Varanasi Online

There are probably very few street corners in Varanasi, where you wouldn't find a temple dedicated to one of the Hindu deities. Often referred as the city of temples, Varanasi is home to some very revered temples that were built centuries ago. In general, the older the temple, the larger is the number of devotees who throng there. Every temple has its own history and each one of these temples is renowned for a specific effect it will have on your life if you were to pay a visit. Here is a list of some of the most revered and most visited temples in Varanasi. 1) Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Originally built in 1776 by Maharani Ahilya Devi of Indore, the towers of the temple were gold plated by the...

  Charity to ISKCON Your Life-Time Opportunity Most beneficial to your own self in the service of God Shri Krishna (God) owns everything. There is nobody equal to, let alone greater then Shri Krishna in all the three worlds since time immemorial. Shri Krishna does not need anything from you. If you give to Shri Krishna, then it is to your own merit. People want to see God. But you should do something that God sees you. There are millions of devotees throughout the world who are already giving all their lives and efforts and resources to Shri Krishna consciousness. But, if you give anything to Shri Krishna consciousness (God consciousness), then it is the best thing that you could do for your own...

The historic and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati Hill. The temple of Sri Venkateswara fondly known as Balaji temple has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The benefits acquired by a pilgrimage to Tirupathi Balaji are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Sri Venkateswara is described as the great bestower of boons. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala. According to the tradition this temple has a self manifested idol of Vishnu and it is believed that Vishnu will reside on earth for the entire kaliyugam on tirumala hills. For this reason it attracts Hindus from...

Amritsar Translated as "holy nectar", Amritsar is the home to the Sikh Religion and now the tourist, travel and flight gateway to Punjab, India. Amritsar is now well connected and the best way to arrive is either by train from Delhi or on the many cheap Amritsar Flights from Delhi, Birmingham or London. The airlines are Jet Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways and Air India. At the heart of Amritsar City is the Sri Harmandir Sahib, also know as the Golden Temple in Amritsar - the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion. Also known as the Sri Darbar Shaib, it is in the center of the old part of Amritsar. The Golden Temple sits on a rectangular platform, surrounded by a pool of water called...

Welcome to amazing India, where you can see several cultures and tradition magnificence enthralls and diversity delights. India has amazing landscapes, superb historical sites and royal cities, foggy mountain retreats, colorful people, wealthy cultures and festivities that are always attract tourist from the nook and corner of the world. If you wish to explore the abundant beauty of nature then there are also many other a number of Destinations in India such as Mysore, Karnataka, Agra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa etc which are also the famous for the heritage and cultural beauty. All these destinations are the preferred destination of nature lovers, honeymooners, travelers...

Why is Ganesha always the first God invoked in all religious ceremonies? Vakratunda Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha Nirvighnam Kurumeydeva Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada Vakratunda : Lord with Curved Trunk Mahakaya: Large Bodied Surya Koti: Million Suns Samaprabha: With The Brilliance Of Nirvighnam: Free Of Obstacles Kuru: Make Mey: My Deva: O Lord Sarva Karyeshu: All Work Sarvada: Always "O Lord Ganesha of Large Body, Curved Trunk, With the Brilliance of a Million Suns, Make All My Work Free Of Obstacles, Always." Ganesha is revered as the son of the Universal parents Shiva and Parvati, and is always honored first in most worship services and rituals. All ceremonies, religious or secular, begin with an...

ified as the edifying city in India, Varanasi is well-known for its sacred and divine standard of living. The municipality is legendary because it is deemed as a sanctified area for devotees. it is also identified as the antiquated accessible municipality, and the town has served as a soundless witness to many enormous undertakings. The name of the city has its source, perhaps from the forenames of the two streams, Varuna and Assi because of the flowing together of Varuna with the Ganges River being to its north and that of Assi and the Ganges to its south. The region is adjacent to the coasts and it is extremely crowded and has rigid indirect roads that are bounded by pavement stores and several...

Varanasi is a city, which can be very well referred as a landmark among all the Hindu pilgrimage. The city comprises mythical origin and believed to be founded by Lord Siva. It has a close connection with Hindu religion and therefore considered as the greatest pilgrimage by the Hindus. Every year bulk of tourist visit this city in order to gain holiness and have all their sins removed by the grace of the almighty God and a dip in the holy Ganges. The innumerable Ghats and alleys of this old city provide it a mystic charm, which is indeed hard to be ignored and soon takes everyone within its enfold and capture their mind with the overwhelming mysticism blended with spirituality. There are countless...

Tirupati Balaji is accredited for being the most visited pilgrimages centers in India. It is located at the distance of 67 km away from Chittoor in Chittoor district of southern Andhra Pradesh and 170 km north east of Chennai. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara or Vishnu, visited by thousands of pilgrims through out the year. The word 'Tirupati' is derived on the name of the village located on the Venkata Hill means 'the Lord of Lakshmi'. With its many shrines and numerous dharamshalas the whole are surrounding the Tirumala Hill offers a fascinating insight of the contemporary Hinduism practiced on the large scale in India. History of Tirupati Temple : The history of Tirupati temple dates...

"> Built in 1936 by Ghandian devotee Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt, the Bharat Mata Temple is a monumental testament to a diverse nation's unified identity as one India. Located in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus grounds, the premises also look over the sacred ghats of Varanasi with stunning views over the Ganges. The concept of a shrine to celebrate Mother India came to Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt and his associate Shri Durga Prasad Khatri when they noticed Varanasi's illustrious repertoire of Hindu temples and mosques devoted to various religions and philosophies with their devotees belonging to equally diverse sections of the population. This motivated the Ghandian followers to build a temple in...

Varanasi, commonly known as Benaras, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The city is mainly famous for its connection with the Hindu religion. Varanasi is a land boasting of countless temples and numerous Ghats. Varanasi stands on the bank of the holy Ganges and this add up a great deal to its holiness, transforming it into one of the biggest pilgrimage of the Hindus. Varanasi is the place, which begets spirituality and has the capacity to induce a feel of God in the mind of the greatest Atheist. The city of Varanasi, although draped in a cloud of shabby antiquity but a walk through the quaint ‘gullis’ (by lanes) of Kasi, the original name of Varanasi will set one amidst such a tranquility...

India is a continent of mind-boggling landscape, vibrant sea-shores and green glitzy hillocks. This seventh largest country (by geographical area) represents a variety of people with different lingual status and places. Each places is embellished with the unique culture and heritage, offering a wide range of entertainment to the visitors. Interestingly, the rural location in India constitute about 70 % of the total population. Each area symbolizes the in dept beauty, laid down my Mother Nature and a bit by our ancestors. Unlike exploring the urban beauty, a rural travel to India presents the brilliant fusion of archaic beliefs with modern inventions. Lets take a snippet from India travel guide and...

Tirupati Balaji Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara and is located in Andhra Pradesh, one of the states of South India. It is one of the richest pilgrimage place in the world and is located at a distance of 67 km from Chittoor city in Chittoor district. The ancient temple of Lord Venkateshwara is located on the seventh peak called Venkata Hill, in Tirupati-Tirumala. Devotees from various parts of India and abroad flock Tirupati temple to pay obeisance. Main deity of the temple is known by a number of names like Balaji, Venkateshwara, Perumal, Srinivasa and Venkatachalpathy. According to legends, it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi, who is also known by the name of Sri, resides on the chest of...

India is one of the most beautiful countries on earth and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. Among all the places, north India travel destinations have always been a hot favorite amongst the tourists. North India by its immense geographical beauty and historical legacy is one of the most sought after destinations in India. If you are planning for a tour to India you must be aware of the various travel destinations. Right from the chilling Himalayas to the warm desert, showcases variety in landscapes and seasons. To define it clearly lets categorize the various north India travel destinations. Forts and monuments of north India: Agra: Anguri bagh, Macchi Bhawan, Mariam Tomb...

Two very different events, one originating in India and the other in Europe - and both of which could be described as 'celebrations of light' - are now held in Britain every year between mid-October and early December. The occurrence of these events is one indication of the multi-cultural nature of modern British life. One is Diwali, the Hindu festival, and the other is the traditional Swedish 'Lucia Day'. Diwali - the Festival of Lights - is the most popular Hindu religious festival, although it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains. Diwali is the third day of the 5-day celebration that marks the Hindu New Year. Because Diwali is a date in the Hindu calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle, the...

Dear GBC members, please accept my humble obeisances. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my genuine gratitude for all you have done and are still doing for our beloved Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya's Sankirtana mission. To assist you and Srila Prabhupada, I'd like to offer my humble contribution to the improvement of the efficiency of our ISKCON society by submitting to you this letter, which is based on my study of successful societies, communities and companies. Therefore, I am offering here the leadership model that would tremendously improve performance of all ISKCON programmes and of course – relationships, on which everything else is based. At present, we have so many...

Where is Shirdi? In the central state of Maharashtra on the Indian subcontinent lies the small village of Shirdi some 200 miles east of Mumbai (Bombay) and 130 miles north of Pune. It is a rather dry dusty region on a plateau several hundred feet above sea level. The elevation gives it a more even and stable climate than many places on the lower plains. In the Rahata Taluka of Ahmednagar District, Shirdi is home to about 22,000 people and is the pilgrimage destination of a further eight to ten million a year. It is said to be the most frequented place of pilgrimage in India after Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. And why do people come to this dusty rural corner of India in such vast numbers? To seek the...

‘Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together…’-Mark Twain. Sitting atop the trident of Lord Shiva , the Kashi, the luminous one, is the place where the eternal light of Shiva intersects the earth. The city of Shiva, the Mahashmashaana, the sacred circle of all Gods, city of Moksha- a place teeming with people, yet there is place for everyone. A civilization that historians have termed as one older than history, yet startles you when you come across its modern face By virtue of being the oldest living city, Benaras has its own rich history, tradition and treasure of music. According to mythology, when Renu, son...

Travel Varanasi - Home to the Kashi Viswanth temple located in the Northeast part of India in the state of Utter Pradesh. It is a crowdy place - the human traffic that can be quite discouraging, travelers mostly use hired Rickshaw or Auto to avoid the hassle of transportation. Varanasi, the "Pool of Nectar" derived its name from Ganga, the holy tank that surrounds the wonderful Kashi Temple. The Temple, also known as Kashi Viswanth was initiated by the Koshal Naresh. The Temple in Varanasi is not only visited by the local people but sea the temple for other country s around the world but also a large number of tourists visit Varanasi to have a look at the wonderful structure of the Temple. Tourists...

This is one of the most visited religious place in India and is a must see part of the religious tourism in India. Katra the base station fro going to Vaishno Devi is located about 50 Kilometers from Jammu the last broad gauge station of Indian Railways in North India. The temple is further located 13 kilometers from Katra and is approachable by road only. Devotees offload their luggage in Katra and just carry the necessary items for this trek. For a normal adult it takes about 6 hours to reach the temple from Katra. Due to formation of trust many years back the facilities have considerably improved enroots and at the temple premises. The whole path is well laid out with ample lighting at Night...

Varanasi being a temple city has quite a number of good hotels to cater to both the local and the international tourists alike. There are quite a number of tourist operators who arrange for packages which range from a leisure one to a pilgrimage package. Most of the travel packages to Varanasi include a must-visit to the most important Durga Temple located in the heart of the city. The hotels are all well equipped and provide the best of facilities for you. Now let us have a look at the packages that are on offer. Hotel Clarks is one of the good hotels which offer special travel packages to Varanasi. The package is for 2 nights which includes a stay at a deluxe room with breakfast and is also...

Nainital is a glittering jewel of All India travel tours which is famous for its serene and scenic beauty of Himalayan vistas. Composition of serene and charming natural beauty make this place a renowned hill resort of India which is visited by scores of foreign tourists during their India travel. This mesmerizing destination is located at an altitude of 1,938 meters above sea level which derives its name from the Naini Lake, one of the 64 Shakti Peethas in India. According to Indian mythology it is the spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell down after which it came to be called as Nain-tal or lake of the eye. Some of the well known attractions of this place are: Naini Lake: It is a natural...

Admission process starts with filling up the admission form, offered by SMS Varanasi. Admissions are provided on the basis of merit among applicants. This merit is judged on the basis of percentile in CAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA and followed by group discussion and personal interview. CAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA Applicants need to fill SMS application form, which can be obtained from SMS campus / city office or from the Centers of Career Launcher/PT Education/IMS Learning Resources across India on payment of Rs. 1000(Cash) or by sending a DD of Rs. 1050 in favour of "School of Management Sciences" payable at Varanasi. Course Objective: To prepare dynamic managers equipped with understanding of the cross-cultural...

Varanasi, India is to Hindus what Jerusalem is to Jews and Christians and Mecca is to Muslims. It is the holiest city in Hinduism and has been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years. The city is presided over by the god Shiva, and rests on the banks of the Ganges River. At the edge of the Ganges River in town, there are steps leading down into the water called ghats. Pilgrims can sit on the ghats and bathe in the holy water of the Ganges. Bathing in the river's waters is believed to result in the remission of sins and helps you escape the cycle of rebirth. One of the most notable ghats is the Desashvamedh Ghat, which legends says is the place where Shiva sacrificed ten horses. Aside from the...

Earlier known as kasi, Varanasi is a place known as one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage. It is said that if a person dies on this land then he/she is freed from the cycle of rebirths. This is one of the most crowded places in India, with hundreds of small streets full of temples and dharamshalas. The important thing for which it is famous world wide is the Brocades. The Brocades of Varanasi were first woven only in the small city known as Alaipura, but now it is woven all over Varanasi. The brocades of Varanasi, have made a remarkable position in the designer sarees as well. The fabrics that are woven with warps and wefts threads of varied colors, and also of varied materials are called the...

Varanasi is a famous tourist spot in India, It is also called Banaras and Kashi. Tourism in Varanasi is something very obvious, also because it is a renowned pilgrimage destination. Being one of the oldest cities of the world, Varanasi, attracts a large number of people from all over the globe. . It gives you the glimpse of North Indian culture, heritage and traditions. It is one of the most visited regions and has a lot of importance in terms of tourism.  For thousands of years, Varanasi has enjoyed prominence as a leading destination for mysticism, spiritualism, Indian philosophy and Hinduism. There are several tourist attractions in Varanasi that are worth visiting. Attraction in Varanasi...

India is an incredibly diverse country with as assorted a range of cultures and landscapes as you'll find in any nation on earth. Summertime is not high tourism season in India, primarily because the temperatures can be hot, humid and uncomfortable. However, there are many reasons to check out this beautiful and colourful country during the summer. 1. Good exchange rates. The worldwide economic downturn has certainly hit India, as it has elsewhere. That means that now is the time to visit India, while the rupee is weak against other currencies. For instance, right now, 1 pound roughly equals 68 rupees. 2. It's not crowded. Since summer is not peak travel season in India, most tourists have vacated...

A donation by the Mughal emperor Akbar paved way to the construction of the building in 1574 while it was completed in 1601. Renovation and decoration of the building with marbles and gold plating continued for several years. It is said that legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the main donor of money and material for this construction. In addition to its value as the sacred pilgrimage destination of the Sikhs, Golden temple is open to visitors across the globe. Leave your shoes near the entrance of the temple, wash your feet from the pool and wear a bandana to cover the head before entering this holy place. Be amazed by the magic of the Hari Mandir which is the holiest building of the complex...

India, the land of rich heritage and diverse culture and traditions is famous worldwide for its rich cultural inheritance. Heritage of India is well known for its royal majestic beauty and beautiful architecture. Tourists from all over the globe come on a tour to India to have a glimpse of the grand Indian heritage. One can easily book a tour package to visit these exotic locations. There are several reputed tour operators who offer custom made travel deals to India to suit the specific requirements of the travelers. These tour operators also help in booking flights to India and rooms in hotels in India based upon the individual choice and requirements. Some of the must visit locations for a...

Traveling has always been something which is liked by most people and especially when it is to some other country then it becomes even more exciting and thrilling. Travel to India has great attractions for the tourists as there are many worth seeing sights in this country. There are many great destinations which include the great cities of India such as New Delhi that has many of the historical places and monuments like the Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, India Gate and also Jamia Masjid. The tourists find all of these places to be very fascinating and enchanting. Agra has the beautiful Taj Mahal, which is not only included in the wonders of the world but is also a symbol of...

Advaita Vedanta is one of the oldest schools of Indian philosophy. It was strengthened immensely by the teachings of Shri Shankaracharya in the eight century, but its roots go to far more ancient times, right to the Vedic age. The Vedantas or the Upanishads are a part of the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of Hinduism. There are three schools of philosophy based on the Vedantas, the Dvaita, Vishista-dvaita and A-dvaita. Dvaita is the dualistic school of Indian philosophy. In this, God and the universe are two entirely separate realities, God has created the universe and all humans and hence humans have a lower level of existence than God. Vishista-dvaita is the philosophy of qualified monoism. In this...

Advaita Vedanta is the ancient path of Monism of Indian philosophy. It is based on the Upanishads (the Vedantas), the Hindu scriptures which are more than 3000 years old, virtually the oldest religious scriptures extant today. There are three schools of Vedanta philosophy, Dvaita or dualism, Vishista-dvaita or qualified monism and Advaita or pure monism. In Advaita Vedanta, the only reality is Brahman, the Oneness. All else that exists, the surface reality of the world around us, is not an absolute reality. It has only relative reality, its reality is dependent on others and is not real in itself. Beyond this surface reality lies the true Absolute Reality, and that is Brahman. Brahman is the only...

The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta is one of the few spiritual philosophies that conform to science. It is neither contradicted by nor contradicts present scientific positions. In Advaita Vedanta, the world is said to have two levels of reality, the level of the world that we see around us which has relative reality, and the level of Brahman or Oneness, which has absolute reality. The world around us is said to be only relatively real. This does not mean that it does not exist or is unreal, but only that its level of reality is not perfect, it is an ambiguous reality. It has an indistinct reality, nothing that we examine in the world can be shown to have a definite reality. Whenever we analyze...

On a sultry summer's day, we drove down to Vellore, to see the grand Hindu religious structure called the Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple. This temple draws hordes of tourists from all parts of the country. From the city of Bangalore, this is exactly 180 kms away, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, and can be done as a one day trip. With the help of a local contact, we were able to locate the temple easily. Entry tickets to the temple are done from the ticket counters. For the elderly and disabled, there was a special facility of a wheel-chair, along with an attendant, which we quickly availed of for the senior citizen of the family. We left our shoes and our entire belongings, including cell...

Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India. It is now a gateway to North India with Amritsar Flights from Birmingham and London on Jet Airways Flights, Turkmenistan Flights and Air India. It is an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travellers coming to India on the overland route from central Asia it soon became the centre of various commercial activities. There are various historical and religious sites - see Amritsar City Map. The most famous of them all in the Golden Temple which was founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas and completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. Jallian Wala Bagh- Amritsar Massacre...