Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Varanasi & Saranath

I attended a training programme at our Staff college,Lucknow from 6 to 18,June 2005. During the training, everybody planned to visit a tourist place 'Khajuraho', famous for temples with erotic sculptures. However, that was cancelled in the last minute as it is too far & hectic time schedule. Then I decided to visit Varanasi (holy city for Hindus) & Saranath (Budhist piligrimage centre) which are 270 KM from Lucknow. Sufficient time was there to start on Saturday afternoon and return back on Monday morning , so that I could spend entire sunday at Varanasi. I went alone as some of my collegues already visited that place & some worried about the high summer temperature & some unable to recover from disappoinment as missing 'Khajuraho' trip (disappointed for missing to view erotic art?)

I took a bus from Charbagh Depot. It took around eight hours to reach Varanasi & I spent the night in a hotel. The next day early morning, the receiptionist arranged a guide to visit the important places around. We started at 7 AM and reached banks of river Ganges. There are so many ghats and all were crowded and appeared a bit dirty with flowers, leaves, garlands etc. The guide bargained with a boat owner so that we could reach other side of the river to take bath ( holy dip in water?). After the bath, the boat fellow rowed along the banks explaining about historical importance of each ghat. I was a bit scared by looking at one ghat where creamations take place. I also saw some beautiful ghats with submerged temples, where kids are diving into water from the top.


After getting down from the boat, we took breakfast and later went to the famous Golden temple of Viswanath. As I am not a much religious person, I saw the temple from outside only. Then I did shopping to buy some silk sarees.


We hired an autorikshaw to visit Saranath and other important places. Saranath is around 20 KM from Varanasi. The summer temperature was high, hot winds blowing and the road was not so good. After reaching Saranath, first we went to the museum. It was excellent and I could see the famous Ashoka pillar there. Then we went to deer park & excavation sites.


Then we went to BHU (Banarus Hindu university campus), saw all administrative buildings, and some temples and returned back to the hotel at 4PM.


I left Varanasi at 10 PM by catching the last train to Lucknow.The train was so crowded & I travelled most of the journey by sitting down only. But I enjoyed the time by talking to different people, taking Tea & snacks. Finally ,I reached Lucknow in the early morning.


At the end,I was a happy person to visit almost all the places in Varanasi in the shortest possible time, otherwise not possible when coming with a group of people. I am already thinking about the place going to visit next..?


1. people say that there are around 365 ghats,each one built by a seperate King.







2. Travelled to other side of the river. Less crowds were there & I could take bath and spend some time leisurly.





3.Travelling on the boat.





4. The temple known as 'Birla Temple' in the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU)





5.The buiding in the background is Saranath museum. Famous for Ashoka Pillar with 4 Lions appearing on Indian currency. Touch screens are provided for the visitors to view the details in different languages viz. English, French, Germany, Hindi,..








6. Deer park,which contains the tree under which Bodhisatv got enlightenment to become Lord Budha.





7.Excavated structures of Saranath






8. Saranath Pillar






9. Near the entrance of Saranath

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