An Easy Guide is
something that I have always looked out for. Travelling to a brand
new place and sometimes alone can be extremely daunting because of
the uncertainties. I have, therefore, at several points in my life
reached out to people to share their itineraries with me. A tried and
tested recipe is always better than something that has not been
tried. These Easy Guides are for people who would like a little bit
of certainty in their travel- and personally, I think, thats a good
thing! These easy guides cut out the obvious like how to get to a
certain place.
This Easy Guide to
Varanasi is long overdue. I visited Varanasi in August 2014 and had a
wonderful trip. I stayed there for three nights and promised myself
that I would be back. Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in India, is
really that- old. There is garbage, animals, and people dressed in
ancient clothes in plenty. It is wonderful. And mind you, the garbage
I am talking about is not the plastic wrappers of fast foods- but
organic waste that is eaten by the cattle on the streets and pooped
on the streets too. Varanasi, gained a lot of mileage in the year
2014 because of the Lok Sabha elections and anyway as a must- see
place in the country, there is a lot written about it. However, if
there is one thing I would like to say about Varanasi it would be
that it is one of the most historic, 'peaceful' and culturally rich
places I have seen. If there was one place I would let my younger
sister travel to alone- it would be Varanasi- I found it quite safe
although the expereinces of others might have been different.
I went to Varanasi by
train. Once you get off the train you might not be too sure about
which exit to take. Go by your instinct. There are two exits- one of
them is a quiet and clean end. Thats mostly NOT your route. You then
need to go to the other exit. The other exit, from the minute you get
out, is chaotic, noisy and full of people. Welcome!
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| Varanasi: In the morning, the street on which is Kashivishwanath Temple. |
In order to get to Ram
Bhavan, follow the instructions on the website. They are perfect. We
took a cycle rickshaw to the place before 8 am, because that is the
only time (and the only vehicle) that is allowed closest to Ram
Bhavan. Remember to pack a light luggage as the drop off point is
quite far from Ram Bhavan and you don't want to lug a heavy load. I
am sure, however, that some porters will offer to carry the luggage
for you- although that's an option I didn't choose.
Once you get off the
cycle rickshaw, it can get a bit unnerving to find the very tiny lane
that goes to Ram Bhawan. Its unbelieavable that such a narrow lane
can lead to something. However, just ask around or call the office
and you will reach the place.
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| Lucknowi Kurtas and a Sari |
Ram Bhawan offers excellent services for a hostel (its not only for the youth however).
The mixed dorms are cheap, absolutely clean and safe. You can leave
things lying around and find them exactly where you left them. They
serve breakfast and lunch (which is delicious) but serve no dinner.
However, there are several places right below on the same narrow
street that serve good international food (most cuisines). Ram Bhawan
is walking distance away from Kashivishwanath Temple which is very
famous and the ghats. In order to get to Sarnath (about a days trip)-
the place where Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon, you will have to
book an autorickshaw. We got an autorickshaw for around 150 INR one
way. We did not ask the guy to wait for us hence we paid less.
Sarnath is beautiful. It is definitely a place that has to be
visited. In case you can, on the way to Sarnath, you can stop at the
weaver's colony and see handlooms and powerlooms on which are woven
the finest Benarasi silk sarees (This is not a tourist place). If you are staying long enough, you
could ask the weavers to weave a saree or a piece of cloth for you.
They might agree. But please be generous with your payment to them.
(In case you want to get in touch with any weaver, leave me a
comment- and no I am not getting any commision for this!) You could
also walk about 30 minutes ahead from Kashivishwanath Temple and buy
yourself some comfortable and beautiful Lucknowi Kurtas (the price is
written on the kurtas, we paid 240 for a small one and about 600 for
a really rare and exquisite one).
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| The Food For Steel Stomachs! Look ONLY at the food while you eat! |
As for food, you could eat at Ram
Bhawan, the lane below or if you are craving beef or mutton, go to
the main road and ask someone where you might get non vegetarian
food. We asked a muslim shop owner to guide us to awesome biryani and
kebabs and he did. I strongly recommend eating at these places only
if you have a stomach of steel. The places are extremely unhygenic
and can make you terribly sick. My friend and I, relished the meal
and would go back for more. In some ways, my friend and I are pretty
lucky!
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| The Stupa at Sarnath |
There are several
places to see in Varanasi like Benaras Hindu University and a few
other temples. I didn't get the chance to see many places hence I
promised myself that I would be back.
In order to leave
Varanasi, you could take the train (get to the railway station the
same way you came) or you could book a cab. The person who drove us
to the airport is a guy named Amit Upadhyay. He refused to give us a
discount despite me telling him that I would write about him. That
says something about him doesn't it? His number is 07275377540. The
way to the airport is something totally different- roll down the
window and take in the sights!
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