Banaras tourism gets affected by pandemic; waits for normalcy to return

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Banaras calls to mind many images and fervor in the minds and hearts of thepublic who come to visit this ancient Indian city. Historians, photographers and celebrated food writers have praised this temple town’s typical contributions — which have become indicators for tourists who can take pleasure in the city as “an emotion” before they leave, but promising to come back again.

Lang Liu, who is a Canadian citizen, frequently visits Banaras. She has been in the city four times already, saying that she has “fallen in love with the city” right after her first visit. Lang said that she was cautioned before that the city was ‘intense’ and people either loved it or hated it. She said that she fell in the first category!” Lang was captivated with thedevoutness and multiculturalism of the city — which was evident in the long expanses of the ghats by the Ganga and numerous religious centerslike shrines, mosquesand churches.

This ethnically rich backgroundlures tourists from around the world to the holy city of Banaras every year. Although the pandemic thwartedthe growth of tourism in the last two years, it is, in fact, the increase in offense over the years that has deterred many tourists. Many tour guides in Banaras are still waiting for normalcy to return. However, tourist visas that werepostponed during the pandemic are once again allowed since the end of 2021.

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