Varanasi travel

General info

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world and the ultimate pilgrimage for Hindus, who believe that to die in the city is to attain instant salvation. Varanasi is the tract of holy land lying between the Ganga and the Assi rivers. The Assi river also flows into Ganga. Varanasi is also known as Kashi, the city of light since one of the twelve 'Jyortinglinga's is installed here. Varanasi has been a great cultural centre, especially in the fields of music, learning and the craft of silk weaving. Area 73.89 sq. km. Altitude 80.71 metres above sea level. Temperature Summer :- Max 43ºC, Min 32ºC. Winter :- Max 15ºC, Min 5ºC. Rainfall 111 cms. annually (approx). When to visit Between October and March. Clothes Summer :- Cotton. Winter :- Woollens. Languages spoken Hindi, Urdu, English. STD code 542

Varanasi hotels

Five Star (Deluxe) Hotels

Nadesar Palace Ramada Plaza Taj Ganges Radisson    First class Hotels Palace on ganges Hindustan international Ideal tower Meraden grand    Budget Hotels OK International Palace on steps Siddharth Best western kashika Clarks tower Varanasi ashok Varanasi shiv ganga

Sightseeing
Vishwanath temple	Benaras hindu university	Tulsi manas temple	Durga temple
Ram nagar fort & museum	Bharat mata temple

Excursions
Sarnath	Chunar fort	Jaunpur	Vindhyachal

Ghats
Dasaswamedh ghat	Tulsi ghat	Dandi ghat	Kedar ghat
Mansarowar ghat	Manikarnika ghat	Dattatreya ghat	Panchganga ghat
Man mandir ghat	Harishchandra ghat	Assi ghat	Trilochan ghat
Bachraj Ghat

Shopping

Varanasi has been a centre of handicraft, specially silk weaving. Other attractions include brassware, ivoryware, gold jewellery, woodcraft, wall hangings and lamp shades, carpets and masks of various Hindu/Buddhist gods, goddesses and saints. The main shopping areas are Chowk, Godowilia, Vishwanath Lane and Thatheri Bazar. Varanasi is famous for its silk weaving, and Banarasi silks are a part of every girl’s wedding trousseau. Banaras Brocades are prized the world over. Brassware, copperware, wooden and clay toys and exquisite gold jewelry are some of the other craft the city is famous for. The hand - knotted carpets of Mirzapur and musical instruments are among the other shopping attractions. Banaras is also famous for its ‘ Langda Aam’, a variety of mangoes available in the summer. Betel leaf is also a specialty.

Cities of Uttarpradesh
Agra	Allahabad	Ayodhya	Chitrakoot
Deogarh	Jhansi	Kalinjar	Kanpur
Kausambi	Kushinagar	Lucknow	Mahoba
Mathura	Sarnath	Shravasti	Varanasi