Tamatar Chaat is a dish you will struggle to find anywhere outside Varanasi. It is a hot, spicy mash made of tomatoes, boiled potatoes, ginger, and green chilies. The mixture is cooked on a large flat tawa until the flavors meld into a tangy, fiery curry.
It is served in a clay pot (kulhad) and topped with a splash of sugar syrup (to cut the acidity), a dollop of desi ghee, and crunchy 'namak pare' (fried dough bits). The combination of the hot, spicy tomato mash with the sweet syrup and crunchy texture is an explosion of flavor.
The most famous place to try this is Kashi Chaat Bhandar near Godowlia. It is typically eaten as an evening snack.
The most spectacular and bustling ghat in Varanasi, famous for the Agni Pooja (Ganga Aarti). Legend says Lord Brahma sacrificed ten horses here, making it a site of supreme cosmic power and vibrant daily devotion.
The Mahashmashana or 'Great Cremation Ground.' It is believed that the fires here have never gone out for centuries. Hindus believe cremation here grants immediate liberation (Moksha) from the cycle of rebirth.
The southernmost ghat where the river Assi meets the Ganges. Famous for its 'Subah-e-Banaras' morning program, yoga sessions, long-term student residents, and a more tranquil, bohemian atmosphere.
