Day 12 & 13 - Varanasi

Hello everyone!

Varanasi - Benares - Kashi - Anandvan .....they all refer to the same place. One of the holiest places for Hindus around the world. 

The double-header at Varanasi was a wonderful break! The 480 km drive from Asansol to Varanasi, was a breeze! Driving time of 7.5 hours. We drove along the Grand Trunk road / NH 19. In School, our textbooks referred to the GT Road. One more dream come true....driving along the GT road! 👍😀After driving through AP, Odisha, Jharkand, WB, it is evident that huge investments are being made in India's road infrastructure. NH 16 & NH 19 are undergoing massive upgradations. Having said that, the unannounced road humps are a killer - destroys your Car. So many, many humps along the roads and Highways, that we have traversed, with no signboards or prior warnings.....

Yesterday (Tuesday, Day 12), after check-in, we went to Varanasi's patented tourist attraction - the Bathing ghats. And, we were not disappointed. It is a surreal, magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime experience, not to be missed. Boating on the holy Ganges river, seeing the famous Bathing ghats, each one of the ghats has its own ownership and history, and, at the end of it all, participating in a breathtaking ceremony, that happens at 6.30 pm, every day - the Ganga Aarthi (Puja offered to the Ganges).....truly memorable!! The Ganges for its part - is clean as can be - and the locals are so proud of the cleanliness of their river. We tried visiting the Kashi Viswanath temple, but it was absolutely chocker block crowded. The narrow roads to get there did not help either.

This morning ( Wednesday, March 09th), we drove to Sarnath - the Holy Buddhist site, 15 kms from Varanasi. Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodhi Gaya, and preached his first Sermon, to his 5 disciples, at Sarnath. The Stupa built by Emperor Ashoka in 272 BC (2500 years ago) has been restored and preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI). The predominant Buddhist countries of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Japan have their monasteries and presence in Sarnath. The original Ashoka Lion Pillar is on display at the ASI Museum in Sarnath. The 80-foot tall statue of Lord Buddha, made from sandstone, is a gift from Thailand. 

After Sarnath, we visited the Ramanagar Fort, which is in ruins. However, the Rabdi Lassi, just outside the Fort, is a masterpiece! Absolutely delicious, I polished off two matkas (served in clay pots). 😂

Later, we visited a Roman Catholic Church, the beautiful St Mary's Cathedral, very near our hotel. 

We've tasted excellent Kebabs, Biryanis, Lassi and some (surprisingly) really different Chinese Dimsums, while at Varanasi. 😋

The traffic at Varanasi is a nightmare. One-way, Traffic Signals, No-parking zones, don't mean a damn. Total indiscipline on the roads, blatant disregard for Traffic rules, continuous frenzied honking that drives you crazy - law enforcement in this City, appears zilch ! 😖

How cud i sign-off without mentioning a visit to a Benarasi Silk Weavers Society! Well, some sacrifices are inevitable 😂

Tomorrow, we set cruise control for Lucknow! 

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