Varanasi (Benares, Kashi)

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Varanasi is said to be the oldest inhabited city in the world. There are supposed to be 2,000 temples in Varanasi. It is 125km east of Allahabad, on the bank of the Ganges, between Delhi (710km) and Calcutta (680km). Millions of pilgrims a year come to Varanasi.

The name Varanasi most likely stems from the two rivers, Varuna and Asi, which join the Ganges on the north and south borders of the city. Varanasi is a very fast-moving place and at times can seem unbelievable crowded. In the old part of the city there are numerous mazes of thin, very crowded streets, which makes the place very interesting.
It is said that the first Siva Jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light, came through the earth here and flared into the sky. Therefore Varanasi is also called Kashi, “City of Light.”

Kashi is mentioned in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Puranas, which date back 5,000 years, as the foremost city of Siva. The Muslims gave it the name Benares. At Independence, the old name, Varanasi, was given to the city again.

Many older people come to Varanasi to die and to be burned at the burning ghats along the river. It is believed that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains moksha (liberation). It is said that being burned at Varanasi adds to the pious credits of someone, therefore many bodies are brought here to be cremated. Many widows come here to die.
Many saints and sages have come to Varanasi including Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Buddha, Sankaracharya, and Sri Ramanuja. Sri Chaitanya met Sanatana Gosvami here and converted Prakasananda Sarasvati and his followers here. He bathed at Pancha-ganga (Panchanada) Ghat.
For many, it is one of the highlights of a trip to India to get on a boat at 6 am and see the city on the waters of the Ganges at sunrise. Six o’clock in the morning is the best time to visit the waterfront. It is a good idea to rent your own boat and not go with many other people.

Varanasi was looted numerous times by Muslim invaders beginning from the 11th century. Aurangzeb destroyed most of the temples during his reign in the 17th century. This is why most of the temples are not more than 300 years old. In 1669 the Bindu Madhava Vishnu Temple and the Siva Visvanath Temple were destroyed. Mosques were built in their place.

The Ganges, which normally flows southeast, reverses its course and flows north for a while at Varanasi, which is considered very auspicious. There is a five-mile parikrama path that goes around this sacred city. There are 81 bathing ghats and other holy kunds, or sacred tanks. It is said that it is important to bathe at Manikarnika, by the cremation ghat.

The three most important ghats are Manikarnika, Dasaswamedha, and Pancha-ganga. To bath at these three ghats is called Tri-tirtha Yatra. Also important are Asi Sangam and Varuna Sangam. To bathe in these five places is call Pancha-tirtha Yatra. You are supposed to bathe in these five ghats in a certain order. First you bathe in Asi Ghat, then Dasaswamedha Ghat, then the ghat by the Adi Keshava Temple near the Varuna River, then Pancha-ganga, and then Manikarnika. After taking bath at these five places, most pilgrims then go for darshan of Visvanath, Annapurna, and Sakshi Vinayaka (the witnessing Ganesh). It is said that if you bathe in these five places, all in the same day and in this order, you will not get another material body. You can do Pancha-tirtha Yatra by boat, but it is better to do it by foot.

The Panchakroshi road goes around the city of Varanasi. Many pilgrims walk the 58km around Varanasi starting at Manikarnika Ghat. They then walk to Asi Ghat and then proceed around the city. You are supposed to visit 108 shrines along the way. Following this procedure is said to be the same as circling the entire world.

The Adi Keshava Vishnu Temple is located where the Ganges meets the Varuna River, in the north of town. Tulasi Das translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit into Hindi in Varanasi, and there is a temple in his honor.

Sarnath is 10km away and is famous as the place where Buddha first preached about enlightenment. You can see all the principal places in Varanasi and Sarnath in two days, but it is not unusual for people to spend a week or two in Varanasi.

Orientation
The city of Varanasi is on the west bank of the Ganges River. The tourist office and the higher-end hotels are located in the Cantonment area, in the northern part of the city. The roads are much wider here. The railway station is south of the Cantonment area and north of the old part of the city, about a twenty minute auto-rickshaw ride from either area.

The old section of the city, by the river, is where the bathing ghats and most of the temples are located. The streets can be very narrow and crowded, so much so that a bike rickshaw cannot get by. The main bathing ghat is Dasaswamedha, which is located right in the middle of the old part of the city.

Tourist Offices and Tours
A good source of information is the Government of India Tourist Office (343-744), 15B The Mall, in the Cantonment, by the Hotel de Paris. You can hire a guide there for either four (Rs 250) or eight hours (Rs 400). Open weekdays 9 am to 5.30 pm, and Sat 9 am to 1 pm. There is an Information Counter at the airport.

The UP state Tourist Office (335-450) is located in the Tourist Bungalow at Parade Kothi (Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm) and there is a good tourist counter at the railroad station (6 am to 8 pm). They have a list of paying guest accommodations.
The Bihar State Tourist Office (43821) is at Englishia Market, Sher Shah Suri Marg, Cantonment.

UPSRTC has a daily tour of the river, temples, and Benares Hindu University in the summer from 5.30 to 11.45 am and winter 6 am to 12.15 pm. They also have a tour to Sarnath and Ramnagar Fort daily from 2.30 to 6.30 pm in the summer and 2 to 6 pm in the winter. The bus starts at the Govt of India Tourist Office, The Mall, and at the Tourist Bungalow.

Rewarding Tours and Travels (348-546), next to the Tourist Office in the Cantonment, offers a tour of the city, which includes a pickup at a hotel, an early morning boat ride, a visit to some temples and a trip to Sarnath. It costs Rs 200 and goes from 5.30 am to noon.

I found a good knowledgeable guide named Shobhit Shankar for information about the temples and holy places in Varanasi. He is a saintly priest at the Visvanath Temple and he lives on the same small alley as the temple is located, at 35/15 Vishwanath Gali. I personally liked and trusted him. He also has a very high understanding of the Vedic scriptures.

Information
Heritage Hospital (313-977), near Benares Hindu University, is a good private hospital. Gupta Optical, in Godaulia is good for glasses.

Visa extensions may be issued at the Foreigners’ Registration Office (351-968), Srinagar Colony, Siddgiri Bagh.

The GPO is a ten-minute rickshaw ride north of the old city. You can have a package made outside. The Central Telegraph Office is in the cantonment. There is a post office in the Hotel Clarks in the Cantonment.

You can get on the Internet at Fontac Computer for Rs 100 per hour or Rs 2 per minute.

Malaviya Bhavan at Benares Hindu University has courses on yoga. There are morning and evening yoga classes at the Shanti Guest House.
Some pools that non-guest can swim at are the Hotel Clarks Varanasi (Rs 200), Hotel Hindustan International (Rs 100), and the Hotel Varanasi Ashok (100). The Hotel Clark has the best pool.
At the Hotel Surya you can get a full body massage (Rs 150) and they have a steam bath (Rs 40).

Travel Corporation of India (46209), Hotel Clarks, The Mall, is an established travel agency and they can arrange cars. The ITDC Office in the Hotel Varanasi Ashok can arrange a car for Rs 600 a day.

WARNING! There are many armed robberies along the Ghats at night. Varanasi is known for people who have bad drug problems and they will stop at nothing to get their drugs. During the day or on the public street there are almost no problems. If you are sitting in a peaceful secluded place when it is getting dark, be especially careful. When you see the locals leave, follow their example. Also be careful about walking alone down secluded alleys at night in the old city.
Varanasi is also known for con-men. I was talking to an Indian student at the railway station and a policeman came up to us and told the man to stop talking with me. I told the policeman it was alright and that I trusted the student. The policeman then told me, “Don’t come to me later with a complaint.” I am assuming that he must get many of them. While traveling to Varanasi by train, be especially careful of your luggage, as many people have their bags stolen.

Boat Ride on the Ganges
For many people a boat ride on the Ganges is a highlight of their trip. Taking a 6 am boat ride while the sun is coming up is outstanding. There is an especially tranquil atmosphere and it is very enjoyable. I highly recommend this. If you come by rickshaw have them take you to

Dasaswamedha Ghat, where there are many boats. The government rate for a boat that holds four people is Rs 60 per hour. You will be asked for much more (Rs 60 a person), but in reality you can usually get a boat for Rs 40 per hour, especially in the off-season.

Money
The State Bank of India, near Dasaswamedha Ghat changes Thomas Cook travelers cheques. The State Bank of India, near the Hotel Surya in the Cantonment area, changes money. The Bank of Baroda (credit cards only) and the Andhra Bank, both on Dasaswamedha Rd, do cash advances on major credit cards. The Shanti Guest House changes money at a rate slightly lower than the bank. They change most types of travelers cheques and most foreign currencies.
Shopping

Varanasi is a good place to buy silks. You have to be careful, as many items sold as silk are not pure silk. It is also a good place to get musical instruments. People will come up to you and invite you to their house, which actually means to someone’s shop.

Temple Bazaar, near the Visvanath Temple, is a good place to get silk items. This is one of the busiest and most interesting bazaars in India.
The government managed Handloom House, D64/132K Sigra, is a reliable place to purchase silks.

Imtiyaz Ali, Siddh Giri Bagh, located near a mosque, makes good tablas. To get here you go down about three roads from Godaulia Crossing (going away from Dasasvamedha Ghat) and then make a right and go about 1km. Triveni Music Centre (328-074), Keval Gali in Godaulia, near the Baba Restaurant, sells good musical instruments.

Book Shops & Books
Universal Book Shop in Godaulia is one of the better bookshops in India and has a good selection. Nearby Indica Books, D 40/18 Godaulia, has an excellent selection of spiritual and other books and the people who manage it are very helpful. Ashok Hotel has a good book shop.

Benares: City of Light by Diana Eck, a professor at Harvard, is a good, detailed book which describes the temples and ghats in Varanasi.

OLD CITY

Visvanath Temple (Golden Temple)
This present temple dedicated to Lord Siva was built by Rani Ahalyabai Holkar of Indore in 1776. Aurangzeb destroyed the old temple in 1669. It is called the Golden Temple because of the 800 kg of gold plating put on the sikharas (roof over the altar) by Maharana Ranjeet Singh of Lahore in 1835. The Siva-linga of Visvanath is on a golden altar. There has been a Siva temple at this site for over 1,000 years. Beside the Siva-linga, there are several other shrines. To the left as one enters the temple is a Deity of Vishnu, who is supposed to be worshiped along with Visvanath. Non-Hindus (non-Indians) are not allowed in the temple, and this is strictly enforced.

Behind the temple is the Jnana Vapi (Gyan Kupor), or the Wisdom Well, which is said to be the liquid form of enlightenment. It is said to have been in Varanasi before the Ganges came to this earth. Pilgrims give their sankalpa, or statement of intent, here before beginning their pancha-tirtha yatra.

Non-Hindus can look inside the temple through a hole in the wall, in the alley between the front of the temple and the Jnana Vapi. From this hole you can get a good view of the Siva-linga and what is happening in the temple.

You can see the roof of the temple from the roof of the Trimurti Guest House or from some shops upstairs opposite the temple for Rs 10.

Jnana Vapi and Razia’s Mosques
Next to the temple is the Jnana Vapi Mosque. This mosque was built from the material taken from destroyed Hindu temples. In the back of the mosque you can see the remains of the temples. It has very high minarets.

The 13th century Razia’s Mosque is north of here. It was built during the period of the Delhi Sultanate, and is located where a previous Visvanath temple used to stand.

Old City Area Temples
A major temple, dedicated to Annapurna, is located in the same alley as the Visvanath Temple. Anna means “food,” and purna means “who fills.” There is a Food festival here in Oct/Nov.

Nearby is a black deity of Shani (Saturn) covered with silver. People worship at this temple, especially on Saturday, to free themselves of the bad effects of Saturn. Astrologically the effects of Saturn usually bring misfortune.

Dhundhiraj Ganesh is a small important Ganesh temple on Visvanath Lane, about a five-minute walk from the Visvanath Temple.

Sakshi Vinayaka is a Ganesh deity. Sakshi means “the witness.” After finishing the Panch Kosi circuit, pilgrims come before this deity so that Ganesh can witness the completion of their pilgrimage.

When pilgrims visit Varanasi they register their arrival at the Bhairava Temple. This temple is located near the intersection of Chauli Rd and Kabir Chaura Rd, near the Godaulia area. Bhairava is known as the policemen-magistrate and protector of the city. Bhairava is the terrifying aspect of Lord Siva, who chopped off the fifth head of Brahma. As punishment for doing this the head stuck to the hand of Bhairava and stayed there for years. It did not fall off until he reached Varanasi. Bhairava then became responsible for making sure that the residents of Varanasi live righteous lives. Nearby is the Bare Ganesh Temple, which is one of the main Ganesh temples in Varanasi.

Durga Temple
These two temples are both located in the southern part of town, between Asi Ghat and Benares Hindu University. The Durga Temple was built in the 18th century by a Bengali king and has many aggressive monkeys. Durga is the intense form of Lord Siva’s consort Parvati. Non-Hindu can enter the courtyard but are not supposed to enter the inner sanctum.

Sankat Mochan Temple
The Sankat Mochan Temple is dedicated to Hanuman, the “Liberator from Troubles.” Many people consider this to be one of the three major temples in Varanasi.

Benares Hindu University & Museum
This university was established at the beginning of the century and is famous for having an excellent Sanskrit school. It has over 150,000 rare manuscripts. It is about 11km from the center of the city, a 20-minute auto-rickshaw ride away.
It has one of the best museums in India, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, which has ancient sculptures and deities in it. The museum has various sections—bronze and cast metal, terracotta, and stone sculptures. There is also a painting gallery that contains a big statue of Krishna holding Govardhan Hill, dating from the fourth century. There are also two 18th century paintings on the same subject. Open 11 am to 4 pm, July to April, and 7.30 am to 12.30 pm in May and June. Closed on Sunday.

New Visvanath Temple
The New Visvanath Temple is a beautiful marble temple located on the grounds of Benares Hindu University. It was planned by Pandit Malaviya and built in 1966 by the Birla Family. It is open to everyone. Inside the temple is a Siva-linga. The temple is supposed to be a replica of the original Visvanath temple that Aurangzeb destroyed.
Open 4 am to noon and 1 to 9 pm. It is a 30-minute auto-rickshaw ride (Rs 30) from the old city.

Tulasi Manas Temple
This is a modern, marble, sikhara-type temple dedicated to Tulasi Das, who wrote the Ram-charit Manas, the Hindi translation of the famous Ramayana. He lived in Varanasi when he wrote it. It was built in 1964. On the walls of the temple are verses and pictures from the Ramayana. There is a diorama exhibit on the 2nd floor. Open 5.30 am to noon and 3.30 to 9 pm.

Bharat Mata Temple
This temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata which means “Mother India.” Bharat is the Hindi word for India. Inside the temple is a marble relief map of India. Mahatma Gandhi opened the temple.

Ramnagar Fort
South of the city, across the river, is the interesting 17th century Ramnagar Fort. It was built by Maharaja Balwant Singh and is the former home of the Maharaja of Varanasi. The Royal Museum, in the fort, displays arms, decorated palanquins, gold-plated elephant howdahs, and outfits of former Maharajas of Varanasi. There is a temple dedicated to Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, in the Ramnagar Fort. It is said that Veda Vyasa stayed at Ramnagar for a short time. Open daily except Friday 9 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm. It is reached by a pontoon bridge, and during the monsoon you cross the river by ferry.

Entertainment and Music
At Nagari Natak Mandali there are classical concerts.

At the International Music Centre Ashram, near Dasaswamedha Ghat, there are classical music performances on Wed and Sat at 8 pm. You can take private sitar and tabla lessons here for Rs 75 per hour.

Clark’s Cultural Program, Raja Ghat, has an evening program which begins with a Ganga arati (worship), and then has drama from the Ramayana, music, and folk and classical dance for $10 (5.30 to 8.30 pm). The program can be reserved at the Clark Varanasi (348-501; fax 348-186).

Triveni Music Centre, Kevl Gali in Godaulia, near the Baba Restaurant, is a good place to take sitar and tabla lessons.

Festivals
During the month of April pilgrims perform circumambulation of Kashi Dharmaksetra (Varanasi). Ganga Dasara, in May, celebrates the day the Ganges reached Haridwar. In Oct/Nov, Nagna­thaiya at Tulasi Ghat reenacts Krishna dancing on the head of the Kaliya snake in the Yamuna.

Bharat Milap at Nati Imli is the celebration of the meeting of Rama and Bharata after 14 years of separation. The Maharaja of Varanasi attends this interesting festival and rides on the back of an elephant. Ram Lila, at Ramnagar Fort in Sept/Oct, is a festive program during which the Ramayana is staged.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides