Varanasi Tourist Attractions
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Varanasi is a famous holy city in India, the city of Shiva and a major pilgrimage center for Hindus. Varanasi culture is associated with the Ganges River and its religious importance to Hindus as a link to their spirituality. The ghats along the River are the biggest attraction. The name Varanasi has also been known as Kashi and Benares, but the present name is an ancient one meaning the city between two rivers.The history of Varanasi dates back to the 8th C and it is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, although most of the buildings are only a couple of hundred years old. The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb who destroyed or looted almost all of the temples, toppled many of the older buildings.Varanasi is home to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, built in 1780 and located on the banks of the Ganges. The temple is of great religious importance to the Hindus and bathing in the river Ganges is supposed to result in the remission of sin and that dying in Varanasi evades rebirth.Banaras Hindu University is a major university located in Varanasi with more than 128 independent teaching departments. It is considered one of the top three largest residential universities in the world.
Banares Hindu University
Banares Hindu University is a major university that was established in 1917. The university was founded by Pandit Malaviya to offer education in Indian art, music, culture, and for the study of Sanskrit. Today, the range of subjects available at Banares includes the humanities, social science, technology, medicine, science, fine arts and performing arts. Several of its colleges, including engineering and medicine are world-renowned.Other highlights within the campus of Banares Hindu University include a library with over 1 million books, a 927-bed hospital and the Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum featuring a collection of miniature paintings, sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and local history exhibits. The New Vishwanath Temple consists of seven temples and is open to anyone regardless of religion.
Ghats
The Ganges River is one of the primary attractions of Varanasi. Devout Hindus make pilgrimages to bathe in the Ganges, in the water they believe to be sacred. Along the river, stairways have been set-up, known as ghats, where the faithful can bathe before saying their daily prayers.There are over 100 ghats in Varanasi but the main ghats of Varanasi are the Dasashvamedh Ghat or the 'ghat of ten sacrificed horses'. Sacrifices were made by Lord Brahma to bring about the return of Shiva after the period of banishment. The Asi Ghat, at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Asi, is considered particularly holy. Walking the length of the ghats provides the opportunity to people watch and explore the variety of activities that take place on a daily basis.
