The oldest living city in India – Varanasi

Mark Twain says – “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

Varanasi better known by the name Benaras is one of the oldest civilizations on the bank of the holy river Ganga.

This old town has always been the pride of India and now with a new face is piquing interest among the people, since the opening of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor. This intrigued my family into planning a trip to Kashi.Coming from a metropolitan city, I was skeptical about wat this old town could offer me. Being a non-believer in religious practices, I was not my usual excited self, awaiting this thirtha yaatra. But what greeted me was far more beyond than what I imagined it to be.

How to Reach:

By air: Varanasi has its own airport named after Lal Bhahudur Shashtri. Travelling by air saves a lot of time but cuts a lot of your money. The average airfare is around Rs. 5000 to 6000 for one trip from Bengaluru

By train: The train connectivity is good, and one can reach Varanasi by train from any part of India

By bus: Not a feasible option for people travelling from south of India or from far off places.

Best time to visit I suggest would be any time between January to March, as the temperature would be optimum and bearable

Landing in Varanasi airport gave me a warm feeling of a small countryside town. The city was bustling with not just the old and retired but with the young and energetic who were waiting to witness the mysticism of this town. The markets were busy with tourists and people indulged in eating, shopping and enjoying themselves. The journey was tiring, so we took off to our stay to rest for the day. A lot of taxis are available to commute from the airport. The local language is Hindi, and a minimum language knowledge is required here to transact

Accommodation: Varanasi offers a wide range of stay options from a price of Rs. 200 per day hostels to the most expensive Rs. 26k per day Brijrama Palace on the banks of Ganga.

We chose to stay, close to the railway station in a mid-range hotel which was priced at Rs 4k per day

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of bells & mantra. Though I don’t believe in rituals, I believe in science, and I had already done my research on the healing effect of mantras and the positive aura that surround the temples. I couldn’t be happier than listening to the mantras being recited in chorus.

I was looking forward to exploring the city and what kept me excited was the sunrise and the sunset boat ride in Ganga. I had seen a fair share of sunrise & sunset photographs being shared all over the internet from the banks and I had my expectations high.

One must navigate through the narrow roads of old Kashi residency to reach the bank of the river. The beautiful doors, the little food corners, the people around and the small old temples that you encounter on every turn gives you an insight to the human settlement on this riverbank. It transports you to an era when the civilization flourished. It speaks in abundance about the culture and history of the land. The old Kashi was indeed a mystic town and it has maintained its stature till date

The view of the holy river stretched across, was a sight to relish. I could see why people treated the river with respect and considered it holy. The river is the lifeline and a reason of survival for the people taking shelter on its bank.

Boat ride in Ganga is a must to do activity on visiting Kashi.The boating charges vary from Rs 300 to few thousands depending on the type of boat you choose to ride in. There are row boats, motorboats and the luxury cruise. The price also varies if you choose to have a private boating experience

I have done boat riding in many different places and in great seas & oceans too, but the ride here had a different vibe. The vast stretches of Ganga and how it breathes life into everything it crosses, amazed me. The ride was a joyous one with the helmsman explaining us the different ghats and its importance. The primary ones are the Dhashashwamedh Ghat, Assi ghat, Harishchandra ghat, Manikarnika ghat. There was also a funny story, he narrated. The ghat named Naradhamuni ghat seems to cause a fight between the mother-in-law & the daughter in law who visit the ghat. That raised a laughter riot in the boat and kept us entertained for the rest of the ride. He also gave us info about Varanasi and its social and political culture.

Did you know that Varanasi is the town that lies in between the river Varuna and Assi that flows into Ganga and hence the name?

After a 20 min ride, we reached the ghat, from where we had to walk to the Kashi Temple. The narrow paths were leading us down the lane to the majestic Vishwanath temple.

Please note that the mobile phones and luggage’s are not allowed other than your money purse, inside the temple complex and the temple is extremely crowded.

We could see a sea of people lined up to just get a glimpse of Kashi Vishwanath ji. Via a special entry and through a temple Pandith we could move in faster & seek blessings within 45 min.The normal queue would take hours.

The 45 min queue left us all hungry and what can be better than poori bhaji for breakfast.

Food: Kashi is a paradise for Indian food lovers. It offers a variety of food beginning from spicy tangy chat to sweet mallaiyos. The piping hot kachoris & pooris are a treat to your taste buds. One shouldn’t miss out on the tasty street food of Varanasi on your visit.

The rest of the day we spent in exploring the different sections of this mystic town. You can hire a taxi to look around or travel locally in a battery-operated rickshaw

The important places to visit:

Kala Bhairava temple

Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple

The Buddhist monastery in Sarnath

Sanchi stupa built by Ashoka the Great

Benaras visit is never complete without visiting a silk saree weaving center and buying the famous Benaras silk. Do visit any local weaving center and bargain well with the saree price.

As the sun was setting, the city was slowly raising to life. People were rushing towards the ghats to witness the Ganga Arathi in all its glory. Ganga Arathi is the prayer offered to river Ganga every day at 6PM on all the ghats of Varanasi. Ganga Arathi can be viewed either from the bank of the river or from the boat.

We set out on the boat once again to see the spectacular Ganga Arathi on the Dhashashwamedh ghat. The cool breeze, the glowing lights, the growing crowd was adding to the vibrant mood. Entire city sat on the bank or on boats awaiting the magnificent moment to begin. Loud drums began to roll along with the mantras in sync. Huge lamps were lit lighting the entire length of Ganga. Prayers were offered in gratitude to Mother Ganga. It was a vision to capture. The Ganga Aarthi has my heart. Amidst the chaos and noise, there is positivity that fills your soul and makes you feel grateful about the things you have in life. The energy, the place radiates is special and powerful enough to ease your worries

The total experience was serene, and it was beyond my expectations. Kashi had indeed transformed my views on this place and had turned out to be one of the most beautiful places I had visited.

On an average it was Rs. 20k per person including airfare for a roundtrip

Rs 12k – Airfare round trip

Rs 2k – Accommodation

Rs 2k – Boating charges (Private boating Experience)

Rs 4k – Food and Miscellaneous charges

You can have a budget trip, if you choose to travel by train and visit places locally

This was just a short trip of two days, but I would love to come back to this city to explore more of its rich history and culture and of course food. Who wouldn’t love yummy food… isn’t it?

If you are still believing that Kashi is for the old school and old folk, then shake yourself up and get your bags ready to explore this town for beyond its religious status. It has a lot of beauty and serenity hidden within. It’s worth a visit for the young minds as well….

Happy exploring…