ITINERARYDay 01 :Welcome To Varanasi: Reaching Varanasi railway station we head out straight to old city through the hustling lanes in a tuk-tuk . A stay at super hip centrally located backpackers friendly hostel is arranged for us.(Dont you just love bunkbeds!) Rest for while and we are ready to get celebrate Ganga as we walk along banks of holy River. A continuous stretch of 87 ghats are waiting for you However around 25 are iconic and worth some time we will cover few of them today. we will begin our Ghat hoping from Dasawamedh Ghat it is the heart of the action and the top attraction in Varanasi. One of the oldest and holiest Varanasi ghats, A touristy thing to do is take a boat ride along the river highly recommend to A walk along the ghats is more fascinating experience as you pass through chilling Harishchandra Ghat (Burning or cremation Ghat) , Darbhanga Ghat is a favorite! As Its one of the most visually appealing, and architecturally impressive eventually eventually Assi Ghat where the Ganges River meets the river Assi Ghat at the extreme southern end of the main ghats, hence its not as crowded , scenic and peaceful. By evening We return back in Dasaswamedh Ghat either by boat or walk to attend the renowned The Maha Ganga Aarti (6pm) from the Steps or in the Boats. Over night at Hostel.
Day 2 : Explore Varanasi: Today early Morning 5.30-6.00 Get your cameras, taste buds and walking shoes ready No siesta as you head right out ! Sunrise through Cold foggy morning are waiting for you. (Early morning boat ride highly recommend) Post breakfast We conquer north stretch of main Ghats starting with Man Mandir Ghat which is worth checking out for its exquisite Rajput architecture. Built in 1600., the observatory The astronomical instruments are still in good condition and its possible to take a look at them. (Head up to the spacious terrace for fabulous views of both banks ) Next Manikarnika Ghat, the main and bigger burning ghat compared to Harishchandra Ghat. Just beyond it Panchganga Ghat, as its name indicates, is where five rivers are supposed to meet. Dominating the ghat is Aurangzebs smaller mosque, also known as the Alamgir Mosque. Gai Ghat has a figure of a cow made of stone.. Nepali Hindu Temple, (near Lalita Ghat). A small golden temple, built in Nepali architecture Afternoon we explore food in back alleys of ghats where you get everything and we mean everything from chat bhandar to lassi, Italian pizza to Mediterranean cuisine ! Head back to hostel and relax. Day 3: Temple Hopping: Being the most venerated pilgrim place in Hindu religion, Varanasi is said to be a museum of temples. Also called the city of temples, Varanasi is home to about 2,000 temples. People from all parts of India as well as the world come to Varanasi to visit these temples, making the holy temples of Varanasi amongst the most visited temples in India. Most of the temples that are located on the Ganga Ghats are old and date back to the medieval period. Temple Hopping Mrityunjay Mahadeva Temple | Kalbhairav Temple Sri Kashi Vishawanath Temple| Sri Gauri Kedareshwar Temple Sri Durga Devi Temple| Sankat Mochan ? Lord Hanuman Tulsi Manas Lord Ram | Birla Vishwanath Mandir ?Lord Shiva Aghori Temple Sinking Shiva Temple near the Scindia Ghat Aghoracharya Baba! Afternoon at (BHU) Banaras Hindu University Day 4: Enlightment at Sarnath: Morning we leave for Sarnath, located just 12 km from the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, is the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma after his enlightenment. Sarnath is one of four holy Buddhist sites sanctioned by the Buddha himself for pilgrimage. Sarnath is calm and serene away from the madding crowd, give a quiet visit to Sarnath and you will feel in a completely whole new world! Chaukhandi Stupa is said to be built originally as a terraced temple in 4 th to 6 th century during the Gupta period. Dhameka or Dhamekha Stupa, Lord Buddha delivered the first discourse of his Dhamma and the famous eight-fold path here. Another significant structure at Sarnath is the remains of the Dharmarajika Stupa, just a short distance from the Dhamekh Stupa. According to archaeologists Dharmarajika Stupa contained the bones of the Buddha. Constructed during Ashokas reign. As you walk away from the archaeological ruins, you can see the Sarnath Archaeological Museum . The ASI museum houses a number of artifacts related to Buddhist art as well as many images and sculptures of Hindu Gods recovered during excavations in the region. The Mulagandhakuti Vihara temple, built by the Sri Lankan Mahabodhi Society, is one of the many Buddhist temples in Sarnath and probably the most famous. A few meters away from the Mulagandhakuti Vihara temple is the holy Bodhivriksha(the Bodhi Tree). The Bodhi tree the most sacred tree for Buddhists as Lord Buddha attained enlightenment sitting under this tree only. The Bodhi Tree of Sarnath was planted from a branch taken from the Sri Maha Bodhi tree of Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka. Evening back to Hostel. Day 4 : Back to the HOME: Catch train from Varanasi Junction Tour concludes with Happy memories. |
RELATED PACKAGESDESTINATIONS▐ SAARNATH
▐ ALLAHABAD ▐ BUDDHA GAYA ▐ LUMBINI ▐ KHUSHI NAGAR |