Varanasi is famous for its ghats, but you’ll also want to visit the other top temples here. These sacred sites will help you connect with the divine and leave you with transcendent memories with Varanasi tour package.
There are many historical and ancient temples in Varanasi that visitors must visit once in a lifetime. Varanasi tour is incomplete without visiting the temples that are given below.
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Vishwanath Temple
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples in India. The temple attracts visitors from all over the world due to its rich cultural heritage and history. The temple has undergone many changes over the years.
This famous Hindu shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that if you offer prayers to the Shivling enshrined here, you will get rid of all your sins and achieve moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death).
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Durga Kund Mandir
Increase the excitement of your Varanasi tour with this temple which was built in the 18th century. It was constructed by a Bengali Maharani in north Indian style with multi-tiered shikhara. The right side of the temple has an attractive pond known as Durga Kund that adds to its beauty.
The temple is also famous for its aarti (prayers) that are performed in the evening by hundreds of pandits in a chorus. It is one of the most mesmerizing events that you must witness at least once in your lifetime.
Apart from the aarti, another event to watch is the Teej festival. This special time is when women drape themselves in saris and sing monsoon songs. They also swing on elaborately decorated swings, a symbol of luck and good fortune. Also, houses and temples become lit up with rows of diyas. This is a colorful festival that transcends religious boundaries.
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Ramnagar Fort & Museum
Kashi tour has another surprise with this impressive structure. Located on the Eastern banks of the Ganges River near Tulsi Ghat, Ramnagar Fort is an impressive sandstone structure built in the Mughal style. The fort is a magnificent concoction of Indian architecture and houses several alluring buildings like an audience hall, pious temples, Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman, Durga Temple, Chhinnamastika Temple, and the palace itself.
Inside the fort, you can find a museum with a collection of historical artifacts. The exhibits include vintage cars, royal palkies, an armory of swords and guns, antique clocks, and jewel-encrusted chairs.
Time your visit to Ramnagar Fort to witness the magical sunset over the Ganges River. As the sun dips below the horizon, the river and surrounding city rooftops glow with a golden hue. The experience is one that you will never forget. Also, if you are lucky enough, you might even get to participate in the Ganga Aarti, which is one of the most famous rituals of Varanasi.
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Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Another place that is worth visiting on Varanasi Tour is the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. It was built in the 16th century by the poet Goswami Tulsidas and is situated close to the Assi River. It is also known as the monkey temple and hence, visitors feed the numerous monkeys there.
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Bharat Mata Temple
India is a diverse country, and while it boasts of a myriad of cities that contribute to its rich culture, Varanasi stands as a symbol of nationalism and unity. The city is dotted with ancient ghats, local delicacies, and traditions that draw people from all around the country. However, it’s the temples here that steal the show!
Located inside the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith campus, Bharat Mata Temple is a unique temple that’s dedicated not to any deity but to our motherland. The temple is a Nepali-style structure with intricate carvings, earning it the name ‘mini Khajuraho’.
The most striking feature of the temple is its massive relief map of the undivided India that showcases the mountains, peaks, rivers, plains, and oceans in an exaggerated vertical scale. Moreover, it also depicts the heroic personalities of freedom fighters and reformers from various faiths to celebrate our country’s diversity. It was inaugurated by Rashtra Kavi Maithili Sharan Gupta, one of the famous modern Hindi poets.
