Review Overview
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Summary : Varanasi is home to some of India's best musicians.
If there’s time, the Sarnath tour bus continues on to Raninagar Fort on the far bank of the Ganges, once the residence of the Maharajahs of Benares. The palace Durbar hall has been converted into a rather dilapidated ‘museum’ (open 10 am to noon, 1 to 5 pm, admission Rsl) containing textiles, ivory coaches, duelling pistols, elephantloot foot stools and moth-eaten tiger-skin rugs.
During the Dussehra festival each October the story of Lord Rama is retold in a traditional play, the Ramlila over a period of a month. The version enacted at Ramnagar is considered an important interpretaion of the story and if you are visiting Varanasi during this
period it is worth spending an extra day to see an episode. RECREATION After a long, dusty day’s touring, there’s nothing to beat a cool dip in a luxury swimming-pool. The Taj Ganges and Clarks Varanasi hotels both have nice pools and can be used with temporary membership (about Rs50 per day). Varanasi is home to some of India’s best musicians. For details of upcoming recitals (and other entertainments), pick up a copy of Northern Patrika newspaper. Clarks Varanasi hotel offers good live music as part of its set buffet dinners. Apart from organised recitals it is occasionally possible to spend an informal evening with a group of musicians in their homes. This can sometimes be arranged through the front office of your hotel or through the local tourist office. Other than this, you’re at the mercy of local rickshaw-men, who always happen to know of a music show going on locally.
SHlOPING Varanasi’s silks—brocades and cloth—have been famous for centuries. Even the Buddha, when a royal prince, is known to have valued them. Today, the world’s finest dressmakers use Varanasi brocades for making elaborate garments. The most beautiful handwoven silk brocades are called kinkhab, and are exquisitely decorated with kalabatun (gold thread) and embellished with all-over designs of tiny motifs. All Varanasi’s top products—saris, stoles and brocades—are individual works of art, accomplished by master weavers. Expect to pay accordingly.
There is a very wide price range for silk items. Cheap to moderate cushion-covers, wall-hangings, and bedspreads can be found but on the whole it is far better to splurge on something of real quality. The best kinkhabs are incredibly flashy and incredibly expensive—the ones incorporating real gold thread can cost up to Rs20 000, those with silver thread ‘only’ around Rs3000-0000.
In the absence of any decent government emporia, it can be very difficult to get a fix on what’s available in Varanasi, and how much it should cost. This makes tourists very vulnerable to the onslaughts of persistent, smooth-talking operators whose ‘uncle’ always has a silk shop. This is a major problem in Varanasi and the only way to avoid it is to make up your mind exactly what you want, where you’re going to look for it, and how much you’re prepared to spend. Be quite firm with anybody who tries to change your mind.
If you must visit a particular shop (generally a bad idea), try J. Aurora, 42 Cantonment, next to the tourist office (tel 43796). At least you get a free cup of tea and no hassle to buy. This place sells nice ethnic jewellery and wonderful Turkishstyle ‘folk’ rugs and dhurries at low prices. Also inexpensive batiks, wall-hangings, cushion-covers and silk materials.
Far better than shops, since you can compare prices and bargain better, are the bazaars of the old city. The central Chowk Bazaar, which runs between (and behind) the two main burning ghats, is good for everything—especially silk saris (from around Rs250), silk by the metre (from Rsl60), beautiful carved walking sticks, cheap ready-made cotton clothes and wooden toys. At night, the atmosphere here is electric. For better-quality silk, try Satti Bazaar, and for ornamental brass work (Varanasi’s other speciality) the Thetary Bazaar. For fabulous glass bangles (often lacquered, between Rs20 and Rs1200 per set) and other ornamental/novelty items, the city market around the Golden Temple is best.
When shopping in Varanasi, apply the ‘burning test’ on p.221 to tell real silk from common ‘banana’ cotton-silk. Also, steer clear of any so-called Moradabad brass which does not show a good pink colour, denoting high copper content. If possible, spend a whole day looking around, comparing quality and price of all produce, before buying anything.
Although the items on sale are mainly Kashmiri the CIE shop at the Mint House is worth visiting in order to see the building. The Mint house was established by James Princep in 1820-21 when he was appointed Mint Master by the East india Company.
WHERE TO STAY
Expensive (Over US$35/Rsl000 per room night) In high season, Varanasi’s few luxury hotels are constantly full, and you’ll need to advance-book. In low season (April-June) both the Clarks and Ashok hotels offer attractive 20-30% discounts. All the top hotels are conveniently located near the rail station, in the new Cantonment area. The most expensive one, Hotel Taj Ganges (tel 42480, tlx 545-219 TAGA IN, fax 0042-322067), is a friendly place with good food, nice pool, and rooms at US$49 single, US$70 double. Many people, however, favour the well-established Clarks Varanasi (tel 46771, tix 0045-204) on the Mall. This pleasant old-fashioned hotel has been recently renovated to look brand-new. Centrally ,ca ito hnasi da rrietlaix¬oinng peo,odl, chumy staf, snug bar, and probably the best chinese food in town. Standard single/double rooms are Rsl200 /1700, but ask for one of the delightful old-block garden rooms. Somewhat underrated, ITDC’s Hotel varanasi Ashok (tel 46020, tlx 0040-200 ITDC IN), is a cut above the usual governnt- run luxury hotel. Bright-white stucco interior, and rooms with balcony and ,.rr dSioivnuigbelelersvs – Rsvsl0lie20e0w. Urseful travel agency in loby, handy airport coach service.
Mid-range (US$10-35/Rs250-1000 per room night) many of the mid-range hotels are concentrated in the Lahurabir area, between the station and Gowdolia bus-stand. Choose from Diamond Hotel, Bhelupura (tel 1696), Gautam Hotel, Ramkatora (tel 42510), and the newish Pradeep Hotel (tel 66363) at Jagatganj. Room prices vary between Rs200-250 single, Rs200-250 double th air-conditioning. All three places are well-run and friendly, though the Diamond and Gautam certainly have the best food. Other properties in this range include the spacious Hotel de Paris (tel 46601, tlx 0040-323), located in the Cantonment with an extensive garden and large rooms from Rs400. In the bazaar the Pallavi International (tel 04894, 06939), Hathwa Market, Chetganj has air-conditioned rooms from Rs370 single, Rs400 double.
budget (Under US$10/Rs250 per room night) Varanasi has a glut of cheap budget lodges/hotels, which are changing all the time. the Cantonment area the Tourist Dak Bungalow on the Mall with a pleasant Garden and camping facilities has rooms from Rsl20. Also in the Cantonment area the Hotel India, 09 Patel Nagar (another nice garden, rooms at Rsl200 ) and Hotel Surya, behind Clarks Hotel (popular, quiet rooms at Rsl200 ). Near the rail station otel Blue Star is popular, with good information and food. Rooms are from Rs70, and you’ll want one at the back, away from the noisy main street. More out of the Way (halfway between station and ghats) is Hotel Garden View, Sigra Crossing, idyapeth Rd. Nice clean rooms from Rs65 single, Rs90 double; good information and travel/tour service; decent restaurant although service is erratic. Down in the Id city/ghats area—where the bulk of shoestring travellers stay—there are a wealth of cheap and often dirty places huddled round the Vishvanath Temple, or overlooking the Ganges from the various ghats. Trimurti Lodge has a couple of 3rd-floor Looms directly overlooking the Temple. Close by is Sri Venkateshwar Lodge with a leasant courtyard, very genial manager, and quiet rooms. Two recommended riverside places are Shankeri Tourist Lodge a nice old house at Mir Ghat, with friendly people, great food, big double rooms; and Tandon Lodge, near Gai Ghat, with good-value rooms. Both these places offer marvellous views over the Ganges.
EATING OUT : for a big night out, go to Hotel Clarks Varanasi. The Indian restaurant here lays on Avery special buffet dinners—with great live music thrown in from 7.30 to 10.30 pm daily (Rs125). Hotel Taj Ganges probably has the best Indian food in town but it is mo expensive. For Chinese fare, check out the Chinese Mandarin Restaurant next to Tou Bungalow (near rail station) or the friendly Chinese Garden next to the Cantonment tourist office. They’re both quite cheap (Rs50). For mid-range Indian/Continental cuisine, try Diamond Hotel in Bhelupura. Less expensive food at Tulasi Restaurant (vegetarian) or at Pradeep Hotel’s Poonam Restaurant (Indo-Chinese), both in Lahurabir area. Down by the ghats, the better budget restaurants are conveniently (inevitably) close to the better budget lodges. Street View Restaurant is near Tandon Lodge, Sudha Hotel’s Ajanta Cafe and (opposite) Ayaars Cafe are both near Shankheri Lodge, and Sindhi Restaurant. All these places do good, reliable Indian-style snacks.
GENERAL INFORMATION Government of India Tourist Office, 15B The Mall, Cantonment (tel 43744) is good for information, hires out guides for the old city, and runs decent sightseeing tours where you spend more time at sights than in shops. Morning tours cover sunrise at the Ganges, river trip, temples, Benares University (5.30 am to noon); afternoon tours cover Sarnath and Ramnagar Fort (2 pm to 6 pm). The Tourist Office can also help guide you to any music recitals that might be taking place.
Indian Airlines is at Mint House Motel, opposite Nandesar Palace, Cantonment (tel 44537, 45959); other office at Babatpur Airport (tel 142, 62411). State Bank of India has branches at Varanasi Ashok Hotel (tel 46020) and Varuna Bridge, also at airport. Post office is at Bisheswarganj, in Kotwali area. There’s a good parcel-packing service outside it. Good travel agent is Travel Bureau (tel 46771) in Clarks Hotel, useful for air, rail and bus bookings. The well-stocked Nandi bookshop in Ashok Hotel has a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles, also nice postcards. There is a locally printed map of the ghats, available in most hotel bookshops.
