Places nearby worth a visit
by Rupanworld
The places very near to Varanasi that one can also visit are:
Sarnath (10 kms), the holy land where the Budhha preached Buddhism,
Ramnagar (14 Kms), where one finds the Ramnagar fort, the palace of the King with an exquisite museum
Chunar (40 kms), where one finds the Chunar fort, house of Mughal rulers for many generations
Vidhyachal (80 kms), with one of the Shaktipeeths
Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary (70 kms)
Allahabad (135 kms), the confluence of the three rivers, Ganga, Jamuna & Saraswati (popularly called the Tribeni Sangam)
Door
by l_joo
Picture is a house door taken by me. This door is nothing so special but it is from Varanasi and that makes it special. Not many peoples would upload a door to show you but I. Looking at a door is part of my travel experience, why not build as a tip.
Respect the COWS
by Rupanworld
Cows are regarded as HOLY in Hindu religion. Varanasi, being the seat of traditional Hindu beliefs and values, pays great respect to Cows. So, if you are in Varanasi, try not to get irritated at the sight of cows all around.
Pan Massala - The Red Spit.
by Hmmmm
ou ever notice the ubiquitous red blobs all over the walls and the ground of India. Its Pan Massala, or beetle -nut. Somepeople use Areca nut, a cheaper nastier version. Pan Massala is the beetle nut narcotic concoction that causes all of the red spit throughout India.
Indian Guys (and I saw many elderly women use it too) love it. They typically they take the fresh beetle nut, wrap it in a leaf, add shredded coconut and dab on several different herbs and pastes. The concoction is sold throughout India especially outside of restaurants as an after dinner treat!
Also an istant pan massala is widely available. They are the tiny little sachets that are sold in stalls and shops all over india, like the one in the picture. with this instant version one just has to just open the sachet and within minutes one is ready to drool the red beetle nut juice and later spit it on the wall.It seems like a great concept except that it was immediately suspected of causing cancer of the lip.
Guys often sit around, watching the worm go by almost out of it on this Pan Massala. There isn't really anything good at all about Pan Masala and Areca nut save the fact taht it is said to be a good taenifuge for tapeworm. So there you go.
Send me photo please !
by l_joo
Another local Varanasian custom is when after taking their photos for them, they most probably want you to send photos for them. Here are two local Varanasian youngsters who want me to send them photo. They as usual, wrote their address in paper and then smiles happily to wait for photos post to them.
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Ram Nagar Fort
Inside Tibetan Buddhist Monastery
Panchaganga Ghat
Rana Mahal Ghat
