One of the most fascinating winter sweets of Kashi is the centuries - old palangtod that literally translates to bed breaker! Though the name makes one laugh out loud, its taste will definitely leave you speechless. Known to be an expensive sweet because of the time, effort and labour involved, this sweet has been given the... Continue Reading →
Thekua or khajur as it is known in Uttar Pradesh is a traditional deep - fried sweet offered as prasad during Chhath Puja, Saraswati Puja and Navaratri. Though the dish originated in Bihar, it is now hugely popular in Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Thekua is made from wheat, jaggery or sugar, desi ghee, spices and nuts. It has a... Continue Reading →
A delicious milk sweet of Kashi that has been served as prasad in most of the temples for centuries is the humble doodh peda. Made from full fat milk that is in abundance in Varanasi and Ghazipur districts and areas around the Ganga River, this simple milk innovation is hugely popular among locals and visitors and makes... Continue Reading →
Kashi's most iconic milk sweet is the centuries-old Lal Peda that has been praised to the hilt by travellers, food connoisseurs and historians. This traditional dairy product of Kashi is offered as prasad in the Kaal Bhairav Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. In the olden days, the abundance of milk in the... Continue Reading →
One of the most iconic and celebrated sweets of Kashi is Tirangi Barfi. Also known as Rashtriya Barfi, this unique creation is the handiwork of Shri Raghunath Das Gupta of Shree Ram Bhandar in Thatheri Bazar. The British from the late 1700s right up to the mid - 1940s had managed to successfully loot the ancient... Continue Reading →
One of the best chaats of Varanasi is its very own stuffed aloo tikki served at Kashi Chat Bhandar. This delicious chaat is unbelievably flavoursome with a bit of everything - crunch, spice and wholesomeness. Potatoes are first boiled and divided into two portions. One portion is grated when hot and mixed together with... Continue Reading →
The traditional breakfast of the ancient city of Kashi is the piping hot puri sabzi, kachori and droolworthy jalebi! Interestingly, the lightly spiced raswale aloo sabzi with greasy puris followed by kachori served with chana, meethi chutney and hari chutney and topped off with sinfully sweet jalebis (normal serving is four in a plate) really hits the spot! The batter is made by... Continue Reading →
A visit to the holy city of Kashi is deemed complete only if one samples their signature dish, the delicious, creamy and mildly sweet rabdi. This quintessential dessert makes it appearance in every festival and celebration across the country. Arguably the most preferred sweet of North India, rabri is prepared using traditional methods even today. The... Continue Reading →
The finest paan of India is the celebrated Banarasi paan prepared in the world-famous Keshav Tambul Bhandar in the ancient city of Kashi. This paan has been loved by visitors from all over for years. Even heads of state including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have sampled their renowned meetha paan. Interestingly, all the ingredients... Continue Reading →
Though lassi is a fairly common native drink available in almost every part of India, the Banarasi lassi is in a class of its own owing to the ingenuity of the residents. This world-famous lassi is extremely popular not only with the locals but also people visiting from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand. Interestingly, this lassi is... Continue Reading →
Banaras, a gastronomical haven offers a staggering variety of scrumptious sweets like malaiyo, jalebi, gulab jamun, rabdi and others but launglata is undisputedly the choicest sweet of this holy city. Believed to be derived from the Bengali lobongo latika, this sweet is said to have made an appearance in Banaras more than 500 years ago. Also known as lavanga... Continue Reading →
The narrow lanes in Old Banaras prides itself on having the best mouth-watering traditional dishes that are truly in a class of its own. A gastronomical quest for the best street food in Banaras is deemed complete only if one samples the delicious kachori sabzi, the quintessential breakfast of Banaras and pretty much the whole... Continue Reading →
Takshakeshwar Nath Mandir situated on the bank of the Yamuna River is one of the oldest temples in Prayagraj. The temple is believed to be at least 5000 years old if not more and historical and archaeological evidence found at the site suggests that this temple has been in existence since the ancient times. ... Continue Reading →
Samudra Koop that literally translates to ocean well is one of the most sacrosanct tirths of Prayagraj. Located in the archaeologically important town of Jhusi, this ancient well was established during the reign of the Chandravamsa dynasty (Lunar dynasty) roughly around 7100 BCE. Jhusi used to be known as Pratisthan Pur during the reign of... Continue Reading →
Nag Vasuki, an ancient temple located on the bank of the holy Ganges to the north of the sacrosanct Triveni Sangam draws lakhs of devotees on the auspicious Kumbh, Ardha Kumba, Magha Mela, Naga Panchami and the month of Shravan. A trip to Prayagraj is deemed complete and successful only if a pilgrim has a dip in the... Continue Reading →
The ancient city of Prayagraj is revered for its spiritual potency, deep connection to Maryada Purushottam Rama and the Ramayana and the repository of knowledge and wisdom, Bharadwaja Brahmarshi. Bharadwaja Brahmarshi, one of the Sapta Rishis of Kali Yuga (the others are Kasyapa, Atri, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vashistha) is venerated by scholars and those well-versed in the... Continue Reading →
Mankameshwar Temple is one of the oldest Shiva temples in Prayagraj and sits atop the Sheshnag Hill on the bank of the Yamuna River, a little distance away from the sacrosanct Saraswati Ghat. According to the Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana and Padma Purana, Mankameshwar is the place where Lord Shiva reduced Kamadeva to ashes. It is also... Continue Reading →
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