AIR
The Babatpur Airport is 22 km northwest of the city. IA has shuttle flights between Varanasi and Khajuraho, Agra and Delhi. There are also daily flights to Mumbai. There is an IA office in the cantonment area near the Hotel de Paris (Tel: 345 959). Sahara (Tel: 343 094) has flights 4 times a week, Varanasi to Lucknow and Mumbai and 3 times a week to Delhi.

RAIL
Varanasi has two main stations, one in the cantonment area called Varanasi Junction, and the other at a distance of 12 km from the city called Mughal Sarai.There are trains connecting Varanasi to almost all the major metros.

ROAD
Most buses leave from the Varanasi Bus Stand, 250 km from the railway station. Deluxe buses depart for Lucknow (Rs 95), Gorakhpur (Rs 70), Faizabad (Rs 70) and Allahabad (Rs 40). Additionally, some buses leave from the Cantonment Bus Station for Gaya, Gorakhpur and Sonauli (to go to Nepal).Cars can be hired for travel around Varanasi and for an onward trip to Nepal.

CLIMATE
At 26° North of the Equator, near the Tropic of Cancer, it has a comfortable winter season, but unbearably hot and humid summers. Summer temperatures often climb up to 45°C. The winter temperatures fall to the 30s and daytime temperatures touch the 60s. In late June or early July, the monsoon brings torrential rains and high levels of humidity; fortunately the temperature will normally remain below 37°C.

STD CODE
0542

Population
3,147,927

Languages
Hindi, Urdu, and English

THE GHATS
A boat-ride along the ghats is a spiritually cleansing experience, where one gets to see glimpses of the real Varanasi. Palm umbrellas shelter sadhus clad in saffron, while the air echoes with shlokas.

The bathing ghats are a panorama of myriad colours as pilgrims and devotees jostle for a dip in the holy waters. The shoreline is yet another sight to behold, where tongues of fire emanate from funeral pyres along the infamous burning ghats.

The sacred and profane mingle mid-air as flowers, sandalwood, cow dung, stale food and piety merge and linger over the city. Though all the ghats are worth visiting, the more famous ones are Dasashwamedha Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Assi Ghat, Panch Ganga Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat.

VISHWANATH TEMPLE
Built in 1777, by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore, the temple has been the principal Shiva Temple in Varanasi, for more than a thousand years. Aurangzeb destroyed the original temple in 1669; the present temple has been built at the same site. Known colloquially as the Golden Temple , due to the 800 kg of gold which adorns the shikharas. The roof was gold-plated by the blessing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. In the inner sanctum, the shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar. (Only Hindus are allowed inside.)

Established in 1886 it is one of the country s oldest museums. It houses many art objects by the renowned artist K Venkatappa, who is from the court of Mysore. Open from 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.

BHARAT MATA TEMPLE
Dedicated to India, this temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, there is a marble relief map of India and other related memorabilia. The symmetry of design and scale of the map is particularly noteworthy.

GYAN KUP
Literally translated, it means the Well of Knowledge and Wisdom . The origin of this well dates back earlier than the birth of the Ganges. The kup is conveniently situated next to the main temple and the water from the well is believed to "indicate the highest spiritual illumination" (Rushbrook Williams).

GYANVAPI MOSQUE
This great mosque of Aurangzeb was built with materials salvaged from plundered Hindu temples. The monument is an architectural wonder, with minarets, which are 71 m in height. The rear portion of the mosque reveals traces of its Hindu origin.

BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY
BHU, as it is popularly known, was founded in 1917 and by well-known nationalist Pt Malviya. This is the largest residential university in India and houses an excellent Sanskrit School. There is also a museum within the campus called Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, which has an amazing collection of old manuscripts, ancient sculptures and paintings.

RAMNAGAR FORT and MUSEUM
The 17th century fort-palace, built by Maharaj Balwant Singh, is the ancestral home of the former Maharaja of Varanasi. It is situated across the river to the south of the city with a temple and a museum within the grounds.

The temple is dedicated to Ved Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, who stayed briefly at the Ramnagar Fort. The museum has an interesting collection of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and an extensive display of weapons.

The Fort is accessible via a pontoon bridge, which is quite rickety and should be avoided during the monsoon. There are ferries operating to and from the fort.

Varanasi is famous for its mesmerising handloom saris and its silk weave known simply as Banarasi. The work on each sari is distinctive and prices differ depending on the work done and the materials used. Additionally, the city is known to manufacture traditional musical instruments. There are numerous shopping areas and few are mentioned for your convenience.

Temple Bazaar near the Vishwanath Temple: Busiest shopping area, a veritable feast of food, saris, sandals, incense and people, people, people.
Handloom House at Sigra: Recommended for silk saris.
Imtiaz Ali at Siddh Giri Bagh/Triveni Music Centre at Godaulia: For musical instruments.