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Places around Varanasi include Sarnath that is one of the three holiest sites for Buddhists and is 10 kms north of Varanasi. This is where the Buddha delivered his first sermon in 528 BC. There are many temples here, representing the many cultures where Buddhism is the dominant religious philosophy. You'll find the Tibetans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Burmese and the Thai have set up centres of learning, monasteries and temples. The Ashokan Pillar here used to be crowned by a capital that had four lions with their backs to each other looking out in the four cardinal directions. You can get to Sarnath by bus, auto rickshaw and taxi, and can stay there at hotels and in the monasteries.
Chunar, 40 kms from Varanasi is famed for its polished sandstone. It has a fort on the northern spur of the Kaimur Hills, overlooking the Ganga. Chunar village on the banks of the river has shops, mainly dealing in the Chunar sandstone. Chunar is connected to Varanasi by a bus service starting at Godaulia. There is a PWD bungalow at the fort that can be booked at the PWD office in Mirzapur.
Jaunpur, founded in 1360 by Feroz Shah Tughlaq is a dusty small town 58 kms from Varanasi. Its most distinguishing feature is the 16th century Akbari Bridge, which spans the Gomti River that runs through the town. The bridge designed by an Afghan architect, was an important landmark on trade routes across the country. A large sculpture of a lion and an elephant at one end of the bridge mark a provincial milestone from which distances were measured. The Old Shahi Fort, north of the river, is a quadrangular complex which is now in ruins. Among the structures that remain is the oldest mosque of Jaunpur and a Turkish hammam. Just 400 metres away from the fort is the Atala Mosque built in 1408 on the ruins of the Atala Devi temple. About 5 kms from the Jami Masjid is the Lal Darwaza Masjid. It is a much smaller mosque, built probably as a private prayer chapel attached to a palace. It takes about two hours to reach Jaunpur from Varanasi. Most of the tourist accommodation is in the vicinity of the fort.
The Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary is 70 kms from Varanasi and a great place to visit for those keen on an outing close to nature. The sanctuary has the Rajdari and Devdari waterfalls, and makes for a quiet picnic spot.
The Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary is a little further away, 130 kms from Varanasi. This wildlife reserve has the Mukha waterfalls, a popular spot for tourists.
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