Varanasi
Varanasi or Benaras or Kashi, also famous as Spiritual Capital of India, is situated on the banks of sacred river Ganga. Varanasi in north India is the most sacred city for Hindus as being the epicenter of Hinduism in India. It is the oldest inhabited city in the world and the greatest center of spirituality in India. Millions of Hindu pilgrims come to Varanasi to bathe in holy river Ganges and to be cremated at the banks of the river.
It is believed that bathing in the Ganges River’s sacred water, cleans all the sins of the life. It is also believed that if a Hindu is cremated in Varanasi and his ashes are flown into the Ganges, it breaks the cycle of death and birth and attains salvation. So Varanasi is a city which is between life and death – The Last Stop before Nirvana or Moksha.
Varanasi is a magical city and experiences keep changing from sun-rise to sun-set. Sacred cows on the streets, people bathing on the ghats, Hindu rituals before and after the death, Sadhus and Yogis, narrow winding streets with temples make Varanasi a city of Hundreds of Experiences.
Sarnath near Varanasi is another important small place where Buddha have his first sermon after enlightenment and founded Buddhism. Hundreds of Buddhist monks can be seen here living and worshiping in monasteries at Sarnath.
People spend many days in Varanasi starting their day with Subah-E-Benaras (Morning of Varanasi) on the ghats of Ganges where hundreds of commons start their day with Yoga and listening chanting of holy mantras, Sadhus and Yogis performing Yajnas to receive spiritual powers and finally Evening Arti (worshiping mother Ganges) in evening when entire atmosphere fills with spirituality amid the fragrance of incense sticks, burning lamps and ringing bells.
So come to Varanasi to understand and live the philosophical mythology of Hinduism where there is a life after present life.