| Carpet Weaving Centre Near
Banaras is the famous carpet weaving centre at Bhadoi
where handmade carpets are produced by skilled craftsmen
who have acquired their rich repertoire of designs and
techniques from their ancestral traditions. Banaras
is also famous for its silk weaving cottage industry.
Banarasi silk brocades have small, often minute , motifs
made of gold or silver thread. Each motif has to be
created individually using tiny shuttles. In the old
days the gold thread was authentic, but today artificial
fibres are used. For more shopping ideas please take
a look through our Dining and Shopping pages.
Dasaswamedh (Dashashwamedha) Ghat
offers a splendid view of the river front. The name
indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses
(aswa) here. Conveniently central it's one of the most
important and busiest ghats and therefore is a good
place to linger and soak up the atmosphere. Note its
status and the shrine of Sitala, goddess of smallpox.
Boats can be hired at this ghat for a tour of the riverfront.
It is also the most popular site for Hindus to perform
ancestor worship rituals, and the entire ghat is lined
with umbrella covered stalls where Brahmin priests undertake
pujas (worship).
Jaunpur : 58 km, was once an important Muslim
centre where art and architecture found patronage. Today
it is known for its perfumes and incense.
Chandraprabha :70 km, is a beautiful
picnic spot with dense forests and the Rajdhani and
Deodhari watterfalls. Accomodation: Forest Rest House
and Inspection Bunglow.
Tanda Fall :88 km, is another scene
spot, with dense forests and a watterfall.
Wyndham Fall :90 km, is a popular
picnic spot, situated amid surroundings.
Bharat Mata Temple Dedicated to 'Mother
India', this unadorned temple has a marble relief map
of India instead of usual images of gods and goddesses.
The map is said to be perfectly in scale, both vertically
and horizontally and the place was opened by Mahatma Gandhi.
River Front :The Spectacular 4-km sweep
of the Ghats is a unique sight, best viewd at dawn, in
that "soft first light" when the river and Ghats
have a timeles appeal. Life in almost panoramic details
unfolds here from dawn to dusk as a steady stream of devotees-swelling
to thousands of auspicious days-perform rituals by the
Ganga. The Ghats are best approached by Dashashwemdha
Ghat, where boats are available on hire.
The Kashi Vishawanath Temple :Also
known as the Golden Temples, it is dedicated to Lord
Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Varanasi is
said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga,
the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested
his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth's
crust and flared towards the heavens. More than the
Ghats and even the Ganga, the Shivalingha installed
in the temple remains the devotional focus of Varanasi.
It is open only to Hindus.
Gyanvapi Mosque :The Gyanvapi Mosque
was raised by Auranzeb near the present Vishawanath
Temple or the Golden Temple.
Durga Temple :Commanly called the
'Monkey Temple', it was built in the 18th century. Although
it is one of the best known temples, it is open only
to Hindus. Beware of the monkeys here who are daring
and menacing.
Tulsi Manas Temple :Constructed by
a family of Varanasi, this modern temple is dedicated
to Lord Rama. It is situated at the place where Tulsidas,
the great medieval seer, lived and wrote the epic "Shri
Ramcharitmanas", which narrates the life of Lord
Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. Verses from Tulsidas's
epic are inscriibed on the walls.
Bharat Kala Bhawan (Banaras Hindu
University) :A Short rickshaw ride from the Durga temple
is the Banaras Hindu University, one of the oldest educational
centres in India. Founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya
as a centre for the study of Indian art, culture, music
and also for Sanskrit, it has developed into a modern
academic centre of various desciplines. Within the campus
is the finest collection of Mughal maniature paintings
and brocade textiles. Open 10.30 A.M. to 4.30 P.M.
Kushinagar About 51km from Gorakhpur
lies Kushinagar, a place famous for the Mahaparinirvana
(death) of Lord Buddha. The town, once a celebrated
centre of the Malla kingdom, has many of the stupas
and viharas that date back to 230 BC–413 AD. One
of the important sites to see here is the Mahaparinirvana
Temple, where you can find the famous reclining statue
of Buddha. The 20-feet-long statue is seated on a brick
platform. Around the temple, one can find the ruins
of as many as eight monasteries.
New Vishawanath Temple :Situated in
the premisis of Banaras Hindu University, a modern place
of worship planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the
Birlas. Open to all, irrespective of caste or creed.
Alamgir Mosque :An amalgamation of
Hindu-Muslim religious sentiments, this mosque is alsoknown
as "Beni Madhav ka Darera". Curiously, the
entire lower portion of the mosque is retained as a
Hindu temple.
Ram Nagar Fort And Museum : A 17th-century
fort, Ram Nagar is the home of the Maharaja of Banaras,
who is revered as the representative of Shiva in the
city. The museum's collection includes interesting vintage
silver and brocade palanquins, howdahs, a replica of
the royal bed and an armoury of swords and guns. (open
10 A.M. to 5 P.M.). Ramnagar is also very famous for
its Ram Lila.
The Fort Of Chunar :39 km away in the
Mirzapur district, famous for its ties with Sher Shah
Suri who dethroned Humayun in the 16th century. Car's
cover distance in 1.5-2 hours. Taxi's charge is Rs.
750 for the up-down trip. Better to retun to Varanasi
by evening.
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