Varanasi

INTRODUCTION

Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old with all of them put together" - so said Mark Twain of Varanasi. Indeed with its pre historicity, its world famous river ghats, its temples and its lovely saris, it is a must visit for anyone interested in a true blue India experience. Trips to India are surely not complete if the itinerary doesn't include Tours to Varanasi.

Flanked by the River Ganges, this city has a quintessential charm that lures not just the religious minded to consider Tours to Varanasi but also the common tourists to visit it at least once in their lifetime. Also popular by the names of Benaras and Kashi, Varanasi is of tremendous religious importance to the Hindus. It is believed that if one dies here he or she will be liberated from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth.

Best known for its narrow winding lanes, its numerous temples and its ghats that are the centers of a lot of religious activities, Varanasi is akin to Jerusalem and Mecca and features amongst the top holy places in the world. Varanasi owes its essence to the River Ganges.

From dawn to dusk, the banks of the river are frequented by a large number of pilgrims. These ghats bustle with a whole lot of activities performed by them. The devotees take a dip in the sacred river, perform various religious rites, collect water in pots to take back home for different rituals, seek blessings of the sadhus and sanyasis and then return.

On your Tours to Varanasi you can not only partake of the unique experience of seeing all this happening in the ghats of Varanasi but also actively participate in them. The air reverberates with the chants of the Sanskrit slokas and as one offers prayers the mind is filled with a certain serene calm which makes one think that he or she has been partly cleansed of his sins and purified. The ghats do have a quaint charm that is simply not explicable in words. It can only be savored on Tours to Varanasi. One can have the best view of these ghats when enjoying boat rides in the middle of the Ganges.

On Tours to Varanasi do make sure to visit the temples in Varanasi. The gold plated spire on the Vishwanath Temple is sure to impress any onlooker. The architectural features of some of the others are also quite admirable. A few of the monuments in Varanasi also deserve to be a part of your sight seeing trip. And do make sure to keep some time reserved for visits to the museums which house a very interesting collection of arts and artifacts and for shopping so that you can buy some exquisitely beautiful Benarasi saris .