Best Things to do in Varanasi

Varanasi or Benaras or Banaras is the holiest city of India, situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Considered as one of the pilgrim places, Varanasi is visited by lots of devotees every year. The place is known to have the most number of temples. The holy river Ganga flows through the city, forming a number of Ghats. The ManikarnikaGhat is the most important Ghat as the death rituals are performed in here. The place shows rich diversity in its religions. One can find Muslims, Jains, Buddhists and Hindus in Varanasi and the place has the respective houses of God for each religion.
The city is also a major industrial centre. One can find handcrafted souvenirs, fabric and clothes which are famous all across the nation. The handlooms in here have given the craftsmen an opportunity to showcase their skills and earn a living. Varanasi was the foundation of the Buddhist religion. It is said that Lord Buddha founded the religion in here and attained enlighten under the famous Peepal tree. Varanasi is visited as one of the Char DhamYatra by the devotees. It is said that people who die in here go to heaven.
The evening aarti of the River Ganga on the Ghats is one of the must view things while in Varanasi. The city even has temples of Shiva and Vishnu which were built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The city has rich diversity and unity which one can sense while in here. It is the centre of the cultural and traditional aspects. Some of the famous temples in Varanasi are KashiVishwanath Temple, the SankatMochan temple and the Durga temple. Varanasi was the birth town of Tansen, one of the nine gems who used to sing in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. There are even music festivals conducted in the city on the birth date of Tansen. One can find that the city is full of art varying from dance, music, instruments, painting and much more.