TOURIST ATTRACTIONS/ PLACES IN VARANASI

The Ghats : of Varanasi Ghats are the major attractions of Varanasi. There are about hundred ghats in the city and each of them is marked by a lingam and occupies its own special place in the religious geography of the city. The ghats, though some of them have crumbled over the years, continue to thrive with early-morning bathers, Brahmin priests offering puja and people practicing meditation and yoga. Though most of the ghats are used for bathing, there are several ‘burning ghats’ were bodies are cremated.

Durga Temple : The temple is situated over Durga Kund and is one of the favorite tourist destination places. The Durga temple was built in last 18 century and it is believed that every year Goddess Durga reappears and spread peace and happiness by devastating enemies.

Vishwanath temple (Golden Temple) The temple is totally dedicated to Lord Shiva which is placed at Vishvanath Gali; Hindus believe that Lord Shiva lives here and makes their pray true. The temple is one of the twelve famous Jyotirlingas which can be viewed from the Naubat Khana.

Sarnath Temple This is the great place for the Buddhist pilgrims where a huge number of Buddhists meet in the annual colourful festival, Buddha Purnima which is celebrated in the month of May/June. Here, one can find a good collection of Buddhist antique and relics. The presentation of Buddha images are placed so nicely that people from abroad come over here to see its beauty.

Ramnagar Fort Among all other wonderful forts of Varanasi, Ramnagar is the one which is located on the opposite side of the river Ganga. The fort is constructed with red sandstone which includes a small museum where royal collection of relics like Royal Palikas, swords, Old Guns, vintage cars and antique clocks are beautifully placed.

Bharat Mata Temple : This temple of Bharat Mata (Mother India), inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, lies about 3 km west of Godaulia, outside the old city. Here, instead of gods and goddesses, one finds a huge relief map in marble of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau. The map is said to be perfectly to scale both vertically and horizontally with mountains, rivers and the holy tirthas (pilgrimage centres) all clearly visible.

Tulsi Manas : Temple Built in 1964, the Tulsi Manas Temple stands about 150 m south of Durga Temple. The temple, dedicated to Lord Rama is situated at the place where Tulsidas, the great medieval seer, is believed to have lived and written the great epic “Shri Ramcharitmanas”. The two tier walls of the temple are engraved with the verses and scenes from this great epic.