Places to visit in Varanasi
Being the oldest city of the world and an important Hindu
pilgrimage center, Varanasi attracts a large number of
people from all over the world. For centuries, Varanasi
is famous for spiritualism, mysticism, Indian philosophy
and Hinduism. All these are reflected in numerous sects,
temples, Ashrams and Ghats. Varanasi is associated not
only with Hinduism but also with Buddhism and Jainism.
Besides numerous temples, Varanasi also boasts of Buddhist
Stupas and Jain temples. Varanasi is also a mirror of
the age-old Indian civilization. The archaeological museum
at Sarnath houses numerous remains of the past, including
the National emblem of India, the Ashoka pillar.
Since Varanasi is mainly associated with Hinduism,
temples form the main attraction. The Ganga Ghats (river
fronts) are the main center of religious activities
and rituals and also form one of the main attractions
of Varanasi. The Alamgir Mosque, blend of the Hindu
and Mughal styles of the architecture, is another important
attraction of Varanasi. Some of the most important temples
of Varanasi are Durga temple, Vishwanath temple, Sankat
Mochan temple, Tulsi Manas temple and the Bharat Mata
temple. The Bharat Mata Temple houses a huge relief
map of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan
plateau. Other attractions of Varanasi are the Benaras
Hindu University (BHU), the Archaeological Museum, Sarnath,
Bharat Kala Bhavan and the Buddhist Stupas and temples
at Sarnath.
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar is an observatory, built by Jai Singh,
the Maharaja of Jaipur in the year 1737. Jai Singh was
a great admirer of science and technology and he was
particularly passionate about astronomy. Before the
commencement of construction (of observatories) he sent
scholars abroad to study the foreign observatories.
The emissaries returned with many manuals on astronomy.
The Jantar Mantar at Varanasi was built in line with
Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and Jaipur observatories.
The Jantar Mantar was built to measure the local time,
the Sun's declination, altitude, the declination of
stars, planets and to determine eclipses
Ramnagar Fort
The Ramnagar fort lies about 14 km. from Varanasi
and is situated on the opposite bank of river Ganga.
It is the ancestral home of the Maharaja of Banaras.
Maharaja Balwant Singh built this fort-palace in the
eighteenth century. The fort is built in red sandstone.
The Ramnagar fort has a temple and a museum within the
grounds and the temple is dedicated to Ved Vyasa, who
wrote Mahabharata, the great Indian epic. Legends have
it that Ved Vyasa stayed here for a brief period.
The Ramnagar fort houses a museum displaying the Royal
collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies,
an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique
clocks. The Durga Temple and Chhinnamastika Temple are
also Located at Ramnagar.
Bharat Kala Bhavan
Bharat Kala Bhavan, located inside the BHU
campus, is an art and architecture museum and houses
a vast collection of paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures
and other materials of archeological importance. The
Bharat Kala Bhavan was established in the year 1920
A.D. In the main hall of the Bharat Kala Bhawan, there
is a figure of a man standing on one leg and one hand
on his hip and lifting a mass of stone above his head,
with one hand. The figure is said to be of Lord Krishna,
lifting Mount Govardhana. Many images in the Bharat
Kala Bhavan confirm to the existence of Krishna cult
in Kashi in 15th and 16th century.
Bharat Kala Bhavan also has a great collection of miniature
paintings from the courts of Mughals and other Kingdoms
and principalities. Some of the important sections in
the Bharat Kala Bhavan are Mahamana Malaviya gallery,
Nicholas Roerich gallery, Chhavi (Painting Gallery),
sculpture gallery, Nidhi (Treasures) gallery, sculpture
gallery, archaeological gallery, decorative art gallery
and Banaras through ages gallery.
Banaras Hindu University
The Banaras Hindu University or BHU is an internationally
reputed University and is situated in Varanasi. The
great nationalist leader, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya,
founded the Banaras Hindu University in the year 1916.
Dr Annie Besant also played an important role in the
formation of the BHU. The Banaras Hindu University played
an important role in the Indian independence movement.
Over a period of time, it has developed into one of
the greatest centers of learning in India. The BHU has
produced many great freedom fighters and Nation builders.
It has immensely contributed to the progress of the
nation through a large number of renowned scholars,
artists and scientists.
The Banaras Hindu University has a sprawling campus,
spanning across 1300 acres. It has well maintained roads
(crossing each other at right angle), extensive greenery,
a temple, an airstrip and buildings, which are an architectural
delight. There is another campus of the Banaras Hindu
University at Barkachha, in Mirzapur district, covering
an area of 2700 acres. The BHU comprises of 3 Institutes,
14 Faculties, 124 Departments, 4 Interdisciplinary Centers
and 3 Constituent Schools, spanning a vast rang of subjects
pertaining to all branches of humanities, social sciences,
science, technology, medicine, fine arts and performing
arts.
Banaras Hindu University also has 6 centers of advanced
studies, 10 Departments under Special Assistance Programme
and a large number of specialized Research Centers.
There are four Degree Colleges in Varanasi that are
affiliated to the BHU. The Bharat Kala Bhavan, an art
and archaeological museum, is a treasure trove of rare
collections. The Banaras Hindu University also has a
medical college (Institute of Medical Sciences) and
an engineering institute (Institute of Technology).
Sir Sundar Lal Hospital (having a capacity of 927 beds)
is equipped with all the modern amenities and caters
to the medical needs of a large population. The University
also provides for a well-developed sports infrastructure.
BHU has wide range of facilities for sports and hobbies.
It has large playgrounds, a big auditorium, a flying
club and many other services and utilities like Printing
Press, Publication Cell, Fruit Preservation Center,
subsidized Canteens, Employment and information Bureau,
Security, etc.
The Banaras Hindu University consists of about 15000
students, coming from to all streams of life, castes,
religions and races. It has about 2000 teachers and
nearly 5000 non-teaching staff. Another important feature
of the BHU is the number of foreign students. A large
number of students come from the U.S.A., Europe, Asia,
Middle East, Africa, etc.
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