Varanasi

Tourism in Varanasi revolves around rich cultural heritage, ethereal spiritualism, religious traditions, historical lineage, holy Ganga and exotic way of life. Varanasi, enjoying unique claim of being the religious capital of the Hindu faith since the dawn of history, constitutes a microcosm of Indian life. Varanasi has been known as Kashi (means resplendent with Divine Light) too. No one knows how old Benares really is. When Buddha (about 600 B.C.) came here, it was already an ancient settlement. It is probably the oldest living city in the world, a hub of ages-old traditions. Every devout Hindu’s ambition is to visit Varanasi once in a lifetime, and, if possible, to die there in old age. Dying in Varanasi, as Hindus believe, imparts salvation (freedom from cycle of birth-death-rebirth) or ‘moksh’ (moksha – final beatitude). Varanasi is a place of pilgrimage, surviving as such from the most ancient times. Being on the banks of the Ganges, the most sacred and venerated river in India, Varanasi becomes all the more pious spiritual centre among religious Hindus. Descending from the Himalayas on its long trek to the Bay of Bengal, each drop of the Ganga — as the Hindus call it — is august and propitious, its waters hold the powers of salvation and its main sanctuary is Kashi. Each year she welcomes millions of pilgrims, a lengthy trail many of them never retrace. Legend recounts how the Ganges came into being. The water goddess Ganga was ordered to redeem the souls of some humans of great merit. But the fall of such quantity of water may have caused great damage to the globe. So Siva caught her in his hair and let her seep out slowly. She washed the ashes of these worthy mortals and their souls ascended to heaven.