Advertisement
This Article is From Mar 26, 2018

Three Enriching Experiences For Which You Should Travel To Varanasi

Varanasi. Kashi. Benaras. One city, different names - and somehow each reflect a different side of this multi-faceted city

Three Enriching Experiences For Which You Should Travel To Varanasi
The emotion of Kashi will surely catch up with you

I have always believed that India has some hidden, and then some not so hidden gems when it comes to cities, towns, villages that are a traveller's dream. In that list, Varanasi is one that everyone knows of, for different reasons of course. Some go to absolve themselves of their sins, some go to get high on life (cough, cough), some go to see what all the fuss is about.

Varanasi. Kashi. Benaras. One city, different names - and somehow each reflect a different side of this multi-faceted city, with a constant stream of spirituality underlining it all. When I was there over this weekend, I was mostly curious to see what made so many people flock to this old, old city. Crowded locals and foreigners alike, the city is a riot of sounds, colors, people - seriously all your senses come alive in Benaras.

I could go on and on about how rooted in the past, old and yet timeless this city is. I can talk about how crowded the city is, and how forward the people are. But I shall keep that for some other time. For now let me just talk about the three enriching experiences that Varanasi holds for everyone who visits.

The Ganga Aarti

Even before the moment when the priests take their place on the banks of river Ganga to start their daily evening worship, there is a subtle electricity in the air. The aarti is such a coordinated affair that apart from the spirituality in the air, the culture flowing all about, you can't help but marvel at the show like quality of the whole thing. Watching it from the banks, you get a closer look at everything that is happening, but hiring a boat and then witnessing the whole puja from in middle of the water is something else altogether.

aar


The Food Trail

There is so much good food in Varanasi that I feel like I might have to go back just for that. I highly recommend that all your meals be street food. From kachori sabzi at Ram Bhandar, to the many unbelievable lassi flavors at Blue Lassi, to tamatar chaat at Deena Chaat Bhandar, to the malaiyo (we got the last of the season), to the famous benarasi paan. Uff! Such foodgasms, I tell ya. There are some really good cafes as well - Open Hand Cafe and Brown Bread Bakery are the ones you shouldn't miss.

aar

 

The Craft Clusters

There are a lot of craft clusters all around India where artisans work to promote their art and make a living out of it. Varanasi is a place known for it's silk sarees. So we went through nooks, crannies and winding narrow streets to find these workshops. And thank God we did. Not many are keen on doing this when they come to Benaras, but I highly recommend it because the insight you get into the people's lives, their craft and the know-how of how sarees are made is quite enriching.

aar


And even if you miss these experiences, the emotion of Kashi will surely catch up with you.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world

Follow us: