Exploring an Ancient City: Varanasi

Varanasi is known as the oldest city in the world. It is one of India’s most renowned spiritual centres. Hindu legends have it that Lord Shiva and Parvati lived here on the banks of the Ganga. The rivers Assi and Varuna originated here and with a piece of land locked between them, this city became the holiest of all pilgrim sites and cremation sites in India.

There are several legends associated with this city, amazing as it is.

When on a tour of this city, it would help very much if you take a Varanasi Ghat Tour which will bring you face to face with the top ghats or river fronts here of the total of 200. Of all the ghats you see, make sure you see the Assi, Chet Singh, Darbhanga and Dashashwamedha Ghat Varanasi.

Spiritual Tourism: If you are interested in seeing the spiritual side of this city, you will be awestruck by the many Hindu temples here. For a visitor to this city, you may not spend your time valuably by seeing the temples of importance here. So, it would help if you took a Temple Tour of Varanasi.

Your tour of Varanasi will be incomplete without a visit to the Buddhist pilgrimage site, Sarnath, just a few hours on the outskirts of Varanasi. With the help of a travel agent dealing in Varanasi Tours, you can plan a wonderful holiday here which combines the spiritual and loads of sightseeing and shopping. After all, there’s a lot to see in this marvellous city apart from the temples.

Exploring the City: For instance, you can go on a walking tour of the city and explore all its old alleyways and see the artisans here working on making handicrafts, weaving, doing embroidery and other handcrafted items. You can also visit other small towns in the vicinity such as Ramnagar and Chunar, known for their exquisite landscapes.

Historical Varanasi: On your discovery tour of Varanasi, you will also be able to find out its history. As a first-time visitor to this city, make sure your Varanasi Tours include a historical tour of the city. This should contain a visit to:

· Benaras Hindu University: Set up by PanditMadan Mohan Malviya and Annie Besant, this university is more than a century old and is included in the list of finest universities of India.

· Ramanagar Fort:The 400-year-old Ramanagar Fort, famous for being built in sandstone. It houses a museum, the VedVyasa temple, a Hanuman temple and the king’s residence.

· Chunar Fort: Situated about 25 km away from Varanasi in Mirzapur, you can see this impregnable fort set on the Ganga on two sides.

· Alamgir Mosque: Distinct for its architecture, it has aGyanvapi well.

· Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum: Famous for its superb collection of photos of all things royal—kings, tigers and other scenes depicting Mughal royal life.

If this sounds like a great holiday, why not get in touch with your travel agent? If you contact Optima Travels, They could prepare an itinerary that will include several short Varanasi Tour Packages that will show you different aspects of this amazing city.

A comprehensive Varanasi Travel Guide can be a great holiday for the whole family, particularly if you visit here at Diwali. You can experience the world famous Dev Dipawali in Varanasi which is visited by domestic and international tourists every year. With the help of an experienced travel agent like Optima Travels, you can see this amazing city dressed up for the occasion and it is a breath-taking sight to see the evening Aarti and other distinctive sights here. A boat ride on the Ganga which passes by all the Ghats is something people die for as is the simple but delicious vegetarian fare that is available just about everywhere here. To know more about reach us at optimatravels.com today.