QUICK TOUR OF VARANASI & PRAYAGRAJ (FROM VARANASI)

At a distance of 5 km from Varanasi Junction, Kashi Vishwanath Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated on the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh. Popularly known as Golden Temple, it is one of the twelve jyotirlinga temples and also one of the popular places of Pilgrimage in India.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishwanath, one of the incarnations of Lord Shiva and he is regarded as the patron deity of Varanasi. The Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple at Varanasi has high religious significance and is the center of faith for millions of Hindus. The temple was visited by many great saints including Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, Goswami Tulsidas, Adi Shankaracharya and Gurunanak Dev. Lord Vishwanath is considered to the supreme origin of the spiritual truth and strengthens the bonds of universal brotherhood. It is believed that a single darshan of Vishweshwara Jyotirlinga is considered to auspicious more than .....

At a distance of 5 km from Varanasi Junction, Annapurna Devi Mandir is a popular Hindu temple situated near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Vishwanath Galli area of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Having great religious importance in Hinduism, it is one of the popular places to visit in Varanasi.

The temple was constructed by Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao in 1729 AD. Having great religious importance in Hinduism, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna Devi, the Goddess of Food or the Goddess of Nourishment. It is believed that Goddess Parvati gave Alms to Shiva, and she is depicted with a bowl in one hand and ladle in the other, serving food to Shiva, standing in front of her with his begging bowl in the hand. Mata Annapurna is the Goddess of Varanasi who always protects Kashi and feeding her devotees.

According to the legend, the entire world becomes dark when Mata Parvati closed all the three eyes of Lord Shiva. Due to this, Mata Parvati too lost her Gauri Rupa and asked Lord Shiva's .....

At a distance of 1 km from Dasashwamedh Ghat and 6 km from Varanasi Junction, Manikarnika Ghat is one of the holiest ghats in Varanasi along the banks of River Ganga. Situated just beside Dasashwamedh Ghat, it is the main cremation ghat and also one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.

Popularly called as Mahasmasana, Manikarnika Ghat is one of two burning Ghats in Varanasi while the other one is Harishchandra Ghat. According to Hindu mythology, Manikarnika Ghat is believed to be the place where the ear ornament worn by Sati fell down when Lord Shiva was carrying her to the Himalayas.

Manikarnika Ghat is among the pivotal places of interest in Varanasi. According to the religious beliefs, burning the dead bodies at this ghat is a way to attain Moksha, the salvation. The ghat also houses a Shiva Durga Temple, which was constructed by Maharaja of Awadh in 1850. Apart from this, a sacred pond named Cakra-Pushkarini is also adorning this holy place. It is believed that this pond .....

At a distance of 1 km from Dasashwamedh Ghat and 5 km from Varanasi Junction, Lalita Ghat is one of the main ghats on the Ganges River in Varanasi. This ghat is one of the most venerated ghats of Kashi for the devotees and is also identified among the seven most prominent ghats of Varanasi by Varanasi Tourism Department.

The ghat was built by King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah in the early 19th century CE. The ghat is dedicated to Lalita Devi who is reckoned to be the personification of Goddess Durga. Devotees who come to this ghat believe that bathing at this ghat will earn the blessings of the Goddess.

Lalita Ghat is dotted with several Hindu temples. The well-known 'lingam' of Ganga Keshav and shrines of Gangatitya, Kashi Devi, Lalita Devi and Bhagirath Tirtha are affiliated to Lalita Ghat. Also known as Nepali Mandir, the Keshava temple was built by King of Nepal in typical Nepalese architecture. Also known as Kothwala Temple, thi is the replica of the famous Pashupatinath .....

At a distance of 5 km from Varanasi Junction, Sri Kashi Vishalakshi Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Mir Ghat on the banks of the Ganges at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated near Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, it is among the popular temples in Banaras and also one of the must visit places in Varanasi.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Vishalakshi Devi, the divine form of Goddess Sati. This temple is one among the 51 Shakti Peethas, and is part of the famous triad of temples- Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi and Kashi Vishalakshi. According to mythology, the earring of the goddess Sati has fallen on this holy spot of Varanasi. Another version says that this is a Shakti Peetha only because one of the three eyes of Goddess Sati (Akshi) fell here. As the divine eye can perceive the entire universe, Mother here is called Vishalakshi, the vast-eyed.

Sri Vishalakshi Temple is built in South Indian architectural style. The Gopuram at the entrance has elaborate carvings and .....

At a distance of 6 km from Varanasi Junction, Dasashwamedh Ghat is a ghat on the banks of River Ganga in the holy town of Varanasi. Located close to Vishwanath Temple, Dasashwamedh Ghat is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi and also one of the popular places to visit in Varanasi.

The Dasaswamedh Ghat is one of the most important religious sites in Varanasi and is considered as the main ghat. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed his victorious Dasa_Ashwamedha (ten - horses) sacrifice in this spot, hence the name Dasashwamedh Ghat. Locals also believe that this ghat was built by Bajirao Peshwa I in 1740 AD. However, Ahilyabahi Holkar, the Queen of Indore rebuilt the ghat in the year 1774.

Dotted with numerous temples and religious sites, the ghat possesses well laid steps and platforms for performing various rituals and religious activities. Dasashwamedh Ghat is famous for Ganga Aarti at each evening which attracts many devotees and is certainly once in a lifetime experience. .....

At a distance of 8 km from Allahabad Railway Station, Triveni Sangam is a sacred place located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh, and among the must-include places in Allahabad tour packages.

Triveni Sangam is the confluence of two physical rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and the invisible or mythical Saraswati (supposed to have dried up more than 4,000 years ago). All three rivers are highly revered in Indian mythology, and hence the confluence point of these rivers holds tremendous religious importance. As per Hindu mythology, taking a dip in the holy Triveni Sangam will wash away sins and free from the cycle of rebirth, thereby achieving Moksha.

Triveni Sangam is the place where Maha Kumbh Mela is held once every 12 years when the planet Jupiter enters into the zodiac sign Aquarius and the planet Sun enters into .....

At a distance of 1 km from Triveni Sangam, and 7 km from Allahabad Railway Station, Bade Hanuman Temple is a well-known temple located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Situated near Allahabad Fort, it is one of the popular religious places to visit in Allahabad.

Popularly known as Lette Hanuman Mandir, Bade Hanuman Temple is dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god. This temple is an underground pit that houses a huge lying idol of Hanumanji, which is six to seven feet below the ground. This is the only Lord Hanuman temple in the world where the idol is in a reclining position. As per the mythology, Hanuman rested here after burning Lanka. Another interesting thing to know about this temple is that one side of Lord Hanuman's statue is half immersed in the water of the River Ganges. In the monsoon season when the water level rises, it is believed that the water of the river rises to touch the feet of the deity. During this time, a lot of devotees come to visit this sacred sight.

The .....

At a distance of 6 km from Allahabad Railway Station, Mankameshwar Temple is a revered Hindu temple located on the banks of Yamuna River in the Cantonment area of Allahabad. Situated near the Saraswati Ghat, it is one of the most popular temples in Allahabad, and among the most visited places as part of Prayagraj Darshan.

Also known as Pishach Mochan Tirtha, Mankameshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is maintained by Sri Shankaracharya Trust. Mankameshwar means the God of the fulfillment of wishes and the temple derives its name from an interesting legend. Goddess Sita desired to pray to Lord Shiva following her ritual bathing at the Sangam. Since there was no Lord Shiva temple in the vicinity, Lord Rama built this temple to fulfill her wish. It is still believed that wishes made at this temple are fulfilled.

The temple houses a 3 and a half feet black stone Shivling and is said to have been installed by Lord Ram .....

At a distance of 6 km from Allahabad Railway Station, Alopi Devi Mandir is an ancient temple located in Alopi Bagh locality of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Situated near Triveni Sangam, it is one of the revered Shaktipeethas in India, and among the must-visit temples in Allahabad.

Dedicated Goddess Sati, Alopi Devi Mandir is a special temple where no idol of the mother or a mark of any organ has been kept instead a cradle is worshipped. According to legend, the paw of the right hand of Goddess Sati fell here and became invisible or missing, that is why this Siddhapeeth has been named Alop (disappeared) Shankari and a cradle has been placed here as a symbol. As per alternate legend, Alopi Mata is the newlywed bride who disappeared from the wooden carriage when the marriage procession was attacked by a group of robbers. The strange disappearance of the bride was deemed as a miracle and a temple was erected at the same site to worship the divine bride. There lies a wooden cot in the sanctum .....

At a distance of 5 km from Allahabad Railway Station, Anand Bhavan was the ancestral home of Jawaharlal Nehru located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Situated in the Allenganj, it is one of the must-visit places during your Allahabad tour.

Anand Bhavan was constructed by Indian political leader Motilal Nehru in the 1930s to serve as the new residence of the Nehru family when the original mansion Swaraj Bhavan was transformed into the local headquarters of the Indian National Congress. This double-storeyed mansion was personally designed by Motilal Nehru. The house was beautifully adorned with wooden furniture imported from China and Europe and was decorated with various artifacts from all around the world. It was visited by many famous freedom fighters to develop the conspiracies to drive Britishers out of the country. Several momentous decisions and events related to the freedom struggle also took place inside this Bhavan.

The .....