First day 29/03/2023
Started from Chennai by Indigo flight at 12.10 pm and reached Varanasi at 02.15 pm. Our guide Mr Anand received us at the Airport and said we will visit Sarnath first and then go to the Hotel. Visited Sarnath – Archaeological Museum. Worth visiting – contains various articles excavated from Asoka’s time. Lion Capital which forms the national emblem as excavated is displayed in the museum and various other idols of Maurya period are displayed in the Museum. Museum closes at 5 pm. Worth visiting. Thereafter we visited the ruins of that period, where the Stupa constructed in memory of Buddha is located. Buddha after his enlightenment offered his first sermon to his disciples here. Buddhists consider the venue as a Holy Place and during our visit, we could see tourists from Sri Lanka offering their prayers in the venue. It is better to engage a guide to know about the history of the place. Guides approved by ASI are available. One guide quoted Rs 800/- and finally agreed for Rs 600/-. It took an hour to go around the place. On coming out we had tea and biscuits in a shop nearby. Thereafter we reached Hotel Tridev and checked in. After dinner we visited Kala Bhairavar Temple located in a lane adjoining the hotel. The place is crowded. Black Kasi Thread is available and can be given to the priest who places before the deity and gives it. In the shops on the way to the temple brass items of goddesses, puja articles are available. Those who want to buy Ganga Jal can buy from the shops. While buying check the metal with magnet. If the magnet sticks, then it is iron coated with copper. There are genuine copper / brass vessels storing the Ganga Jal available here. Retired for the day.
Second Day – 30/03/2023
Started at 6 am. Travel to places from Hotel to various Ghats are through battery operated Auto Rickshaws. 5 persons are accommodated in each rickshaw. Fare varies with distance. The guide negotiates and tells the rate for each place. We travelled in such rickshaws to a Ghat close to Assi Ghat. As the water was dirty in the place we walked to a ghat where the Alaknanda Cruise is stationed. The Guide hired a boat and we went to the opposite side of the Ghat. The Guide arranged a priest who did the Sankalpam for all the participants. Thereafter we walked to the river went inside by few meters and took the holy dip in the river Ganges , 3 times. Some preferred to leave the clothes in the place where we changed the dress and changed to new clothes. Then we sailed back to the Ghat where the Cruise is docked. All of us boarded the cruise and took our seats . The Cruise started and sailed across the Ghats. We were offered Biscuits and Tea. We are allowed to go to the top deck from where we can have the view of the Ghats and activities taking place across the Ghats. There are 64 Ghats, including the newly constructed NaMo Ghat, which by walk will take days to cover. The Ghats cover the Kedar Ghat where a Siva Temple is constructed by Kumaraguruparar of Tamil Nadu, Harishchandra Ghat and Manikarnikha Ghat. The last 2 Ghats have cremation facilities. There are people who believe that death in Kashi takes them to heaven. All through the day, dead bodies burn in these 2 ghats. Then we sailed back to the Ghat where we started. On reaching the shore, we had the packed breakfast provided by the Hotel (Poori Masala, Sandwich, Juice, and water). Thereafter we moved to a place where Koti Lingams (1 crore lingams) are located in a temple. These lingams are made in marble and are displayed in several rooms. Appeared like idols kept in a Kolu during Navarathri times. After the visit we reached the Hotel. After resting for a while we reached the place wherein the lunch was arranged by the Tour Operator by battery driven autorickshaws located close to PDR Mall. .We did not like the ambience, skipped the food arranged by the Tour Operator and we had food in a Marvadi restaurant. It took some time for the restaurant to prepare the food for the group of 40 and on completion of lunch by about 3 pm started walking to the Kasi Viswanathar Temple which is located at a walking distance from the place we had lunch. Some who did detailed Srartham, after breakfast went in a boat and did the rituals from the boat at 5 ghats. They were in time for lunch and joined us for lunch.
We reached the temple by about 3.30 pm. Though Suga Darshan is for 5 pm, they allowed us to join the queue for Darshan early. You can buy milk , carry, and do the abhishekam to the lingam. During this Darshan one is allowed to touch the lingam and worship. Please note that no bags, cameras , mobile phone and digital watches are allowed inside the Temple. Keep it in the room or if you carry through the guide you can place these items in a locker which are offered by various shops on the way to the temple. Along with the receipt, the key to the locker where your items are placed is given to you. On completing the Darshan here, we walked to Annapurani Temple and Kasi Visalakshi Temple which are located nearby. Kasi Vishalakshi Temple is constructed and managed by the Nagarathar Community of Tamil Nadu. These are small temples compared to Kasi Viswanathar Temple.
After the Temple visit we walked to a nearby Ghat where a boat is arranged for viewing the Ganga Aarati performed in Dasashwamedh Ghat, which starts by 7 pm . As we were a bit late, we could view the Ganga Aarati from a distance. Try to reach the ghat earlier, so that the boat can be stationed closer to the place where the Aarati takes place.
The Aarati takes about 1 hour and afterwards we started walking through the Ghats to reach the place where rickshaws / autorickshaws are available. As the day was Rama Navami day, a huge procession was taking place. Crossing the procession , took the rickshaw and reached the room by 10 pm. After dinner retired for the day.
Third Day – 31/03/2023
Early in the morning at 6 am we started for temple visits within Varanasi. We visited Durga Temple, Chozhiamman Temple, 2 other small temples and the Shiva Temple – Birla Mandir located within the premises of Benares Hindu University. After the temple visit we reached the Hotel by 10 am. We visited these places by bus as the roads are motorable.
After breakfast, we started for Gaya in Bihar located about 250 kms from Varanasi. We took one set of dresses and other essentials and left the luggage packed in the room. The Hotel staff stored the luggage in the cloak room and returned to us the next day when we returned.
On the way to Gaya we visited the Ram Nagar Palace from where the Raja of Kasi ruled. Entry by ticket and photography is banned inside the museum. The museum has a collection of cars used by the Raja, arms and ammunitions used then, their dress and photos of the Raja’s family. We can reach the Ganga through a way in the palace from where we get some good views of Ganges and also the palace as seen from the river front.
The travel to Gaya took about 8 hours as the road is being converted to six lane from existing 4 lanes. We had Lunch on the way at a local restaurant. All through our travel there was moderate rains. On reaching the hotel, checked in and had our dinner and retired for the day.
Fourth Day – 01/04/2023
Some in our group who wanted to offer detailed Srartham which takes about 6 hours, left early to the Sri Murugan Hall run by a local priest, located at a place viz Kendui. We can reach this place by Van / Bus. Others who opted for simple rituals had their breakfast and reached Kendui by 9 am. The priest explained the significance of the ritual and collected the charges which was Rs 2000/- per couple. Those who came single also paid Rs 2000 for the ritual. Thereafter we reached the Vishnu Pad Temple located at about 4 km from Kendui by battery autorickshaws. Here again cameras and cell phones are not allowed and these items can be kept in the locker available close to the temple. We all assembled in a Mandapam within the temple and the priest performed the rituals. Though performing the rituals takes about 1 hour, the waiting time was more as there was huge crowds mostly from Tamil Nadu , Andhra and Telangana. When we finished our rituals , the group which opted for detailed rituals also finished the rituals . They had the lunch prepared by the priests and we all returned to the hotel for our Lunch. We finished our lunch by 4 pm. Then we visited the 2 Buddha Temples. In one of the temples, a buddha statue of 80 ft height is installed. Then we visited Maha Bodhi Temple Complex a World Heritage site where the tree under which Buddha got enlightenment is located. We could see lots of Buddhist Tourists from Sri Lanka and far eastern countries. By the time we returned to the hotel it was 6 pm. Collected our luggage and started our journey back to Varanasi. We reached Varanasi a little after midnight.
Fifth Day – 02/04/2023
We were ready to have breakfast at 07.30 am and by 8 am we started our journey to Prayagraj (Allahabad). Though the distance is 120 kms , the journey took about 4 hours, and we reached Triveni Sangamam by about 12 noon. We engaged boats which can carry 10 persons to reach the place where the confluence of three rivers viz., Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi (invisible) takes place. We alighted from the boat and went into the marked place for bathing and took dip three times saying Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi. Flowers are available for a fee of Rs 20/- and there are persons available to keep lighted wicks on the flowers kept on a small float which can be let out in the river. After bathing in Triveni Sangamam we reached the shore and had change of dress. If you desire , you can leave the dresses you were wearing in the shore and have a change of dress. Some in the group offered to do a Veni Pooja performed with the help of the priest. After Veni Pooja again the group had a dip in the confluence. On everyone having their dress changed we travelled by the boat to the starting point in the boat and boarded the bus to go for Lunch. It was about 3 pm and after Lunch at 4 pm we had a quick tour of Anand Bhavan, the residence of Nehru / Indira Gandhi’s family followed by a visit to Bharadwaj Ashram, Sakthi Peed, Pathala Hanuman Temple. With this our visit to Prayagraj ended and we travelled back to Varanasi. We reached the hotel by 10 pm, had dinner and retired for the day
Sixth day – 03/04/2023
We leisurely got up and had breakfast by about 08.30 am. The Chennai flight was at 02.55 pm and to be in the airport we checked out by 11 am and proceeded to the Airport. The time available in between was used by most of us to a visit to Kal Bhairavar Temple in the adjoining street and purchases of souvenir and Ganga Jal from local shops in the street leading to the temple. The Bengaluru and Hyderabad participants had their flight late in the evening at 9 pm and as they have not visited Sarnath, they checked out by 12 noon for Sarnath and thereafter to airport to take their flights back to home . All were given packed lunch.
Overall it’s a pleasant pilgrimage trip in company of friends and their family.
Important points to note.
- Take small notes Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 to pay for Rickshaws.
- People who have gone earlier to Rameswaram and got sand or water from there remember to take it to Ganges / Triveni Sangamam for immersion
- Collected water from Triveni Sangamam on our return journey in boat
- Cell phones, cameras, digital watches are not allowed in few temples as described elsewhere which can be kept safely in the lockers available. Take the guidance from the Guide in this regard.
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