Top 2 in Top 10 tourist attractions not to be missed in India.
Dating back to the 8th century BC, Varanasi is one of the oldest still inhabited cities in the world. A major pilgrimage center for Hindus, this holy city has long been associated with the mighty Ganges River, one of the faith's most important religious symbols.
Varanasi offers many reasons to visit, especially the chance to explore the Old Town adjacent to the Ganges River, where you'll find Kashi Vishwanath Temple, built in 1780. New Vishwanath Temple with seven separate temples is also very interesting.
Bathing in the Ganges is of great importance to Hindus, and many sites known as "ghats" have stairs leading to a stream where devotees bathe before praying. The largest are the Dasashvamedh Ghat and the Assi Ghat. The latter, at the confluence of the Ganges and Asi rivers, is considered particularly sacred.
Also worth seeing is Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1917 and famous for its massive library of over a million books and the excellent Bharat Kala Bhavan museum with its superb collections of miniature paintings. , sculptures, palm leaf manuscripts and local history exhibits.