An Insight :
The holy city of Varanasi, known as the city of temples and learning , is a
place of great historical and cultural importance. This religious capital of
India is situated on the banks of the holy river Ganges and is presided over
by Lord Shiva. It is the heart of India and an epitome of the synthesis of
cultures, religions and races. The river-front of the city is decorated by
hundreds of well built ghats which is a unique feature. The holy Buddhist
place, Sarnath is in its precincts.
Varanasi is the premiere most place of oriental learning. Simultaneously it
is keeping pace with modern advanced knowledge. It has three universities :
one Tibetan Institute and an Institute of Arabic Studies. The city is
reputed for silk fabrics, perfumes, artistic brass and copper wares and a
variety of handicrafts. It is an important center of literature, art and
culture. It has produced great poets. writers, musicians and scholars. This
vibrant city of joy knowledge and liberation has a magnetic attraction for
people all over the world.
Lets Explore The Holy City of Varanasi :
» The Ghats - Many a story has been told of the
Ghats of Varanasi. Quite an amazing experience as you either walk along or
brave the waters. This is the real Varanasi, with its godmen in saffron, the
echoes of the shlokas, bathing pilgrims with prayers on their chilled and
stuttering lips, the shoreline with flames lapping up towards the sky where
the dead are sent to heaven - a thousand sights and smells assault and
overwhelm you. The more famous of the Ghats are the Dasashwamedha,
Manikarnika, Assi, Panch Ganga and Harishchandra Ghats.
» Vishwanath Temple - With the only constraint
being that only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, the Vishwanath Temple
was built in 1777, by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. Aurangzeb's destruction
of the temple and the rebuilding of it on the same site gives its history
value and the temple has been the principal Shiva Temple in Varanasi for
more than a thousand years. Known as the 'Golden Temple', because of the 800
kgs of gold, which adorns its shikharas, the roof was gold-plated by the
blessing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. In the inner sanctum, the
shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar.
» Bharat Mata Temple - Dedicated to India, this
temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, there is a marble relief
map of India and other related memorabilia. The symmetry of design and scale
of the map catches your attention
» Benares Hindu University - The BHU, as it is
popularly known, was founded in 1917 by well-known nationalist Pt Malviya.
The largest residential university in India, it houses an excellent Sanskrit
School as also a museum within its campus, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum.
The Museum has an amazing collection of old manuscripts, ancient sculptures
and paintings.
» Sarnath - 15 kms from Varanasi lies Sarnath, one
of the major Buddhist centers. This is where Lord Buddha preached his first
sermon after attaining enlightenment, later Ashoka, the great Buddhist
emperor erected magnificent stupas and monasteries here. After Muslim
invaders destroyed and desecrated the Sarnath's buildings, it was little
more than a shell. It was only in 1836 that British archeologists excavated
Sarnath and it regained some of it's lost glory.
Where is Varanasi?
» By Air - The airport is situated 22 km from the
city. Varanasi is connected with regular flights from Delhi, Agra,
Khajuraho, Kathmandu (during tourist season) and Mumbai.
» By Rail - Varanasi is connected to all major
cities and towns in India such as Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Patna Calcutta,
Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
