Varanasi Ghat Walk and Boat Ride Tour (0 Night / 1 Days)

Hindus have written about Varanasi, the "City of Light," in their holy books and in the very fabric of time. The Puranas say that Kashi is the oldest city still in use today. Lord Shiva built it as His permanent home. People think that the city doesn't sit on the ground but instead sits on the Trident of Shiva. This makes it a spiritual oasis that stays the same even when the universe ends (Pralaya). The story of the Ganges' descent is very important to Kashi's holiness. When King Bhagiratha brought the holy river to earth, Lord Shiva used His matted hair to break her fall and protect the world from her power. People believe that taking a dip in these holy waters in Varanasi today will wash away the Karmic debts of many lifetimes.

The city's 84 ghats are like living stairs to the divine, each with its own religious history. The Manikarnika Ghat is thought to be one of the most powerful places on earth. It is said that Lord Vishnu did penance there for thousands of years and that Lord Shiva whispers the Taraka Mantra into the ears of the dead to give them immediate Moksha (liberation). The Dashashwamedh Ghat, on the other hand, is a very powerful Vedic site because it is where Lord Brahma did the Ten-Ashvamedha Yagna. People in Kashi don't fear the cycle of life and death; they celebrate it as a step toward Shiva's eternal light.