Wow India Travel

High Season : Oct - Mar

8 - 20℃

Low Season : Apr - Sep

20 - 41℃

Nearest Airport -VNS

Varanasi Airport

Nearest Train Stations -BSB

Varanasi Cantt

History

Varanasi or Benaras ( famous as Kashi ) is one of the oldest surviving cities in the world.. Its early history was the first Aryan settlement in the central Ganges. In the second millennium, C. Varanasi was the birthplace of Aryan religion and philosophy. It is also a commercial and industrial center known for muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory products, and sculptures. Varanasi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kashgar at the time of the Buddha (6th century BC). The Buddha delivered his first sermon near Sarnath. The city remains the center of religious, educational, and artistic activities, as witnessed by Xuanzang, a famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited around 635 AD. Varanasi’s prominent position in Indian mythology has hardly been revealed.

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

Facts & Culture

The land of Varanasi (Kashi) has always been the ultimate pilgrimage site for Hindus. Hindus believe that those who die in the land of Varanasi will be saved and freed from the cycle of birth and rebirth. The magnificent Vishwanath Temple, built-in 1776, is an important Hindu shrine in Varanasi. Sarnath is the place where the Buddha first preached after his enlightenment. It is only 10 kilometers away. Varanasi has always been a symbol of the rebirth of Hinduism. For centuries, Indian knowledge, philosophy, culture, devotion to gods, arts and crafts have flourished here. Varanasi is also a pilgrimage site for Jains and is believed to be the birthplace of the 23rd generation of Tirthankar Parsvanath. Vaishnav and Shiva coexist harmoniously in Varanasi. Varanasi has also been a great learning center for centuries. Annie Besant chose Varanasi as the home of her "Theosophical Society" and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and founded the Banaras Indian University, the largest university in Asia. Watching the spectacular aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most important night event in Varanasi. Without it, the city tour would become incomplete. Varanasi’s food cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From delicious crispy kachoris, jalebis, thandaai, chaats, rabri to the famous paan Benaraasi, the list is endless.