|
Major Tourist Attraction of Varanasi
Alamagir Mosque
Varanasi can also be called a
temple city
of the north India and to its credit it has many numbers of ghats.
Approximately, one can find around 61 ghats within the city. Also, there
exists a very famous Ghat in Varanasi, where five rivers meet at a point and
a small mosque dominates this special ghat. This mosque is well recognized
as the Alamagir Mosque and it was built by Aurangazeb. He in fact built this
mosque on the location of huge Vishnu temple that was erected by Beni Madhav
Rao Scindia, a Maratha Chieftain. The specialty of the mosque is that, it
over looks the ghats and showers a panoramic view of the entire area.
Assi Ghat
 In
the southernmost region of
Varanasi,
is the Assi Ghat, which is clay-banked and
Ganges
is met by river Assi. There lies a big lingam beneath a Peepal tree and it
is compulsory for the pilgrims to take bath in this river before prayers.
One more lingam, which is worthy to be visited is the Asisangameshvara also
called Assis Confluence Lord. This lingam rests on a marble temple which is
small and just away from Assi Ghat. Moving towards the route of Panch-tirthi
Yatra, Assi Ghat is considered one among the five important ghats where
pilgrims are obligated to bathe at in a series.
Bharat
Mata
Temple
Among the various temples in
Varanasi,
Bharat Mata Temple is of a different kind. To the contrary of tourists
belief, the temple is not in dedication to any particular God or Goddess.
Instead it is mainly dedicated for the human expression of India famously
known Bharat Mata in Hindi or Mother India. With no statues or image of
Bharat Mata, it houses
Indias
relief map engraved out of marble and it was inaugurated by the father of
Indian Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The temple is constructed with 5 distinct
pillars conversing one at the top and signifies wind, earth, water, fire and
sky, the 5 basic elements.
Darbhanga Ghat
 Varanasi
is a city of temples and ghats and most of the ghats are privately held.
Among them is the Darbhanga Ghat which had been constructed by the royal
family of Bihar. The ghat is eye-catching with a splashy palace of the
Darbhangas Maharaja and this palace over shadows the ghat. The specialty of
this mansion is that it owns a very early lift operated by hand and towards
the middle of this ghat, one could find a large grey tower where the lift
had its operation. Presently, we can find only the elevtor shaft with no
other movements happening on it.
Dasaswamedh Ghat
Dassawamedh Ghat hangs second in the route of Panch Tirtha Yatra after
moving from Assi Ghat where Shitalas shrine is housed in a flat-roofed,
plain building built in the North of Assi. Lord Brahma had given up 10
horses here and the same was indicated in the name of Dassawamedh. This
pilgrimage is extremely popular and is the busiest and most important ghats
in the central as it is one of the easily accessible Ghats of Varanasi. Also
it is a good place to hang around. In all potential stills and paintings of
Banaras,
this ghat is mostly featured and it exhibits a copy of India in small in
itself.
Durga
Temple
One
of the most important temples in
Varanasi
is the Durga Temple and is also referred as monkey temple as many monkeys
are found in the premises. In dedication to Goddess Durga, it was built
during the eighteenth century. It was designed and built by a Bengali
Maharani in Nagara Style, a style of temple architecture of
North India.
Also it is painted in red with ochre and owns a multi-tiered spire or the
shikhara. Legends believed that the statue of Goddess Durga appeared on its
own and not man-made. Goddess Durga is depicted as the avatar of shakti or
the female power.
Gyan Kup (Gyan kupi well)
Gyan Kup is a term in hindi version and this can be translated in to the
Well of Wisdom and knowledge. Apart from the monuments and Ghats
familiarly present in the city,
Varanasi
also houses a spiritual well as a different symbol. It is considered that
the well got its name dating back before the
Ganges
was originated. Also, this well is so ancient and is favorably situated very
close to the Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. Moreover, the well is not opened
out and is well protected by a fabric as well as a stone screen. Hence, this
well is considered to symbolize the highest ceremonial illumination.
Hanuman Ghat
Most of the spectacular ghats of
Varanasi
are crowded by the local pilgrims who execute their routine spiritual
observances in the morning and also in the evening. One can never miss their
vision from the Hanuman Ghat in
Varanasi.
It is highly believed by the people that during the 18th cent A.D,
a Hanuman temple was established by the great saint Tulsidas and in ancient
times this ghat was called as the Ramesvaram Ghat which was laid down by
lord Ram himself and now the ghat lies with in the boundary of Juna Akhara.
However, many ascetics and saints reside in the temples and the neighborhood
being overshadowed by the residents of
South India.
Harishchandra Ghat
A
very old Ghat of Varanasi is the Harishchandra Ghat and is being named after
a fabulous King Harish Chandra. For the perseverance of charity and truth,
the king once worked at the incineration grounds of Varanasi. It is been
conceived that he was honored for his charity, truthfulness and resolve by
the Gods and was restored with his lost throne as well as his dead son. This
Ghat is one among the two Cremation Ghats of Varanasi, the other one being
Manikarnika Ghat. Also, in the Hindu mythology it is trusted that the person
being cremated at this Ghat attains moksha or salvation. However, an
electric crematorium was opened during the late 1980s with little
modernization.
Jantar Mantar
During 1737, the Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh, built Jantar Mantar and it
remains an observatory. This was built in connection with Mathura, Ujjain,
Jaipur and Delhi observatories. Also to evaluate the local time, descent of
stars, eclipses and planets, Suns declination, its altitude, Jantar Mantar
was built. It has a lot of masonry materials to register the speed, motion,
properties, planets and stars, and also accurate astronomical studies that
are efficiently used till date. It also integrates various structures of
unusual form each having a specialized role for astronomical measurement and
these structures have attracted the attention of art historians and
architects.
Kashi
Vishwanath
Temple
 Kashi
Vishwanath Temple is similar to Varanasi and is considered the most famous
and sacred pilgrimage. The history of this temple has had rise and fall and
is also known Golden Temple rarely. This temple stands in dedication to Lord
Shiva, the worlds destroyer and is the commanding deity of
Varanasi.
It is believed and said that the foremost Jyotirlinga got burst in this
city and blazed up towards heaven. In order to settle down the war of
mastery among Hindu Gods, Lord Shiva created this type of burst. The
original lingam of Lord Shiva lies concealed in a Well of knowledge adjacent
to the temple.
Kedar Ghat
Among so many Ghats present in Varanasi, Kedar Ghat is also an interesting
place to be visited. The Ghat was constructed by the Southern Maharaja of
Vijayanagar and is being named after Lord Shiva who lies in the center of
the temple that is wide spread and spacious. The temple is seen with full of
South Indians and the Bengalis and the shrines are very popular in this Ghat.
Just below to it is the kund of Gauri or the Parvati and the waters of it
are considered to have properties that are healthful. Also, a monastery is
found that was made by a devotee of Dattatreya.
Manmandir Ghat
Manmandir Ghat lies adjacent to the Dasaswamedh Ghat and was built during
the 1600s by the Jaipur Maharaja, Raja Man Singh. Since the Ghat is very old
it is in need of repairs and the one relaxing point is that it is being
noted for the Observatory that equips rhetorical window casings constructed
during 1710 by Jai Singh II. Also, he has built many observatories in Jaipur,
Delhi and Ujjain near Varanasi. Towards, the ghats northern part, a precise
balcony made of stone is built and the pilgrims pay respectful deference to
the significant lingam of Someshwar, the Moons Lord.
Manikarnika Ghat
 Being
an incineration Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat plays a significant role in not only
the Hindu mythology but also in life and death philosophies. It is
considered to be inauspicious to have a cremation ghat within the main town
but in the instance of
Varanasi,
it doesnt remain true and is located in middle of the town. This is exact
as the complete
Varanasi
city is treated a great incineration ground or the Mahashmashan. One could
visibly see the shops selling things that are used during cremation like
wood, clothes, offerings and Ghee and is mostly crowded with funeral
parties. Doms, being believed the protector of dead, felicitate the
cremations.
New
Vishwanath
Temple
(Golden
Temple)
Varanasi is known for its temples and
Ghats
and the sacred dip in the holy river
Ganges. Among the various temples, the new Vishwanath Temple is an important
one and is situated within the walls of Banaras Hindu University. Apart from
being called the
Golden
Temple, it is also known as the
Birla
Temple as the Indias well-known industrialist family, the Birlas, built it.
This temple stands in dedication to Lord Shiva and is similar to the real
Vishwanath temple. Being built in white marbles, the temple is wide open for
people of different religions and castes and ones eyes truly get delighted
by seeing the huge campus of the temple.
Panchganga Ghat
Panchganga, the very name signifies the meeting spot of the five rivers of
which four are mythical. This Ghat is one of the most controversial and
dramatic ghats that is overshadowed by a largest building along the
riverside. The four mythical rivers such as the Kirn, Saraswathi, Gyan and
Dhootpapa are trusted to be flown underground and are considered to join the
waters of the holy river Ganga, forming Panchganga Ghat, a blessed spot.
Thousands of lamps are accommodated by a stone column which stands at the
top of ghat and it creates a festive look when the lamps are lit during the
festival nights.
Ramnagar Fort
 Lying
on river Gangas opposite bank, Ramnagar Fort is 14 km away from Varanasi.
This fort-palace was built by Maharaja Balwant Singh with red sandstone
during the eighteenth century and the fort remains an ancestral residence of
Banaras Maharajas. Within the grounds, it covers a museum and a temple and
is wholly dedicated to the great Indian epic who wrote Mahabharata, Ved
Vyasa. It was truly believed by the legends that Ved Vyasa lived there for a
longer period. Inside this fort-palace is a big clock which displays not
only month, year, day and week but even astronomical information about moon,
sun and stars constellation.
Ramnagar
Museum
The
Ramnagar Fort situated 14 kms away from
Varanasi
has a museum and a temple within the premises and is considered the
ancestral residence of the Banaras Maharajas. The museum displays a royal
collection which comprises royal palkies, vintage Cars, inventory of swords,
ivory work, antique clocks and old guns. Other artifacts displayed in the
Ramnagar fort-palace museum are the array of howdahs that are gold plated,
weapons, ornate palanquins, furniture, costumes, saddles of elephants carved
out of silver etc. This museum houses few of the best and magnificent items
which in one period belonged to the royal society and is a big treasure for
the city.
Rana Ghat
One
can really be thrilled by knowing the information about this Ghat. As it is
known that Varanasi is full of Ghats and temples, one can find around 61
Ghats
in the city. Amongst them is the Rana Ghat which is a really different one.
Also, it is known that the Hindus are cremated in the famous Harishchandra
Ghat believing that they attain salvation or moksha. Talking about the
Rana Ghat, it is considered as the place where ghosts are found in large
numbers during the night. Of the most important factors, this ghat has been
selected for beautification along with six other ghats.
Shivala Ghat
People who wish to take a sacred bath in the holy river Ganges can find
Shivala Ghat to be an important place. During the medieval period, this Ghat
was of important value and is situated at the Varanasis western parts. One
could find a glorious mansion standing at the Ghat built by King Sanjay
Vikram Shah of
Nepal
during the 19th century. Other important landmarks to this Ghat
would include a pilgrimage in dedication to Lord Shiva and Brahmendra Math,
a spiritual center. At present, the Ghat is often visited by few pilgrims
and the local community to take a dip in the holy river.
Tulsi Ghat
Yet
another important ghats of
Varanasi
is the Tulsi Ghat. This ghat was named after Tulsidas, a great Hindu poet of
the 16th century and the Ghat is considered a significant window
to the Hindu mythology. Earlier, this ghat was called as Lolark Ghat and it
was renovated by a famous industrialist, Baldeo Das Birla during 1941.
Tulsi ghat is greatly related to a various important activities like the
Lolarkkundas bath, i.e blessing their sons with long life and the holy bath
to get relieved of leprosy. Also this ghat features many cultural
activities during the month of October or November by staging Krishna Lila
with great devotion and fanfare.
Tulsi
Manas
Temple
Tulsi Manas Temple owns a very historical and cultural importance not only
in Varanasi but also in whole
India.
This is because the city is closely related to an event still ruling the
Psychology of Indian people. Ramayana, a popular Hindu epic was compiled at
this place and the man who composed it was Goswami Tulsi Das. He wrote the
Hindi version called the Ram Charit Manas while in the earlier days only
the Sanskrit version was available. Though the temple doesnt look
attractive, its simplicity stands important with beautiful surroundings and
its walls are sprinkled with Ram Charit Manas verses.
By
Keerthika |
