Varanasi - the most popular pilgrimage point for the Hindus travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

The holy city has been a symbol of spiritualism, philosophy and mysticism for thousands of years and has produced great saints and personalities like Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Tulsi Das, Shankaracharaya, Ramanuja and Patanjali. Varanasi is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back thousands of years and contemporaneous with the Sumer civilisation. The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga and the river’s religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of years. Varanasi has its own style of classical Hindustani music, and has produced prominent musicians, philosophers, poets, and writers in Indian history.Considered as the abode of Lord Shiva, Varanasi is situated on the banks of River Ganges, which is believed to have the power of washing away all of one’s sins. As pundits here will tell you, whatever is sacrificed and chanted here or given in charity reaps its fruits thousand times more than those good deeds performed at other places because of the power of that place. It is believed that three nights of fasting in Varanasi city can reap you rewards of many thousands of lifetimes of asceticism.

Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for

Hindus of all denomination. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year. Many references to the city of Varanasi are found in many ancient texts, leading to more mystery. It is generally believed that the city is as old as 3000 years old. Another myth is that it is 5000 years old. It is believed that Varanasi is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Regions near the banks of river Ganga are extremely crowded and house several Hindu temples, narrow winding lanes and road-side shops Here is the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Vishwanath, and one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas of the Lord Shiva. Hindus believe that bathing in the river Ganga will remit sins and that dying in the holy city of Varanasi circumvents rebirth.

This holy city is worshipped as one of the Shakti Peethas where Divine Mother Sati’s earring fell and so devotees believe that on that spot stands the present Vishalakshi Temple. It is here that Shankaracharya wrote his commentaries on Hinduism, leading to the great Hindu revival. In the residential neighbourhood of the city lies Sarnath, the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. It is one of the four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Lumbini. Here the Dhamek Stupa is a impressive structure marking the spot where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Varanasi has kept its sacred position as the Holy City of Hinduism.

Varanasi is a city of temples. Almost every road crossing has a nearby temple. Such small temples form the basis of daily local prayers and other rituals. But there are many large temples too, erected at different times through out the history of Varanasi. There are about 1,500 temples, palaces, and shrines. Few of these, however, date back further than the 17th cent., since Muslim invasions destroyed many Hindu religious sites. The most famous Hindu temples are the Golden temple and the Durga temple with its swarms of sacred monkeys. The Golden Temple was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, is located on the outskirts of the Ganga. This temple makes Varanasi a place of great religious importance to the Hindus. It is believed that the majestic Alamgir mosque has replaced one of the most ancient shrines known as the temple of Bindu Madhava. The thirty-three hundred million shrines fill one with awe and wonder with sheer numbers.
With unique culture, Varanasi is a major tourist destination for foreign tourists in India. A number of 3 and 4 star hotels are present in the city. Auto Rickshaw and Rickshaw are the most widely available public transport within Varanasi. In outer regions of the city, mini-buses are common. Small boats and small steamers are used to cross the river Ganga.
The city’s unique culture revolves around the holy river Ganges. Legends say that the waters of Ganges have come from heaven to wash away the sins and sufferings. Thousands of pilgrims come every day to immerse in the river. The famous American writer Mark Twain once wrote, “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.