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| Varanasi | ||
| Country | India | |
|---|---|---|
| The search for a province ends with the state | ||
| Residents | 1.198.491 (2011) | |
| height | 76 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Varanasi is a city in Uttar Pradesh India in the Varanasi district.
background
Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, is one of India's oldest cities and is one of the holiest cities for the Hindus. The city is one of the main tourist attractions, many travelers hang out here.
Varanasi is not only overwhelming for newcomers to India because of its unique atmosphere. The narrow streets of the old town with their sometimes penetrating vendors; the dead carried to the cremation ghat, the many cows in the alleys plus their piles.
getting there
By plane
- The airport in Varanasi is not particularly large, but there are daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai. A motorcycle rickshaw takes between 45 minutes and an hour to get to the city center and the ghats. Prepaid taxis are also possible. However, the prepaid taxi rank in the building is known for its exorbitant prices and likes to charge twice the actual fare. There isn't much to get in the building itself. The airport can really only be used for arrival and departure.
By train
The majority of travelers will arrive by train. There are several connections daily after Delhi and Agra.
By bus
Travelers from Nepal arrive in the city by bus.
In the street
By boat
mobility
Dynamic cardson foot: Many of the sights are in the small, winding streets of the old town by the river. The whole river bank with its ghats can be explored either on foot or by boat.
Row boats: You can go on boat tours at some ghats. Usually you negotiate an hourly rate. You can then row along all the interesting ghats. As a rule, the boat driver can speak a few words of English and can give advice on the sights.
Rickshaws are only useful for longer journeys or to the train station.
Taxis exist, but are impractical with the hustle and bustle of traffic.
Tourist Attractions
Hindu buildings and temples
- At the Ganges along are numerous Ghats, these are wide stairs that go down into the river. At these ghats there are platforms where believers pray, others where corpses are cremated, places where the washers do their work, and in between pilgrims who take a bath in the Ganges or perform Hindu rituals with the Brahmins. The best thing to do is to take a rowing boat and row along the ghats for a while, the early morning is ideal for this. In the evening some ghats Pujas carried out, at which non-Hindus are allowed to watch.
- There are numerous temples in Varanasi that, as a non-Hindu, are often only allowed to look at from the outside. The most important of them is that Vishvanath or golden temple.
- Bharat Mata Temple. The interior of the temple houses a huge marble relief from India. The temple is relatively young and was only inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. Tourists hardly ever get lost in the temple, although the huge relief of India is really worth seeing.
Castles, chateaux and palaces
- Ramnagar Fort, on the east side of the corridor. Some parts of the palace are accessible as a museum. There are buses to the other side of the aisle.
other profane structures
activities
shop
kitchen
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nightlife
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accommodation
Warning: rickshaw drivers always want to take you to a guest house that pays them commission. It is better to have someone take you to a central place such as Dasawamedh Ghat, then call the guest house. They send someone to pick you up. With a good map, compass and GPS you can get along well even in the maze of alleys. Once you have decided on an accommodation, it is advisable to note down the GPS position and carry a business card of the accommodation with you so that you can find it again later.
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Learn
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security
health
Practical advice
For reasons of piety it should go without saying that you shouldn't disturb people who are grieving for their loved ones during this difficult time and put your own interests aside. In particular, it is forbidden to take photos of the burn ghats. If it happens anyway, there is a risk of penalties and those involved can react very indignantly.
trips
- Located 10 km north of Varanasi Sarnath. Here, after his enlightenment, Buddha is said to have preached his teaching for the first time, and with it that Wheel of teaching have set in motion. This makes Sarnath one of the most important Buddhist sites and attracts pilgrims from many countries. Here is a large two millennia old stupa and other relics from the Maurya time. There is also an archaeological museum that is well worth a visit.
literature
Web links
- http://varanasi.nic.in/ (Hi) - Varanasi Official Website
