Beyond Ghats and Ganga, A Soul-Deep Search for Wellness in Varanasi

There’s a peculiar quietude to Varanasi that pulses just beneath the surface of chaos. The city where contradictions co-exist effortlessly. The funeral chants and temple bells, ancient wisdom and modern mindfulness, come together. To call Varanasi ancient is to undersell it. Known also as Kashi and Banaras, Varanasi is believed to be over 3,000 years old, making it one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Located on the western banks of the Ganga River in southeastern Uttar Pradesh, the city has long been a spiritual compass for seekers, saints, and scholars alike. But look beyond Varanasi with sadhus and boat rides. You’ll find that Varanasi is not just India’s oldest spiritual city, but it’s one of its most underrated wellness destinations. 

It's 80+ ghats, has watched empires rise and fall from its eternal perch on the banks of the Ganga, its stone steps breathe with Sanskrit mantras and sitars long before "wellness" became a buzzword. Dashashwamedh Ghat, for instance, is known for its vibrant evening Ganga Aarti, while Manikarnika Ghat is one of the most sacred cremation grounds in Hinduism, symbolising liberation from the cycle of life and death. These ghats are emotional theatres where life unfolds in its rawest, purest form. When visiting Varanasi, you align your being with forces older than civilisation itself. The wellness here is not skin-deep; it’s soul-deep. It teaches surrender, impermanence, and the value of living intentionally as a conscious being.

At the heart of Varanasi lies the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a spiritual nucleus of the city. Recently revitalised under the ambitious Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project, the temple is now connected more fluidly with the Ganga through open plazas and viewing platforms. Yet, its core remains steeped in devotion. Here, time slows down. 

A Shift in the Spirit

Historically, Varanasi was where people came to attain moksha, the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. But over the years, the narrative has shifted. Today, a new generation of Indian and global travellers is coming to feel alive, not to prepare for death. Such is the transition today. 

They come to rise before the sun and drift across the Ganga in boats, wrapped in the mist and silence of dawn. They come to learn yoga where it was born, to chant at the Assi Ghat, to sip blue lotus tea in quiet cafés, and to meditate beneath banyan trees that have shaded centuries of seekers and given direction to them.

The New Age of Existential Wellness

Today, wellness in Varanasi takes many forms, Ayurvedic therapies, sound healing sessions, spiritual homestays, and heritage walks designed to unearth the wisdom of saints and philosophers. Ayurvedic centres are emerging across the city, offering authentic treatments like abhyanga, shirodhara, and panchakarma. The food, too, nourishes the soul: temple-blessed tulsi tea, satvik meals, and khichdi with ghee are not culinary afterthoughts; they are part of a ritual of balance. Not just locals, but foreigners from across the globe feel at home in Varanasi. They come in search of wellness and spirituality and end up residing in the city for years in an attempt to understand the true meaning of existence.

A morning might begin with pranayama as the Ganga wakes and your days may unfold with visits to classical music gatherings. Did you know that Varanasi is also the birthplace of India’s soul in the arts? Luminaries like Pandit Ravi Shankar globally revered sitar maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan – the shehnai legend, Kabir Das, mystic poet and spiritual reformer, Munshi Premchand – the father of modern Hindi fiction and others. Their legacy lives on in the city’s rhythm, making every corner feel like an echo of something greater than yourself.

Wellness as a Pilgrimage

Unlike curated wellness retreats focused on detoxes and indulgence, Varanasi offers integration. It reminds you that wellness isn’t a break from life; it’s how you choose to live it. It provides moments of discomfort and self-introspection at some point, but it’s a journey that transforms you as an individual. You might leave without a spa glow or a wellness certificate. But you’ll take with you something subtler: a steadier breath, a lighter heart, a quieter mind. 

Varanasi attracts a mix of domestic wellness travellers, global spiritual seekers, cultural tourists, and the curious Gen Z explorers. Significant international footfall comes from Japan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, France, and Germany, countries with deep Buddhist, Hindu, or cultural interest in India’s spiritual traditions. Most come seeking meaning over movement, connection over consumption. 

Garden of Spiritual Wisdom – Sarnath’s Wellness Gem

Just a 20-minute drive from Varanasi in nearby Sarnath, behind the ancient Chaukhandi Stupa, the Garden of Spiritual Wisdom is a rising wellness and spiritual attraction. With galleries on Indian philosophy, Buddhist teachings, and a curated Ayurvedic herb garden, it’s an immersive space that brings ancient knowledge to life through interactive exhibits and meditative landscaping.

Conceptualised by Umesh Mathur, Chief Functionary of the Foundation for Learning Technologies, the garden is a thoughtfully curated space that uses sculptures, art installations, and serene landscaping to communicate the essence of Indian and Buddhist philosophy.

Varanasi doesn’t offer wellness as an escape. It offers wellness as a return to self, to silence, to meaning.