Varanasi is a very beautiful and famous place to visit located on the banks of river Ganga in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Varanasi is also known as Banaras or Kashi and is one of the most ancient cities in India. This place is one of the most famous pilgrimage places for Hindus. Varanasi attracts lakhs of tourists every year from its many huge temples apart from the Ghats and many other popular places. This religious place is not only liked by Indian travelers but also by foreign tourists. Today, in this episode, we are going to tell you about some of the major places of Varanasi, which apart from sightseeing, also hold an important place from the spiritual point of view. Let's know about these places...

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Many see it as the most prominent temple in Varanasi, and some consider it the most important temple in the entire country. Let me tell you, the story of this temple is more than three thousand five hundred years old. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, which is visited by lakhs of people every year. Many devotees believe that a glimpse of the Shivling purifies your soul and leads life on the path of knowledge. We believe that you should start your tour of Varanasi from this place.

Assi Ghat
Assi Ghat, located at a distance of 7 km from Varanasi Railway Station, is a holy place where the visiting pilgrims pay homage to Lord Shiva by worshiping a huge Shiva Linga situated under a Peepal tree. Please tell us that Assi Ghat is located at the confluence of the Assi and Ganga rivers, which shows the antiquity of Kashi. If you are coming to visit Varanasi, then you must visit Assi Ghat, one of the most famous religious places. The attractive view of the aarti of this ghat makes the city of Varanasi the most beautiful place in the country.

Dashashwamedh Ghat
Dashashwamedh Ghat of Varanasi is a very holy place which is a main ghat located on the banks of the river Ganga, which is known for its spirituality. This place is called famous because at this place Lord Brahma performed Dasa Ashwamedha Yajna in which he sacrificed 10 horses. The name of Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi comes first in the list of tourists because when tourists come to Varanasi, Dashashwamedh Ghat comes first. There is a lot of crowd of people here. There are a lot of crowds here in the evening because the Ganga Aarti performed at this ghat in the evening is most famous. Pilgrims also come here to wash away their sins and offer prayers.

Sarnath Temple
Sarnath Temple is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site located at a distance of about 12 km from Varanasi. The place is quite nice to spend some time in a calm environment. Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at this place. Some of the popular places to visit in Sarnath include Ashoka Pillar, Chaukhandi Stupa, Archaeological Museum, Tibetan Temple, Dhamekh Stupa, Monastery, Thai Temple, etc.

Ramnagar Fort
Located across the river Ganges from Tulsi Ghat, it was built of sandstone in 1750 AD on the orders of Balwant Singh, the king of Banaras at that time. In 1971, the post of an official Raja was abolished by the government, but Pelu Bhiru Singh is still commonly known as the Maharaja of Varanasi. It houses the Ved Vyas Temple, the residence of the king, and a museum dedicated to regional history.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is situated on the banks of the Assi River and was built by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in the 1900s. It is dedicated to Lord Rama and Hanuman. Varanasi has always been associated with the Sankat Mochan Temple and is an essential part of this holy city. Everyone who comes to Varanasi goes to this temple and has a glimpse of Hanuman. The laddoos offered at this temple are essentially famous among the local people. While visiting Sankat Mochan beware of monkeys who come into the temple premises and steal the offerings.

Tulsi Mansa Temple
Tulsi Mansa Temple is one of the major sightseeing places in Varanasi. This temple was built in 1964 and is dedicated to Lord Rama. Please tell that this temple is named after the saint-poet Tulsi Das. It is said to be the place where Tulsidas wrote the Hindu epic Ramayana in the Awadhi dialect of the Hindi language. The temple holds a special performance of puppets in the months of Sawan (July – August) which is related to the Ramayana. If you want to enjoy a fun-filled experience, then do visit here during the months of Sawan.

Durga Mandir
Durga Mandir is visible just a 5-minute walk west of Assi Ghat. This is one of the very beautiful and famous temples of Varanasi. So many monkeys come here every day that it is also called Monkey Temple by a different name. This temple was built by a Bengali Maharani in the 18th century and the entire temple is painted red. People say that the idol of Goddess Durga was not made here but it appeared on its own.

Chunar Fort
Chunar Fort is also one of the most attractive places to visit in Banaras, it is situated on the banks of river Ganges, 40 km from the city. The fort is spread over an area of 34000 square feet. The fort was built by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain for his brother Bharthari. The fort is historically notable and served as an important place during the war between Humayun and Sher Shah. The bastion part of the fort containing the cannons can still be seen today and the architecture resembles that of Agra Fort.

Nepali Temple
Nepali Temple is one of the most famous and oldest temples of Varanasi. It was built by the king of Nepal in the nineteenth century. Lord Shiva is worshiped in this temple. The traditional architecture of the temple is made of wood, stone, and terracotta carvings. The temple resembles Nepal's Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. The Nepali temple is located 100 meters south of Manikarnika Ghat at Lalita Ghat. It was built by the King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah, during his exile in Varanasi.

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