The secluded cliff-top monastery, the golden pagoda, the sacred six-thousander peak and the splendid Renaissance cathedral are impressive regardless of religion: believe it or not. Skyscanner has collected holy places from Italy to Bhutan, which you can admire forever.
Varanasi is the most important of the seven Sapta Puris, the holy cities of India. According to legend, he appeared at the behest of Shiva, and now the destroyer god is worshiped in the golden temple of Kashi Vishvanath, which every Hindu seeks to get into.
Another sacred object of attraction is the Ganges, the river of life and death. Pilgrims descend the ghatam stairs, perform ritual ablutions and drink holy water: it is believed that the Ganges washes away diseases, misfortunes and sins. But the ultimate dream for a Hindu is to be cremated after death in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges. It means freeing yourself from the cycle of rebirth and achieving eternal bliss. On two of the 87 ghats, funeral fires burn day and night – a spectacle that is striking even from afar. An atmospheric and not so shocking performance is the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony, which is held every evening at the Dasashvamedh ghat.
