So maybe you feel like we are giving you the short end of the stick by not telling all the great things you will experience on the explorations… yeah we felt bad about it too… ok, not really, but in case you were wondering what is exactly in store for you we put all the expanded info here. swagatum and enjoy!
Historical Walk 1: Southern Temples, Ponds & Poets A walk through the mystical landscape of poets, sacred temples, holy ponds near Tulsi & Assi ghat, the southernmost embankments of the holy Ganga river. Walk in the footsteps of 16th century Banaras poet and mystic Pandit Tulsidas who was the author of the Ram Charit Manas, the sacred Ramanyana in Hindi. You will hear about the history and special culture of Varanasi while visiting the Southern temple established by him and give homage at the hidden location of his wooden sandals! The walk ends with a special darshan, meaning ‘taking sight’ of a hidden pond that has been around since Vedic times. Maybe you too will get the urge to write some sacred verse on the riverside after the walk! Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Historical Walk 2: The Bengali Tola Riverside Walk Winding through the streets and popping out onto the riverside will give you an insiders look at the symbiotic life of the riverside people of Varanasi. Eventually you will end up on Bengali Tola, the street of the Bengalis, visiting a hidden Mother Goddess Kali shrine and the vista views of life along the riverside. The tour ends at the historic ritual bathing site called Dasashwamedh, the ten-horse sacrifice ghat. Bengali’s have emigrated to Varanasi for hundreds of years and eventually a settlement of riverside priests and shopkeepers sprung up. They are immortalised in the Academy Award winning filmaker Satyajit Ray’s Apu Sansar (The World of Apu). With few changes in these historic lanes over the years you too may slip into the world of Apu! Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Historical Walk 3: Kashi the City of Light Beginning at the cosmic centre of Kashi, the city of light, you will get familiar with rite and ritual by exploring ancient pathways to the temples and mosques of Hindus & Muslims as well as observe the age old cremation rituals of Manikarnika, the burning ghat. The highlight is Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Mandir which is said to hold the first of the jyotirlingas, the sacred shafts of light that self emanated from the earth. How many know that this temple has been rebuilt not just once but three times in different locations, two of which have mosques perched on top! Come seek the original foundations of the city of light as we wind our through the place Shiva hold court! Please bring your passport to enter the main temple. Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Historical Walk 4: Northern Bazaars & Hidden Alleys Few tourists ever wind there way through the bazaars in the Northern gullis of the old city where you will find hidden alleys leading directly through the sacred zone of Banaras to the oldest buildings of the city. As you enter the lanes of the Northern part of the city you will get to peep inside the shops, temples and lives of people who have never left their street for years. Eventually we find ourselves in the least traversed part of the city and riverside where the great Kabir himself wrote poetry, where Tulsidas wrote his second book Vinay Patrika (the first was the Ramayana) and the wholesale silk market. These bazaars have so many twists and turns even we get confused, but that is what makes it so great so come get lost with us! Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Boat Journey 1: Subah-e-Banaras Get up at the crack of dawn with us on an early sunrise morning boat ride up the sacred Ganga river. Morning are called Subah-e-Banaras in local lingo and as the sun rises you will see the pious pilrims and locals who flock to the riverside for worship and hear about the interesting history of the ghats and their patronage by the Maharaja’s who built them. Along the way you will be filled with insider stories that end with a short walking tour around a hidden sun temple. You will come away refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Boat Journey 2: Ganga’s Aarti Catch an early evening boat ride with us experiencing the mystical worship of the river with sacred oil lamps, called Ganga Aarti, and hear about the rituals that have been used for centuries inside temples and in shrines along the river. The magical quality of the evening is showcased with a trip to the eerie cremation grounds of Manikarnika, which burn 24 hours a day. We will take a short walk around the area where you will hear the legends of the creation of the world and will see the 5000 year old flame which Shiva himself is supposed to have lit upon entering the city. Perhaps we will even catch a glimpse of the Aghori’s, black cloaked holymen who sit near the funeral pyres! Rs. 1200/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1000/- per person (3-5) Rs. 800/- per person (6-8)
Boat Journey 3 - Ram’s Lila & Maharajah Palace Tour Ram’s Lila will introduce you to Ram Nagar which is across the river from Varanasi. For centuries the Maharaja of Varanasi, called the Kashi Naresh, a living deity to the denizens of Kashi, who inaugurates the yearly Ram Lila, or play based on Tulsidas’s Ramayana. Check out the slightly musty collection of interesting artifacts in the Palace Museum, including historic motor cars from other countries after a visit to the most beautiful temple in the Varanasi region. The area surrounding the Fort Palace is teeming with interesting people and stories, so we will trek around the exterior and have a look at the king’s special bathing ghat and take in life on the other side of Varanasi. Our boat will be waiting for us and you can soak in the things that you haveexperienced as we traverse back to the holy city. Rs. 1500/- per person (1-2) Rs. 1200/- per person (3-5) Rs. 1000/- per person (6-8)
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Jai
