Travel★ FeaturedVaranasi is on the verge of opening India's first public urban ropeway, a 3.75-km aerial line linking Cantt railway station to Godowlia Chowk near Kashi Vishwanath. With five stations and gondolas seating ten each, the system is designed to carry tens of thousands of riders a day and complete the trip in about sixteen minutes. For pilgrims and visitors who today crawl through the old city's narrow lanes, the cable car promises a quick, eco-friendly glide above the traffic, with rooftop views of the ghats along the way. Trial runs have been progressing well, and the project blends modern transit with the city's heritage character. It is one of several connectivity upgrades reshaping how people move through Kashi.
3d ago· WikipediaRead more → News★ FeaturedVaranasi drew a record of more than 7.26 crore visitors through 2025, according to the Uttar Pradesh government — a milestone that underlines the city's emergence as a global spiritual-tourism hub. Officials credit the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the beautification of the Ganga ghats, restored temples, better roads and improved visitor facilities for the surge. The footfall has rippled out to boatmen, guides, hotels, eateries and handicraft sellers across the old city, broadening livelihoods well beyond the temple precincts. With new connectivity arriving alongside the crowds, the city is working to keep the experience smooth even as numbers climb.
7d ago· The Economic TimesRead more → 
EventsWith International Day of Yoga approaching on June 21, Varanasi has taken its place in a river-long celebration of yoga and wellbeing. On June 17, a yoga awareness drive was held at Ravidas Ghat as part of the "Gangotri to Gangasagar" campaign - an eight-day countdown to the 12th International Day of Yoga that follows the 2,525-km course of the Ganga.
Organised by the Ministry of AYUSH along with the National AYUSH Mission and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, the campaign carries Common Yoga Protocol sessions to eight iconic cities and ghats along the river, from its Himalayan source to the sea. This year's theme, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing," puts the focus on simple daily practice as a path to staying well into later life.
At the Kashi leg, students, yoga practitioners and local residents gathered on the ghat for guided sessions, with officials noting the warm public response. For a city that greets each dawn with prayer and breath beside the Ganga, the event is a natural fit - and a gentle nudge to roll out the mat as June 21 nears. Free community yoga sessions are a familiar sight across Varanasi's ghats around Yoga Day, welcoming first-timers and regulars alike.
1h ago· New KeralaRead more → 
TravelInternational travel from Varanasi is set to get noticeably smoother. From June 25, Air India launches its "Easy Connect" service on the Varanasi-Delhi route, a hub-and-spoke model built to take the hassle out of connecting flights for travellers from smaller cities.
Under the new system, passengers flying out of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport can complete check-in, baggage drop and immigration formalities in Varanasi itself. Their bags are tagged through to the final destination and transferred automatically in Delhi, so there is no need to collect luggage, re-check it, or queue again for immigration at the connecting hub. A single boarding pass carries them through.
Delhi acts as the gateway, offering onward connections to a wide range of international cities. For Varanasi's many residents, students and pilgrims who travel abroad - and for inbound visitors heading home - the change means fewer steps, less transit stress and a more predictable journey. Air India has said Varanasi is among the first cities to get the service, with more to follow in the months ahead. It is a welcome upgrade for a city whose airport has steadily grown its national and international footprint.
1h ago· Outlook TravellerRead more → 
SportsVaranasi's sporting calendar has a fresh highlight this week, with the Bareka Golf Course at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) hosting the DP World PGTI NexGen golf tournament from June 16 to 18. Conducted by the Professional Golf Tour of India, the event brings the country's up-and-coming professionals to the city's well-kept fairways, with a Pro-Am curtain-raiser and a practice round leading into three days of competition and a closing prize ceremony.
The NexGen series is designed as a stepping stone for emerging players, giving them a competitive platform to push towards the national and international stage. Organisers see the Varanasi leg as a boost for golf across eastern India, a region where the sport is still finding its feet, and hope it will inspire younger players to take up the game.
For Varanasi, better known the world over for its ghats and temples, the tournament is another sign of the city's growing reputation as a sports destination. Local fans, meanwhile, get a rare chance to watch tournament golf up close, on a course that now finds itself on India's professional circuit.
1h ago· New KeralaRead more → 
ShoppingAmong the many crafts that fill Varanasi's bazaars, the city's lacquered wooden toys hold a special, colourful place. Recognised with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag as "Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware and Toys," these hand-turned pieces are made by artisan families — many in the Khojwa and Kashmiriganj neighbourhoods — who shape local wood on hand-operated lathes and finish it in vivid lac colours.
What makes them a thoughtful gift is as much how they are made as how they look. The toys are crafted without joints, coloured with natural dyes, and are safe for young children — a tradition so woven into artisan life that, by lore, a new lathe was once added to a family when a child was born. The range runs from spinning tops and animal figures to nesting dolls, kitchen play sets and decorative pieces.
In recent years artisans have been reimagining the craft for modern homes, turning the same lathe skills toward stools, lamps and statement decor while keeping the handmade spirit intact. Visitors can find the toys around Vishwanath Gali, Chowk and the Khojwa workshops. Picking one up supports a living craft and carries a little of Banaras's colour home.
1d ago· District Varanasi — GI ProduceRead more → 
TravelTravel between Varanasi and Vijayawada is about to get much easier. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced on June 2, 2026 that direct flights connecting the two cities will begin on August 13, 2026, operating three times a week — every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — in each direction.
The new service links Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi with Vijayawada International Airport, opening a convenient corridor for pilgrims and tourists from Andhra Pradesh heading to the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the ghats. It also makes it simpler for travellers from the north to reach the temple towns and riverfronts of the Krishna belt.
Until now, the journey between the two cities usually meant a connecting flight or a long train ride. A thrice-weekly direct link, timed to the Shravan season, removes much of that friction and is expected to be welcomed by families planning darshan trips in either direction.
The flights add to the steady widening of Varanasi's air map, which already connects the city to a growing list of metros and regional hubs — another sign of Kashi's rising pull as a destination. Travellers are advised to check airline schedules once bookings open.
1d ago· Travel+Leisure Asia (India)Read more → 
EntertainmentThe Mahindra Kabira Festival is set to return to Varanasi from December 4 to 6, 2026, bringing its ninth edition of music, poetry and conversation to the banks of the Ganga. Organised by the Mahindra Group with Teamwork Arts, the festival has become one of the city's most loved cultural gatherings, celebrating the timeless verses of the 15th-century mystic-poet Kabir, who is believed to have been born in Kashi.
The format that regulars cherish is expected to continue: gentle sunrise sessions on the ghats as ragas drift over the river, a Ganga aarti on the opening evening, and full-throated concerts after dusk. Between performances, the festival weaves in heritage walks through the old city's lanes, unhurried boat rides, thoughtful discussions, and tastes of the Banarasi kitchen.
Past editions have welcomed folk and classical voices alongside fusion acts, drawing listeners who return year after year. For Varanasi, the festival is more than a concert series — it is a reminder that the ghats themselves can be a stage, and that Kabir's message of inclusiveness still finds a natural home here.
Delegate packages and the full line-up are announced closer to the dates; festival-goers are encouraged to follow the official channels for details.
1d ago· Mahindra Kabira Festival (official)Read more → 
TravelJust a short drive from Varanasi, Sarnath — where the Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon — is in the international spotlight again. The "Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi" has been formally nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is currently under evaluation, with a decision expected when the World Heritage Committee meets later in 2026.
The nomination recognises Sarnath as one of the most important pilgrimage and archaeological sites in the Buddhist world, home to the towering Dhamek Stupa, the ruins of ancient monasteries, and the renowned Sarnath Museum. Uttar Pradesh Tourism has also highlighted Varanasi and Sarnath's rising profile on the global Buddhist tourism map, as more international visitors add the site to their Kashi itineraries.
For travellers, Sarnath remains one of the most rewarding half-day trips from the city — peaceful, green and steeped in history, offering a quiet counterpoint to the busy ghats. A World Heritage tag would bring even greater recognition, stronger conservation and more visitors in the years ahead. For now, the news is a proud moment for the wider Kashi region, underlining how Varanasi's heritage continues to draw admiration far beyond India's borders.
2d ago· UNESCO World Heritage Centre — 2026 Evaluations of NominationsRead more → 
EventsVaranasi is set to take centre stage in India's hospitality calendar this August. The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has announced that its 56th Annual Convention — one of the country's largest gatherings of hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses — will be held in the city from August 21 to 23, 2026, under the evocative theme "Ananta Kashi: Leading the Future of Tourism through Spirit, Culture, Cuisine and Craft."
The choice of Varanasi reflects the city's growing stature as a spiritual and cultural destination, and the convention's theme deliberately spotlights what makes Kashi distinctive — its temples and ghats, its rich food traditions, and its centuries-old crafts. Delegates from across the hospitality industry are expected to attend, with sessions, exhibitions and networking built around the future of Indian tourism.
For Varanasi, hosting an event of this scale is a meaningful boost. National conventions bring footfall to hotels, restaurants, guides and artisans, and they put the city's hospitality ecosystem in front of decision-makers from around the country. As the countdown to August continues, the gathering promises to celebrate Banaras not just as a place to visit, but as a model for how heritage, cuisine and craft can power the next chapter of tourism.
2d ago· FHRAI — 56th Annual Convention, Varanasi (announcement)Read more → 
WeatherAfter a stretch of intense June heat across eastern Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi and the surrounding region have begun to feel the first welcome change of the season. The India Meteorological Department's recent bulletins note that pre-monsoon thundershowers have already reached parts of east Uttar Pradesh, with isolated heavy spells recorded in mid-June — a sign that the southwest monsoon is steadily working its way north and east toward the Ganga plains.
For residents and visitors alike, the cooler, cloudier afternoons are a relief after weeks of soaring temperatures. Mornings on the ghats feel fresher, the river breeze is gentler, and the city's gardens and trees are greening up ahead of the full monsoon.
A few simple precautions make the changeable weather easy to enjoy. Carry a light umbrella or raincoat when heading out to the ghats or the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, since brief thundershowers can arrive quickly. Keep an eye on the IMD's daily forecast, plan boat rides for calmer mornings, and stay hydrated even on overcast days. With the monsoon approaching, Banaras is moving into one of its most atmospheric seasons — when rain-washed lanes, glistening ghats and a cooler Ganga make the old city especially beautiful.
2d ago· India Meteorological Department — All India Weather BulletinRead more → 
EventsOne of Banaras's most beloved street celebrations is on the horizon. The city's Jagannath Rath Yatra — the chariot festival that gives the famous Rathyatra crossing its name — is expected to roll out in mid-July, with the main day falling on July 16, 2026.
For generations, the area around the Rathyatra crossing has transformed into a lively fair during these days, with the chariot of Lord Jagannath at its heart and stalls, sweets and crowds filling the lanes. It is a thoroughly Banarasi affair — devotion and festivity braided together, the kind of gathering where the whole neighbourhood spills onto the street.
If you are planning to join, it is worth heading out a little early, travelling light, and keeping to the edges of the crowd if you are with children or elders. Local routes near the crossing get busy on the main day, so a short walk often beats waiting in traffic. We will keep an eye on timings as the date nears — for now, mark mid-July on your Banaras calendar.
3d ago· Kashi Taxi — Jagannath Rath Yatra Varanasi 2026Read more → 
EducationThere is good news from Lanka for everyone who takes quiet pride in Banaras Hindu University. BHU has been placed third among the country's universities in the IIRF 2026 rankings — a strong showing for one of Varanasi's best-loved institutions.
The result sits alongside its standing in the national NIRF list, where the university has featured among the top universities and within the top ten overall. For a campus that spans hundreds of courses across the arts, sciences, engineering and medicine, a ranking like this reflects the steady work of its students, teachers and researchers rather than any single headline.
For the city, BHU is more than a university — it is a neighbourhood, a daily rhythm, and a magnet that brings young people from across the country and beyond to Kashi. Every step up the rankings adds to that draw, and gives Banaras one more reason to feel proud of the green, sprawling campus at its southern edge.
3d ago· CollegeDekho — BHURead more → 
TravelAnyone who has inched through the lanes between Cantt and the temple zone on a busy morning knows the Varanasi shuffle. Help is on the way from an unexpected direction — overhead. The city's much-talked-about ropeway is being built as one of India's first urban public-transport ropeways, designed to lift commuters and pilgrims clean over the traffic.
The planned route links Varanasi Cantt station with the Godowlia area near the temple zone, running across a handful of stations with a fleet of small gondola cabins, each carrying a group of passengers at a time. The idea is simple: turn one of the city's slowest stretches into a quick, breezy ride with a view.
For residents it could mean an easier daily commute; for visitors heading toward Shri Kashi Vishwanath, it promises a gentler arrival without the crawl. The stations are being planned with lifts, escalators and step-free access so the ride is comfortable for senior citizens and travellers with disabilities too. It is one to watch as Banaras keeps weaving modern convenience into its ancient fabric.
3d ago· See City DestinationRead more → 
NewsKashi played host to the world's culture-keepers this month. In early June, Varanasi welcomed delegates for the second BRICS Culture Working Group meeting, held under India's BRICS presidency — and the city made the most of the spotlight.
Beyond the formal sessions, visiting members were given an immersive taste of what makes Varanasi and the wider Uttar Pradesh region special: its living spiritual traditions, its riverfront heritage, and the craftsmanship that has drawn travellers here for centuries. For a meeting about cultural cooperation between nations, there are few backdrops more fitting than the ghats of the Ganga.
For Banaras, hosting a gathering of this scale is more than a ceremonial honour. Each such event quietly strengthens the city's standing as a destination for cultural, spiritual and heritage tourism — the kind of recognition that, over time, brings more visitors, more interest in local crafts, and more reasons for the world to look toward Kashi.
3d ago· National Law ReviewRead more → 
EducationBanaras Hindu University has been listed among the world's ranked institutions in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2026, and placed 224th across Asia in the same year. The recognition reflects BHU's deep research output across the sciences, medicine, engineering and the humanities, and its standing as one of India's premier central universities. For a campus founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya more than a century ago, the global placement is a point of pride for students and faculty alike, and a draw for scholars considering Varanasi for higher study. It adds to a steady run of strong national rankings for the university and its sister institute, IIT (BHU).
4d ago· WikipediaRead more → TravelA Vande Bharat Express now links Banaras with Khajuraho, threading together some of the region's most revered religious and cultural stops, including Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. The semi-high-speed service trims travel time by well over two hours compared with the trains it replaces, giving pilgrims and tourists a fast, comfortable ride toward the UNESCO-listed temples of Khajuraho. For Varanasi, it is another strand in a growing web of modern connectivity that has included new expressways, an expanded airport and the upcoming ropeway. Officials say smoother links like this strengthen both faith tourism and everyday travel for residents heading west.
5d ago· PMIndiaRead more → ShoppingThe Banarasi saree — famous for its fine silk brocade and intricate zari work — continues to enjoy the protection of its Geographical Indication tag, which certifies authentic Varanasi-made weaves and shields buyers from machine-made imitations. For the city's handloom families, the GI mark is more than a label: it helps preserve generations of skill, supports fair recognition for master weavers, and strengthens the saree's appeal in markets at home and abroad. Visitors to Kashi can still watch the looms at work in the weaving mohallas and carry home a genuine piece of one of India's most celebrated textile traditions.
6d ago· Khurana & KhuranaRead more → EntertainmentLong before the city fully wakes, Assi Ghat comes alive with Subah-e-Banaras — a daily morning programme that welcomes the sunrise over the Ganga with Vedic chants, classical music, yoga and aarti. Running since 2014, the free gathering has become one of the most loved ways to experience Kashi's living culture, drawing residents, students and travellers to the riverfront steps at first light. On many mornings, young artists perform raga and dance, carrying forward the city's gharana traditions. For visitors, it is a serene, unhurried start to the day and a window into the spirit of Banaras.
9d ago· Kashi Official PortalRead more → EducationBanaras Hindu University has documented the trees across its sprawling campus in a detailed census, recording species with ecological notes, habitat descriptions and photographs. University leaders described the effort as a historic milestone that other institutions could model, noting that the survey also catalogues species in several IUCN threat categories — underscoring the conservation value of BHU's green campus. For one of India's largest residential universities, the exercise is both a scientific record and a commitment to protecting its leafy environment for students and the wider Varanasi community. It pairs neatly with the university's growing focus on sustainability and environmental education.
12d ago· Banaras Hindu UniversityRead more → NewsVaranasi's tourism boom is pulling in serious investment, with proposals spanning new hotels, resorts, restaurants, wellness retreats and river-cruise experiences. Tourism officials have welcomed the wave of local and national investors as 'harbingers of change', pointing to the formidable rise in visitor numbers since the Kashi Vishwanath Dham renovation. The interest stretches beyond the city to investors from across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR, many of them new to hospitality but eager to build in Kashi. For residents, the projects signal more jobs and a widening tourism economy; for visitors, more choice in places to stay and ways to experience the Ganga.
14d ago· Hindustan TimesRead more → EventsVaranasi's Ganga Mahotsav remains one of the city's grandest cultural celebrations — a multi-day festival along the riverfront that showcases classical music, dance, a country-boat race, a shilp mela of arts and crafts, and displays of sculpture and martial arts. Building toward Kartik Poornima, the festivities culminate in Dev Deepawali, when the steps of every ghat from Ravidas Ghat to Rajghat glow with more than a million earthen lamps in honour of the Ganga. For artists it is a marquee stage, for craftspeople a busy marketplace, and for visitors an unforgettable immersion in the living culture of Kashi.
16d ago· WikipediaRead more → 
SportsSports infrastructure in Varanasi is getting a major lift, anchored by the new international cricket stadium at Ganjari along with upgraded facilities at Sigra. Designed with Kashi's distinctive cultural motifs — from trident-shaped floodlights to ghat-inspired stands — the venue is built to host top-flight cricket and give the region a marquee sporting address. For young players across eastern Uttar Pradesh, a world-class ground close to home means better training, bigger matches and fresh inspiration. Officials say the aim is to make living in, visiting and playing in Banaras a special experience, with sport now part of the city's modern story alongside faith and heritage.
19d ago· PMIndiaRead more →