Varanasi , also Banaras or Benares or Kashi is a city on the Ganges river
in northern India and has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage,
death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
It is also one of the
world's oldest continually inhabited cities
. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name
of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby
Sarnath
has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon
there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century,
Adi Shankara
established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Since
ancient times, the city has been an important centre of Hindu devotion,
pilgrimage, mysticism and poetry contributing to its cultural importance.
Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic,
the Ramcharitmanas , a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit
Ramayana
, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were
born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput
nobles in the service of the courts and armies of the
Mughal emperor Akbar
, sponsored the building or further enhancement of the major Shiva temple
in the city; they also built other temples, all displaying an empire-wide
architectural style.
The city is known worldwide for its many
ghats
, steps leading down the steep river bank to the water, where pilgrims
perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the
Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the
last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy
registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi
are
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
of
Lord Shiva
, the
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
, and the
Durga Temple
.
It is located at an elevation of 80.71 metres (264.8 ft) in the centre of
the Ganges valley of North India, in the Eastern part of the state of
Uttar Pradesh. The "Varanasi Urban Agglomeration" – an agglomeration of
seven urban sub-units – covers an area of 112 km2 (43 sq mi).