Around India In 80 Trains

Haridwar and Varanasi

The Kumbh Mela is one of the world's largest pilgrimages, where Hindus gather by the millions at the river Ganges. Legend has it that during a fight between the gods and demons, Lord Vishnu spilt drops of holy nectar in four different spots - Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik - so every three years, pilgrims make the journey to one of the four destinations to bathe in the waters and cleanse their sins. The Purna Kumbh Mela takes place every twelve years and ran from mid-January to the end of April 2010 in Haridwar, hosting an estimated 40 million visitors.

Varanasi, also known as Benares, is considered to be the oldest city in India and is revered by Jains, Buddhists and Hindus as an auspicious site. Not far from Varanasi is the town of Sarnath, where Buddha is said to have delivered his first sermon on enlightenment and since then, the city has incubated artists, musicians, craftsmen, writers and poets, including Tulsi Das and Ravi Shankar.

DSC_3967-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_3975-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4009-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4012-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4124-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4148-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4196-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4197-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4201-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4214-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4216-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4220-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4235-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4241-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4244-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4247-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4252-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4306-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4461-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_4713-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5173-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5332-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5367-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5381-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5387-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5397-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5401 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5412 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5504-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_5519-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_6499-3 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_6953-2 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_7291 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_7304 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_7349 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_7385 haridwar-and-varanasi DSC_7547-3 haridwar-and-varanasi