Varanasi is an atmospheric and holy city, filled with street vendors and hidden chai shops. Shrine-studded alleyways (galis) conceal hidden shrines, colorful homes, and candlelit deities tucked into their corners.
Eat like a local by indulging in delicious fried snacks such as tikki ke chaat (stuffed potato cutlets with delicious steamy chutneys) and kachori sabzi. Bhang lassis may also be available, although authorities often frown upon these powerful marijuana-spiked drinks.
1. Walk the Ghats
Varanasi or Benares, as it’s more widely known, is best known for its Ganges River-front ghats which make the city so extraordinary. From crumbling, poetic structures that seem poetically decayed to eccentric ones where goats wear sweaters to old men taking dips to boys flying kites to bodies burning by the riverbank; all add up to create an intoxicating, spiritual place that will change both your perspective on life itself as well as India itself.
Wake up early to experience the Ghats come alive, as Mark Twain said they were. These “astonishing jumbles of massive and picturesque masonry” are ideal spots to absorb Varanasi at its core – locals frequently come here for contemplative walks and it even hosts one of India’s oldest universities, Banaras Hindu University! Ghats have always been places for contemplation – and still are today!
Starting at Assi Ghat and heading north along the west bank, visit Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika Ghats, where sages (Sadhus) often meditate, Schindia Ghat for funeral processions, Panchganga Ghat for more lively funeral processions and Ahilyabai Ghat which was constructed between 1778-1785 under Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore as her patronage – it features palaces and temples to add charm. Be sure to stop at Ahilyabai Ghat for another historic touch – built between 1778-1785 under Queen Ahilyabai Holkar and her patronage by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar’s patronage! Be sure to stop at Ahilyabai Ghat which features palaces as well as numerous temples to bring life and style!
2. Eat Street Food
Food in Varanasi is an integral part of local culture, with street stalls offering delicious and authentic cuisines at every turn! Don’t forget your tastebuds when visiting Varanasi; food is sure to tantalize all senses!
Tamatar Chaat, which originated from this spiritual city and should not be missed!, is also an exciting delicacy worth sampling!
Malaiyo, an exquisite sweet dish unique to Varanasi, should not be missed! Crafted by boiling milk and cream together and leaving it exposed overnight to natural dewfall for flavoring by sugar, cardamom, and saffron extracts – malaiyo is served in earthen kulhads – light yet delicious!
There is also the popular baati chokha flatbread, filled with potatoes and then topped with different curries. And for something sweet, why not indulge in laung lata (made with flour and oarsman) or jalebi for dessert.
3. Get Lost in the Galis
As you roam its ghats, Varanasi will come alive. Watch as the sun sets over the river while hundreds of people congregate each night at Dashashwamedh Ghat for Ganga Aarti; an ancient religious ceremony that pays homage to Ganga goddess with trumpet blasts, flower petals, chimes, incense burning and cannabis smoking ceremonies that honor her – an experience you won’t soon forget!
Mishra spent one-fourth of his monthly schoolteacher pension to hire a car that transported himself, his family, and an 83-year-old grandmother from Gopalganj to Kashi – also known as Varanasi or Benares – where they would arrive at Mukti Bhavan, one of two homes for those nearing death in Kashi; Mishra had brought her here many times before in hopes that she might find comfort there as she neared death herself. He had brought his grandmother before in previous visits – hoping she might find comfort here also.
Varanasi’s ghats have long been at the heart of its rituals and ceremonies, drawing visitors from across India and around the world for centuries. Hindus believe that bathing or touching its waters will wash away sins and lead to moksha or liberation – drawing pilgrims from India and around the globe alike to the city with its spiritual energy pulsing through brass bells, chants, vermilion and saffron-adorned foreheads wandering labyrinthine alleyways together with those wearing traditional dhoti/kurta styles; even shop-lined streets offer opportunities to browse mannequins sporting women fashion trends!
4. Take a Boat Ride
One of the best ways to experience Varanasi is by taking a rowing boat along the Ganges. Early mornings offer spectacular scenery, providing an opportunity to see Hindu life first-hand.
Bathing ghats are an impressive sight. Dotted with 18th and 19th century temples, they’re filled with all manner of quirky scenes: waist-deep pilgrims raising their hands in prayer; priests gazing upon sunrise through an orifice of their forehead; wrestlers warming up for matches, and washermen beating clothes against stones – these sights alone will astonish you.
At sunset, witnessing the Ganga Aarti is an absolutely must-see experience. Listening to bhajans while viewing lit brass lamps reflected off of water is captivating; an intensely spiritual event which defies description.
Varanasi offers visitors who wish to discover its darker side two ghats where bodies are cremated or dumped into the Ganges for burial – a sobering reminder of life and death cycles. Hindus come here hoping that by being cremated or sinking down below, their souls can find salvation and find eternal rest.
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