It was a refreshing first day living nostalgic memories of Varanasi – A Spiritual destination, where I was back as a tourist for the first time. A home to me for four years, this was the city where I had started my professional journey. And all the old memories came rushing back as I sat in the hotel balcony looking down at the street below, which was gradually becoming peaceful as the night progressed. The city of lights though, never sleeps.
Varanasi, a city where people come back again and again searching for peace in the chaos and madness. And they go back feeling blessed.
Mornings in Benares are just out of the world. But you need to get up very early. I was up by four o’clock and after a bath was out heading towards Kashi Vishwanath Temple to offer my prayers and offerings. And to seek my real blessings from the Lord. Lord Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism.
Even at this early hour as winter was setting in, the place outside was already crowded. And once inside, after walking in through the serpentine lane, as I neared the the temple entrance I noticed the huge queue. But having stayed here for long, I knew this priest who took me inside in no time. This experience inside the temple is such a special one, every time you visit here. Is it spiritual? Is it peace? For me, it is those few moments you feel you are interacting with the center of this universe I call God.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the most important place to see in Varanasi. The history of this sacred shrine can be traced back to 3500 years. The temple is one of the 12th Jyotirlingas, which are considered the holiest Shiva temples.
The Linga is the presiding deity here and the temple is a quadrangle, surrounded by temples of other gods. The temple once had a golden spire and domes and hence it was also called the Golden Temple. Once through my rituals I headed towards the Ghats to relive once again, a Benares morning.
I sat there for quite some time doing nothing. Just observing people, their devotion, their happiness. Looking at our Mother Ganges flowing away and the beauty of nature. And then I decided to take yet another boat ride during this trip of mine to discover some more Ghats (River Banks), while getting down on some of them before carrying on further.
Do not miss out on a boat ride at least once during your visit to the city. But I would suggest one in the early morning hours and one after sunset, when the Ganga Aarti is in progress on different Ghats. Check out my earlier post Varanasi – A Spiritual destination to get a feel of Ganga Aarti.
We passed by many more Ghats but am not featuring them here and leaving them for you to explore when you are here in Varanasi. Back to Dashaswamedh Ghat from where I had taken the boat, I started my brisk walk as I was heading for my breakfast. The reason was twofold. One to exercise a bit after sitting for almost an hour and half. And the second was to balance the calories that I would consume with the breakfast that I was planning to have.
You could follow my example when you are in Varanasi, if you are one who is really health and calorie conscious. Varanasi is a foodies paradise and unless you indulge in the food you get here, you are going to really miss out. Come let’s not miss out. We are in Kachori Gali.
The lane is dotted with a number of shops complete with large kadhai’s (woks) filled with oil, ready to fry a batch of kachoris to golden perfection. The first half of this lane is called Vishwanath Gali as the temple by this name is located here. The hot kachoris come with a variety of filling and side dish like Indian cheese and potato curry and tamarind chutney. And in the end you must relish the delicious Jalebis. A word of caution though to those who plan to visit here. Visit the Gali (lane) by 8 am as the later its gets, the more the food runs out here. Come let’s start.
I was back to my hotel and after freshening up a bit, took a hired car to explore some more must visit destinations. But before getting into the car, just next to my hotel was this Church.
In the heart of the holy city of Benaras, which is the center of Hindu pilgrimage, there lies a centuries old St Thomas Church in Godowlia. This church has popularized the area as ‘Girija Ghar (Church) crossing’. However little is known about the history of this church which belongs to the Protestant Church of North India denomination. Most travelers to the city have to stop at this crossing because auto rickshaws and taxis are not allowed to take them any further into the Old City. Painted yellow, the architecture is built in typical European style with its main spire soaring into the sky with a cross atop it.
Alamgir mosque is famed for its exquisite architecture and enviable location. The mosque is situated on the edge of River Ganges. Said to be built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who is believed to have demolished the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple and constructed this mosque in its place. Alamgir mosque is a fine piece of architecture. The mosque is also known as Gyanvapi mosque due to the well of the same name situated close to it. One can notice the influence of North Indian or Hindu architecture in this mosque; however most of the mosque is done in Islam architecture.
We are now outside the main entrance of BHU. Situated in the premises of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), New Vishwanath Temple is definitely a must visit in Varanasi. The temple was constructed by the famed Birla family and hence is also known as Birla Temple. In fact, it is a temple complex which consists of 7 temples. The Shiva temple is situated on the ground floor, whereas Durga temple and Lakshmi Narayan temple are located on the first floor. The architecture of the temple is inspired by the old Vishwanath Temple and the structure is made of white marbles. The walls of the temple are adorned with the text of Gita, which you will not fail to notice.
Within the campus of Banaras Hindu University itself is the famed Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, which is renowned for its rich collection of Indian paintings. The paintings date back to between 11th century and 20thcentury and are about 12000 in number. The Mughal miniatures, the sculpture of marriage of Shiva and Parvati and the 11th century statue of Vishnu and the Gandhara sculpture are the major attractions here.
Durga temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga but is also known as Monkey Temple, due to excessive population of monkeys around it. It is believed the presiding deity was not man made but appeared on its own. The temple is built by a Bengali Queen in a Nagara style of architecture. Non-Hindus are allowed to enter the courtyard of the shrine but not the inner sanctum.
And monkeys this city has in plenty. All around. But don’t worry. They don’t trouble you unless you do. We now move to a very unique temple, Kathwala Nepali Temple. This temple is famous for its exquisite architecture and wood work. It is believed that the temple was built by King of Nepal and thus, this shrine is also called Nepali Temple. It is situated in the Lalita Ghat and catches the attention of many visitors in Varanasi. The intricate wood carving is what attracts visitors the most; the temple reflects the refined taste for good architecture taste of the rulers of Nepal.
It was approaching evening and I had missed my lunch intentionally after a heavy breakfast. To have my favorites at a shop which is renowned for many years. Pehelwan ki lassi. Situated in Lanka area near BHU, this shop is famous for its Kachori, subzi, jalebi in the morning and Lassi and Lavanglata (a sweet variety) throughout the day. And during winter months, like it was when I was there, Malaiyo. I am going in for a Lassi and Malaiyo. You must additionally go in for Lavanglata dipped in hot milk. All specialties of this place.
Malaiyo is a special cuisine of Varanasi and is prepared only during winter. The mixture of milk, sugar, cashew and almonds is kept overnight in dew. The dew creates the fizz and gives a unique taste. Come try it out with me and let’s rejoice.
Our next destination is one of the most visited temples in Varanasi after Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Sankat Mochan temple is one of the sacred temples of Varanasi. It is dedicated to the Hindu God, Hanuman. The word “Sankat Mochan” means one who helps in removing sufferings. Tulsidas, the author of the famous Hindu epic Ramacharitamanasa, founded the Sankat Mochan temple.
According to Hindu mythology, one who visits the Sankat Mochan temple regularly, his wishes get fulfilled. Come let’s go in and seek blessings.
Every Tuesday and Saturday, thousands of devotees queue up in front of the Sankat Mochan temple to offer prayers to Lord Hanuman. According to Vedic Astrology, Hanuman protects human beings from the anger of planet Saturn and those who have ill placed Saturn in their horoscope visit the Sankat Mochan temple to get remedy. People put “Sindoor” on the statue and offer “laddoos” to Lord Hanuman. The “Sindoor”, from the statue of Lord Hanuman is put on the foreheads of devotees.
I was back to Godowlia, the center of town and near my hotel as it was approaching dinner time. Benares is also known as Mini-Bengal, a state in India from where I too belong. It’s because a large population of Bengalis who have settled down here over the years. And since Varanasi is visited by large number of tourists from Bengal you get some great Bengali vegetarian and non-vegetarian food here. I checked out Jalojog, right on Godowlia crossing because the food here is simple Bengali menu with good options to choose from and quite tasty.
The next day again began very early for me. First some more Ghat lazing around and then a wonderful English breakfast at Brown Bread Bakery near Dashashwamedh Ghat. This restaurant does not serve traditional Indian food, but has sandwiches, omelets, breads and other such offerings popular with foreigners. There are three or four shops with the same name around but this one is located on the fourth floor of a narrow building and also offers accommodation. The food is expensive but it’s recommended for its ambiance. Also, this is perhaps one of the few places around the ghats where you can get non-vegetarian food. You could check it out.
For all my readers and blogger friends from abroad, you must check out Dashaswamedh Gali very near the Ghat by the same name. You have a lot of restaurants here serving Western food. This lane also has the Bana Lassi restaurant that I recommend you visit once because it is very different and only one of it’s kind. You could check it out on my post earlier Benares..lots to explore.
I was back to my hotel after breakfast to check out before moving to the last destination of my trip. Sarnath, a must visit place while in Varanasi.
Sarnath is to Buddhists what Varanasi is to Hindus. This city was once the greatest learning center in India and had also been visited by Chinese travelers Fa-Hien and Huien Tsang. The Deer Park is a major attraction in Sarnath; it is believed it is the place where Buddha visited in 528 BC to preach Dharmachakra or the Wheel of Law (his first major sermon after gaining enlightement).
Deer Park is a complex now and the central monument here is Dhamekh Stupa, which is believed to be erected at place, where Buddha delivered his first sermon to five disciples. There is another stupa that catches the attention and it is called Dharmarajika Stupa (built by emperor Ashoka). The complex is dotted with small monasteries and temples. The Bodhi Tree was also planted here in the year 1931. In Sarnath, one can also visit the Archaeological Museum that displays a wonderful collection of Buddhist artifacts. The major attraction here is the Ashokan Lion Capital in polished sandstone.
It was time to head back to Godowlia again en route to the airport to catch my evening flight. How could I leave Varanasi without this special drink. A glass of Thandai.
The Thandai with or without Bhang. Bhang is made by crushing, boiling and making a paste out of Marijuana plant leaves and which gives you a nice high. But its effect is unpredictable. Varies from person to person. I am opting for a high, What about you?
Varanasi. A city which stays in my heart. Godowlia, the Ganges, the ghats, the boat rides, the temples, the food. The nostalgia and the peace in the chaos and madness. And I keep going back again and again.
Varanasi. Once is not enough
Varanasi – Top places to visit . PIN it for later
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