The Great River Banks At Varanasi, Built High With Eighteenth And Nineteenth-century Pavilions And Palaces, Temples And Terraces, Are Lined With An Endless Chain Of Stone Steps

Dashashwamedha Ghat, The Second And Business Of The Five Tirthas On Thepanchatirthi Yatra, Lies Past The Plain, Flat-roofed Building That Houses The Shrine Of Shitala. Extremely Popular, Even In The Rainy Season When Devotees Have To Wade To The Temple Or Take A Boat, Shitala Represents Both Both Benign And Malevolent Aspects

At The Clay-banked Asi Ghat, The Southernmost In The Sacred City, At The Confluence Of The Asi And The Ganges, Pilgrims Bathe Prior To Worshipping At A Huge Lingam Under A Peepal Tree. Another Lingam Visited Is That Of Asisangameshvara, The "lord Of The Confluence Of The Asi", In A Small Marble Temple Just Off The Ghat. Traditionally, Pilgrims Continued To Lolarka Kund, The Trembling Sun", A Rectangular Tank Fifteen Metres Blow Ground Level, Approached By Steep Steps. Now Almost Abandoned, Except During The Lolarka Mela Fair (aug/sept), When Thousands Come To Propitiate The Gods And Pray For The Birth Of A Son, Lolarka Kund Is Among Varanasi

North Of Lalita Lies Varanasi

Also Known As The Golden Temple, It Is Dedicated To Lord Shiva, The Presiding Deity Of The City. Varanasi Is Said To Be The Point At Which The First Jyotirlinga, The Fiery Pillar Of Light By Which Shiva Manifested His Supremacy Over Other Gods, Broke Through The Earth

The Durga Temple Is Considered One Of The Most Important Temples In Varanasi. Built In 18th Century The Durga Temple Is Stained In Red With Ochre. Though The Temple Might Have Bangla Influence Spiritually, It Is Built Exclusively On The North Indian Pattern Called Nagara. Multi-tired Spires That Decrease In Diameter In Horizontal Pattern Mark This Style. Actually Separate Spires Are Clubbed Together One Over Another To Give This Feel. Though This Style Looks Less Attractive Than The South-indian Gopuram Pattern, It Has A Feel Of Its Own. Lately, People Have Started Calling It Monkey Temple Due To The Menace Created By The Monkeys That Inhabit The Campus Of This Temple.

Silk Weaving Is Perhaps The Most Popular Art Of Varanasi And Banarasi Silk Sarees Form An Indispensable Part Of An Indian Bride's Trousseau. The World-famous Gold And Silver Brocades And Richly Worked Saris Are Known To Have Passed On From Generations To Generations Much Like Family Jewels Without Loosing Their Charm. Besides Banarasi Saris And Brocades, You May Look For Wonderful Pieces Of Brassware, Copperware, Wooden And Clay Toys And Antique Designs Of Heavy Gold Jewellery In Varanasi. Other Shopping Attractions Of Varanasi Include The Hand-knotted Carpets Of Mirzapur, Musical Instruments, The 'khatta-meetha' (sweet 'n' Sour) 'langda Aam', A Popular Variety Of Mangoes Available During Summer Season And The Famous Betel Leaf That Is Considered A Specialty Of The Place. Benarasi People Can Be Seen Chewing Betel Leaves As A Part Of Their Cultural Upbringing And They Even Welcome Their Guests By Offering Them The Famous Betel Leaves. The Shopping Hotspots In Varanasi Are Chowk, Gyan Vapi, Vishwanath Gali, Thatheri Bazar, Lahurabir, Godoulia Or Dashswamedh Gali And Golghar. Besides The Illustrious And Fine Silks And Brocaded Fabrics, One Can Also Buy Shawls, Carpets, Wall Hangings, Zari Work; Stone Inlay Work, Glass Beads And Bangles, Masks Of Hindu And Buddhist Deities And Lampshades. However, One Has To Be On Watch While Buying Silk Saris And Beware Of The Imitations That Are Much Cheaper Than The Real Silk Ones But Are Not So Easy To Distinguish. One Can Also Buy 'kamandalam' Or Brass Water Pot From Varanasi, Which Is Often Used By Saints To Carry Water. People Buy Bottled 'ganga Jal' Or Jerrycans From The Riverbank Too For Religious Purposes Or To Be Used As Holy Water In Various Rituals. Besides, People Can Also Take Water Of Ganges Themselves From The River.