Varanasi, India - Travel Guide and Top Things To Do

video description

Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

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 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
Date: 2019-08-19

← Best in Bangkok - EPIC Tom Yum Goong Noodles at P'Aor )

Lip-Licking Royal Thai Food at Bangkok's Krua OV ( OV) →

Related videos

How New Orleans’ Best Gumbo is Made - Made to Order - Bon Appétit

• Bon Appétit

I Ate Kurdish Street Food in Kurdistan! (7000 Years of History)

• Mark Wiens

If you have flour & a potato, you have a meal

• Simply Mama Cooks

Why peanut allergies are plummeting

• Adam Ragusea

Easy Cured Egg Yolks 3 Ways - Hot Honey - Chili Crisp - Garlic Butter - Food Wishes

• Food Wishes

This LAZY Crispy Fried Chicken Only Takes Minutes!

• Simply Mama Cooks

Comments and reviews: 10

Fun on Air
+Aldrin Limos, Dear friend we don't put dead bodies in river we only put ash in the river which is left after burning the body, Th Hindus believe that the body is made up ofthe five elements of nature and as a practice, return the body to the five elements it wascomposed of. This is the reason why Hindusburn the body and we scatter ash in the river because Ganga is considered as a holy river in india, Itcame from heaven to earth. By scatteringashes in ganga we assure re-birth of thedecreased one. As it provide mukti from thesins of this birth (janam.
reply

Emma Applegate
Mark's wife, (what is your name, I'd like to give you credit for doing a fantastic job of capturing the scenery, mood (somber, and daily life of the oldest and holiest of city in India, along the banks of the Ganges. I, too, felt the spiritual importance of this place to its people and the rhythm of life played out everyday, as exemplified by the gentle rowing of the oarsman. And I see our roasted dumpling friend again. Snacks look so healthy. Thank you, the both of you. Well done.
reply

T 1234
amazing i enjoyed a lot. keep it up; ) im from sri lanka, and enjoyed the videos about sri lanka a lot. btw, is there anyone holding the camera for you, or you just set the camera in a tripod and talk (ex. when eating kottu and roti in galle face, sri lanka)? next thing is, what is the video camera that you use? videos look nice and clear, and i am looking to buy a good one for my tours. great work. keep it up; )
reply

Mark Wiens
Thank you very very much - I'm really glad you enjoyed this video. I had a really amazing time visiting Varanasi, truly a place like no other that I've ever visited. Ok, I would love to go back to Manila. When I was there about 4 years ago, it was before I even knew what a video camera was Thanks again, and I hope to go to the Philippines again.
reply

Lakshmi S Nair
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.
reply

Baker kabunga
Hay Mark love the vid. How do you find the people in Varanasi? i'm a photographer and want to go out there next year for pics of the holy men. do you think it is a trip that i could make on my own? did you go out there in a group or just back packed your way round? any advise would be great.
reply

TheSpritz0
HANDS DOWN the BEST video I've ever seen you do MARK And you have some absolutely amazing videos, in almost all areas of SouthEast Asia. about the only area I'd like you to travel and report back on is MANILA PHILIPPINES- you'd make an incredible TRAVEL GUIDE there
reply

vacationboyvideos
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?
reply

Chip Mok
Mark & Ying: Thank you for sharing this excellent video. Learnt quite a bit. Hop to see you all in Bangkok one of these days. Mark, this is your friend MK from USA. You are about 1500 miles away from me at this time. Am also enjoying my SE Asian sojourn: )---MK
reply

David Mankel
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.
reply

Add a review, comment