Varanasi(वाराणसी)(Benares) (also known as Banaras, Kashi, and Kasi ) is a Hindu holy city on the banks of the river Ganga or Ganges in the modern north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It has been a seat of knowledge from about 700 BC onwards. Its universities attracted students from all over the then-known world.
Benares is the site of the holy shrine of Lord Kasi Viswanatha (a form of Lord Shiva); this, along with its positional advantage of being on the banks of the Ganga, has given it a place at the forefront of the Hindu religion. It is believed that bathing in the Ganga or dying in the holy city circumvents re-incarnation and hence provides a permanent place in the Swarg (Heaven), a belief that has encouraged the establishment of innumerable nearby geriatric homes and also the disposal of half burnt corpses into the river. This latter practice continues to cause an irrevocable damage to the river's ecology. One other major contaminator of the river is Kanpur's leather industry. The ministry of water resources has finally taken up the restoration of the Ganga in a big way by banning cremation on the city's ghats (ghats are the banks of a holy river, often, as at Benares, stepped to facilitate bathing) and closing down a few of the tanneries of Kanpur, which do not conform to the national standards.
The modern name Varanasi is derived from the twin tributaries of Ganga Varana and Asi on whose shores the city stands. Indian Railways runs a major diesel locomotive factory in Benares.
The official name, Varanasi, is not a modern name: the city lies between where the Varuna River, to the north, and the Assi River, to the south, flow into the Ganges.
Varanasi is considered as the most sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.
The name Varanasi is derived from two tributaries of the Ganges, one in the north end of the city, called Varunā and the other in the south end, called Assi (now reduced to a water-drain).
Varanasi is said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth’s crust and flared towards the heavens.
The nearest airport is Babatpur, 22 km from Varanasi and 30 Km from Sarnath.
Varanasi and Mughal Sarai (one of the main railway stations of Varanasi) are the important rail junctions, with train connections to all major cities of India.
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