Have you ever had the experience of walking down the streets of a city that has remained inhabited for the last 3000 years? Have you ever felt the excitement of exploring a city that has a deep rooted mythological past ingrained in its everyday living?
If you have not and want to then Varanasi is the city that you have to visit. It happens to be one of the oldest cities in the country and also one of the most holy ones. People from far and near travel to this place either for pilgrimage or simply to feel the spirit of Varanasi! One of the greatest advantages of this place is that when you search for a hotel Varanasi you will be spoilt for choices. And on top of that if you decide to visit during the off-season months, you will get some really exciting discounts!
What makes Varanasi so appealing?
You must be wondering, what it is that makes Varanasi so charming and such a popular tourist destination! Well, Varanasi has a very rich past interspersed with mythological events that add to the overall mystery of the place. There are a number of stories that are attached with the origin of Varanasi, which makes it such a popular tourist destination and pilgrimage site. Let’s take a look at some of them:
- It is believed in Hindu mythology that the mighty river Ganga had its origin from the tresses of Shiva. It is said that Varanasi was the earthly abode of Shiva and Parvati. They used to reside here and hence we have the Vishwanath Temple here, which is considered to very auspicious. People come here, pray to Shiva and make a wish and once their wish is fulfilled they come back here again to pay their respects to the God for granting their wish.
- The story of the origin of Varanasi is a rather interesting one. There are many puranas in the Hindu mythology. Of the many puranas, the Vamana Purana states that two rivers- Varuna and Assi, which were the two tributaries of the Ganga originated from the primordial being. There was a piece of land situated in between the confluence of these two rivers where human settlement flourished and this land came to be known as Varanasi, one of the most holy pilgrimages in the world for the Hindus!
- Various ancient texts have the mention of Varanasi in them like the Upanishads and the Vedas. Varanasi has been acknowledged by various names of which the most popular one was Kashi.
- When you search for five star hotels in Varanasi, make sure you go for a boat ride arranged by them and visit the Manikarnika Ghat. It is believed that a Hindu who is cremated here attains freedom from the life and death cycle.
- Varanasi has also been mentioned in the Mahabharata as one of the places that the Pandavas had visited on their final journey in order to atone their sins.
Such a mythological place deserves to be explored at least once. So, what are you waiting for? Start packing your bags today!
