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What to see?
Life in the city of Varanasi revolves around its over one hundred Ghats (river landings). The River Ganga flows from north to south, and the city forms a circular shape from the Asi ghat in the south up to the confluence of the Varuna river with the Ganga. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe and worship in the river at the first light of dawn. Boat rides down the river in the morning are a very popular excursion.
Most of the ancient temples and structures along the ghats have been destroyed. What remain are mainly 18th and 19th century buildings.
A very important pilgrimage for the devout is the Panchatirtha Yatra, a tour covering the 5 important ghats of Asi, Dashashwamedha, Adi Keshava, Panchganga and Manikarnika. The Panchkosi road, beginning from the Asi ghat and ending at the Manikarnika ghat denotes the sacred area of Kashi. A tour around this 58 km route takes about 6 days on foot. Each of the important ghats has a lingam.
The Asi River meets the Ganga at Asi Ghat. There is a lingam under a peepul tree and a marble temple to Asisangameshwara (lord of the confluence of Asi). An ancient tank dedicated to sun worship, the Lolarka Kund (pool) lies 15 metres below the ground and is approached by a steep flight of steps. The Tulsi ghat, dedicated to the 16th century poet saint Tulsidas is crumbling now. Further north is the Harishchandra ghat, one of the two important cremation grounds in Varanasi. Named after the king Harishchandra, it is considered the most sacred cremation ground.
The Kedar ghat has links with the Kedarnath shrine located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. The Dhobi ghat is a washerman's area, while the Chausathi (64) ghat has a shrine dedicated to Chausath Yoginis, the multiple manifestations of the female force Durga.
The Dashashwamedha ghat is the busiest bathing ghat in Varanasi. The ancient king Divodasa was said to have performed the Dashashwamedha Yagya (Ten horse sacrifice) here. This pleased Brahma, the Creator, so much that he established the Brahmeshwara lingam. Boats can be hired at this ghat for a tour of the riverfront. It is also the most popular site for Hindus to perform ancestor worship rituals, and the entire ghat is lined with umbrella covered stalls where Brahmin priests perform pujas.
The Man Mandir ghat, built in 1600 by Maharaja Man Singh of Amer has a very interesting observatory. Built in 1710 by the king of Jaipur, it is similar to the ones in Jaipur and Delhi. There are numerous instruments used for astronomical calculations. The observatory is open to visitors from 09:30 am to 05:30 pm. The Dom Raja's house is next door, with painted tigers flanking the terrace. Doms, who handle the corpses at cremation grounds, are untouchables. Though the Doms belong to a lower caste, their services are invaluable for the dead to be released from their physical bounds and so the leader of the doms is bestowed with the honorific title of Raja or king.
The Mir Ghat has a shrine to Vishalakshi (the wide-eyed goddess). It is one of the 52 pithas (pilgrimages) where the body parts of Shakti landed after a distraught Shiva performed his dance of destruction or tandava.
The Lalita Ghat is well known for its Nepali style temple with an idol of Pashupateshwara. This ghat also has a temple dedicated to the Ganga.The Manikarnika Ghat is perhaps the most well known cremation ground in the country. Since Shiva, the lord of Destruction, is said to have resided in Varanasi, the entire holy area is considered Mahashmashana (the great cremation ground). It is said that the funeral fires never die out at the Manikarnika ghat. The Manikarnika kund (tank) is said to predate the arrival of the River Ganga, who descended from the heavens to purify the earth.
Only parts of the Scindia Ghat now survive. The Alamgir mosque, popularly known as Beni-madhav-ka-dera dominates the Panchganga Ghat. The mosque stands on the ruins of the Bindu Madhava temple, dedicated to Vishnu, which was destroyed by Aurangzeb. The Adi Keshava ghat on the outskirts of the city is the point where the river Varuna meets the Ganga. The ghat is completely submerged during rains. This is the original site of the city, where Vishnu is believed to have landed as an emissary of Lord Shiva.
The old city, from Dashashwamedha Ghat and Godaulia in the south to the Manikarnika Ghat in the North, is known as the Vishwanatha Khanda. It is a maze of narrow lanes and bylanes.
The focal point is the Vishwanath temple, one of India's most important Shaivite shrines. The original temple is said to have been over 1000 years old. The Gyan Vapi tank enclosed in a hall is said to contain the original shivalingam. Pilgrims offer prayers here before embarking on the Panchatirtha.
The Gyan Vapi mosque adjoining the temple complex is a controversial structure, which has been targeted by Hindu fundamentalist organisations for demolition. The mosque has 71 metres high minarets and stands on the foundations of a Hindu temple.
Next to the Vishwanath temple is the Annapurna temple, built in the 18th century by Peshwa Baji Rao I. The idol of Annapurna Bhavani (the provider of food), a benevolent form of Shakti is made in solid gold and carries a cooking pot. There is also a striking silver-faced image of Shani (Saturn) within the temple. Shani is feared for his destructive powers and is worshipped to prevent any ill from befalling the devout.
The Bharat Mata temple north-west of Godaulia is a modern shrine, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. It has a huge relief map of the Indian sub-continent showing all its rivers, mountains and pilgrimages. The 19th century Durga temple 4 kms from Godaulia is also popularly known as the 'monkey temple' because of an overwhelming simian presence. The idol of Durga, a manifestation of Shakti is dressed in red and rides a tiger with the trident, the discus and a sword in her hands. The temple courtyard has a forked stake for sacrificing goats, and non-Hindus are allowed only up to this point.
The Tulsi Manas temple, though, is open to all communities. Its white marble walls have the verses of Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas inscribed on them.The Benares Hindu University, which was founded by Pandit Madan Malviya at the turn of the century, also has a new Vishwanath temple. The temple, built by the Birlas, a rich industrialist family, is meant for a caste-less, egalitarian society.
The Bharat Kala Bhavan museum inside the Benares Hindu University campus is open from Monday till Saturday. It has a valuable collection of miniature paintings, sculptures and bronzes. A special gallery has a 19th century map of the Raj Ghat excavations and old etchings of the city. Besides Hindu, Islamic and Buddhist artefacts, the works of contemporary artists like Jamini Roy, Nicholas Roerich and Alice Boner are displayed here.
Ramnagar, the fort palace of the Kashi Naresh (king of Kashi) is on the eastern bank of the Ganga, south of Asi Ghat. The best way to reach the fort is over the pontoon bridge south of BHU. In the monsoons however, this bridge is dismantled. You can also cross over by boat hired from the Dashashwamedha Ghat. The palace has a museum with memorabilia such as horse-drawn carriages, motor cars, silver howdahs (elephant seats), palanquins, silk and brocade costumes, and various artefacts and trophies. An open ground across the courtyard is the stage for Ram Lila performances during Dussehra. At the end of the celebrations, the king rides through the town in full regalia on elephant-back.
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Varanasi or Kashi was already old when Rome was founded. It is the seat of temples and learning. This religious capital of India is situated on the banks of the holy Ganges and is believed to be presided over by Lord Shiva. It was already a flourishing trading centre in 500 B.C when Buddha came to Sarnath to preach his first sermon. An ancient city, its sense of the archaic is alive; it holds a millennium of civilisation. The outer facade has changed, but the city and its voice are authentic. On the banks of the sacred river Ganges, Benares is one of India's most important pilgrimage sites and the holiest of holy cities for Hindus.
