Varanasi, located in North India, is one of the most sacred religious cities in all of India. It’s a holy place, located next to the Ganges River. Dying in Varanasi is considered sacred, yet at the same time it’s a city where people come to celebrate life and to splash in the water of the Ganges.
In the Varanasi travel guide I’ll go over some of the top things to do in Varanasi. Unlike other huge cities like Delhi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huipm50W2bw), which boast an enormous amount of attractions to see and things to do, Varanasi is more about just being there. You don’t have to rush from place to place seeing the sights, but it’s all about hanging out either along the Ganges River or within the narrow Varanasi lanes and exploring, observing, and just watching. Spending the time just to sit and watch is one of the most rewarding things to do in Varanasi, India.
At the beginning of this video I first start the day at about 6:30 am with a leisure boat ride along the Ganges River. It’s one of the most popular things to do, and for a good reason; Seeing the bank of the Ganges River from being in the river offers a truly magical glimpse into the life and death that takes place in the morning. Fog is especially common in the winter, and the day I went the fog was thick. Along with taking a boat in the Ganges River in Varanasi, another great way to explore is just on foot along the ghats. A ghat is a series of steps which lead down to the river. They offer a nice place to walk or a place to sit and watch. There are ghats throughout Varanasi. Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main one, but there are also two burning ghats where they burn bodies as well. One day while I was walking past the smaller of the two burning ghats in Varanasi, I was able to observe a funeral taking place where they sunk a body into the bottom of the Ganges River. Along with the rituals that went along with it, it was amazing to see.
If you’re not along the river in Varanasi, the narrow ancient lanes are a great place to explore. You’ll find all sorts of stores and shops selling cloth, spices, conveniences and some food stalls as well. Varanasi desserts are particularly famous, but also try round rotis and the local paan mouth chew. Within the lanes of Varanasi you’ll also find Hindu shrines and temples like the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The line to enter the temple can be seriously long and the security is extremely tight in the area. One of the best ways to get around Varanasi, when you’re on the main roads, is by taking a bicycle rickshaw. You’ll be amazed at the places you can fit, but it’s always a fun ride. Don’t forget to stop on the side of the street to indulge is some delicious Varanasi street food while you’re at it.
Finally, no trip to Varanasi is complete without mentioning the nightly aarti puja prayer ceremony, which is a ceremony dedicated to the gods of the Ganges River. This nightly ritual includes a line of holy brahmin who all perform rituals using fire, incense, and motion to bless the night. It’s quite an event and something interested to witness.
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That's a good idea, I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the tip!
Mind blowing.
Nice to see your video love you form varanasi India ❤🙏
Har Har Mahadev 🚩🙏
bless you, Mark. you ate street food in India and lived to tell us about it? bless you indeed
varanasi is Temple city. good traveling and food trip👍💯💖😍
hope you liked varanasi mark !!
I coudnt wake up early … sitting in my hotel room in Varanasi .it's 8:00 am … watching this video
Next week I will be there …
From Malaysia….
Again visit
Lots of traveling in airlines may get you head sick really I'm not kidding.
Varanasi super super good welcome to
😊😊
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=ZSDShaiuwpg
here a link about varanasi, u can also watch & know about varanasi
Hi Mark, i see you again, i'm Vietnamese, i had come to mine. 😊
My Fav city Banarash
I keep memories of Banaras dear and closer to my heart.
a quick guide😇
Everywhere I search travel spots, Southeast Asia, India,etc. I invariably find your videos the best. Keep up the good work! Danny from Canada
the song sung by the boatman means he will meet his girl this year….incredible city and awesome video.
Have you Visited Mumbai or not !!!
sir,can i get a chance to travel the food world with you!
please accept it sir
Sarnath is a ancient buddhist sites, just 15 km from Varanasi
Such a dirty disgusting place. My worst nightmare really
hey i know Pankaj !!!!! met him in my visit!! nice video mark!!!
true our country is beautiful spiritual magnificent but we are so far away from maintaining it's true form… the hygiene part especially… I find people just sooo careless about the environment… I'm an Indian…really proud of my motherland but it really upsets me by the way most of the people spoil this land…
I also live in India but not in varanasi.
Mark you are the best glad you made it to india the beautiful food the temples and the people i love india being there and all around oh i miss it so much thanks again for the lovely video !! best .
never eat from street vendors… so dirty… hope you didnt get too sick
Hi Mark.. Quick question.. I have been told the street food is a no go.. due to the hygiene.. I see you eating at these stalls.. Did you experience any stomach upsets.. and any recommendations to minimise these risks?? Thanks, D.
Travel to India? no, thanks! I already smell dead bodies from this clip.
mark if I ever make it to india, is there city parts that are less crowded, less traffic, not so loud? mumbi , deli, new deli, is it all so many people, crwods and razey traffic? ( besides the country) a guess a more modern clean organized parts of a city?
You're awesome.
Varanasi
Take care of yourselves, whoever is going to travel.
by the way with no offense and great respect you really need to pronounce "ghat" correctly in later videos ha ha :p
nice video 🙂 thank you ..
Awesome
Thumbs up
Jesus I'm surprised you were okay taking a video of the funeral. Did you ask in advance? I took a picture of one yesterday and got screamed at by I don't know how many people. Was my first day in Varanasi so I didn't yet know not to, but damn I'm surprised you were okay
We are going to Varanasi latter this year do you know any cheap well run places to stay. Oh your video was great. Derek
that was cool whats your name aaa // mark oo poncatch