Varanasi Travels – A short trip to the Spiritual Capital of India!

“Kripaya dhyaan dijiye…gaadi number………….”

~  This particular announcement is like music to my ears! For it marks that I am on my way to somewhere, someplace……….

And in case you don’t mind a chaotic city with a soul, “Welcome to Varanasi!”

Often referred to as the Spiritual Capital of India, Varanasi derives its name from the river Varuna flowing by the Assi (80th) Ghat, hence Varanasi. Varanasi is the land lying in between the Varun Ghat and the 80th Ghat (Assi). And just as we Bengalis have “daak naam”, the spiritual capital of India is also known by its names Benaras and Kashi. It is often believed that one is very lucky if he breathes his last in Varanasi. People often visit this city to wash away their sins in the Holy Ganga river.

Welcome to Varanasi, where spiritualism meets your eye. You would be often greeted by the holy cows (and even bulls) on your way through the narrow lanes (gullies) of Benaras. “Babuji dheere chalna, Banaras mein zaraa sambhalna” else you might end up stamping the cow dung, or the paan/betel leaf juice freshly spitted out on the road! You’ll also find murals at every nook and corner of the city, so remember to click a selfie or a photograph of it. If you are looking for clean roads, disciplined traffic and a non-crowded city – you are NOT welcome to visit Varanasi.

If you plan your travel to Varanasi, anytime around November to March would be a pleasant time. We planned a quick 2 nights 3 day trip to Varanasi around a month back, and we tried fitting in as much as we could in between. To start with, we booked “Hotel Rivera Palace” around Assi Ghat from MakeMyTrip. I would rate our stay at the hotel a good 4 out of 5, and the location of the hotel was very prolific. Most of the hotels around the ghats are usually very average when it comes to cleanliness, but this one was way above our expectations. The rooms were clean, the staff polite and the buffet breakfast spread (which was also included in the hotel tariff) was quite good. And yes, clean clean restrooms, so a big thumbs up from my side! In case you want to try out hostels, you could book one in Zostel. My friend did so, and her experience was amazing!

End of August was definitely not a very pleasant time to visit Benaras, nevertheless we made most out of our 3 days here. We started our trip via Shabd Bhedi Express which departs from Kolkata Station (Chitpur) at 22:45 hrs. The train was relatively empty and clean. It also had fewer number of stops, so I would totally recommend this train to anyone who wants to travel to Varanasi on a Thursday (This train runs only once a week). It reached Varanasi Junction at 10 in the morning. We hired an e-rickshaw (toto) to our Hotel, which cost us Rs.150/-. (You can always bargain!). Please do not avail Ola in Varanasi because the narrow lanes and the traffic waiting for you will burn a hole in your pockets, when you drive around the city.

We reached Hotel Rivera Palace at 11 in the morning and checked in the hotel at 12 Noon. We freshened up, and I was damn hungry, so I ordered a Veg Thaali from Bikanervala via Zomato. Varanasi has many joints that deliver via Swiggy/Zomato, so in case you are hungry and do not wish to venture out, try them around your area.

We started our journey to Vishwanath Temple (which is what Varanasi is famous for) at around 3 in the afternoon. We availed a share auto upto Godowliya (Rs.10/-) per head, and got down at the Godowlia Chowk. The temple is a 5 minute walk from the Chowk. Do not miss Mishrambhu’s at the Godowliya Chowk, which is bang opposite to BATA Showroom. Try their Kesar Thandaai and Bhaang Thandaai (Rs.70/-) per glass. I tried their “Hazma Nimbu Sharbat” (kind of a fresh lime soda) since I am not too fond of Thandaai. There is always something for everyone in Varanasi.
Next we visited the temple. Remember not to carry mobile/bags/shoes into the temple (you could leave it at the lockers available at the shops near the temple). After a quick darshan, we visited the Dashashwamedh Ghat, which is again a five minute walk from the temple. Since it was monsoons, the water was overflowing the river banks and we could not avail a boat ride. However, we had booked a one hour long cruise at Alakananda, which started at 6:30 in the evening near Assi Ghat. The cruise was the highlight of our trip and we saw the evening arati from the cruise itself, while a detailed tour of the ghats was narrated on the cruise. We were even offered coffee and cookies, and I will always remember this experience for a long time to come.

After de-boarding from the cruise, we visited “Lanka” (again via share toto-Rs.10 per head from Assi Ghat) which is a very famous place in Varanasi dotted with eateries. We settled for one Roma’s Cafe (after browing through Zomato) and I am so glad we visited the place. We tried Indian cuisine for dinner (Butter Naan and some chicken side dish) and the taste was heavenly. But the star of the evening was Paan-Mojito. Do try this cafe if you are in Varanasi.

Day Two and we had booked a car for a city tour. We started with the Sankat Mochan Temple, followed by a visit to the Benaras Hindu University Campus. Do check out “Om Cafe” in the BHU premises which serves amazing Cold Coffee with Icecream just for Rs.30/-

Next was the Ramnagar Fort and then Sarnath. Amidst all the heat and humidity, we tried keeping the routine as simple as possible. Do visit the museum at Ramnagar Fort (Tickets at Rs.50/- per head) in case you are interested in a trip down the history of armoury. Again Sarnath hosts the large Dhamekha Stupa, constructed by the Emperor Ashoka. Sarnath is also famous for the deer park where Gautama Buddha first gave his spiritual teaching of “Dhamma”. Apart from this, you could also consider visiting Kal Bhairav Temple (we skipped this due to paucity of time).

We always make it a point to visit a mall while we visit any city, because the mall tells us a lot about the city and its people. We did visit the JHV Mall at Varanasi, and hogged on Mac Donalds (I always believe that the quality of Mac Donalds is way better outside Kolkata). On our way back, we stopped at Godowliya Chowk, and hogged on Tamatar Chaat, Dahi Papdi, Pani ke Bataashe and Kesar Pista Kulfi from Kashi Chat Centre (available from 4 in the evening to 10 at night). Total Bill : Rs.140/-. Rabdi from Gopal’s (Rs.30); available only from 5 in the evening to 10 at night. All these places are very famous and at a stone’s throw from each other. Returned back to hotel with a happy tummy!

Day three was out last day at Varanasi. We had our train at 6 p.m. (Vibhuti Express). We checked out at 11 a.m. and left our luggage at the hotel. Started by visiting the Shivala Ghat, followed by Assi Ghat. Visited Agarwal Toy Emporium at Assi Ghat (which is famous for its wooden toys). You will surely get lost in their shop, because they have so much to offer. I ended up picking Trucks, Rickshaw, Japanese Dolls, Earrings, Bun Pins – all made of wood, and also Varanasi Magnets. My heart yearned for more, but my wallets screamed in despair. Remember to bargain!

Next we headed out to Lunch at our favourite destination – Roma’s Cafe. Ordered continental salad, sandwiches and the famous “Paan Mojito”! Big thumbs up to their staff who are very attentive and efficient. Next stopped at Godowliya Chowk, bought glass bangles for a dear friend. Abhijit shopped for Peda’s from a famous sweet shop “Raswanti”. I had thandaai from Mishrambhu’s again. My heart yearned for all the chaat and savouries, but I somehow stopped myself, thinking that this wouldn’t be my last visit to Varanasi. We completed all this by 3:30 p.m., picked our luggage from the hotel and reached station at around 4:15 p.m. Our train departed on time and we reached Howrah next day at 7:30 in the morning.

Our short and sweet trip to Varanasi despite all the humidity and heat will surely be memorable for a long time to come. We met fellow Bengali localities at every nook and corner of the city. The ghats and the sandhya arati surely mesmerized me. But what is a city actually made of? Its people! From the fellow passenger on the train who suggested Mishrambhu’s for thandaai, to the stranger who came forward and helped us while picking up a place for dinner, or the Chaat-waalah who suggested the best place to buy sweets, everyone helped us. Honestly, I had not done my homework while visiting Varanasi, but the people here guided us.

Thank you Varanasi for being so sweet to us.  Mera Banarasi Paan udhaar raha. Until next time…..ciao!