BHU Campus Guide: Why Banaras Hindu University Belongs on Every Varanasi Itinerary
Most visitors to Varanasi plan their days around the ghats, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the city's legendary street food. Yet a short ride from Lanka lies one of the most beautiful and peaceful spaces in the city: the sprawling campus of Banaras Hindu University. Founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1916, BHU is among the largest residential universities in Asia, and its campus feels like a green township in its own right. The journey begins at the grand BHU gate at Lanka, from where tree-lined avenues fan out across more than 1,300 acres. Colonial-era red brick faculties, wide lawns and quiet cycle paths make the campus an unexpectedly calm retreat from the bustle of the old city. Students, families and morning walkers share the roads, and the pace slows the moment you pass the gate. At the heart of the campus stands the New Vishwanath Temple, affectionately called VT by generations of students. Built in white marble with a towering shikhara, it is one of the tallest temple structures in Varanasi. Verses from the Gita are inscribed along its walls, and the gardens around it are a favourite spot to sit in the evening. Entry is open to all, making it a gentle complement to the more crowded darshan at the original Kashi Vishwanath. No BHU visit is complete without its food rituals. The cold coffee served at campus canteens has a cult following, and the chhola samosa from stalls near the gate is a rite of passage for every Banarasi student. Pair a temple visit with these simple pleasures, and you will understand why locals say BHU is not just a university but a living part of Banaras itself.
Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources:
