Varanasi is one of the world's oldest living cities and the supreme centre of Hindu culture where sacred traditions Vedic scholarship devotional practice and ancient arts have flourished unbroken for more than three thousand years along the holy Ganges.
India: The streets of Varanasi: silk weaving, bazaars…. and lassi
🕌 About Varanasi
Varanasi goes by several names — Benaras, Kashi, and probably a few others we never quite got straight. Indians have always had a fondness for giving their important cities multiple names, and to be fair, some of that renaming happened when they quite reasonably decided to ditch the colonial versions the British had saddled them with. Fair enough, frankly.
The city is old. Really, properly, mind-bogglingly old. It is widely considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with its roots as a centre of learning and civilisation stretching back well over 3,000 years — which puts it rather humblingly ahead of most of Europe, including London. The American author Mark Twain visited in the 1890s and seemed genuinely stunned. He wrote that Benaras was older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend — and looked twice as old as all of them put together. He had a point.
At the heart of Varanasi flows the Ganges, the most sacred river in all of Hinduism. According to Hindu legend, Lord Shiva released the Ganges from the knot of his matted hair. For centuries, its annual floods enriched the soil of the central Gangetic plains and helped nurture some of the most prominent ancient civilisations India ever produced.
The legends surrounding Varanasi stretch back some 10,000 years, rooted in the oldest epics of Hindu literature — the Puranas, the Vedas and the Mahabharata. Varanasi is said to be the city of Lord Shiva, who walked here with his wife Parvati at the very beginning of time. It might also be the battlefield where Krishna set fire to a fraudulent impersonator of himself — impressive confidence, that — or the spot where Lord Rama came to do penance after slaying the demon Ravana. None of this can be proved, of course, and we’re not about to argue the point with anyone. What it does do is draw tens of millions of Hindu devotees to the city every year to bathe in the Ganges, which they believe has the power to wash away the sins of mortals. Some come here simply to die. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi brings salvation — liberation from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. It rather puts Eastbourne into perspective.
Varanasi isn’t significant only to Hindus. Just 10 kilometres away lies Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon after achieving enlightenment, around 528 BC, making it one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. The city is also sacred to Jains, as it is believed to be the birthplace of Parsvanath, the twenty-third Tirthankar.
Given all that theological weight, it perhaps shouldn’t surprise anyone that Varanasi also became a centre of learning, healing and the arts. It is home to Benares Hindu University, one of the largest residential universities in Asia. Ayurvedic medicine is widely believed to have originated in this region. And Varanasi has long been famous for its extraordinary silk weaving — the gold and silver brocades produced here have been prized across India for centuries.
We arrived with very little real knowledge beyond what we’d picked up from television and the odd book. Nothing properly prepares you for the actual experience. On the less glamorous side, it is genuinely one of the noisiest, busiest and dirtiest places we have ever visited — and that does put some people off. But it is also one of the most astonishing places either of us has ever been. Every sense gets a proper working-over. We highly recommend putting Varanasi on your India itinerary. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.
🧵 Weaver’s District
We made our way into the Muslim quarter of Varanasi, where the serious business of silk production happens. This part of the city is a world apart from the ghats and the riverbank areas. The streets are just as narrow and just as chaotic, but the poverty here hit us squarely between the eyes the moment we turned the first corner — and it was particularly hard to see amongst the children.
All around us came that distinctive clickety-clack of looms, echoing off every crumbling wall. It sounded exactly like an approaching army of giant crickets.
We followed our guide as he darted through the passageways — rather appropriately, given where we were — dodging the usual extraordinary assortment of human and animal obstacles that Varanasi conjures from thin air. Eventually we ended up at a tiny room functioning as a shop, where a man sat patiently crafting a decorative ceremonial turban. The skill on display was frankly humbling.
From there we were whisked into a weaver’s workshop — small, dark, noisy, and warm. How anyone spends a full career in those conditions is genuinely difficult to fathom. No ear defenders, no health and safety inspector within several hundred miles. And this was December, a cool day by local standards. I cannot begin to imagine what 45°C does to the place in summer. The looms keep going regardless — the Banarasi silk trade has been running continuously since the Mughal period, the 16th century, handed down through Muslim Ansari weaver families for generations.
Having absorbed all of this, our guide steered us — with the practised inevitability of a man who does this every single day — into a sales room, where a magnificently silver-tongued salesman stood beaming at us. Fortunately, the previous day had left us battle-hardened. We did come away with a few items, which I’m counting as a narrow escape, given that Karen had her eye on rather a lot more.
🕌 The Bazaar
Our favourite time to visit a bazaar is in the evening. It is usually cooler — and the darkness makes everything feel more alive and atmospheric. There is something about lamplight and shadows that suits the place perfectly.
After dinner, we headed into the bazaar in the old city of Varanasi — one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, sitting on the western bank of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh and sacred to Hinduism for thousands of years.
As we pushed through the narrow, winding streets, we were hit by the full force of it — colour, noise, and smell arriving all at once. A total sensory overload. The kind that makes you slightly dizzy but oddly exhilarated.
The streets were lined with tiny shops selling saris and cloth, bolts of fabric stacked floor to ceiling in every shade imaginable. How any of them make a living is genuinely beyond me — they all sell exactly the same thing, yet there they all are. We wondered how on earth you choose which shop to enter. The only answer seemed to be that you wander about, poke your nose into several, and drift back to the one you liked best. My idea of absolute hell, truth be told.
Among the fabric sellers were shops selling religious paraphernalia and food — which we had been firmly warned not to touch. Wise advice.
One artisan caught our eye: a man hunched over a metal panel, laboriously tapping out an intricate relief design with a punch and hammer, one tiny dent at a time. Extraordinary patience. I got bored just watching him.
🕌 The Bazaar, The Golden Temple & Trying the Local Lassi
We were up early on our last morning in Varanasi, and a damp, grey fog had rolled in overnight and sat over everything like a wet blanket someone had forgotten to remove. Our guide arrived shortly after breakfast, cheerful as ever, and off we went on foot into the old city.
We found ourselves back in the same bazaar we’d wandered through the night before, which even at this early hour was already buzzing with people, animals, smoke and the wonderful chaos that Indian cities seem to run on as standard. Our guide quietly pointed out the soldiers — heavily armed, watchful, positioned throughout the lanes. Their presence, he explained, was a direct consequence of the 2006 Varanasi bombings, when coordinated terrorist attacks killed over twenty people. The security has been more or less permanent ever since.
We were here to see two of the most significant religious sites in the city: the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple — the famous Golden Temple — which sit practically side by side. The temple dates in its current form to 1780, rebuilt by the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar after Aurangzeb demolished an earlier version in 1669. Its tower is covered in around 800 kilogrammes of gold, donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. What struck us was the sheer fact of the mosque and temple standing as neighbours — Hindus and Muslims worshipping in such close quarters, something that seemed remarkable to us, coming from a country where people fall out over garden fences for decades.
Getting inside either site was never going to be quick. On a foggy, drizzly morning, standing in a queue for hours held limited appeal. Our guide had a better plan. He steered us into a small religious shop nearby, where the owner offered us a very welcome cup of masala chai. Then, one at a time, he took us to the back, gestured at a pile of wooden boxes, and invited us to climb up and peer through a small window set high in the wall. From this precarious position we could just make out the gleam of the temple’s gold tower and the outline of the mosque’s minarets through the murk. It was, to be diplomatic, not the most dramatic visual experience of our India trip. But the chai was excellent.
After that thrilling episode — and yes, I am being sarcastic — our guide led us to a crossroads in the alleyways and pointed out a battered little shop called Blue Lassi, apparently mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide. Lassi is a yoghurt-based drink blended with water and spices, sometimes with fruit — drunk across the subcontinent for well over a thousand years. We’d been told firmly to avoid street food, but our guide assured us this was safe, so we ordered a couple of flavours and sat down to wait.
The lassi was being prepared in full public view by a rather thin-looking gentleman working away with a bowl on the street. It didn’t look wildly hygienic by the standards of, say, a Pret in Holborn. But when in Rome. While we waited we got chatting to three young backpackers — well-travelled, slightly ragged, the type who always know which bus to take. They turned out to be from Portland, Oregon, and knew Bend quite well. Small world. I wasn’t going to dwell on it, but Karen immediately launched into her thesis on the six degrees of separation. I nodded along. It seemed the wisest course of action.
The lassi, when it arrived, was genuinely exceptional. Thick, cold, sweet, and creamy in a way that made the whole foggy morning suddenly worthwhile. It was, we both agreed, one of those unexpected little moments that travel occasionally delivers. It was also the beginning of what became a full-blown lassi obsession for the rest of our time in India.
In summary …
- Never try and drive in Varanasi unless you are crazy
- Always look down while you are walking as you’ll never know what you are stepping in
- Don’t stop and talk to locals at the main tourist areas – they want to sell you something
- Don’t wash, drink or clean your teeth in the Ganges
- Cow dung and water makes a slippery hazard
- Lassi is very tasty
Planning Your Visit to Varanasi
📍 Location
Varanasi lies in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, roughly 820 km from Delhi. The city straddles the Ganges, bounded by two tributaries — the Varuna and the Assi rivers — from which its name derives. It divides naturally into the Old City, a dense, labyrinthine quarter of narrow alleys and ancient temples that stretches back from the riverbank, and a more modern New City further inland.
The famous ghats — broad stone steps descending to the river — line the entire western bank, stretching for several kilometres. There are more than 80 of them in total, each with its own character and religious significance. The city of Sarnath, where the Buddha is said to have delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, lies just 10 km to the north and makes an easy and worthwhile half-day excursion.
✈️ Getting There
By Air The nearest airport is Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (airport code: VNS), located in Babatpur, approximately 26 km northwest of the city centre. It operates domestic flights connecting Varanasi to major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata. A number of international flights also operate through the airport. For international visitors, flying into Delhi or Mumbai and then taking a connecting domestic flight is the most common approach. From the airport, taxis, auto-rickshaws, and app-based cabs such as Ola and Uber are readily available for the journey into the city.
By Train The train is widely considered the most practical and atmospheric way to travel across India, and Varanasi is exceptionally well connected by rail. Varanasi Junction (also called Varanasi Cantonment, station code: BSB) is the main station, situated a few kilometres from the Ganges, with direct services from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and many other cities. The Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express services from Delhi take roughly 8 to 12 hours. Banaras (Manduadih) station handles additional services and eases congestion. From either station, cycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, and taxis are plentiful.
By Road Varanasi is accessible via National Highways NH19 and NH31. State-run UPSRTC buses and private operators including luxury Volvo and air-conditioned sleeper coaches connect the city to Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, Kanpur, Agra, and Jaipur, among others. If you are already in Prayagraj (Allahabad), Varanasi is just 120 km away by road. Road travel can be rewarding for those who enjoy the scenery of the Gangetic plain, though traffic on the approach to the city can be heavy.
🛺 Getting Around
Varanasi is best explored on foot, particularly the Old City, where the narrow, winding lanes — known as galis — are impassable for most motor vehicles. Getting pleasantly lost in this maze is very much part of the experience.
Cycle Rickshaws are the most charming and practical way to meander through the old quarters, moving at a pace that allows you to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells. They can access areas where motorised vehicles cannot travel, making them especially useful around the ghats and temple districts.
Auto-Rickshaws are ubiquitous and useful for covering medium distances, such as reaching Sarnath or the railway station. Always agree on a fare before you set off, as meters are rarely used.
Electric Rickshaws (E-Rickshaws) have become increasingly common in the city and offer a quieter, cleaner alternative to petrol auto-rickshaws. They are a good option for short to medium journeys.
App-Based Taxis such as Ola and Uber operate in Varanasi and offer the reassurance of fixed fares, particularly useful for journeys to and from the airport or railway stations.
Boats are the ideal way to see the ghats from the river, and every visitor should take at least one boat trip on the Ganges. Rowing boats can be hired privately from the ghats, or you can join a shared tour. The sunrise trip — setting out before dawn — is considered particularly special, as the city wakes slowly and pilgrims begin their morning rituals at the water’s edge.
🙏 The Ghats
The ghats are the soul of Varanasi. Built over the 18th and 19th centuries, the great stone riverbanks are lined with pavilions, palaces, and temples, rising dramatically from the water. Each ghat has its own history and purpose.
Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most famous and most visited — a spectacular place at any time of day, and the site of the nightly Ganga Aarti ceremony, when priests perform an elaborate ritual of fire, incense, chanting, and ringing bells that draws enormous crowds of pilgrims and visitors alike. Arriving early to secure a good vantage point, either on the steps or from a boat, is strongly recommended.
Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat are the principal cremation ghats, where funeral pyres burn around the clock every day of the year. This is one of the most viscerally powerful sights in all of India — an open, public, and entirely unselfconscious enactment of death and release. Dozens of cremations take place here daily.
Assi Ghat, at the southern end of the main waterfront, is a more relaxed and sociable spot popular with students, pilgrims, and travellers. A Shiva lingam under an ancient peepal tree marks this as a place of particular sanctity.
Best Time to Visit Varanasi
Varanasi — also known as Kashi or Benares — is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and the spiritual heart of India. Perched on the western banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, it draws pilgrims, travellers, and seekers throughout the year. However, the experience varies dramatically depending on the season, so choosing when to visit can make an enormous difference to your trip.
🌸 Spring (March–April)
Spring marks the transition between the cool, comfortable winter and the punishing heat of summer. In March, temperatures are still relatively pleasant — typically between 20°C and 30°C — making early spring a reasonable time to visit if you missed the peak winter season. The city feels fresh, the ghats are uncrowded compared to winter, and accommodation prices begin to fall.
By April, however, the heat starts to build noticeably. Daytime temperatures push towards 35°C and above, with humidity beginning to creep up. Mornings remain the most comfortable time for boat rides and ghat walks. The festival of Holi, usually celebrated in March, brings explosive colour to the streets of Varanasi and is one of the most spectacular ways to experience the city’s festive spirit.
What to pack: Lightweight cotton or linen clothing in loose fits, a wide-brimmed hat or cap, high-SPF sunscreen, UV-protective sunglasses, a reusable insulated water bottle, a light cotton scarf or dupatta (useful at temples), comfortable breathable walking shoes, and a thin cardigan or layer for cooler early mornings in March.
☀️ Summer (May–June)
Summer in Varanasi is intense. Temperatures regularly soar to 42°C–45°C, with hot, dry winds known locally as loo sweeping across the plains. This is the least popular season for tourism, and for good reason — the heat can be genuinely debilitating during the middle of the day. Outdoor activities such as ghat walks and boat rides are best undertaken before 8am or after 6pm.
That said, summer has its own quiet appeal. The crowds thin considerably, hotel prices drop, and those who are comfortable with high temperatures may find a more intimate, unhurried encounter with the city’s temples and alleyways. The spiritual life of Varanasi continues unabated regardless of the season, and the morning and evening Ganga Aarti ceremonies remain as moving as ever.
What to pack: Ultra-lightweight, breathable cotton or linen in light colours, a wide-brimmed hat, UV-protection sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen (SPF 50+), lip balm with SPF, a large insulated water bottle, oral rehydration salts or electrolyte tablets, cooling towels, comfortable sandals and walking shoes, and a small battery-powered handheld fan.
🌧️ Monsoon (July–September)
The monsoon arrives in Varanasi in late June or early July, bringing blessed relief from the summer heat. Temperatures ease to between 25°C and 35°C, but humidity levels rise sharply, making the air thick and steamy. Rainfall ranges from moderate to heavy, and the Ganges swells dramatically — sometimes flooding the lower steps of the ghats entirely.
Despite the rain, Varanasi during the monsoon has a brooding, atmospheric beauty that photographers particularly prize. The skies are dramatic, the light extraordinary, and the city takes on a quieter, more contemplative mood. Rivers of marigolds float downstream during religious observances, and the reflections on the water are stunning. Budget travellers benefit from significantly reduced hotel rates. The main drawbacks are the risk of disrupted travel, waterlogged streets, and the possibility that some ghat areas become inaccessible.
What to pack: Quick-dry clothing in synthetic or moisture-wicking fabrics, a compact waterproof rain jacket or packable poncho, a sturdy compact umbrella, waterproof sandals or quick-dry shoes (avoid leather), a dry bag or waterproof pouch for electronics, insect repellent (DEET-based), anti-malarial medication if advised by your GP, and a small first-aid kit with anti-diarrhoeal tablets.
🍂 Autumn (October–November)
Autumn is the shoulder season that bridges monsoon and winter, and it is one of the most rewarding times to visit. The rains taper off through October, the air becomes clearer, temperatures cool to a very comfortable 18°C–28°C, and the festival calendar reaches a glorious peak. October brings the celebration of Navratri and Dussehra, while November is dominated by Diwali and, most spectacularly, Dev Deepawali.
Dev Deepawali — celebrated on the full moon in November, fifteen days after Diwali — is arguably the single most extraordinary event in Varanasi’s calendar. The entire riverfront is illuminated by over a million earthen lamps (diyas), and the ghats throng with pilgrims, priests, and visitors. Boat rides during this event offer an unforgettable panorama of light reflected across the dark Ganges. Accommodation books up quickly during October and November, so advance planning is essential.
What to pack: Lightweight layers for daytime warmth (20°C–28°C), a medium-weight fleece or jumper for evenings as November progresses, comfortable walking shoes, modest attire for temple visits (shoulders and knees covered), a compact day pack, a camera or smartphone with good low-light capability for festival photography, and earplugs (the city is vibrantly noisy during festivals).
❄️ Winter (December–February)
Winter is unequivocally the most popular season to visit Varanasi, and it earns that reputation. Temperatures drop to between 5°C and 20°C, with cool, crisp days ideal for exploring the ghats, navigating the winding old city lanes, visiting Sarnath (where the Buddha delivered his first sermon), and attending the Ganga Aarti in comfort. January mornings can feel quite cold — often below 10°C — and the river is frequently shrouded in ethereal mist at dawn, which lends sunrise boat rides a particularly magical quality.
Festivals continue to animate the city in winter. Makar Sankranti in January is marked by kite flying and holy dips in the Ganges. Shivratri, usually in February or March, is one of Varanasi’s most sacred observances and draws vast numbers of pilgrims to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The downside of winter is simple: it is the peak season, meaning prices are higher, accommodation must be booked well in advance, and popular spots can be considerably crowded.
What to pack: Warm layers including thermal base layers, a medium to heavyweight fleece or woollen jumper, a down or padded jacket for early mornings, a warm scarf, gloves and a beanie for January, comfortable walking shoes or boots, modest conservative clothing for temple visits, hand warmers for early morning river excursions, and a compact torch or head torch for pre-dawn boat departures.
🗓️ Summary Table
🌟 Overall Best Time to Visit
For most travellers, the window from late October through to early March represents the sweet spot for visiting Varanasi. The weather is at its most accommodating, the city’s festival calendar is at its richest, and the conditions for experiencing the ghats — whether at dawn, dusk, or by lamplight — are at their finest. Within this window, November stands out as the single strongest month, combining the tail of the autumn festival season (Dev Deepawali in particular), comfortable temperatures, and a beautiful post-monsoon freshness in the air. December and January offer the quintessential cool-season Varanasi experience with the added enchantment of river mist at sunrise. Those travelling on a budget, or with a particular interest in monsoon atmosphere and dramatic skies, may find the quieter months of August and September surprisingly rewarding — provided they come prepared for heat, humidity, and rain.
Where to stay?
1. Amritara Suryauday Haveli
Perched on the sacred banks of the Ganges at Shivala Ghat, Amritara Suryauday Haveli is one of Varanasi’s most enchanting heritage stays. The haveli traces its history back to the early 20th century, originally built by the Royal Family of Nepal as a retreat for the aged, and has since been painstakingly restored to offer an authentic ghat experience in Banaras. Housed in a refurbished fort-style mansion, the property is just a 15-minute walk from the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple, yet feels like a world apart from the city’s bustle. Guests are treated to serene river views, live classical music, and complimentary boat rides, while the rooftop terrace makes for a magical perch to watch the sun dip over the Ganges. With only 14 individually decorated rooms, the haveli offers an intimate, almost personal atmosphere — part heritage retreat, part spiritual sanctuary.
2. BrijRama Palace
Perched regally on the banks of the sacred Ganges, BrijRama Palace in Varanasi is a living testament to India’s regal past. Originally built in the 18th century as a Maharaja’s residence, this magnificent heritage property has been lovingly restored into one of India’s most celebrated luxury hotels. With its ornate sandstone façade, soaring arched corridors, and rooms adorned with hand-painted frescoes and antique furnishings, every corner tells a story. Guests wake up to breathtaking sunrise views over the Ghat, the river shimmering gold as priests perform their morning rituals below. More than just a hotel, BrijRama Palace offers an immersive window into Varanasi’s spiritual soul — where ancient tradition and refined elegance coexist in perfect, timeless harmony.
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