The sanctity of
Varanasi remains inviolate even today. Unending streams of
pilgrims pour into the city. They come to bathe in the sacred
waters, to wash away their sins, to die here, perhaps and become
one with absolution.
(Distance from the Airport 25 Kms, Approx. time 45 Mins.)
Places of Interest
Ghats
The Ghats are
used in the morning for ablutions and salutation to the sun.
The riverfront is one of the most fascinating aspects of life
in Varanasi.
Benaras Hindu
University
Probably the
largest residential university in Asia.
Gyan Vapi Mosque- constructed by Emperor Aurangazeb on the
ruins of a temple.
Kashi-Vishwanath
temple
The most sacred
shrine of Shiva in India - Also the patron deity of Varanasi.
Reconstructed in the 18th century, its gold plating on the 'Shikharas'
was a gift of the one eyed Sikh King.
Sarnath
About 10 kms
from the city is the place where the Buddha preached his first
sermon after he had attained enlightenment. A lot has changed
since then, but the ruins and gardens of those early years can
still be seen here. The museum in Sarnath has the Ashok Pillar
with its four guardian Lions that has been used as independent
India's national emblem.
