VARANASI - CITY OF LORD SHIVA

Ever since I started watching Indian movies and Indian TV shows, Varanasi is the place that has popped up so many times in them. I was always attracted to this beautiful city and that’s why it was on my bucket list for ages. There are a lot of things Varanasi is famous for like Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ganga river, Paan shops, Kachori, lassi, Ghats (of total 88), narrow alleys (galliyaa), and many other things. I and my friends were up for this trip. One of my friends Puneet did all the bookings, trains, and accommodation. He booked Garibrath which departed around 6 in the evening from Delhi Anand Vihar Terminus and we reached Varanasi JCT by 8 in the morning. The train journey was very comfortable and there were no delays.

We mutually agreed to stay in a hostel as it is budget-friendly and also you get a chance to meet other travelers from different places. The name of our hostel was “Hostale” and it was located near the Assi Ghat. The hostel was not so far from the station, so we took an auto-rickshaw to Dumrao Bagh, Assi Ghat. The hostel was in a perfect locality like the market area, the ghats, the railway station everything was near. We had 6 beds in a dormitory (bunk beds). Washrooms and toilets were common but they were neat and clean.

We were here for two days and one night. Our plan of action for the day we reached was to explore the alleys of Varanasi, to go for the best kachori and lassi, and the most famous thing of Varanasi – paan. There are seriously countless alleys in Varanasi, they are so narrow and confusing that you can easily get lost in them. All thanks to Google for google maps! You get to see fine works of architecture in these alleys. So many old buildings/houses and how they are accommodated in such a narrow space. The shop “Chachi Kachori” was the one where we found the tastiest kachoris and they were also selling jalebis. Just a few steps away from Chachi Kachi, there was “Pehelwan Lassi”. For paan, there are infinite shops and you can just have it from any shop.

On the next day we went to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, photography was prohibited there. Kashi Vishwanath is a very famous Hindu temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. From the temple, we went to the market area for some munching. By early evening we were on the ghats. All these 88 ghats are connected and we were like walking from one ghat to the other. Also, there are many ghats that are used for cremation purposes. It is believed that if one is cremated in Varanasi, and their ashes are released in the sacred water of Ganga, their reincarnation cycle comes to an end and they reach nirvana. It was decided that we will watch the aarti from the boat while boating in the Ganga River. You get a perfect and clear view of the aarti from the boat. The guy who was steering our boat, his name was Kaaju and he was one of the funniest guys I’ve ever seen.

Varanasi is a beautiful city where people are nice and friendly. If you are a travel bug, you must visit this place!