Varanasi is one of the oldest cities of India situated on the banks of River Ganges. People used to mean this city as one of the holiest cities from India. The place is believed to be a sacred city with very old tradition and culture. Varanasi or Banaras is a place which still yet hasn’t flown down by the western culture. It is still very orthodox but also booming as modern cities. The city has all those major amenities which a modern advance city requires.
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| Varanasi-The-Kashi-Vishwanath |
Varanasi is famous for spiritualism, mysticism, Indian philosophy and Hinduism. All these are reflected in numerous sects, temples, Ashrams and Ghats. Varanasi is associated not only with Hinduism but also with Buddhism and Jainism. Varanasi also boasts of Buddhist Stupas and Jain temples. Varanasi is mainly associated with Hinduism, temples form the main attraction. The Ganges Ghats (river fronts) are the main center of religious activities and rituals and also form one of the main attractions of Varanasi. The most important temples of Varanasi are Durga temple, Vishwanath temple, Sankat Mochan temple, Tulsi Manas temple and the Bharat Mata temple.
Temples of Varanasi:
Varanasi is a place can be considered as the place especially for different temples. The place has great spiritual importance with so many other attractions. Varanasi is home to about 2,000 temples, and also known as the city of temples. Many important and famous temples are located at the Ghats of Ganges. The holy river Ganges in the place is like icing on the cake. Varanasi is also called Kashi, “the City of Light”. The “Kashi Vishwanath temple”, located near the Ganga Ghats, is the most famous and important temple of Varanasi.
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| Rana-mahal-ghat-banaras |
Here is a detailed coverage of the Temples of Varanasi.
Ghats:
Spiritual life in Varanasi revolves around the ghats, the long string of bathing steps leading down to the water on the western bank of the Ganges. Most are used for bathing but there are also several ‘burning ghats’ where bodies are cremated in public. The main burning ghat is ‘Manikarnika’. There, one can often experience watching funeral processions threading their way through the backstreets to this ghat. The best time to visit the ghats is at dawn when the river is bathed in a mellow light as pilgrims come to perform puja (literally ‘respect’; offering or prayers) to the rising sun, and at sunset when the main ‘ganga aarti’ ceremony takes place at Dasaswamedh Ghat. One can explore a trip from Dasaswamedh Ghat south to Harishchandra Ghat and can have a great knowledge about the place Varanasi.
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| Siberian-birds-ganga |
Varanasi is mainly popular for these ghats and the spiritual environment over here. People here come to explore about the Hindu culture, tradition and religion. Thus this place is very famous and caters a good quantity of visitors every year.
Bharat Kala Bhavan:
Bharat Kala Bhavan, located inside the BHU campus, is an art and architecture museum and houses a vast collection of paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and other materials of archeological importance. Bharat Kala Bhavan was established in the year 1920 A.D. In the main hall of the Bharat Kala Bhawan, there is a figure of a man standing on one leg and one hand on his hip and lifting a mass of stone above his head, with one hand.
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| Bharat-Kala-Bhawan |
Bharat Kala Bhavan also has a great collection of miniature paintings from the courts of Mughals and other Kingdoms and principalities. Some of the important sections in the Bharat Kala Bhavan are Mahamana Malaviya gallery, Nicholas Roerich gallery, Chhavi (Painting Gallery), sculpture gallery, Nidhi (Treasures) gallery, sculpture gallery, archaeological gallery, decorative art gallery and Banaras through age’s gallery.
Banaras Hindu University:
The Banaras Hindu University or BHU is an internationally reputed University and is situated in Varanasi. The great nationalist leader, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, founded the Banaras Hindu University in the year 1916. Dr Annie Besant also played an important role in the formation of the BHU. The Banaras Hindu University played an important role in the Indian independence movement. Over a period of time, it has developed into one of the greatest centers of learning in India. The BHU has produced many great freedom fighters and Nation builders. It has immensely contributed to the progress of the nation through a large number of renowned scholars, artists and scientists.
Jantar Mantar:
Jantar Mantar is an observatory, built by Jai Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur in the year 1737. Jai Singh was a great admirer of science and technology and he was particularly passionate about astronomy. Before the commencement of construction (of observatories) he sent scholars abroad to study the foreign observatories. The emissaries returned with many manuals on astronomy. The Jantar Mantar at Varanasi was built in line with Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and Jaipur observatories. There are Jantar Mantar Clones in Delhi and Jaipur as well.
Ramnagar Fort:
The Ramnagar fort lies about 14 km. from Varanasi and is situated on the opposite bank of river Ganga. It is the ancestral home of the Maharaja of Banaras. Maharaja Balwant Singh built this fort-palace in the eighteenth century. The fort is built in red sandstone. The Ramnagar fort has a temple and a museum within the grounds and the temple is dedicated to Ved Vyasa, who wrote Mahabharata, the great Indian epic. Legends have it that Ved Vyasa stayed here for a brief period.
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| Ramnagar-Fort-Varanasi |
The Ramnagar fort is a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal ‘palkies’, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks. The ‘Durga Temple’ and ‘Chhinnamastika Temple’ are also located at Ramnagar. A temple of Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman is there. Inside the giant walls of the Ramnagar fort-palace, there is a big clock. This particular clock shows of the movement of the stars. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons are some of the artifacts on display in the Ramnagar fort-palace museum.
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Besides these places you can also look for places like; Sarnath Museum, Ashoka Lion Capital, Buddhist Temples, Chaukhandi Stupa, Dhamekh Stupa, Dharamrajika Stupa etc.
- Banaras Hindu University - a very green and peaceful campus. Few actually know that this University was built during Indian freedom struggle and is known as Oxford of the East. This is the largest residential university of Asia, having approx. 124 independent departments. You can also visit Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum of Art and Archeology inside the university. There is also a huge white marbled temple called Vishwanath Temple which was bulit by Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of the university.
- Sarnath - It is believed that in Sarnath Buddha gave his first sermon to his disciples after getting enlightenment. There is also a Museum in Sarnath. The exact location is also known as Deer Park. Sarnath is 13 Km from Varanasi and is very peaceful. Several Asian countries have built Buddhist temples there following their own ancient architectural traditions.
- Ram Nagar Fort - the fort of the King of Kashi which is situated at the other side of the river.
- Gauri Matha Temple - The devi at this temple is supposed to be the sister of the lord Kashi Vishwanath. Its a tradition to visit her just before you leave Kashi. You buy sea shells at this place and offer them to the God saying that the virtues of donating the shells goes to her while you keep the virtues of having visited the holy shrines in Kashi and bathing in the ganges. The trip to Kashi is expected to yield results only after completing this custom.
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Swaad with Sharmaji
