ll   VARANASI   ll

 ll  The City  ll  The Geography  ll  The Climate  ll  The People  ll  The Culture  ll  The Lifestyle  ll  The Festivals  ll  The Handicrafts  ll  The Art and Architecture  ll  The Music and Dance  ll  The Famous Folks  ll  The Economy  ll  The Shopping  ll  How to get there  ll  The Ganga  ll  Places Of Interest   ll 

The ancient city of Varanasi was not built in a day. No scholar has yet been able to fix any date of its origin. Even if there was any date on which it came into existence, it is lost in the hoary past. The common belief among the Hindus is that this city has existed since the beginning of the earth. Consequently, many legendary stories and myths have been narrated in support of this belief. One such story is that the city of Kashi - now known as Varanasi - is situated on the Trishul of Lord Siva and is without any parallel in the three worlds. The city is situated at the combination of two small rivers Varuna and Asi, hence known as Varanasi, also known as Banaras and Kashi. It is the holiest of all the holy cities of India and is known as the soul of Hindu India, timeless and enduring. It has been the most important centre of pilgrimage and education for a long time. It possesses a spiritual quality not found at other holy places and today it is among the most crowded cities of India.