Once known as Banaras and Kashi, Varanasi is a historical city of northern India that lies in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is a city of spiritualism where ancient culture and traditions still exist. It is believed that Kashi is the oldest city created by the God Shiva and inhabitants of this city believe themselves as great disciples of Lord Shiva. One of the oldest living cities that have its existence for more than 3000 years, Varanasi is revered by the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga, this city finds its mention even in the great Indian epic Mahabharata. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that anyone who dies here will be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation. Geography and Climate Varanasi is located in the middle Ganges valley of North India, in the Eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, along the left crescent-shaped bank of the Ganges, averaging between 50 feet (15 m) and 70 feet (21 m) above the river. Located 797 kilometres (495 mi) southeast of New Delhi, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of Lucknow, 121 kilometres (75 mi) east of Allahabad, and 63 kilometres (39 mi) south of Jaunpur, Varanasi stretches between 82° 56’E – 83° 03’E and 25° 14’N – 25° 23.5’N. Varanasi experiences a humid subtropical climate with large variations between summer and winter temperatures. The dry summer starts in April and lasts until June, followed by the monsoon season from July to October. The temperature ranges between 22 and 46 °C (72 and 115 °F) in the summers. Winters in Varanasi see very large diurnal variations, with warm days and downright cold nights. Cold waves from the Himalayan region cause temperatures to dip across the city in the winter from December to February and temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F) are not uncommon. The average annual rainfall is 1,110 mm (44 in). Fog is common in the winters, while hot dry winds, called loo, blow in the summers. Demographics As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Varanasi in 2011 is 1,201,815; of which male and female are 636,860 and 564,955, respectively. Total literates in the city are 859,379 of which 477,807 are males while 381,572 are females. The average literacy rate of the city is 80.12 % of which male and female literacy was 84.11% and 75.63 %, respectively. The sex ratio of Varanasi city is 887 per 1000 males. History of Varanasi Also known by various names such as Avimuktaka, Anandakanana, Mahasmasana, Surandhana, Brahma Vardha, Sudarsana and Ramya, the original name of Varanasi was 'Kashi’ was derived from the word 'Kasha,' which means brightness. The present name Varanasi has its origin in the two tributaries of the Ganges - Varuna and Asi, which flank its northern and southern borders. The earliest known archaeological evidence suggests that settlement around Varanasi in the Ganga valley began in the 11th or 12th century BC with the Aryans and became the center of Aryan religion and philosophy. In the 6th century BC, Varanasi became the capital of the kingdom of Kashi. During this time Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, just 10 km away from Varanasi. Being a center of religious, educational, cultural and artistic activities, Kashi attracted many learned men from around the world; the celebrated Chinese traveler Hsüan Tsang is one of them, who visited India around AD 635. Varanasi was also home to Parshva, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and the earliest Tirthankara accepted as a historical figure in the 8th century BC. The city also flourished as commercial and industrial hub, renowned for its muslin and silk fabrics, ivory works, perfumery and sculptures. In the year 1194, Varanasi witnessed a lot of destructions for three centuries under the Muslim rule, when the city succumbed to Turkish Muslim rule under Qutb-ud-din Aibak. About 1000 temples were destroyed during this period, although some new temples were made during the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] century, Feroz Shah ordered further destruction of Hindu temples in the Varanasi area in 1376. In the 16th century, with the tolerant emperor Akbar's succession to the Mughal throne, some religious reprieve was restored to the city; however, this came to an end in the late 17th century when the tyrannical Mughal ruler Aurangzeb came to power. After the death of Aurangzeb, a modern Varanasi was built during by the Rajput and Maratha kings, especially during the 18th century, and most of the important buildings in the city today date to this period. The kings continued to be important through much of the British rule (1775–1947 AD), including the Maharaja of Benares, or Kashi Naresh. The kingdom of Benares was given official status by the Mughals in 1737, and continued as a dynasty-governed area until Indian independence in 1947. It became an independent kingdom, with Ramnagar as its capital, when the British declared it a new Indian state in 1910 and after India's independence, the city became a part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Culture of Varanasi The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The holy city of Varanasi is well known for its culture of fine art and literature, where great Indian writers such as Kabir, Ravidas and Tulsidas lived. Considered an important seat of learning and knowledge, especially when it comes to Hindi, Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy in its purest form, Varanasi is also the home to many Indian musicians. Numerous festivals are celebrated that preserve traditional styles of classical and folk culture. All night, open music concerts like those organised at Sankat Mochan Temple, Hori, Kajari, Chaiti Mela, and Budwa Mangal, are annual features that draw connoisseurs from near and far. It is also the hub of arts and crafts, particularly silks and brocades with gold and silver threadwork, carpet weaving (with a carpet-weaving centre at Bhadoi), wooden toys, bangles made of glass, ivory work, perfumes, artistic brass and copper ware and a variety of handicrafts. Tourist Destinations in Varanasi Varanasi being one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage destinations of India, it is thronged by pilgrims from all over the World. The city is the house of one of the twelve famous 'Jyotirlingas', which further magnetizes a horde of pilgrims from near and far. Varanasi houses a number of temples and ghats and is believed to be a place where people can attain Moksha. Besides the religious places, there are other places of tourist interests. Some of these are: Ghats of Varanasi Durga Temple Bharat MataTemple Kashi Vishwanath Temple Tulsi Manas Temple Bharat Kala Bhawan Annapurna Temple Manmandir Alamgir Mosque Archaeological Museum Transportation Varanasi is well connected by air, rail and road. Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, which is located approximately 26 km (16 mi) from the city centre in Babatpur, serves mostly domestic flights and also offers two international connections to Bangkok and Kathmandu. requent services connect the city with Delhi, Agra, Kolkata, Khajuraho, Mumbai, Jaipur and Lucknow. Air India, Buddha Air, Jet Airways, Jet Konnect, IndiGo, and SpiceJet are the airlines that operate from this airport. Varanasi is connected to other major Indian cities by rail, including Lucknow and Dehli. Varanasi Junction, commonly known as Varanasi Cantt Railway Station, is the city's largest train station; more than 3.6 lakh passengers and 240 trains pass through each day. Varanasi lies along National Highway 2, which connects it to Kolkata, Kanpur, Agra and Delhi. National Highway 29 connects Varanasi to Gorakhpur via Ghazipur to the northeast. National Highway 56 connects Varanasi to Lucknow via Jaunpur and Sultanpur, to the northwest and National Highway 7, the longest National Highway in India, is the most important road connecting Varanasi to southern India, passing through the cities of Hyderabad, Bangalore, Salem, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are the most widely available forms of public transport in old city and in the outer regions of the city, buses and taxis are available.
