old Varanasi

branchazel

i heard about "old varanasi" on the forum from i can't remember when
forgot to ask at the time - where all the main ghats are/where we arrive at varanasi by train, is that new varanasi?
how do we get to old varanasi?
cheers

wonderwomanusa

From the rail station, you get to the ghats by cycle ricksha. The drivers are sharks, and will want to take you to a hotel that pays them commission.... you have to fight them hard!

I usually take the ricksha to "Godalia" which is a bit before the ghats, but if your bags are heavy, you might not want to do this.

Where do you plan to stay? Many of the smaller and less expensive guesthouses are not accessible by ricksha and you will ahve to do some walking -- the alleys of the area around the ghats are very narrow.

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nedhopkins

There are also taxis (sedans) at the airport. I took one directly to my hotel, Palance on Ganges, at Assi Ghat. Taxis can also pull up to the entrances of the Radisson and Clarks hotels, though wonderwomanusa's cautions about the need to walk to "the smaller and less expensive guesthouses" near most ghats.

branchazel

so what about "Old Varanasi"?
is that where the ghats are??

and how much shud we pay to get from the train to the ghats?

Darmabum

Varanasi has been there for over 3000 years; archaeologically, the oldest part is in the vicinity of the railroad bridge across the Ganges, at the north end of town. As Varanasi got larger, it moved south along the river. The section along the high bluffs north of Goudalia are also very old. Perhaps your book is referring to the area around the main ghat/Goudalia area. There are, however, no structures standing that are over 300 years old, due to the continual sacking and rebuilding of the city.

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branchazel

i found out what it was - it was Bengali Tola road i was looking for
and that person said it was "Bengali Tola road in old varanasi"

is that near the ghats at all?

Chandra

Bengali Tola is the narrow lane going south from the market place straight up from Dasaswamedh Ghat. It is more or less parallell to the river. Touristy place, cheap guest houses, many bad restaurants. But the food at Spicybites is good. I love Bengali Tola. Map here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...image&resnum=1

branchazel

thanks!

thirdreel

Pretty much all of Varanasi is kind of old. I'm surprised no one has brought up the Mark Twain quote, which is also old.