Varanasi, located on the banks of river Ganga in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, is a very beautiful and famous place to visit. 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. Apart from its many huge temples, Varanasi attracts millions of tourists every year from its ghats and many other popular places. This religious place is very much liked not only by Indian travelers but also by foreign tourists. Today in this episode, we are going to tell you about some important places in Varanasi which apart from being worth visiting, are also important from a spiritual point of view. Let us know about these places...

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Many view it as the most prominent temple in Varanasi, and some consider it the most important temple in the entire country. Let us tell you, that the story of this temple is more than three thousand five hundred years old. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, lakhs of people come here every year to visit. Many devotees believe that a glimpse of Shivalinga purifies your soul and takes 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 kilometers from Varanasi Railway Station, is a holy place where pilgrims come to pay homage to Lord Shiva by worshiping a huge Shiva Linga situated under a Peepal tree. Let us tell you that Assi Ghat is situated at the confluence of 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 Varanasi city the most beautiful place in the country.

Dashashwamedh Ghat
Dashashwamedh Ghat of Varanasi is a very sacred place which is a main ghat situated on the banks of river Ganga which is known for its spirituality. This place is famous because at this place Lord Brahma performed Dasa Ashwamedha Yagya in which he sacrificed 10 horses. In Varanasi, the name Dashashwamedh Ghat comes first on the list of tourists because when tourists come to Varanasi, the first thing they come to is Dashashwamedh Ghat. A large crowd of people is seen here. There is a huge crowd 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 pray.

Sarnath Temple
Sarnath Temple is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site located at a distance of about 12 kilometers from Varanasi. This place is quite nice to spend some time in a peaceful environment. It was at this place that Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon. The places to visit in Sarnath are very popular which include the Ashoka Pillar, Chaukhandi Stupa, Archaeological Museum, Tibetan Temple, Dhamekh Stupa, Monastery and Thai Temple, etc.

Ramnagar Fort
Located across the river Ganga 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 title of an official king 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 king's residence, and a museum dedicated to regional history.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is located on the banks of river Assi and was built by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in the 1900s. It is dedicated to Lord Rama and Hanuman. Varanasi is always associated with Sankat Mochan Temple and is an essential part of this holy city. Every person coming to Varanasi visits this temple and has a darshan of Hanuman. The laddus 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 tourist places in Varanasi. This temple was built in 1964 and is dedicated to Lord Rama. Let us tell you that this temple has been named after the saint-poet Tulsi Das. It is said that this is the place where Tulsidas wrote the Hindu epic Ramayana in the Awadhi dialect of the Hindi language. There is a special performance of puppets in the temple in the months of Sawan (July – August) which is related to Ramayana. If you want to enjoy a fun experience, visit here during the months of Sawan.

Durga Temple
Durga Temple is visible just 5 minutes 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 queen 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 on the list of places to visit in Banaras, it is located on the banks of the river Ganga, 40 kilometers away from the city. The fort is spread over 34000 square feet in size. 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 citadel part of the fort containing the cannons can still be seen today and the architecture resembles that of the 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 Nepal's King Rana Bahadur Shah during his exile in Varanasi.

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