Varanasi or Banaras is a pilgrimage place for Hindus and is situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is known to be the City of Ghats which is the most important places to visit. Every-thing or every place has something connected to history or mythology, which takes the traveler’s ages back, to the stories of the Gods and Goddesses.
Varanasi Tourist Places:
Dasaswamedh Ghat:
Dasaswamedh Ghat is most famous for it is believed that Lord Bramha had sacrificed ten horses in this place, in order to allow Lord Shiva to return from banishment. It is the oldest Ghat in Varanasi and has been well maintained since it was first renovated by Bajirao Peswa I, in 1740. This place is surrounded by many temples which must be visited.
Kashi Vishwanth Temple:
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous temples of Varanasi and has been dedicated to one of the incarnations of Lord Shiva, called Kashi Vishwanath. There are two domes of the temple which are made of gold which was donated by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of Punjab in 1839.
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Durga Temple:
Durga Temple has been constructed and dedicated to Goddess Durga in the 18th Century, by a Bengali Queen. The architectural theme is Nagara style of North India. There is also a rectangular tank which is known as Durga Kund. The tourists visiting this place will find flocks of monkeys inside the temple premises.
Ramnagar Fort:
Ramnagar Fort is situated at the bank of Ganges and had been constructed by Maharaja Balwant Singh. The fort was inhabited by the ancestral kings of Banaras and even presently, the decedents from the Royal family reside there. The fort had been built with red sandstone and includes a museum and a temple.
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Ramnagar Museum:
Ramnagar Museum also known as Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum is located inside the complex of Ramnagar Fort. The fort has exhibits artifacts and handicrafts from the medieval period and many of which used to belong to the Royal family of Banaras. It also offers arms and armors, ornate palanquins, manuscripts, furniture’s, different textiles, etc.
Kedar Ghat:
Kedar Ghat is situated in the Southern most part of Varanasi. It has been named after Lord Shiva, also known as Kedarnath and there is a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva just beside the Ghat. The most popular tourists here are Bengali’s and South Indians. There is a pond, Parvati Kund, nearby which is famous for its medical properties.
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Manikarnika Ghat:
Manikarnika Ghat, by the river Ganges is considered to be sacred, as people believe that burning dead bodies in the cremation ground of the Ghat will get the soul ‘moksh’ or ‘mukti’. There is a sacred well known as Manikarnika Kund and also has a temple of Lord Shiva and Durga.
Gyan Kup:
Gyan Kup is a well which imposes pavilion. It was built by queen of Gwalior, Rani Baiza Bai in 182. It is known to be a religious site in Varanasi because the water is believed to provide spiritual enlightenment. It is situated at the entrance of the temple of Kashi Vishwanath.
Bharat Mata Temple:
Bharat Mata Temple is one of the most unique temples in the country. It had been built by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta. It is a shrine dedicated to Mother India which is a beautiful marble structure and offer a three dimensional view with portions of land, mountains, oceans, etc.
Hanuman Ghat:
Mythologically it is known that Lord Ram had built the Ghat and had dedicated to his disciple Hanuman. The Ghat is popular with wrestlers and wrestling matches as Hanuman was a Lord of strength. There is a famous Hanuman Temple nearby which must be visited.