Varanasi | Varanasi Tourist Places| Varanasi Travel Guide | Varanasi Tour | Varanasi, Kashi, Banaras

Varanasi, which is also known as the spiritual capital of India. Varanasi, Kashi, Banaras, these three are the names of the same city. Varanasi is made up of two rivers, Varuna and Asti. Kashi is the oldest name of this city, which originated from the Sanskrit word Kashiya, which means shining. In Pali, Varanasi was written as Baranasi, which gave it the name Banaras. What is more beautiful than Kashi for love? Kashi is the place where Mahadev waited for Sati's love. That Kashi, which saw Sati in the form of Parvati for 108 births. Kashi, where Mahadev not only taught love, but also lived. Kashi, where the complete name of Mahadev is incomplete without Parvati. That is why in Kashi, not only Mahadev is said, but also Om, Namah, Parvati, Pate, Har, Har Mahadev. Varanasi is the most cultural and spiritual capital of India. Which is famous for Asia's largest residential university, Banaras Hindu University. People often know Varanasi as the city of temples, the city of India's religious capital, the city of light, the city of classical music, the city of education and the oldest living city on this earth. Because Varanasi is famous all over India for its cultural, traditional, scenic places, attractive places, beautiful ghats, mills, festivals and temples. One of the 12 Jyotirlingas in Varanasi is Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, which is considered very sacred. Friends, Kashi is considered the most sacred city. It is said that the person who dies in Varanasi is freed from the cycle of birth and death, and in the end he meets Lord Shiva. Come on, in this video, I will tell you how you can plan your Varanasi trip. How can you reach here, where you should stay and what are the scenic spots where you should definitely visit. So to know all this, watch the video till the end. Varanasi is located on the banks of the holy river Ganga in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. This city is 320 km from Lucknow and 850 km from Delhi. And here by road, railway, flight can be reached very easily. Friends, if we talk by road, then Varanasi is very well connected to major cities like Agra, Kolkata, Lucknow, Delhi, etc. If you are coming from Delhi, then you will reach Varanasi in 10 to 12 hours by taking the Agra-Lucknow Express. If you want to come by railway, then you can reach Varanasi at Varanasi Railway Junction or Kashi Railway Station. These two railway stations are 5 to 6 km away from each other. By airway, you can also reach Varanasi Airport, which is known as Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. And it is about 25 km away from Varanasi, from where you can catch a taxi and reach Varanasi between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000. Now let's know when you should visit Varanasi. Friends, the best time to visit Varanasi is from October to February, i.e. you can visit here in winters. Exploring this city in the cold here is something else. We have reached Varanasi, but now the question is where to stay in Varanasi. In Varanasi, you will find a lot of budgeted hotels. If we talk about cheap options, then in Godavliya, around the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, you can stay for one day by paying Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 in many Dharamshalas. In the same area, you will find good hotels up to Rs. 500 to Rs. 2000. I stayed in Hotel Central Residency. This hotel was about 3 km away from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. I had to pay Rs. 2000 per night for it. This hotel was very clean. Room service and facilities were also very good. So if you want, you can also opt for this hotel. Now let's know how many days you should visit Varanasi. Friends, if you want, you can visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in one day and go back after seeing the Ghat Ganga Aarti here. But if you want to know this city well, then a minimum of 3 days is required. And if we talk about sightseeing in Varanasi, then you can also hire an auto, cycle rickshaw, handcart, electric auto and roam around here. If you want, you can also hire a four-wheeler on a per day basis, whose cost can range from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000. Now it's time to explore Varanasi. You can start Day 1 from the Ghat of Varanasi. Varanasi is located on the banks of the Ganga River. And these Ghats are the stairs to the banks of the river that go to the banks of the Ganga River. There are more than 84 such Ghats here. Most of the Ghats are used for bathing and worship, while 2 Ghats, Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats, are specially used for Daha Sanskar. All these Ghats are around 6.5 km from the Ganga River, which is in a half-moon shape. And you can easily walk from one Ghat to another Ghat without any obstacle. And there is some old story associated with each Ghat. Out of the 84 Ghats, 5 Ghats are considered very important. Like Asi Ghat, Tashashvamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Panchkanga Ghat and Adikeshav Ghat. So even if you can't visit all the Ghats, you should definitely visit these 5 Ghats. Let's go to Panchkanga Ghat, where you can take a dip in the Ganga and visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. If you want, you can also take a dip in the Tashashvamedh Ghat. Panchkanga Ghat is considered to be the meeting place of the 5 rivers. Which is Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kiran and Dipappa. However, only Ganga is visible here today. On this Ghat, you will see statues of many temples and many deities. Many devotees come to this Ghat for salvation. During Kartik Maha, i.e. October and November, taking a dip in this Ghat is considered very auspicious. After taking a dip, you can go to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. For Jyotirling, you can also go to Vishwanath Gali or Ganga Dwar. Vishwanath Gali is one of the oldest and busiest roads in Varanasi. The temple can be reached in 15 minutes from this narrow lane. In this lane, you can buy flowers, garlands, prasad, etc. And you can go to the temple by keeping your shoes, slippers, mobile, etc. Mobile or video camera is not allowed in the temple. Friends, because the ancient name of Varanasi is Kashi, this Jyotirling is called Kashi Vishwanath. The ancient story of the establishment of this Jyotirling is something like this. After the marriage of Lord Shiva and Mother Sati, both went out for Gagan Vihar once. While doing Gagan Vihar, Mother Sati tells Mahadev to build such an Ananda Kananda, i.e. Ananda Van, which is separate from the creation of Lord Brahma, is universal, and where he can live alone with Mahadev for some time. Then, Mahadev, to fulfill the desire of Mother Sati, creates a five-storied, long, wide Ananda Kananda in the sky separate from the creation of Lord Brahma. That Van was very beautiful and universal, and Mahadev started experiencing that Ananda Kananda with Mother Sati. Mother Sati got the ultimate bliss in that Ananda Kananda, and she told Mahadev that she wants this ultimate bliss to be attained by every being who wants to be liberated from suffering. Then, Lord Mahadev says that Devi, you are the mother of the whole world, so it is natural for you to have a desire for the welfare of the people. I will definitely fulfill this desire of yours. Then, Lord Mahadev tells Shri Vishnu Ji to do penance in that Ananda Van, so that his penance can spread penance, knowledge and devotion in that area, and that area can become the center of liberation for the suffering beings. In the same area, Lord Shri Vishnu Ji made a kund from his Sudarshan Chakra and did penance there for thousands of years. While doing penance, Lord Shri Vishnu Ji's sweat began to flow, and this sweat began to increase along with penance, and after absorbing water, it began to fill that kund. With the penance of Lord Shri Vishnu Ji, that Ananda Kananda, penance, knowledge and devotion were established in the holy area. Many streams of sweat flowed from the body of Lord Shri Vishnu Ji, due to which the whole sky was covered with water, including that holy area. Seeing this, Lord Shiva wears that Panchakosi area on his trident. When Lord Vishnu gets emotional and shakes his head, a lotus flower falls from his ear in that kund, which is still established in Kashi in the name of Manikarnika kund. With the will of Mother Sati, Lord Mahadev establishes that Panchakosi area on the earth. The same area is famous today in the name of Kashi or Varanasi. Then Lord Shri Vishnu prays to Mahadev that, O Mahadev, until you both do not live together here, this city of Kashi will remain empty. Then Lord Mahadev and Mother Sati both appeared there in the form of Shiva Linga. And this Shiva Linga was established in the name of Shri Vishveshwar Jyotirling. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling, associated with the light of Mahadev and Mother Sati, has been fulfilling the wishes of his devotees from Satyug to Kanyug. Friends, this was the ancient story of the establishment of Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling. Kashi is the most beloved city of Lord Mahadev. It is also called the residence of Lord Mahadev and Mother Parvati. It is mentioned in the Puranas that there is no destruction of Kashi even in the time of Pralaya. Because Lord Mahadev wears Kashi on his trident and when the time of creation comes, he establishes it on the earth. This is why Kashi is also called an indestructible city. People go to Kashi to get liberated from ancient times and die. Because it is mentioned in the Puranas that Lord Shiva himself instructs the Tarak mantra in the ears of the dying creature. Due to which that creature is released from the avakman. The construction of the present Kashi Vishwanath temple was done by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar ji in 1780. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji had made this temple made of 1000 kilos of gold in 1857. This is why it is also called the golden temple. There is a well of knowledge near the temple. It is believed that this well was discovered by Lord Mahadev himself with his trident. Drinking water from this well gives knowledge, devotion and salvation to humans. The timing of the aarti in the temple is something like this. The Vastu fort of the temple is a good example of Nagarshedi. Which depicts its huge peak and complex carved stone. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the garbhagraha of the temple, there is a famous Jyotirlingam of Lord Vishwanath. There is also a temple of Kaalbhairav, Kartikeya, Avimukteshwar, Lord Vishnu, Ganesh, Shani and Parvati around the temple. You can also visit Annapurna Mata. And you can go 50 meters away from the temple to the Kashi Annapurna Bhojnalaya and have prasad. You can go to Kaalbhairav temple at a distance of 1 km from the Kashi Vishwanath temple. It is said that the responsibility of the entire Kashi city is in the hands of Lord Kaalbhairav. Kaalbhairav is also called the kotwal of Kashi. Without visiting him, the darshan of Kashi Vishwanath is considered incomplete. Mahamrityunjay temple is 5-10 minutes away from Kaalbhairav temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The history of this temple is associated with an ancient well and Shivlingam. The word Mrityunjay Mahadev means Lord who wins over death. It is believed that the Shivlingam present in this temple keeps all devotees away from their unnatural death. To win over this unnatural death, devotees worship Lord Shiva in the form of Mrityunjay Mahadev. You will find many Shivlings in this temple. There is also an ancient well here. It is believed that drinking its water cures many diseases. The story behind this miraculous well is that Ayurveda's father Dhanvantri had put all his medicines in this well. This is the reason why the water of this well is very pure. And with medicinal effect, it is capable of curing many diseases. And people come here from far to drink the water of this well. So if you are going to Varanasi, then do not forget to visit this Mahamrityunjay temple and drink the water of this well. After this temple, you can go to see Ratneshwar Mahadev temple in the evening. Which is also called Kashi Karvat or Leaning Temple. Which is only 5 minutes away from Manikarnika Ghat. There are many temples in Varanasi, but there is no temple like Ratneshwar Temple. Friends, apart from other temples, this temple is standing in Tiruchy. Looking at this temple, it reminds me of Pisa Tower in Italy. Actually, this temple is more inclined than Pisa Tower in Italy. Pisa Tower is inclined by 4 degrees, while Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is inclined by 9 degrees. Ratneshwar Temple of Varanasi is dedicated to Mahadev. It is also known as Varanasi's Leaning Temple or Kashi Karvat. This temple is located between Manikarnika Ghat and Sindhia Ghat. By the way, this temple is submerged in the Ganga River for most of the year. The temple was built in the 18th century. Many stories are told behind why this temple is inclined. One of the stories is that this temple was built by a servant of King Mansingh for his mother Ratnabai. After building the temple, that person proudly announced that he has paid off his mother's expenses. As soon as the servant announced this, the temple started tilting backwards. This happened because the mother's expenses can never be paid off. No worship is performed in this temple because people believe that this temple is cursed. And if you worship here, something bad can happen in their house. If we talk about the real art of the temple, then its construction has been done in the Shastri style with Nagar, Shikhar and Famsaam Mandap. This temple is quite famous all over the world. That's why many people come to see this temple from all over the country. So if you are also coming to Varanasi, then don't forget to visit Karvat Kashi. Friends, after this you can go to Manikarnika Ghat. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi. It is believed that if a person's last rites are performed here, he immediately attains salvation. That's why the fire of the pyre on this ghat never cools down. That is, you will see the pyre burning here for 24 hours. The people here believe that the day the pyre will stop burning in this ghat, that day will be the day of Pralay for Varanasi. Friends, many old stories of Manikarnika Ghat are told. One of them is that according to the Shiva Katha, when the name of Kashi used to be Anandvan in the Anadi Kaal, at that time Lord Shankar had come here for a walk with Mata Parvati. And the Kund created by Lord Vishnu, which is called Manikarnika Kund, there Mata Parvati took a bath. During the bath, Mata Parvati's kundal fell into it, which was picked up by a Brahmin king named Kallu. Despite being angry with Lord Shankar, Kallu did not tell about the kundal. Seeing this, Lord Shankar cursed Kallu and all his future generations to be evil. On the same day, this Brahmin became a dhoma. And from then on, this dhoma started giving fire to pyres. Today, there are more than 300 families of the same Kallu dhoma. And every family's man works to give fire to the pyres. According to the second story, it is said that the kundal of Mata Sati's ear had fallen here. That's why it's name is Manikarnika. Here Mata's Shakti Peetha is also established. It is also said that Lord Bholenath Ji had performed the last rites of Mata Sati here. For this reason, this ghat is also called Mahashamshaan Ghat. Every year, many tourists from all over the country come to visit this ghat. Friends, after visiting this ghat, I remembered this prayer of Saint Kabir. Peer Mare, Paigambar Marigai, Marigai Jinda Jogi, Raja Marigai, Praja Marigai, Marigai Baid Aur Rogi, Ye Murdo Ka Gau, Saadho Ye Murdo Ka Gau Dashashwamedh Ghat is 5 minutes away from Manikarnika Ghat. From a religious, cultural and historical point of view, Dashashwamedh Ghat is one of the most famous ghats of Kashi. There are two ancient stories related to this ghat. According to one belief, Lord Brahma had sacrificed ten horses to burn ten Ashwamedhs. Therefore, in memory of the horses, this ghat was named Dashashwamedh Ghat. According to another belief, this ghat was built by Lord Brahma to welcome Lord Shiva on earth. Friends, Dashashwamedh Ghat is also very famous for its Ganga Aarti. Which starts at 7 pm in summer and 6 pm in winter. People take their seats before the Aarti starts. Dashashwamedh Ghat looks even more beautiful in the evening when the Ganga Aarti is performed in the form of dedication to Lord Shiva, Sun, Fire and Ganga River. This Aarti is performed by a group of priests. During this Aarti, you can feel the purity and spirituality of this place. You can also enjoy this wonderful view by sitting on a floating boat in the Ganga River. Its charge is between Rs. 50 to Rs. 100. This Aarti lasts for about 45 minutes. Between the priests, there is the sound of the conch, the bell, the sound of the drum and the Aarti of Ganga in the middle of Ma Ganga. The identity of Aarti is known all over the world, where foreign tourists come here to get a glimpse of it from many places. Every evening in Kashi is the most beautiful in the world. Looking at the Ganga Aarti, it feels as if all the gods are present in this Aarti. So friends, do reserve the evening of Day 1 for the Dashashwamedh Ghat and Ganga Aarti. In Kashi, Devdipavali is quite famous, which is celebrated on Kartik Purnima after 15 days of Diwali. It is said that Tripurasur Darnak was killed by the gods on this day, so it was named as Devdipavali. And Kartik Purnima is celebrated as the victory day of the gods. On this occasion, lamps are lit on Kashi and all the ghats, which many people come to see from afar. And with these lamps, Kashi is very bright. So friends, if you are planning to come to Kashi, then you can also come here during Devdipavali. On the night of Day 1, you can explore the street food here in Varanasi. Like Kachori Sabji, Chola Samosa, Lassi, Tomato Chaat, Malaiyo, Dahi Ke Batashe, Thandai and many more. And yes, the Banarasi Paan here is such that you should not miss it at all. The list of some famous cafes, restaurants and street food in Varanasi is something like this, which you can try. You can start Day 2 from Assi Ghat. In Baba Vishwanath's city Varanasi, Assi Ghat is such a place that is of ancient importance. In this ghat, there is a Shiva stone under the big peepal tree. Assi Ghat is also called the heart of Varanasi, where people come to see sunrise and sunset. At Assi Ghat, there is a Ganga Aarti every morning at 5 o'clock, which many people come to see. This Aarti is also held at 6 o'clock in the evening. According to ancient believers, Assi Ghat was created when the goddess threw her sword into the river Ganga after killing a demon. The place where Maa Durga was standing became Ghat, which was later known as Assi Ghat. You will find a lot of food shops around the ghat. People often like to come here in the morning and do boat ride after doing Ganga Aarti. The boat ride charge is between 100 to 200, where you can sit in the boat for 2 hours and show all the ghats through the boat. And then you can also do camel ride and other adventure activities in the sand dunes across the river. Here you can also do night stay in camping. For camping, you can also search on Google and book online. And friends, there is also a hot air balloon festival here every year in January. In which many foreign pilots fly hot air balloons. You can check its charges and timing on this given website. After Assi Ghat and boat riding, you can go to Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, which is 1.5 km from Assi Ghat. The history of Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi is 400 years old. The temple was established by Goswami Tulsidas. It is believed that when he was living in Kashi and writing Ramcharitmanas, his inspiration was Sankat Mochan Hanuman. In this temple, Lord Hanuman had given darshan to Tulsidas. After which he was established in the form of Bajrangbali soil. It is said that all the difficulties of the devotees who come here are removed only by seeing Lord Hanuman. There is a statue of Lord Hanuman in the temple. And along with that, you will also see the statue of Lord Ram, Lakshman and Devi Sita here. This temple remains open from 5 am to 10 pm, where devotees come to take darshan in large numbers. You can go to the New Vishwanath Temple at a distance of 3 km from Sankat Mochan Temple, which is located in the campus of Banaras Hindu University. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Varanasi. This temple is also known as Birla Temple, which was built by the Birla family. According to history, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya had planned to make a replica of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the vicinity of the PHU. And then the Birla family got it built, which was completed in 1966. The structure of the temple is similar to that of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It has been built in the same order. The height of the temple is 253 feet, which is the tallest tower in the world. The walls of the temple are decorated with magnificent statues of Hindu deities. The timings of the temple are open from 4 am to 9 pm. There is a lot of crowd here on Shivratri, Navratri, Janmashtami and Tipavali. So whenever you come to Varanasi, be sure to visit this temple. After the New Kashi Vishwanath Temple, you can go to the Bharat Mata Temple, which is located at a distance of 7 km from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidya Peeth Campus. This temple is open from 9.30 am to 8 pm. Bharat Mata Temple is quite unique. There is a very large map of India on its ground, which depicts all the deities, independent soldiers, mountains, plains and oceans. You will be surprised to know that there is no picture or statue of any deity in this temple. In fact, this temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata, i.e. Mother India. The temple was built by Dr. Shivprasad Gupta and it was inaugurated by Gandhiji in 1936. After visiting Bharat Mata Temple, I saw a lot of garbage in the park. So friends, what to think, I decided why not clean all this garbage from here. I hope all of you are also doing a responsible travel, who do not throw their garbage here and there, but dump it in its right place, i.e. in the dustbin. I collected this trash from here and dumped it in its right place, i.e. in the dustbin. You can start day 3 from Ramnagar Fort, which is 14 km from Varanasi. There is a good parking space here. The entrance ticket to the museum in the fort is Rs. 20 and the timing is open from 9.30 to 5.30 in the morning. This fort was built in 1750 by King Balwant Singh of Kashi. The fort is made of red sandstone. There is a temple inside the fort, which is dedicated to Ved Vyas, who wrote Mahabharata. There is also a museum in the fort, in which you can see the old tools, palanquins, swords, old guns and ancient watches used by the royal family. There are other temples such as Durga Temple, Chinn Mastika Temple and Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman Temple in the fort. This fort is decorated in a grand way during Dussehra. You can easily spend 2-3 hours in this fort. 14 km from Ramnagar Fort, you can visit Dhamak Stupa in Sarnath. Dhamak Stupa is an archaeological site located in Sarnath. The entry fee is Rs. 5 and the timing is open from sunrise to sunset. This is the same place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to his first five disciples. Originally, this stupa was built during the reign of King Ashoka of Maurya Rajvansh in 249 BC. The stupa is made of red stone, which is more than 43 meters high. Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world come here to circumambulate this sacred stupa and worship Lord Buddha. In this stupa and garden, you can easily spend 1-2 hours and then go to Shri Digambar Jain Temple at a distance of 5 minutes from it. Jain Temple in Sarnath is one of the most famous Jain temples in the country. It was built in 1824 and is said to be located at the place where the 11th Jain Trithankar Sriyanshnath was born. After Digambar Jain Temple, you can go to see Chaukhandi Stupa, which is 10 minutes away. Chaukhandi is also called Sita Rasoi. This Chaukhandi Stupa is a Buddhist stupa and serves as a temple for Buddha's remains. At a distance of 2 km from Chaukhandi Stupa, you can visit Thai Temple. Entry is free here and it is open from sunrise to sunset. The Thai Temple was built in 1993 by Thai Dignitaries Zora. Here is an 80 feet tall statue of Lord Buddha, which is very beautiful. There is a garden in the temple and other Buddhist temples and statues, where you can easily spend 1-2 hours. You can go to Moolgandh Kuti Vihara at a distance of 10 minutes from this temple. Friends, Moolgandh Kuti Vihara, full of history and spirituality, is one of the main places of Sarnath, which was built in 1931. There is a Math and a temple here, which is in memory of Moolgandh Kuti Vihara. This Buddhist temple is known for its architectural design, which you can explore. Friends, apart from this, you can also explore Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple and Chunar Fort in Varanasi. It is less than a month to explore Varanasi, but this is how I explored Varanasi in 3-4 days. This is how I spent my trip. Friends, if you have any questions from the Varanasi trip, you can comment to me. I will definitely reply to your comment. I hope you enjoyed this video. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more such informative travel vlogs. See you in the next video.