Uttar pradesh ( Uttar means north and Pradesh means state in Hindi )h is an indain state which is situted in the northeren India.
Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. With roughly 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world.Uttar pradesh is culturally diverse.
Uttar pradesh is home to confluence of major rivers namely Ganga nad Yamuna in India.Exploring Uttar pradesh you can expect to witness cultural heritage, historical opulence and nature’s bounty.
Click on below pictures to know more about the state:
On the auspicious day of Makar Sankaranti we decided to go to the Kashi Vishwanath temple and get the blessings of Lord Shiva. It is a very beautiful temple and you would feel very peaceful after you go inside. There is a continuous chanting of Om Namah Shivaya when you enter inside the temple to enter the temple and sometimes you need to stand for a queue and queue goes through the small gullies of Varanasi and all these gulllies have these small shops which sell some of the other religious related souvenir.this temple has gone through numerous destruction and re-construction over a period of time still it stands as one of the most famous temples in India,
Another interesting fact is about the gold dome on the top which is said to have fulfilled loads of wishes of the devotees . It is believed that if you make a wish after seeing the dome, Lord Shiva fulfills your wish.it is located in Vishwanath Gali Godowlia and opens from02.30 am to 11.00 pm every day.
Pic from wikipedia
Maa Annaporna temple
Annaporna means goddess of food and nourishment. If you have visited Kahi vishwanath temple your next pitstop would be Maa Annapoorna temple.The main deity here is Maa annaporna ( incarnation of goddess Parvati).Its said to have two idols in the shrine, one Gold Idol and One brass idol. The brass idol is open for darshan everday whereas the gold idol is kept for darshan only a day before Diwali.The temple is pretty spacious to accommodate arounf 100 devotees at a time. It is located in Vishwanath Gali Godowlia and opens from04.00 am to 10.30 pm every day.
pic: india easy trip
Note: Beware of the pandits who will do some random rituals and ask for money for the same.
Kaal bhairav temple
Kaal bhairav is the aggressive form of Lord shiva and is considered to be Main deity of he city .Its a very ancient temple and has beautiful architecture. So we were advised by the locals to visit this temple as soon as we reached Varanasi because it is believed that anyone who visits Varanasi has to visit the temple first and get permission from Kaal Bhairav to stay safely in the city .He is considered the Saviour God of the city and will save you from any difficulties.It is located in Bharonath, Vishweshwarganj and opens from 05.00 am to 9.00 pm every day.
PIC: facebook
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir
One of the most visited temples in Varanasi after Kasi Vishwanath temple is This temple. The temple has more rush on Tuesdays nad Saturday being considered the day dedicated to Lord Hanuman.The temple premises has monkeys whivh will be roaming around and happily feeding on the offering by the devotees. It is located in Sankatmochan Saket Nagar Road, Saket Nagar Colony and opens from 05.00 am to 10.00 pm every day.
PIC: WIKIPEDIA
Note: In all these temple photography is strictly prohibited and in Kashi Vishwanath temples mobile phone are not allowed at all so you may have to keep it in the lockers provided there. Also Leather items like wallets and belts are also not allowed
During the evening we decided to witness our first Ganga Aarti .The Ghats were getting prepared for the pooja with 6 stands for the priest to perform the pooja beautifully lit and decorated .All the buildings are also lit so colourfully. Behind the stands there was arrangement for people to watch the pooja. Also there were also arrangements to see the Aarti from front view from the boat which costs 50 per person, it’s not very expensive and if you are witnessing the Ganga Aarti for the first time you must sit here n watch it, you can see the beautiful Ganga Aarti been performed over here.
Ganga Aarti starts at the sunset and stretches up to 15 to 20 minutes. Ganga Aarti which is being performed by 6 priest all dressed in uniform of Maroon sweater and cream colour dhoti with cream colour veshti.As they perform Pooja with different procedures by lighting the lamp in all four directions. This Pooja is being offered to the Holy River Ganga and it happens every evening and every morning in the same method. It is so mesmerising to view that Ganga Aarti it is like magic the synchronisation of the priest and the bhajans which is being sung in the background everything is so magical it is a lifetime experience to see that because you go into that essence of the Pooja and you get spell bound in its whole essence, it is very beautiful.
Note: After the Ganga Aarti there is a Devi temple over there and they distribute Khichdi as the Prasad because simultaneously with the Ganga Aarti Evening Aarti in the temple also starts and finish at the same time so after attending the pooja.
Al so second day we went to watch the Ganga Aarti from dashashwamedh Ghat but from behind this time also it was as magical as it was from the front view because this pandit perform the pooja from all the four sides north south east west so whenever you are sitting you can witness the pooja as the grand as it is. The ambience when Ganga aarti is performed and everyone is involved its prayers and bhajans is mesmerising.
On the third day and last evening in Banaras to be decided to watch the Ganga Aarti from Shitala Ghat and this time we felt that dashashwamedh Ghat has much more elaborate Ganga Aarti than shitala Ghat the difference between both is Dashashwamedh ghat is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shitala Ghat is for Goddess Parvati so all the bhajans which are sung in Shitala Ghat is regarding Devi and there will be difference in the way they perform the pooja and the number of priests performing the aarti were also less. The Ganga aarti in Dashashwamedh ghat is extravagant however in Shitala ghat is much more subtle.
Ganga aarti Varanasi
Fourth day we decided to visit the Ghat in the morning to watch the morning Pooja and so what we saw the difference is in the morning there is only one priest which performs the Ganga aarti in the dashashwamedh Ghat as compared to 6th priest in the evening This is a different experience to see Ganga aarti before the sunrise.
After visiting dashashwamedh Ghat we were really very hungry so we went to a really amazing Cafe named Niyati cafe and its a very small restaurant which serves varieties of cusines including continental, American and Indians and we definitely preffered the authentic Indian food also be ordered a rice, dal and aloo gobi ki sabzi . The food served here is very simple and very yummy,And the best part about the restaurant is there everything is cooked fresh.The owner of the restaurant is a very very sweet guy and he and his wife manages the restaurant while she prepares the food and he manages the restaurant . Maximum of 15 people could be accommodated in the restaurant and we would definitely recommend this place and everyone must go there .
In Varanasi there is a place called Lanka which is which is far away from the place where we were staying and after reading some blog recommendations in search of some amazing chat to our disappointment we did not find anything over there. But we found there was an amazing street food called the Chura matar which we saw just exploring the streets.There’s nothing so great about the place.And accidently the best part about going to Lanka was the Pahalwan dudh centre where you get a yummiest Gajar ka halva and we had the Balushahi Steaming hot flavoured milk is very famous during winters in Varanasi and we were wondering why everyone drinking the milk but to be very frank after tasting the milk we found our why!!! The milk tastes amazing with the essence of cardamom and because its being boiled for a longer time it gets that creamy texture. The boiling milk is served in kulhad which also enhances is the milk’s tastes and The longer it is boiled the better it tastes and its a must try beverages in Banaras.
Kashi chaat centre located near the godowlia chawk in Varanasi serves one of the best chaats in Varaonasi and it opens only in the evening by 6 pm and is always crowded. So we had this amazing tamatar Chaat, dahi vada , tikki chaat , paani puri and Chura matar (of course because I loved it the last time we had it) and I will recommend Kashi chat Centre to everyone who visits Varanasi just because of the amazing tamatar Chaat and also I never ever had such amazing chat ever.Also the service is very fast and every item is served steaming hot n fresh.
Sweet shops in Gowdowlia chawk
Sweets in Varanasi especially the one which made is made with milk is the totally recommendable because the the milk is very fresh and they make all the sweets with that fresh milk and the freshness of the sweets can be experienced. We had Gulab Jamun, Rasgulla, rasmalai,Cham cham and everything is very tasty and fresh. During Winters almost everyone in the town relishes the hot flavoured milk in the chilly nights of Varanasi and if you are craving for something warm and tasty definitely its the steaming hot creamy milk of Varanasi.
While walking towards the Dashashwamedh ghat the street has loads of shops which sell samosa chai and boondi, and I must say it’s really worth giving a try and I assure you the taste won’t disappoint you instead you will feel like having them more.
Litti Chokah: Rajendra Prasad Ghat
While we were strolling along the ghats we found this street vendor selling litti chokha and it was really amazing to have the authentic taste even at a local place.
Paan
Paan is soul of Varanasi and paan shop is found in every nook and corner of the city . Well to be very frank every shop serves really good paan as we had from multiple shops and cant decide which on e was best. The vendors would make it according to the taste which you like>also the size of the paan here is slightly bigger than the usual ones.
Steaming hot idlies : Godowlia Chawk
with For the morning breakfast we had steaming hot Idlies and coconut chutney with loads of mustard seeds on top from a small street vendor outside our hotel .We were a little sceptical about having idly from north India as being a South Indian we love Idli and don’t like to experiment when it comes to south Indian cuisine but this was really good and we were extremely satisfied.
Aloo parathas foms street vendors
As far as aloo paratha is considered you can happily have it from the street vendors ,its amazingly fresh and tasty
AS far as what we experienced have the local food and have it from the crowded street vendors because the crowd indicate the taste of a particular locality of city and crowd also ensure that theres something yummy food.
Poori sabzi Or kachoris
The streets shops and vendors of Varanasi serves these pooris or kachoris with aloo ( potato ) curry which is a must have and they have different variants in the recipes.
Kachori and sabzi
Malaiyo
Malaiyo is a frothy pleasant and firm dessert found only during the winters of Banaras. This is the elegant composition of milk, Saffron and several dry fruits, along with the most important ingredient, Dew. Yes this is the core reason why Malaiyo in winter is the availability of Dew.And trust me this would be a surprise for your taste buds.
The best part about Banaras is its gullies and these are very narrow lanes which I have never seen in an Indian city .Gali is mean Street. The roads are so narrow that only one auto is the maximum which can fit into the road but still the drivers there very understand that they help each other while riding through these lanes. As a passenger it was so difficult for us to even think about riding in such narrow lanes.
Pic from pinterest
Temples everywhere
There is temple in every nook and corner of the city and you will find lots of devotees gathered and performing pooja .Another interesting thing which we saw was the Khichdi baba where the temple would give free khichdi to everyone and the vessel in which this khichdi is made keeps on rotating while it is made. As it’s named as Lord Shiva’s place you can find a Shiva linga in every street.
p.c. :Times of India
Travel Ecofriendly: Electric Rickshaws
The whole town is filled with these cute electric rickshaws which takes the passengers to nearby places. Well the pace of this vehicle is slow and if you are on a vacation and want to relax and enjoy your ride in and around the city then this is the best means of travelling. It’s definitely a fun ride and prices are much more affordable than the regular autos.
Paintings
The city is made beautiful with paintings everywhere. On the way from the airport to our hotel the city is beautifully decorated with paintings all over pavement walls, on the bridge, on the and wherever your eyes could go.
Milk and milk products
You get fresh milk and milk products in almost available every dairy product store of Varanasi. The milk is fresh and is available so much in surplus in the city. The curd is tasty and perfect which results to amazing lassi and buttermilk. The paneer is soft and creamy. And of course the sweets made with the milk and khoya is absolutely tempting.
Flavoured milk
Chaat Varieties
As we all know that north India is famous for chaat and Chatpata snacks. And Varanasi has some more delicious varieties of chaat to offer and it’s very tasty and anyone would feel like having more. Starting from Pani Puri, aloo chaat, tamatar chat, dahiwada, ragda chaat, sev puri etc each and every item has its own charm and is a must have.
Sweets
The variety of sweet which Varanasi has to offer is endless and everything is so fresh. The best which we could choose from was the Rabadi jalebi, gulab jamun, peda ,besan ladoo and Rasgulla.All the sweet items are worth trying and packing them for your loved ones too.
Banarasi silk
One of the favourite categories of silk for most of the north Indians is the banarasi silk.Banarasi silk is one of the finest variants of silk produced in India. Primarily weaved in the holy city of Varanasi or Banaras in Uttar Pradesh, this silk attracts attention due to the zari and brocade work in gold and silver thread on the fine fabric. Banarasi silk saris are known all over the world for their splendour and exquisiteness. With their vibrant colours, intricate designs, and beautiful embroidery with gold and silver threads enhances the value of Banarasi sari and often finds a place of pride in the trousseau of an Indian bride.
benarasi saree
Paan
“Ab banaras aaye aur paan na khaye aise kaise ho sakta h” (coming to Banaras how can you miss the banarasi paan). Banaras is super famous for the paan and my father was very keen in tasting it and guess what it is special and tastes amazing. Also have the paan and sing the son “ Khaike paan banaras walaaaaa”.
Banarasi paan
Aghories
Varanasi is known as the land of aghoris and they are everywhere . You can either find them meditating or roaming in the cities or in the temples praying. For people who have never seen aghoris they may see very scary especially for children , but they are harmless and they are actually in their own world of trance and are not bothered about the surroundings.
You can find a wide varieties of chillum , beautifully wooden carved , in different shapes and sizes .They all are handmade and in each and every street shops you would find something different
This is what we bought from the market
Souvenirs of deities
The streets which leads to ghats and to Kashi Vishwanath temple is filled with small shops and street vendors which sells of all sorts of souvenirs and items required for daily pooja. What I found intresting is the idols made of brass and the quality is very good.Bargaining is the key for shopping here so negotiate as much as possible.
p.c. Shutterstock
Varanasi is a city of religious significance in Hindus, has the best street food and variety of things to shop. So have fun while exploring the spiritual capital of India
We visited Varanasi in January during Makar Sankranti and because it was the festival time and also it was clashing with the ardh Kumbh( happens in every six years) in Allahabad so people generally attend the ardh kumbh and they come to Kashi Vishwanath temple to take Lord Shiva as blessings and also it is believed that taking bath in the holy Ganga River during this time is very auspicious.Because of which the rush was more than expected during the time of our visit.
Arrangements for stay
So this year ardh kumbh happened in Allahabad and we were very lucky to witness this event in person.
There is always a saying among Indians when they find two people who look similar “ lagta h kumbh ke mele me bichad gaye the”
The preparations for kumbh mela started months back and the area covered was really humongous . We started by morning 6 o’clock from the hotel to the Varanasi bus stop . The bus stop is located just in front of the railway station and we took an auto rickshaw to reach the bus station . It was a supper chilly morning and we were freezing because of the cold air.
For the morning breakfast we had steaming hot Idlies and coconut chutney with loads of mustard seeds on top from a small street vendor outside our hotel .We were a little sceptical about having idly from north india as being a South Indian we love Idli and don’t like to experiment when it comes to south Indian cuisine but this was really good and we were extremely satisfied.
As soon as he went to the bus stand we got a bus to Allahabad it took us about three hours to reach Allahabad from Varanasi. For in between meal our bus stopped in a dhaba where we had breakfast puri ,aloo ki sabji, jalebi.
When we reached Allahabad mid way to the city our bus was just stopped because of the ardh kumbh preparations , so we had to walk and go to the ground where are the event was happening .The ardh kumbh was arranged at the Triveni Sangam and so that the Rishis and devotees could come and perform the pooja. Triveni sangam which is the confluence of three rivers (Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati). The point of confluence is a sacred place for Hindus, with a bath here said to flush away all of one’s sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth.
The place was maintained very clean and there were good arrangements for all these Street vendors would sell food and other small handmade items.All these vendors were already setting up the stall so that people can come and visit.
When we were walking we saw something interesting call the MALAI and this is kind of a sweet made with milk it look like foam with Ras Malai flavour.
Walking ahead reached a Temple named bada Hanuman temple this is the only Temple in India where you will see sleeping Hanuman and seems like he is lying down on the floor and its a very huge sculpture.There a pretty long Q to enter inside the temple and people were very well behaved and were entering very quietly inside the temple .Even the Darshan was very well managed and experience
Bade Hanuman temple
We also visited the Allahabad fort near the Sangam.The preparations where at its peak and people wear preparing so much to organise a good event in Allahabad
Also the river is very clean till the time it reaches Allahabad and after that I don’t know what happens to the river it becomes full polluted and .
The food arrangement over there was in shacks and there was a food stall where we had Samosa kachori which was pretty good and making it fresh in front of you.It was a open area kitchen and we saw staff making Gulab Jamun, Puri and sabzi just in front of the customers which is very satisfying .
Coming back from allahabad to Varanasi also took us 3 and half hours in the evening .The journey was pretty comfortable because the roads are pretty decent and the bus driver also drove very carefully .
On a saturday we decided to visit Sarnath, which one of the four main centres for Buddhism in India. Sarnath is a Buddhist pilgrim spot located near Varanasi. The city is famous for being the first place where Lord Buddha preached for the first time after gaining enlightenment. Later, kings who followed Buddhism like King Ashoka built a lot of stupas and structures here that are focused on Buddhism.After gaining the knowledge of life Buddha gave his first teachings to his student here sitting under a banyan tree and that tree is still preserved there .
How to Reach Sarnath
Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh India is a little town lying close to Varanasi.
The Varanasi airport is 24 km is the nearest airport to Sarnath. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Sarnath directly. The main railway station is also at Varanasi as only a few trains halt at the Sarnath railway station. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Sarnath directly.
Sarnath is well connected to nearby cities in the state via an excellent network of roads. Regular state-run buses move to and from Varanasi. One can also opt for a cab from Varanasi. Hiring an autorickshaw from Varanasi to Sarnath can also be considered.Local buses are the most convenient way of travel within the city. Autorickshaws are not available in Sarnath. It is also preffered by many tourists to explore this small area on foot.
We took a local auto and went sarnath well we did some bargaining for the price which included to n fro trip for a day which was reasonable.
Places to Visit in Sarnath
Thai Buddha Vihara
Dhamek stupa
Chaukhandi
Chaukhandi Stupa
Archaeological museum
The museum has archaeological excavations of buddhist history.the meusem is beautifully maintained and its under continuous surveillance and you are not allowed to take your mobile phones and cameras inside.
Archaeological museum
Deer park or Ishipatana
Jain Temple
Digambar Jain Temple
Another interesting thing which you can do is shop a handloom banarsi and jamdani silk from the nearby local weaving centres in Sarnath.Quality wise and price wise its affordable nad the designs are also authentic.
The city of Varanasi has been one of the most ancient cities in India.This city is most famous for its Narrow lanes,Ganga aarti, Kasi vishwanath temple and one of the most cherished silks of India the Banarasi silks.
The main idea of visiting Varanasi came long back when one I was checking Facebook for people’s new year celebration and I saw someone actually posted Ganga Aarti as their new year celebration and since that day i wished to see Ganga aarti in person and the year 2019 Jan we made it possible.
Click below to check out our expreiences in Varanasi
Harrytinkers travelog 