Early this morning, at sunrise, re-visiting the ghats, and experience another boat ride, witnessing devout Hindus, beginning their day by offering prayers to the holy river and the sun. Return to the hotel.
After breakfast, embark on a tour of Varanasi. The sites will include the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple, the most sacred of the shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, patron deity of Varanasi, originally constructed by Rani Ahillya Bai Holkar in 1776. The temple was rebuilt in the 18th century; its gold plating on the "shikharas" was a gift from a Sikh king, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Proceed to the Durga Temple, another important temple, dedicated to the Goddess Durga. It was built in the 18th century, in the Nagara style of architecture. It has five Shikharas (spires), which commences from the bottom and converges to the top. Locally, the temple is known as the "Monkey Temple" due to the large number of monkeys inhabiting the vicinity. Continue on to Tulsi Manas Mandir, built in 1964, devoted to Lord Rama and is believed to have been built on the site where the saint-poet Tulsi Das resided and wrote the epic Ram Charit Manas. The text is engraved on the walls of the temple. Next, visit the Bharat Mata Mandir, a unique temple dedicated to Mother India. It houses a relief map of India, carved out of marble, Benaras Hindu University, the largest residential university in Asia, covering an area of approximately 2,000 acres. It was a gifted by the former Maharaja of Varanasi, who was a scholar of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy. The institution attracts students from India and abroad, as it is a center of Sanskrit, Indian art, culture and music.
Afternoon proceed on an excursion to Sarnath, where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon, after attaining enlightenment. Visit the museum, many stupas, ruins and Mulagandhakuti Vihara, housing relics found during the early excavations. Stay Overnight at the Hotel. (Breakfast)