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Ganga Ghats: Some of the prominent and popular Ghats at Varanasi are Manikarnika Ghat, Mahashamshana Ghat, Dasaswamedh Ghat, Harischandra Ghat, Kabir Ghat & Assi Ghat. The Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation Ghat of Varanasi. It’s one of the oldest and most sacred Ghats in Benaras. There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the Manikarnika Kund. Dasaswamedh Ghat is the second most important Ghats of Varanasi.

Dasaswamedh literally means the Ghat (river front) of ten sacrificed horses. According to legends ten horses were sacrificed by Lord Brahma to allow Lord Shiva to return from a period of banishment. In spite of the fact that Dasaswamedh is one of the oldest Ghats of Varanasi, dating back to many thousand years, the Ghat has remained unspoilt and clean.

Temples: The ‘city of temples’ is dotted with over 10,000 temples. Most important temples of Varanasi are Durga temple & Kashi Vishwanath temple. Kashi Vishwanath temple is the most important of all, where non-Hindus are not allowed inside. Located in the heart of Benaras, it is the center of faith for millions of Hindus. The Jyotirlinga of Shiva or Vishweshwara enshrined in the Kashi Vishwanath temple is considered as one of the holiest places of worship. The aarti which happens at various point of the day are something you should not miss. The Mangala Aarti, the midday Bhog Aarti, the Sapta Rishi Aarati, the Shringar/Bhog Aarati, the Shayana Aarti enchants the spiritual self. Most of the offerings at the Kashi Vishwanath temple are given to poor.

Durga temple, also known as the "monkey temple" is another very important temple. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga. It is situated on a rectangular tank, called the Durga Kund. Thousands of devotees visit the Durga temple during Navratri and other auspicious occasions. Other important temples are Sankat Mochan temple, Tulsi Manas temple and the Bharat Mata temple. The Bharat Mata temple houses a huge relief map of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau.

Benaras Hindu University & Museum: The Benaras Hindu University or BHU is an internationally reputed University. Sprawling across 1300 acres, the university has well maintained roads, extensive greenery, a temple, an airstrip and buildings, which are an architectural delight. The BHU has produced many great freedom fighters and Nation builders and since then it has developed into one of the greatest centers of learning in India.

Bharat Kala Bhavan, located inside the BHU campus, is an art and architecture museum. It houses a vast collection of paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and other materials of archeological importance. It also has a great collection of miniature paintings from the Mughal courts and other Kingdoms.

Ramnagar Fort: The fort lies about 14 km from Varanasi and is situated on the opposite bank of the Ganga. The fort built in red sandstone has a temple and a museum within the grounds and the temple is dedicated to Ved Vyasa, who wrote Mahabharata, the great Indian epic.

It is the ancestral home of the Maharaja of Benaras which houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks.

Buddhist Sites: There are other places of historical & religious importance. Sarnath, a very important pilgrim for the Buddhists, the Buddhist temples & the Stupas are must visits.

Sarnath, about 10 km from the holy city of Varanasi, is the place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon. The celebrated Mantra, 'Buddham Sharanam Gachhami', owes its origin to Sarnath. Some of the important Buddhist monuments at Sarnath are the Dhamekha stupa, the Chaukhandi stupa and monasteries and temples of different schools of Buddhism from Japan, China, Thailand, Burma and others.

Varanasi is well connected and accessible to major Indian cities and tourist spots.

By Air: There are daily domestic flights to and from Varanasi to several cities in India. Nearest airport is Babatpur Airport which is 23 kms away from Varanasi. It has a direct flight form Delhi. Apart from the state owned Indian Airlines, there are many private air taxi operators that offer their services from Varanasi to other Indian cities.

By Rail: Varanasi is an important and major rail junction connected. There are two railway stations in Varanasi, the Kashi Junction and the Varanasi Junction. The city is served by trains from all metros and major cities across the country. New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Gwalior, Meerut, Indore, Guwahati, Allahabad, Lucknow, Dehradun… the city has direct rail connections.

By Road: Varanasi is well connected by road as well. National Highway (NH2) connects from it to Delhi. Though it’s not a very good drive but are motorable. Some important road distances are: Delhi 809 km, Allahabad 128 km, Bhopal 791 km and Lucknow 290 km.

There are good number of Byzantine eateries and restaurants in the city where one can explore for the food that suits one's tastes. But the most delectable are those fresh kachoris with aloo sabzi and the lip-smacking gujiyas. Breakfast can’t be better! The wide variety of mouth-watering sweets and 'chatpate' snacks are just not to be missed. There is 'paapri-chaat', which plays with your taste buds with its tangy and spicy flavor of ginger and tamarind chutney and the cooling and soothing yoghurt.

The sweet 'Langda aam', a variety of mango available in summers and the fragrant 'Benarasi paan' that is often added with aromatic essences such as that of rose and 'supari' (areca-nut) along with other goodies are specialties of Varanasi. Chewing this 'paan' seems to be a part of the cultural identity of the people there & is surely not to be missed.