Vishwanath Gali

The lane running toward Kashi Vishwanath has been trading for centuries and is packed stall against stall: rudraksha malas (strings of prayer beads), brass and stone murtis of Shiva and Ganesha, small bottles of ittar (oil-based perfume), wooden toys, bangles, prasad and inexpensive silk. No other strip in the city concentrates so many souvenirs into so few metres. Quality varies widely, so treat it as a bazaar: bargain politely, and buy serious silk elsewhere. Liveliest from late morning until the evening aarti, the lamp offering at the river.

One lane holds nearly every Varanasi souvenir: malas, murtis, ittar and silk