Things to Know Before You Go to Varanasi

Varanasi is one of the oldest cities ever in the world. The place is known as the pilgrimage center for people who follow the Hindu religion. Standing in the South of Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the holy river Ganga, Varanasi has a surreal beauty. Not just people in India, Varanasi is one of the most popular travel places for tourists who come from abroad too. The ancient domes, ashrams, and muths, along with the narrow lanes, the ghats, and Ganga Aarti make Varanasi fascinating and a place of dream for many. Varanasi is known as the Benaresi sarees which is one of the most popular traditional wedding sarees in the country. Even the simplest thing about the place will leave you mesmerized.
 
The Must Know’s Before your Varanasi Visit
Visiting Varanasi will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you. Simply a walk through the alleys or an evening at the ghat watching the sunset will give you peace that you cannot imagine. However, there are certain things that you must know before you pay a visit to the most surreal place in India. Here is a list of such things:

1. Varanasi has an eccentric, crumbling, and poetic nature. When in Varanasi do not try to be too logical and rational. To enjoy the nooks and corners of Varanasi, you must deal with things here with a little patience since the place is chaotic, complex, and sublime.
2. Visit Varanasi if you wish to gain knowledge and know about the heritage of the city. The city is just not meant for visitors who are looking for fun things to do. It is not a place for leisure.
3. Varanasi is a hustling bustling city, so if you think it to be super clean then the city will run down you like crazy. Varanasi is one of the most famous places visited by tourists all over the world. It is noisy and full of people. Looking for perfectness and hygiene here will not work.
4. Varanasi is indeed the place where Hinduism originated. However, the place does not solely and only belong to the Hindus. Like every other city in India, even Varanasi has residents of all religions and cultures. Therefore, although it is regarded as the place for Hindu pilgrimage, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists also live here.
5. Varanasi is a dessert city. The people here eat dessert for breakfast, dinner, and lunch. Lassi at Varanasi is considered to be one of the most popular desserts in the world. Apart from that, the Rabri here is a must-try.
6. If you are someone who requires a vehicle to travel from one place to another then Varanasi is not a good choice for you. To enjoy the nooks and corners of Varanasi, you will have to ditch the vehicles and choose to walk instead, only then you will know what the city is all about.
7. It is said that taking a dip in the holy Ganga cleanses all the sins ever done. Tourists come here to take a dip in the Ganga and even carry back gangajal from here to cleanse their homes. Hence, if you come here, then taking a dip in the Ganga is a must thing to do.
8. If you are not a summer person then visiting Varanasi in summer can seem to be hell to you. The city like every other North Indian city has the most horrible summers. The temperature here shoots up to 50 degrees Celsius during the summer. The entire city seems even more chaotic during the summers.
9. Varanasi is full of monkeys. You will probably get to see more monkeys than humans. Varanasi is known to have trained monkeys. These monkeys were trained to do work for the people. The monkeys here have human names. Beware of them. They are the most known troublemakers in the place.
10. Varanasi is famous for its street food such as Tikki chats, sabzi kachori, and every other possible kind of chat. The city does not have many places for sit-down meals. However, if you are a true street food lover then it will not matter to you at all.
11. People in Varanasi talk in rhymes. This is mainly because the city has a super-strong lyrical culture. The age-old city is known to be the hub for musicians. If you ask a person something here, they will answer you back with a rhyme. It does not matter if the answer fits your question. The rhyming is predominant here.
12. Do not miss visiting the Benaras Hindu University when you visit Varanasi. This is one of the oldest heritage universities in India. It is one of the must-visit cultural heritages.

Conclusion
It is believed that people who die in Varanasi attain salvation and gets freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is one of the holiest places that you will get to visit. A stay here for a few days can change the way you look at things, the way you think of things.