Varanasi

Situated on the banks of the Ganges River in Northern India, Varanasi is considered the possibly oldest living city in the world and a very important stop on many Indian tours. Referred to as the ‘holiest city in India’, Varanasi has been a pilgrimage site for Hindus for many centuries and still is today. Home to philosophers, poets, writers and musicians throughout the ages, it is also the city where Buddhism was founded, Sikhism got its basis, and Jains made their pilgrim site. With a large Muslim population and Jewish expatriate community, Varanasi is a religious melting pot of various faiths and cultures.

The old city, near the banks of the Ganges, has winding lanes lined with shops and Hindu temples. This culturally rich area of Varanasi also features ghats, which are sets of steps leading into the Ganges River. Varanasi has 100 ghats, most being used for bathing, while some are used for cremation rituals, all to be experienced on a trip to India.

Originating from various ghats, an early morning or sunset boat cruise along the Ganges offers views of various rituals taking place. There are also many Hindu and Buddhist temples to visit as well as the Archeological Museum in Sarnath, and Jantar Mantar at Varanasi, an observatory built in 1737 overlooking the ghats on the Ganges.

Noted for silk weaving and brassware, Varanasi is a great place to bargain, with its many shopping attractions filled with shawls, carpets, wall hangings, jewellery, and masks of Hindu and Buddhist deities.