Updated May 29, 2023

Sacred City Banaras

Banaras, one of the seven sacred towns for Hindus, is breathtaking. It’s a depleting, empowering, and emotional experience. Every year, millions of travelers flock to Banaras to visit its enormous temples, ghats, and other well-known tourist attractions. The city is one of the most sacred in India and is brimming with culture. People recognize the city for its stunning brassware, wooden toys, hand-woven carpets, glass bangles, fragrant perfumes, and intricate gold and silver threadwork.

Top Tourist Places in Banaras

Here are some Top Tourist places in Banaras

#1 Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The revered city of Banaras houses Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of India’s oldest, wealthiest, and holiest shrines. It is one of the top Tourist places in Banaras. The temple honors the powerful Lord Shiva and ranks as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. People named the temple Kashi, a name that Banaras used also known. You may hear the neighboring Ganges river gently gushing as you enter the gates. Around Sabha Griha’s main chamber are miniature shrines dedicated to various Hindu deities. And the spectacular brown stoned image of Lord Shiva is in the center of this hall, standing on a silver pedestal.

Address: Lahori Tola, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh 221001
Map: Google Map
Timings: 3 am – 11 am, 12:30 pm – 08 pm, & 09 pm – 11 pm
Famous For One of the twelve Jyotirlingas
Built In 1777
Built By: Rani Ahilyabai Holkar

#2 Assi Ghat

Assi Ghat is another one of the must-see locations in Banaras. This ghat, which both college students and tourists use, provides a tranquil haven from the busy streets of Banaras. Before taking a break on the steps of the ghat, pilgrims take a bath in the River Assi’s sacred waters and present the Shivling with flowers. The ghat is fully crowded with worshippers singing prayers each morning as the priests light the diyas and conduct the formal aarti.

Address: Assi Ghat, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh
Map: Google Map
Timings: Anytime
Famous For Recreation and festivals
Built In 1988
Built By: Uttar Pradesh Government

#3 Manikarnika Ghat

Stories shroud the Manikarnika Ghat, the oldest riverfront and one of the Top tourist places in Banaras. People claim that the brave queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai, was born near Manikarnika ghat. Ancient scriptures and religious books mention Manikarnika ghat as the spot where Devi Sati set herself on fire. Numerous pilgrims performing the final rites for their deceased loved ones come here each year, giving a glimpse into Banaras’ traditional way of life.

Address: Near Rajendra Prasad Ghat, Garawasi, Jugul Tola, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh 221001
Map: Google Map
Timings: Open 24 hours
Famous For Sacred riverfronts, Cremation grounds
Built In 1730
Built By: Bajirao Peshva

#4 Ramnagar Fort & Museum

The Ramnagar Fort, an 18th-century collapsing ruin directly across from the Tulsi Ghat, needs urgent renovation. Raja Balwant Singh built the cream-colored building, which served as his residence fort, from Chunar sandstone. It remains home to the current Maharaja of Banaras, whose residence is set apart from the remainder of the fort. Within the complex are two temples dedicated to Veda Vyasa and Lord Hanuman, respectively.

Address: Ram Nagar, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh 221008
Map: Google Map
Timings: 10 am – 05:30 pm
Famous For Sightseeing, Photography
Built In 1750
Built By: Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh

#5 Gyan Vapi Well

This holy well, located in the center of the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is a well-liked destination for pilgrims in Banaras. Numerous Hindu worshippers have frequented GyanVapi Well, meaning “the well of wisdom,” for many years. Before Emperor Aurangzeb invaded the shrine, a priest skillfully hid Lord Shiva’s image inside this well. Since that time, people have revered the waters of this well on par with the Ganges.

Address: 31-24, Gyanvapi Main Road, Lahori Tola, Gyanvapi, Uttar Pradesh 221001
Map: Google Map
Timings: Open 24 hours
Famous For Religious purpose, Spiritual
Built In 1664
Built By: Aurangzeb

#6 Panchganga Ghat

At this ghat, the Yamuna, Saraswati, Dhutpapa, Kirana, and Ganges converge. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to this location to pay homage to the holy Ganga River. The ghats boast stone turrets and staircases and are notably deep and wide. The Ghat symbolizes Hindu-Muslim unity because it is considered the birthplace of the Sufi-Sant tradition.

Address: 7/111, Sonarpura Rd, Ghats of Banaras, Bangali Tola, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh 221001
Map: Google Map
Timings: Open 24 hours
Famous For Spiritual bathing, Prayers, Festivals
Built In 1580
Built By: Maratha Empire

#7 Tulsi Manas Temple

As one strolls through the beautiful green gardens of Tulsi Manas Temple, the pearly white exterior welcomes the gaze. The Thakur Surekha Das family built the marble structure of this temple in 1964 and its captivating design earned recognition. Currently, this temple is one of Banaras’s most famous religious destinations. People believe that the ancient poet Tulsidas sat here to write the sacred epic of Ramcharitmanas.

Address: Sankat Mochan Rd, Durgakund Rd, Near Jalan, Banaras, 221005
Map: Google Map
Timings: 5 am – 12 pm & 04 pm – 09 pm
Famous For: The ancient Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas
Built In 1964
Built By: Sureka Family of Howrah

#8 Man Mandir Observatory

Without a brief stop at the Man Mandir Observatory, Man Mandir Ghat is incomplete. It was constructed under the direction of Maharaja Jai Singh, the ruler of Jaipur, and is commonly referred to as the Jantar Mantar of Banaras. His insatiable curiosity about science inspired him to build this observatory, which is noticeably identical to a few other observatories with the same name across the nation. This technological marvel was developed to track changes in the sun, planets, stars, and other celestial bodies over time and during eclipses.