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Vārāasī (, , , ), also known as ''Benares'', ''Banaras'', or ''Benaras'' (, , '''', ), or ''Kashi'' or ''Kasi'' (, , ), is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the India n state of Uttar Pradesh . It is one of the Oldest Continually Inhabited Cities In The World , dating back thousands of years and contemporaneous with the Sumer civilisation.3 The city is called Kasi, "the luminous" in the Rigveda .4 It is often also referred to as "city of temples and learning."5 The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center in Northern India for thousands of years. Varanasi has its own style of classical Hindustani Music , and has produced prominent philosophers, poets, writers and musicians in Indian History , including Kabir , Ravi Das, Munshi Premchand , Jaishankar Prasad , Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla , Pandit Ravi Shankar , Hariprasad Chaurasia and Ustad Bismillah Khan . Varanasi is the home of Banaras Hindu University . Tulsidas wrote his ''Ramcharitmanas'' here, and Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath near Kashi . The language spoken in Varanasi is Kashika Bhojpuri related to Hindi . GEOGRAPHY and has many temples along its banks]] The city of Varanasi is located in the middle Ganga valley of North India, in the Eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, along the left crescent-shaped bank of the Ganga river. The Varanasi City is the district headquarters of the Varanasi District . The "Varanasi Urban Agglomeration" — an agglomeration of seven urban sub-units — covers an area of 112.26 Km&2 (approximately 43 Mi&2 ).6 The urban agglomeration is stretched between 82° 56’E - 83° 03’E and 25° 14’N - 25° 23.5’N. Being located in broad plain of North India , (also called as Gangetic Plains ), the land can be very much called as plain. Due to yearly low level floods in river, the soil is repeatedly replenished and hence is very productive for agriculture for most of the city. On a local level though, Varanasi is located on a higher ground between rivers Ganga and Varuna, the mean elevation being 80.71 M .7 The main land is relatively stony, which with the absence of small distributaries and canals, provides a continuous and relatively dry land, which was perfect for settling down in the ancient times. It is often difficult to suggest the original geography of Varanasi, due to conflicts between descriptions provided in old texts and city's current status. It is often said that Varanasi is situated between the two confluences: one of Ganga and Varuna and other of Ganga and river Assi. The statement gets its weight from the fact that the distance between these two confluences is around 2.5 miles, and a round trip to between these two places is considered holy by Hindu s, and is called ''Pancha-kroshi Yatra'' (the five mile journey). At the end of this journey, ''Sakshi Vinayak Temple'' is located where devotees go on to complete the circle. On the contrary, though Varuna and Ganga do exist as rivers, Assi also exists but only as a Nullah . Also, there is no evidence that Assi was ever a big river. Climate Varanasi has a humid subtropical climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April till October, with the monsoon season in between. Cold waves from the Himalaya n region dip temperatures across the city in the winter from December to February. The average temperature is 32 °C –46 °C (90 °F –115 °F) in the summer; 5 °C–15 °C (41 °F–59 °F) in the winter. The average annual rainfall is 1110 Mm (44 In ).8. Fog is common in winter while hot dry winds called Loo blow in summer. The city is relatively free from the Air Pollution . Recently due to water pollution, making of dams, and increase in temperature due to climate change etc., the water level of the river has gone down significantly and small portions of land can be seen in the middle of the river. PEOPLE AND CULTURE Regions near the banks of river Ganga are extremely crowded and house several Hindu temples, narrow winding lanes and road-side shops. The main residential areas of Varanasi (especially for the middle and upper classes) are situated in regions far from the Ghats ; they are more spacious and less polluted. Such a place in an Indian city is called a housing colony. Varanasi has nearly 100 ghats, most of which are bathing ghats, while some others are for cremation. According to Hindu belief, dying at Kasi ensures release from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Many of these ghats were built when the Marathas controlled the city and the Scindias , the Peshwas , Holkars and Bhonsles stand out as patrons of present day Varanasi. Even today many of the ghats are privately owned. ''Shivala'' or ''Kali'' ghat is still owned by the former Maharaja of Kasi. Various legends are associated with the ghats and it is believed that ''Dasaswamedh Ghat'' is where Lord Brahma sacrificed 10 horses in a Yajna . ''Manikarnika Ghat'' is the place where Lord Vishnu dug a pit with his Chakra and while performing various penances filled it with perspiration. As Lord Shiva watched him, his earring (''Manik'') fell into the pit, hence the name. According to another legend, in order to keep Lord Shiva moving around with his devotees, Goddess Parvati asked him to find her earrings, which she hid, lost on the bank of Ganga and make Lord Shiva stay at the place and search forever. It is said that when the body is cremated at Mani Karnika Ghat Lord Shiva asks every soul whether they have seen the earring (Mani Karnika). Other interesting ghats are ''Man Mandir Ghat'' built in 1770 CE by Jai Singh of Jaipur , the intrepid astronomer who built his observatories here, ''Mansarover Ghat'' built by Man Singh of Amber . ''Bachraj'' is used by Jain devotees for it has three river bank Jain temples. ''Tulsi Ghat'' is where Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas . ''Lalita Ghat'' was built by late King Of Nepal. Holy city Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, one of the most sacred Pilgrimage places for Hindus of all Denomination . The Hindu God Shiva supposedly once lived there making many Hindus want to go there on a pilgrimage. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year. Here is the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Vishwanath , (an aspect of Lord Shiva) and one of the twelve revered Jyotirlinga s of the Lord Shiva. Hindus believe that bathing in the river Ganga will remit sins and that dying in the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi) circumvents Rebirth . This holy city is worshipped as one of the Shakti Peethas where Divine Mother Sati's earring fell and so devotees believe that on that spot stands the present Vishalakshi Temple.and hindus of the shakti sect come to the city because the river it self is said to be shakti (goddess) its self It is here that Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism, leading to the great Hindu revival. It is not just the Hindus venerate Varanasi today, for the city has links with Buddhism and Jainism as well. In the residential neighbourhood of the city lies Sarnath, the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism . It is one of the four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar , Bodh Gaya , and Lumbini . The Dhamek Stupa is one of the few Pre-Ashokan stupas remaining, although only the foundations remain. Also remaining is the Chaukhandi Stupa commemorating the spot where the Buddha met his first deciples, dating back to the fifth century or earlier amd later enhanced by the addition of an octagonal tower. Varanasi is also a pilgrimage place for Jains . It is believed to be the birthplace of Parshva natha, the twenty-third Tirthankar . Vaishnavism and Shaivism have co-existed in Varanasi harmoniously. The city has also been influenced by Islamic culture. This explains the continuous tension between communities in the city and the fact that really ancient monuments are few. However, Varanasi has kept its sacred position as the Holy City of Hinduism. Temples Varanasi is a city of temples. Almost every road crossing has a nearby temple. Such small temples form the basis of daily local prayers and other rituals. But there are many large temples too, erected at different times through out the history of Varanasi. was launched on 23rd Jul 2007 and gives details about temple activities as well as facilities for online booking of various sevas and pujas. The temple was once destroyed by Aurangzeb who built a mosque on it. It was later resurrected at a location near the mosque, and is many times a cause of local strain among Hindus and Muslims.10 Temple or Monkey Temple]] Durga Temple, also called Monkey temple, was built at some point of time in 18th century by a Bengali Maharani . The temple got its name as 'Monkey temple' because of the presence of large number of monkeys in the temple. According to legends, the present statue of Goddess Durga was not made by man but appeared on its own in the temple. Thousands of Hindu devotees visit the Durga temple during Navratri and other auspicious occasions. Non-Hindus can enter the courtyard of the Durga temple but not the inner sanctum. The architecture is of Nagara Style, which is typical of North India. The temple is accompanied by a rectangular tank of water called Durga Kund. The temple has multi-tiered spires and is stained red with ochre, signifying the red colour of Durga. The Kund was earlier connected to the river itself thus refreshing the water. This tunnel was later closed, leading to locked water which is replenished only by rain or drainage from the Temple. Every year on the occasion of Nag Panchami , the act of depicting Lord Vishnu reclining on the coiled-up Shesha is repeated in the Kund. Sankat Mochan Temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is very popular with the local citizens. It is a place for many yearly religious as well as cultural festivals.On 7 March 2006, one of the three explosions carried out by Islamic militants hit the temple, while the aarti, in which numerous worshippers and wedding attendees participated,was in progress. The new Vishwanath Temple, called Birla Mandir, mainly funded by Raja Birla of the Birla Family Of Industrialists , was built as a replica of the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple.11 Planned by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya , the temple is part of the Banaras Hindu University, and stands for national revival. The temple is open to people of all castes and religions. Kadar Temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. this is very popular because it is called Svyambu Ling of Shiva .it is near Harischandra Ghat .it has two part one Shiva and seacond is Parvati.some pandit says one is visnu(Hari) seacond part is Shive(Har). Art A holy city, Varanasi does not take a backseat when it comes to fine arts and literature. Great Indian writers have lived in this city from Kabir , Ravi Das, and Tulsidas to Bharatendu Harishchandra , Jayshankar Prasad , Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla , Munshi Prem Chand, Jagannath Prasad Ratnakar, Devaki Nandan Khatri, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi , Tegh Ali, Kshetresa Chandra Chattopadhyaya , Vagish Shastri , Baldev Upadhyaya , Vidya Niwas Mishra , Kashi Nath Singh , Namvar Singh, Rudra Kashikeya, Nirgun among many other notables. Art lovers and historians like Rai Krishnadas, his son Prof. Anand Krishna , musicians like Pt. Omkarnath Thakur ,P t. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan , Siddheshwari Devi , Dr. Lalmani Misra and his son Dr. Gopal Shankar Misra , Dr. N. Rajam , Dr.Rajbhan Singh, Pt. Anokhelal , Pt. Samta Prasad , Kanthe Maharaj , Pt. M. V. Kalvint, Sitara Devi, Gopi Krishna, Pt. Kishan Maharaj, Rajan and Sajan, Mahadev Mishra, Girija Devi and numerous others have kept the city alive to the spiritual aspect of fine arts apart from their ability to entertain. Numerous festivals are celebrated that preserve traditional styles of classical and folk culture. All night, open music concerts like ones organised at Sankat Mochan Temple, Hori , Kajri and Chaiti Mela, Budwa Mangal , are annual features that draw connoisseurs from all over. ECONOMY Varanasi has several small cottage industries, including Silk Sari making, the production of textiles such as hand-woven carpets, and handicrafts. The ''Banarasi Pan'' (betel leaves) and ''Banarasi Khoa'' (a milk product, somewhat similar to cheese) are popular, and the related small-scale industries employ many people. Indian Railways runs a major diesel locomotive factory in Varanasi, Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW). According to Macaulay, Varanasi was the "city which, in wealth, population, dignity and sanctity was among the foremost in Asia". He described the commercial importance saying "from the looms of Benaras went forth the most delicate silks that adorned the halls of St. James and of Vesailles."12 DEMOGRAPHICS The population of Varanasi urban agglomeration in 2001 was 1,371,749; the sex ratio was 879 females every 1000 males.13 However, the area under Varanasi Municipal Corporation has a population of 1,100,74814 with the sex ratio being 883 females for every 1000 males. The literacy rate in the urban agglomeration is 61.5% while that in the municipal corporation area is 61%. Approximately 138,000 people in the municipal area live in slums.15 The crime rate in the city in 2004 was 128.5 per 100,000 which is higher than Uttar Pradesh rate of 73.2 but lower than the national rate of 168.8.16 TRANSPORT Auto Rickshaw and Rickshaw are the most widely available Public Transport within Varanasi. In outer regions of the city, mini-buses are common. Small boats and small Steamers are used to cross the river Ganga. Varanasi is well connected by air, rail and buses with all the important places of India. Its distance from Delhi is 776 km. The Babatpur airport is about 25 Km from the city center and it is well connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Nepal. All the famous Airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Indian, Spicejet, and Alliance Air operate from here. One of the major factors for sustainment of Varanasi for such a long time as an inhabited city, is its effective transport between different cities. From ancient times the city was connected to cities like Taxila , Gazipur , Pataliputra , Vaishali , Ayodhya , Gorakhpur , Agra etc. The city was connected through a single road from Taxila going through Pataliputra during Mauryan Empire . This road was later renovated and extended by Sher Shah Suri during 16th century, which was later to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road . CIVIC ADMINISTRATION AND UTILITY SERVICES |
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