Visiting Varanasi, Consider this list of do and don’ts in Varanasi. Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. It holds the most amazing stories and the most mesmerizing aura. You must visit Varanasi to experience life-altering phenomena and the grandeur of the city itself.

Top Things You must do in Varanasi

Witness the World Famous Ganga Aarti on Dashawamedh Ghat

Near the holy river, Ganga one can find Everyday evening Ganga Aarti offerings and prayers for its life-sustaining powers. Where silk-clad young priests will be involved in the Ganga Aarti ceremony, worship and harmonious dance ritual. It is very enchanting to see them perform the ceremony. It is a must once you must visit the city. If possible sit on a boat and enjoy the whole experience.

Wake Up with the City at Sunrise

the sun rises from the other side of the river and the view is mesmerizing. You can see how dedicated this city is towards its morning as they start fresh.

You will find people meditating and doing yoga on the banks of the river. Many people start their day by taking a dip in the holy river early in the morning. It will always make your mind fresh and so, of course, this should be on your to-do list. Here you can enjoy Subah-e-Banaras in Assi Ghat, where you can start your day with some Indian Classical Music.

Visit the various Temples

Varanasi is called as “The City of Gods” because Various temples are rooted in the city. Visit the temples and learn about their stories and how they affect the people of Varanasi. Do be sure to visit Kashi Vishwanath Mandir (the God of the Universe), Kaal Bhairav (God of Time), Sankat Mochan (the Monkey Temple) and several others if you are interested in either religion or architecture.

Try out the Street Food and the Cafes

the city is always full of tourists and we have lots of cafes and restaurants. The cafes have their ambience and they are a must-try. The good ones are mostly Bengali Tola and Assi. You can also try out street foods if you want. Kachori-sabzi and jalebi is the famous breakfast you can have here and in the evening you can try out the chaats and bati-chokha (from the Indian cuisine).

Drink the famous Lassi and Malaiyo

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as you travel through the city you will find many cows. We worship them as our mothers as they give us milk. Milk is a big diet for the residents of this city and many products are made out of it. You should try the Lassi and Malaiyo to understand what they are all talking about.

Take a Walk Through the Markets

at the heart of the city, you will find the main markets. They sell clothes, antiques, famous Banarasi sarees, handicrafts, items of worship and so many more things. Starting from Bengali Tola to the lanes of Vishwanath Mandir you can find the busy markets through the tiny lanes. Even if you are not interested in buying anything you will still find the walk worth a trip.

Walk Along the Banks of the River

the city runs parallel to the river and you can cover the whole length just by walking on the banks of the river. It will not take more than an hour to complete one trip if you do not stop for tea. This walk is quite refreshing as you find so many things to raise your curiosity level. You will see how people use the river; some take baths, some wash their clothes, some are just swimming, some are carrying out rituals, some rowing boats and earning, and some go beyond life and death (experience this at the cremation ghats). You can learn much about the city and life as well when you take this walk.

Go on a Boat Ride to the other side of the River

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when you get a bit tired of too many people in the city take a ride on the boat on the river and go to the other side of it. Enjoy the calmness, sit on the sand, and dip your legs in the water. Treat yourself to freshly grown vegetables like cucumber, watermelon, and others. Enjoy a horse ride or a camel ride if you want. But mostly see all of Varanasi ghats and enjoy the peacefulness.

Visit Sarnath and Ramnagar

visit Sarnath which is on the outskirts of the city. The place is known for Buddhism as Gautam Buddha preached his very first sermons to his five disciples. You can visit the temples, stupas, monasteries, museums and the deer garden.

Ramnagar is the City of Kings, which is located on the other side of the river. Visit the Ramnagar Fort, a part of which is open to tourists and has been preserved as a museum for the belongings of the previous kings.

Visit nearby picnic spots

visit Chandauli for the two waterfalls- Rajdari and Devdari waterfalls. You can also visit Windam Falls in Mirzapur for a picnic. You can visit Chunar for ceramic works on a day trip.

Try out yoga and Meditation

if you are a yogi yourself try it out by the Ganga Ghats. If you are not, and interested you can join the Subah-e-Banaras yoga session (it’s free) at Assi Ghat. If you want an extensive session, go for the yoga and meditation classes.

Visit the University if you are missing greens

the city is crowded and can be overwhelming, so take a ride through the campus of Banaras Hindu University. The campus is lined with trees and the air is fresh enough to cleanse your lungs. Visit New Birla Temple at the centre of the campus, try out tea and snacks or go for the cold coffee with ice cream that all the university students opt for. You can also visit Bharat Kala Bhavan, the art gallery on campus.

Attend the Festivals

India is famous for its festivals. We celebrate something or the other every month of the year. Festivals like Holi and Diwali are celebrated here along with some which are only specific to this city. On Mahashivratri we celebrate Dhrupad Mela which is an Indian classical music festival held for three days. Dev Diwali is celebrated ten days after Diwali and is a festival where all the banks along the river are lined with lamps and the sight is captivating (also the crowd). Join the Ganga Mahotsav, a festival to celebrate the holy river Ganga with music, dance, and recitals.

There are a lot more things to do once you decide to stay in the city longer. And yes the city keeps calling you back! You will always have a longing to return once you experience the true magic of Varanasi.

the doing List is incomplete without the don’ts do list in, now find the list here, you must not do in Varanasi

Things you must not do in Varanasi

Don’t be messing with bulls

one of not to do in Varanasi is to don’t mess with the bull. Varanasi is the city of Shiva. And Nandis rule the roost here. Bulls are often seen everywhere here. albeit a bull sits right ahead of you or stands within the middle of a busy road blocking your path and refusing to budge, you’re not alleged to hit it. Residents here consider bulls to be a logo of Shiva and treat them with the utmost respect. Outsiders should remember this.

Don’t be in a hurry in Varanasi

The city features a pace of its own. Right from the rickshaw pullers here to shopkeepers to sweetmeat makers to people in the street, nobody ever seems to be in a hurry. and that they don’t love it when advised on this by outsiders. Better hamper and follow the city’s languid pace rather than expect it to follow yours.

Do not slight the Ganga

The Ganga has more sentimental value for the residents here than simply religion. One should never show disrespect to the holy river. Its numerous ghats have a charm of their own. While these are ideal places to strike up an off-the-cuff conversation with strangers. The visitors must not be alleged to drink here. Any public display of affection, urinating within the open here or drunken antics might land you in trouble here.

Do not say no to Kachauries

Banaras are legendary for their food. The lassi, tea, and sweets here are famous. However, what occupies the soul of the town is its famous Kachauri. A typical Banarasi breakfast comprises stuffed Kachauris crazy an assortment of vegetables, laddus and pickles. those sold on the ghats and near the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple are pretty good. you ought to never say no when somebody offers you Kachauris here. Otherwise, it hurts them foremost.

Do not do avoiding Paan

Varanasi is legendary for its embroidered silk, which may be bought anywhere in India. The case with its equally famous paan is entirely different though. What is often bought elsewhere is just a Banarasi betel leaf, the way Paanwalla prepare and folds the paan here may be a tradition unique to the traditional city. When at a paan shop, twiddling my thumbs with the flowery and time-consuming process and never ask him to form haste. The paan shops here also function as meeting joints for people to socialize and enjoys serious political discussions also as pure local gossip.

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