Aside from being one of the oldest continually inhabited cities
in the world, Varanasi is also one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism.
Historically, the city in the northern Indian region is called Benares
or Kashi, which means "City of Life". You can find the old city of
Varanasi nestled on the western bank of the Ganges. Its history goes all
the way back to as early as the 11th century BC.
For centuries, Varanasi has always been known as the place of religion, mysticism and even magic. Every year thousands of pilgrims make their way to the city to cleanse their sins or to cremate their loved ones. They do these important tasks in what is considered to be the sacred water of the River Ganges/Ganga.
The pilgrims come particularly to the ghats, which are on the western bank of the river that is shaped like the crescent moon. There a total of 84 ghats that line up with one after another and covers an area of almost 7 kilometers. The name "ghats" refers to the series of steps that leads down to the river. They were originally built by the previous Hindu kings who wanted to die along the river.
These kings also built their palaces along the shore, which were converted into the present-day hotels. These centuries-old buildings contribute to the distinct and impressive scenery. The Manikarnika Ghat and Dasaswamedh Ghat are considered the most prominent ghats. Manikarnika is the main cremation ghat while Dasaswamedh is where the important aarti evening ceremony takes place. Aside from walking along the river to see each ghats closely, you can also charter a boat to get different view of them from the river.
Being cremated on the ghats is a practice that reinforces the belief called moksha, which means that the soul is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The ritual of cremating the death in Varanasi is not for the weak-hearted. Not only is the practice very intense to watch, it also brings about a strong and distinctive smell of burning human flesh. But this is what makes Varanasi a very unique place to visit.
If you muster up the courage to watch this spectacle, you will soon realized that you are one of the lucky ones who witnessed something truly special in their lives. Another powerful scene you should not miss is when the pilgrims pray and show their devotion in the River during sunrise. In addition, the bathing ritual in the river takes place several times during the day.
The river ghats are linked to interconnected narrow alleys called galis. Navigating Varanasi can be confusing at first because of these maze-like galis. But getting lost in these alleyways is not that bad as you will get to know the city very well. All you have to do is to get to a ghat by the river to remember where you are.
The popular restaurants, shops and hotels also have their signs all around. The best time to visit Varanasi is between the months of October and March. Although it can be chilly at this time, especially at night, such temperature is much more comfortable than the scorching heat of summer. Varanasi is equipped with an airport, which facilitates flights from cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
For centuries, Varanasi has always been known as the place of religion, mysticism and even magic. Every year thousands of pilgrims make their way to the city to cleanse their sins or to cremate their loved ones. They do these important tasks in what is considered to be the sacred water of the River Ganges/Ganga.
The pilgrims come particularly to the ghats, which are on the western bank of the river that is shaped like the crescent moon. There a total of 84 ghats that line up with one after another and covers an area of almost 7 kilometers. The name "ghats" refers to the series of steps that leads down to the river. They were originally built by the previous Hindu kings who wanted to die along the river.
These kings also built their palaces along the shore, which were converted into the present-day hotels. These centuries-old buildings contribute to the distinct and impressive scenery. The Manikarnika Ghat and Dasaswamedh Ghat are considered the most prominent ghats. Manikarnika is the main cremation ghat while Dasaswamedh is where the important aarti evening ceremony takes place. Aside from walking along the river to see each ghats closely, you can also charter a boat to get different view of them from the river.
Being cremated on the ghats is a practice that reinforces the belief called moksha, which means that the soul is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The ritual of cremating the death in Varanasi is not for the weak-hearted. Not only is the practice very intense to watch, it also brings about a strong and distinctive smell of burning human flesh. But this is what makes Varanasi a very unique place to visit.
If you muster up the courage to watch this spectacle, you will soon realized that you are one of the lucky ones who witnessed something truly special in their lives. Another powerful scene you should not miss is when the pilgrims pray and show their devotion in the River during sunrise. In addition, the bathing ritual in the river takes place several times during the day.
The river ghats are linked to interconnected narrow alleys called galis. Navigating Varanasi can be confusing at first because of these maze-like galis. But getting lost in these alleyways is not that bad as you will get to know the city very well. All you have to do is to get to a ghat by the river to remember where you are.
The popular restaurants, shops and hotels also have their signs all around. The best time to visit Varanasi is between the months of October and March. Although it can be chilly at this time, especially at night, such temperature is much more comfortable than the scorching heat of summer. Varanasi is equipped with an airport, which facilitates flights from cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
