Varanasi
Overview
The Holy city of Varanasi is a must visit for everyone visiting India. Opposite to what we had been told, even if it is a big Indian city (traffic, pollution, rubbish, people, chaos…) the atmosphere around the ghats is really relaxed (the streets are so narrow no motor vehicles can go through) and the people are nice and helpful.
The main reason to visit Varanasi are its ghats or stairs leading to the Ganges River. In them, you can see people washing clothes, washing themselves, bathing, shaving, doing their daily life. But the most impressive of the sights are the cremation ghats, where hundreds of corpses are cremated 24/7.
Add some nice temples, good eating spots, a nice market, the best lassi you will ever have and a boat ride in the Ganges and Varanasi will be one of your favourite places in India.
Sightseeing
-Ghats: There are hundreds of ghats in Varanasi, each one after another and with its own name. They are all stairs leading to the Ganges and people are doing their daily life there. You can freely walk around all ghats, although the most impressive ones are the ones people are cremated.
Anyway, take a walk from Assi Ghat in the south up till the main cremation ghat. Note that you are not allowed to take pictures of the cremations but you can see all the ceremony from a balcony, which is really impressive.
-Boat tour in the Ganges: For 200 rupees for an hour, take a boat tour around the Ganges for really nice views of the ghats. You can do that at sunset or sunrise, but in case it’s cloudy (as it was when we were there) just take it any time. Really reccomendable.
-Evening Ceremony in the ghats: Every day at 7pm there’s a ceremony/show in one of the main ghats. It’s more a touristry thing, but still worth a look. It lasts for an hour, but with 20 minutes is enough. There’s music, fire and a lot of people.
-Golden Temple: The main Hindu temple in Varanasi. It’s in an alley near Blue Lassi Shop. You must leave your shoes, camera, phone, bag…everything outside the temple for 50 rupees. The worst is that non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. We’ve heard reports of foreigners entering it, but it depends on the guards of the day you visit it. The ones the day we went were inflexible, so we could just see the temple from the outside.
-Hindu Temple: We don’t know the name of the temple, but it is one by the ghats and quite big. It is a private temple.It is free to enter and you will see Hindus offering pujas (offers) to the Gods and praying. If you’re lucky, one of the priests will show you around and explain you everything you may want to know. Give him a small donation at the end.
Besides the main sights, walking around the small alleyways of the old town and getting lost there is a good way to see the real Varanasi life. You’ll come across small shops, restaurants and really nice people.
Accomodation
We stayed at Shiva Kashi Guesthouse. 500 rupees per night and located right next to the ghats. A really nice owner, clean rooms with ventilator and a courtyard. A totally reccomendable place.
Food & Drink
There are a lot of eating options in Varanasi. In the old town you can find some Western food restaurants as well as German Bakeries. Plenty of local small restaurants, too, although for a more real experience head to one of the main streets and, especially at night, you’ll find a lot of small food stalls on the street. Just be careful where you’re eating, it’s common to get sick after food.
For a lassi experience (Indian yogurt drink) go to Blue Lassi. They are just the best lassis you will ever have. 70 rupees and plenty of different flavors. Besides, the place is really nice and it’s quite weird to be having a lassi and seeing corpses passing in front of the shop heading down to the Ganges to be cremated.
Other good lassi spots are Baba Lassi and Bana Lassi, near Shiva Kashi Guesthouse.
Almost impossible to find beer or alcohol in Varanasi.
For a lassi experience (Indian yogurt drink) go to Blue Lassi. They are just the best lassis you will ever have. 70 rupees and plenty of different flavors. Besides, the place is really nice and it’s quite weird to be having a lassi and seeing corpses passing in front of the shop heading down to the Ganges to be cremated.
Other good lassi spots are Baba Lassi and Bana Lassi, near Shiva Kashi Guesthouse.
Almost impossible to find beer or alcohol in Varanasi.
Transportation
-Fom Nepal Border: There’s a direct bus that takes 10 hours.
-From Gorakhpur: We took the train. It departed at 6:30 in the morning and it took 7 hours. We went in sleeper class for 150 rupees but in April it was really hot. Better take AC Chair if available. We booked the ticket in Gorakhpur Railway Station in window number 3.
-To Agra: We booked the ticket at the really helpful office for foreigners at Varanasi Railway Station. The train departed at 17:05 and it should have taken 13 hours but it finally took 19. We went in AC 3 Tier class and it was perfect. Price: 940 rupees.
From Varanasi Railway Station to the ghats pay 100 rupees to an autorickshaw or 70 to a rickshaw. Within Varanasi, just walk.
-From Gorakhpur: We took the train. It departed at 6:30 in the morning and it took 7 hours. We went in sleeper class for 150 rupees but in April it was really hot. Better take AC Chair if available. We booked the ticket in Gorakhpur Railway Station in window number 3.
-To Agra: We booked the ticket at the really helpful office for foreigners at Varanasi Railway Station. The train departed at 17:05 and it should have taken 13 hours but it finally took 19. We went in AC 3 Tier class and it was perfect. Price: 940 rupees.
From Varanasi Railway Station to the ghats pay 100 rupees to an autorickshaw or 70 to a rickshaw. Within Varanasi, just walk.
Safety
Varanasi feels totally safe in terms of crime. But not that much in terms of traffic (they don’t respect any single rule so be careful when walking on the street) and, especially, cows. There are a lot of cows on the streets and in the old town, being the streets so narrow, it is a bit scary passing right next to really huge cows with really big and sharp horns. Normally they are calm, but they can also be aggressive, as we could notice once (we had to run not to be hit by one of the beasts).
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