Varanasi

Quick Facts
Location : On the west bank of the Ganga (768 kms from Delhi and 678 from Kolkata)
Area : 4,036 Sq Kms
Language : Hindi, English and Sanskrit
Best Season : October – March

Introduction
Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together" are the few golden lines versed by Mark Twain.
Situated on the west bank of the Ganga, it has been supreme pilgrimage centre for Hindus since many yonks. Popularly known as Benaras, Varanasi derives its name from two streams, the Varuna on the North side of the city and the Assi, a small filtered on the south. Hindus believe that one who is adorned to die on the land of Varanasi would attain redemption and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth. Ganges in Varanasi is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of all individuals.

Varanasi today, is also a hub of education, art and craft. Varanasi is linked with advancement of spiritualism, religious mysticism, Sanskrit, and yoga. Many famous and revered poets and novelists such as Prem Chand and Tulsi Das belonged to the land of Varanasi. Ravi Shankar, the internationally famed Sitar master and Ustad Bismillah Khan, (the famous Shehnai player) are all sons of the blessed city or have stayed here for major part of their lives. An amazing feature of Varanasi is that the river front of the city is beautified with ghats and no other place in this world is believed to have such unvarying quality and soulful atmosphere.

Places of Attraction
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Located at Vishwanath gali, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga at Vishwanath temple is among one of the 12 Jyotrilingas. The temple has earned its denomination as the 'Golden Temple' due to its golden painting done using lot of gold.

Sarnath Museum
It has yielded a rich collection of sculptures, artifacts and edifices of Buddha and its holy remains. Finest specimens of Buddhist art and other important remains have been found at this place. Ashokan Pillar , the national symbol of India is the main attraction of this museum.

Varanasi Ghats
The Ganga Ghats at Varanasi are full of pilgrims who flock to the place to take a dip in the holy Ganges, which is believed to absolve one from all sins. There are more than 100 ghats along side Ganga in Varanasi. Some of the prominent and popular Ghats at Varanasi are the Dasaswamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Harischandra Ghat, Kabir Ghat and Assi Ghat.

Jantar Mantar
It was an observatory made by Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur in 1737. The Jantar Mantar at Varanasi was built in line with Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and Jaipur observatories. This place was constructed to measure the local time, the sun's declination, altitude, falling of stars etc.

Accommodation
Guided with a passion to serve tourists from various locales, the hotels in Varanasi, are a true heaven of comfort and hospitality. Listed below are some of the well-known hotels of Varanasi.

» Siddharth Hotel
» The Golden Buddha (Sarnath)

How To Reach
By Road : Varanasi has a good network of roads. frequent public and private buses and road transport to all the major towns of Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas.

By Train : Varanasi is well connected to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other parts of India. There are two railway stations in Varanasi, the Kashi Junction and the Varanasi Junction (also known as Varanasi Cantonment).

By Air : Varanasi is well connected and accessible to major Indian cities and tourist spots. There are daily domestic flights to and from Varanasi to several cities in India.