Varanasi

INTRO
Many people claim that Varanasi (Benares, Kashi) is the cultural and spiritual capital of India. Maybe it is because of the river Ganges, which is believed to have divine waters and the ability to clean all sins. The river is holy for whole India, on its banks are situated many temples which make it the most sacred and religious place in Varanasi. Or maybe it is because of the fact that Varanasi is knows as the "capital of all knowledge" and centre for studying arts, yoga, music, philosophy, astrology, literature and many more. It is also said that long ago Buddha has preached his first sermon here. Facts are crystal - Varanasi (or Kashi) is of a great importance for Indian culture.

City Profile
City: Varanasi
Country: India
Area: 1,550 km2
Population: 1,371,749
Districts: 21
Mayor: Kaushalendra Singh
Language: Hindi
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LOCATION
The city is situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh, at the Eastern part of it. In more general way it is in the North India, in the middle valley of Ganges. It is elevated on 80.7 m, which makes its position higher than that of the rivers Varuna and Ganges.

TIME TO VISIT
Varanasi has a tropical climate which makes it hot and humid almost all year long. In summers the temperature rises to 45° C. June and July are the months for the monsoons, so they are very rainy. The nicest weather can be expected from October to April, when temperature dips down to about 7°C.

POPULATION
Varanasi is highly crowded, as the density of the population is 1,995/km2. There are 1,371,749 people living an area of just a 1,550 km2. The crime rate in the city is pretty high, but not higher than the national rate.

DISTRICTS
Varanasi division is an administrative unit that consists of 4 districts, as Varanasi town is the district headquarters. The other 3 are:

Chandauli - which is constituted in 1997, before it was a part of Varanasi district. It is named after its founder Chandra Sah.
Ghazipur - it is well known with its opium factory, which is the first such legal in India. There is a developed industry with perfume as well.
Jaunpur - it was a capital of the kingdom of Muslims long ago. Originally, Junpur was founded in 11th century, but it was destroyed and rebuild in 1359.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, known as the Golden Temple, is one of the oldest and most pretty temples in Varanasi with great religious value. It was once destroyed by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb who built a mosque on it, but that didn't last long. http://varanasi.nic.in/temple/KASHI.html
Durga Temple, known as the "monkey temple" is dedicated to the goddess Durga, who is believed to be the goddess of Strength and Power. It is also believed that her statue in the temple wasn't man-made but it appeared there by its own.
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple - in the name of Lord Hanuman, who is the god, who protects from troubles. It is said that if you visit the temple regularly you will gain Hanuman's special favor. http://www.geocities.com/kaalighat/sankat_mochan_hanuman_temple.htm
Ghats - usually the term refers to steps on Asian coastline or coastal mountains, but Varanasi is known for steps leading to the Ganges River. They form very picturesque view. Many of them are considered sacred places.
Jantar Mantar - it is an observatory built to measure the declination of stars, the local time, and planets and observe sun eclipses. The unique forms are very interested and they have different functions. http://www.varanasicity.com/jantar-mantar.html
Bharat Kala Bhavan - it is a museum with art and archeological items. In the main hall there is a statue of Lord Krishna, which confirms that several centuries ago there was a cult to Krishna. http://www.varanasicity.com/bharatkala-bhavan.html
Ramnagar Fort - it is a fort, situated 14 km from Varanasi. Its colour is interesting due to the fact that the fort was made from red sandstones. On the fort there is a temple and a museum, which included royal guns, cars, clocks, beds and other fascinating items. http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/india/varanasi/sightseeing-in-varanasi/ramnagar-fort,-varanasi.html

AIRPORT

Babatpur is located 22 km from Varanasi. There are regular and direct flights to and from Delhi, Calcutta, Agra, Mumbai, Luckno, Khajurao. Below are contact numbers of airlines which fly to Varanasi:
* Indian Airlines. Ph: (0542)-2502527,2502528,2502529
* SpiceJet 09871803333,18001803333 Website www.spicejet.com
* Sahara Airways (0542)-2507871,2507872

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Taxi: It is quite expensive compared to other means of travel in the city. If you use one, be aware if the driver goes by meter. There are accessible from tourist agencies and various hotels
Auto: Auto-rickshaws or tempo, they are 3-wheels vehicles with no doors. They have black top and can be seen in green or in yellow. Again, you better go by meter.
Cycle rickshaw: the most pleasant and convenient way to travel short distance. It is the cheapest way and good thing about it is that you can bargain with the driver for the price.
Buses: You will hardly see any buses for intra-city travel, most of them are for divided into two sections - for long distance and some mini-buses for short distance between cities.

HISTORY
They say that Varanasi is so old and ancient that nobody really knows who established or when did that happen. However it is known that the city was named after the two rivers floating nearby - Varuna and Assi. Varanasi also has great educational value. Since time immortal, the city has its fame as city of learning. Even today there are around 6 universities at its territory, which is an impressive number for India.

CITY LINKS

Hospitals in Varanasi: http://evaranasi.com/hospitals
The official site of Varanasi district: http://varanasi.nic.in/
Site where you can book a hotel in Varanasi: http://www.hotels-varanasi.com/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Baharas Hindu University http://varanasi.nic.in/education/bhu/bhu.htm http://www.bhu.ac.in/
Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya http://varanasi.nic.in/education/ssu/ssu.htm
Other colleges in Varanasi: http://www.indiastudycenter.com/Univ/States/UP/varanasi.asp