A journey beyond the familiar lanes of Banaras — through history, spirituality, architecture and faith.
📍 Varanasi | Sarnath | Umaraha | Kaithi
🎥 Watch the journey: Paint My Journeys on YouTube
Beyond the Ghats of Banaras
Banaras has a way of making you believe that there is always another story waiting around the corner.
We know Banaras through its ghats, the Ganga, ancient temples, narrow lanes, colourful streets and the evening Ganga Aarti.
But there is another Banaras waiting beyond the familiar. A Banaras of ancient history, meditation, architecture, mythology and rivers.
That is what inspired my journey into Beyond Banaras.
In this journey, I explored three very different places — Sarnath, Swarved Mahamandir and Markandey Mahadev at Kaithi.
Three places. Three stories. And three very different experiences of spirituality.
Sarnath — Where the Journey of Dharma Began
Our first stop was Sarnath, a place whose history reaches far beyond the boundaries of Varanasi.
Sarnath is traditionally associated with the first teaching of Gautama Buddha after his enlightenment. It was here that Buddha delivered his first sermon, setting into motion what became the Buddhist tradition.
Walking through Sarnath feels very different from walking through the busy streets of Banaras.
The noise slowly disappears. The pace becomes quieter. And the ancient ruins seem to invite you to pause.
Dhamek Stupa
Among the archaeological remains, the Dhamek Stupa immediately captures attention.
Its massive structure rises above the surrounding landscape, creating a powerful sense of scale and history.
But what stayed with me was not only the monument. It was the atmosphere around it.
There is something deeply contemplative about Sarnath.
Perhaps because this is a place associated with a message that travelled far beyond India — a message centred around understanding, compassion and the search for a meaningful way of living.
For me, Sarnath became less about seeing another historical monument and more about experiencing a moment of stillness.
Sometimes a journey becomes meaningful when we stop moving and simply observe.
At Sarnath, history and silence seem to exist together.
Swarved Mahamandir — A New Expression of Spirituality
From ancient Sarnath, the journey took me to a very different landscape.
At Umaraha, on the outskirts of Varanasi, stands the magnificent Swarved Mahamandir.
The first thing that catches your attention is its architecture.
The scale is enormous. The details are intricate.
The structure rises dramatically against the sky, creating an almost surreal contrast with the surrounding landscape.
Swarved Maha Mandir — where architecture becomes part of the spiritual experience.
The Mahamandir is associated with the spiritual text Swarved and is designed as a space for meditation and spiritual practice.
But as an artist, what fascinated me most was the visual experience.
The symmetry. The repetition of patterns. The carved surfaces. The play of light and shadow.
The relationship between the massive structure and the open sky.
Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be another detail waiting to be noticed.
here was an interesting contrast between Sarnath and Swarved Mahamandir.
One carries the weight of centuries. The other represents a contemporary expression of spirituality.
Yet both encourage something similar — to pause, reflect and look inward.
As a traveller and artist, I found that connection particularly beautiful.
Markandey Mahadev, Kaithi — Where Rivers Meet Faith
The final part of the journey took me towards Kaithi, away from the busy centre of Varanasi.
Here, near the meeting point of the Ganga and Gomti rivers, stands the revered Markandey Mahadev Temple.
The temple is associated with the legend of Rishi Markandeya and Lord Shiva.
The story of Markandeya is one of devotion, faith and the triumph of divine grace over death.
Stories like these are an important part of the cultural landscape of Kashi.
They are not simply stories written in books. They continue to live through temples, rituals, conversations and generations of devotees.
Standing near the river, I felt that the landscape itself was telling a story.
The temple. The river. The people. The faith. Everything seemed connected.
Unlike the dense urban character of central Banaras, Kaithi offers a quieter relationship between nature and spirituality. And perhaps that is what makes this place so special.
Three Places. Three Stories.
Looking back at this journey, I realised how different these three destinations are.
Sarnath speaks through history and silence.
Swarved Mahamandir speaks through architecture and meditation.
Markandey Mahadev at Kaithi speaks through mythology, devotion and the rivers.
Yet beneath their differences, there is a common thread. – The search within.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the region around Banaras continues to fascinate travelers, artists and seekers.
You don’t simply travel from one destination to another. You travel between different ideas of history, faith, culture and life.
Beyond the Familiar Banaras
When we think of Banaras, we often picture the Ganga, the ghats, boats, temples, narrow lanes and the evening Aarti.
But there is much more beyond those familiar images. There are ancient Buddhist sites.
There are new spiritual spaces.There are temples surrounded by rivers and legends.
There are villages, roads, landscapes and stories that remain outside the usual tourist trail.
That is what Beyond Banaras means to me. It is not simply about travelling outside the city.
It is about looking beyond the obvious. About finding stories in places that may not always make the first page of a travel itinerary.
And perhaps, in the process, discovering something about ourselves.
Watch the Full Journey
If you would like to experience these places with me, watch the Beyond Banaras episode on my YouTube channel.
🎥 Paint My Journeys
Watch Beyond Banaras on YouTube
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🌿 Until the next journey…
Keep travelling.
Keep observing.
Keep discovering the stories around you.
— Sonali Sihi
Paint My Journeys