfold before you as you glide along. Boat rides, especially at dawn and dusk, are extremely popular. Sunrise is a magical time - the ghats teem with devotees bathing in the river, and following the prescribed ablutions for beginning their day. A sunset ride is also a great idea.

Start at the Dasaswamedh Ghat, head up to the Manikarnika Ghat and witness cremations from your boat. While returning to Dasaswamedh, you can watch the evening aarti (prayer ritual) in progress.

During the trip, you'll have a number of ‘market boats' floating up to you and selling trinkets. Unless you want to shop simply for the novelty of shopping aboard a boat, steer clear! The trinkets are far too over-priced and can be bought for much cheaper rates on land.

Take a Dip
On an average day, the River Ganges has over 60,000 people taking a dip in its sacred waters. Join in if you can forget the sewage pipes and sunken corpses just beneath the surface!

Participate in a Morning Puja
At sunrise, Hindu devotees gather on the ghats and participate in a puja (worship), usually a worship of the rising sun and the Ganges River. Generally, the ceremony consists of taking a dip in the river, pouring river water over the head and hands, floating flowers or diyas on the river, or performing a suryanamaskaram (a combination of yoga and mantra in worship of the sun).

Witness a Ganga Aarti
This ceremony takes place every evening at sunset at the Dasaswamedh Ghat. Lasting for about 90 minutes, it proves to be a rather surrealistic experience. Tourists go back with memories of incense filling the air, gongs resonating down the river, conches blown shrilly by priests and thousands upon thousands of little candles floating down the river in a little basket made from flowers and banana leaves. You too can join the medley and send one of these down the river in memory of a loved one who has departed.