Varanasi Sightseeing
Varanasi is not a city with distinct tourist destinations as such: instead, the experience is in watching the spectacle of life and death on the river and meandering through the alleys of the old city. - Vishwanath Temple - also known as the Golden Temple, security is tight making entrance difficult and sometimes completely off limits to foreigners. No bags, cellphones or pens are allowed. They can be deposited in the shops by the temple entrance.
- Nepali Hindu Temple - A small golden temple, built in Nepali architecture, near Lalita Ghat
- Alamagir Mosque - overlooking Panchganga Ghat, it's a great place for a bird's eye view of the area.
- Man Mandir Observatory
- Tulsi Manas Temple
- Durga Temple
- Banaras Hindu University - a very green and peaceful campus. Few actually know that this University was built during Indian freedom struggle and is known as Oxford of the East. This is the largest residential university of Asia, having approx. 124 independent departments. You also visit Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum of Art and Archeology inside university. There is also a Vishwanath Temple bulit by Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya.
- Ram Nagar Fort - the fort of the King of Kashi
A note for the traveler:
There is, rather understandably, some resentment at tourists traipsing up to the cremation ghats for raucous sightseeing at the funeral ceremonies of loved ones. Behave respectfully and do not take photographs of cremations, even from the river.
Violent crime is rare, but do be careful in the lanes after dark. Carry a torch; power outages are extremely common, and the alleys are hard enough to navigate in daylight let alone in pitch dark, with broken paving stones and cows common.
Women need to dress conservatively, and to be careful. Even taking precautions expect to have the odd local young man try to quickly grope you, and run away. Respond aggressively and loudly to try to discourage this behavior as much as possible.
Rickshaw/taxi scams are a norm in Varanasi, and the driver will inevitably tell you that the hotel that you wish to go to has burned down, is flooded or closed. Don't believe him. Drivers receive commission from hotels for bringing in new guests, and this is one way to trick newcomers to going to these places. Don't get annoyed, but see the exchange as playful banter and part of the Varanasi experience. However, if the driver continuously refuses to follow your instructions, threaten to get out of the rickshaw. If after all this you still end up to a different place, just refuse to pay until you arrive at your hotel. The same procedure will need to be followed when sight seeing, as drivers will inevitably try to take you to handicraft stores from hich they receive commission.
