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Varanasi ( Hindustani pronunciation : [ ʋaːˈraːɳəsi ] ) , also known as Benares , Banaras ( Banāras [ bəˈnaːrəs ] ) , or Kashi ( Kāśī [ ˈkaːʃi ] ) , is a North Indian city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh , India , 320 kilometres ( 200 mi ) south @-@ east of the state capital , Lucknow , and 121 kilometres ... |
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre , famous for its muslin and silk fabrics , perfumes , ivory works , and sculpture . Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BC when he gave his first sermon , " The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma " , at nearby Sarnath . The city 's religious... |
Varanasi has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years , and is closely associated with the Ganges . Hindus believe that death in the city will bring salvation , making it a major centre for pilgrimage . The city is known worldwide for its many ghats , embankments made in steps of stone slabs al... |
= = Etymology = = |
Traditional etymology links " Varanasi " to the names of two Ganges tributaries forming the city 's borders : Varuna , still flowing in northern Varanasi , and Assi , today a small stream in the southern part of the city , near Assi Ghat . The old city is located on the north shores of the Ganges , bounded by Varuna a... |
In the Rigveda , an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns , the city is referred to as Kāśī ( Kashi ) from the Sanskrit verbal root kaś- " to shine " , making Varanasi known as " City of Light " , the " luminous city as an eminent seat of learning " . The name was also used by pilgrims dating from B... |
Hindu religious texts use many epithets to refer to Varanasi , such as Kāśikā ( Sanskrit : " the shining one " ) , Avimukta ( Sanskrit : " never forsaken " by Shiva ) , Ānandavana ( Sanskrit : the forest of bliss ) , and Rudravāsa ( Sanskrit : the place where Rudra / Śiva resides ) . |
Over most of the last millennium , the city was known as Banaras . In the 1950s , Indian government decided to return to the Sanskrit form Varanasi ; however , Banaras is still the predominant form used locally . |
= = History = = |
According to legend , Varanasi was founded by the god Shiva . The Pandavas , the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata , are also said to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sin of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra War . It is regarded as one o... |
= = = Archaeological evidence = = = |
Archaeological evidence of the earliest known settlements around Varanasi in the Ganges valley suggest that they began in the 20th century BC , placing it among the world 's oldest continually inhabited cities according to Kenneth Fletcher . These archaeological remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by ... |
= = = Ancient period = = = |
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre , famous for its muslin and silk fabrics , perfumes , ivory works , and sculpture . During the time of Gautama Buddha , Varanasi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kashi . The Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BC when he gave his first sermon , "... |
= = = Medieval period = = = |
Chandradeva , founder of the Gahadvala dynasty made Banaras a second capital in 1090 . |
During the Birth Period , Varanasi was connected by a road starting from Taxila and ending at Pataliputra . |
Feroz Shah ordered Hindu temples at Varanasi destroyed in 1376 . |
Varanasi remained the centre of activity for intellectuals and theologians during the Middle Ages , which further contributed to its reputation as a cultural centre of religion and education . Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi , including Kabir who was born here in 1389 , and Ravidas ,... |
= = = Modern history ( 1500 – present ) = = = |
Similarly , numerous eminent scholars and preachers visited the city from across India and south Asia . Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507 , a trip that played a large role in the founding of Sikhism . |
Varanasi experienced a Hindu cultural revival in the 16th century under the Muslim Mughal emperor Akbar , who invested in the city and built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu . The Raja of Pune established the Annapurna Mandir , and the 200 @-@ metre ( 660 ft ) Akbari Bridge was also completed during thi... |
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 , during the reign of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh . In the 18th century , Muhammad Shah ordered the construction of an observatory on the Ganges , attached to Man Mandi... |
In 1897 , author Mark Twain , said of Varanasi , " Benares is older than history , older than tradition , older even than legend , and looks twice as old as all of them put together . " In 1910 , the British made Varanasi a new Indian state , with Ramnagar as its capital but with no jurisdiction over the city of Varan... |
In 1857 , the British Army committed a massacre of Indian troops and city residence during the early stages of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College , which later became a foundation for the creation of Banaras Hindu University in 1916 . Besant founded the Central Hindu College ... |
Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India in 1947 , and Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh incorporated his territories into the United Provinces in 1949 . He died in 2000 . The current king and the resident of the fort is Anant Narayan Singh , since 1971 . |
= = Geography and climate = = |
= = = Geography = = = |
Varanasi is located at an elevation of 80 @.@ 71 metres ( 264 @.@ 8 ft ) in the centre of the 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 15 metres ( 50 ft ) and 21 metres ( 70 ft ) above the river . The ci... |
Being located in the Indo @-@ Gangetic Plains of North India , the land is very fertile because low level floods in the Ganges continually replenish the soil . Varanasi is located between the Ganges confluences with two rivers : the Varuna and the Assi stream . The distance between the two confluences is around 2 mile... |
= = = Climate = = = |
Varanasi experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cwa ) 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... |
= = Administration = = |
= = = Politics and law = = = |
Varanasi is governed by a number of bodies , the most important being the Varanasi Nagar Nigam ( Municipal Corporation ) and the Varanasi Development Authority , which is responsible for the master planning of the city . Water supply and sewage system is operated by the Jal Nigam . Varanasi is represented in the Parli... |
= = = Healthcare = = = |
Sushruta , the great surgeon and author of the Sushruta Samhita , the Sanskrit text of surgery , lived in Varanasi and practised medicine and surgery sometime during the 5th century BC . Since 1922 , Ayurveda has been a subject of training in the Banaras Hindu University and in 1927 a separate Ayurvedic College was es... |
Varansi has several hospitals , including Heritage Hospital , Marwari Hospital , Pitambari Hopspital , Mata Anand Mai Hospital , Rajkiya Hospital , Ram Krishna Mission Hospital , Shiv Prasad Gupta Hospital , Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital ( managed by state govt . ) the largest & superspaciality hospital is Sir S... |
= = = Public maintenance = = = |
Because of the high population density of Varanasi and the increasing number of tourists , the Uttar Pradesh government and international non @-@ governmental organisations and institutions have expressed grave concern for the pollution and pressures on infrastructure in the city , mainly the sewage , sanitation , and... |
Parts of Varanasi are contaminated with industrial chemicals including toxic heavy metal . Studies of wastewater from Varanasi 's sewage treatment plants identify that water 's contamination with metals and the reuse of this water for irrigation as a way that the toxic metals come to be in the plants that people grow ... |
Varanasi 's water supply and sewage system is maintained by Jal Nigam , a subsidiary of Varanasi Nagar Nigam . Power supply is by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited . The city produces about 350 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 litres ( 77 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 imp gal ; 92 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 US gal ) per day of sewage and 425 tonnes ... |
= = Demographics = = |
According to provisional data from the 2011 census , the Varanasi urban agglomeration had a population of 1 @,@ 435 @,@ 113 , with 761 @,@ 060 men and 674 @,@ 053 women . |
The population of the Varanasi urban agglomeration in 2001 was 1 @,@ 371 @,@ 749 with a ratio of 879 females every 1 @,@ 000 males . However , the area under Varanasi Nagar Nigam has a population of 1 @,@ 100 @,@ 748 with a ratio of 883 females for every 1 @,@ 000 males . The literacy rate in the urban agglomeration i... |
7 |
= = Economy = = |
According to the 2006 City Development Plan for Varanasi , approximately 29 % of Varanasi 's population is employed . Approximately 40 % are employed in manufacturing , 26 % work in trade and commerce , 19 % work in other services , 8 % work in transport and communication , 4 % work in agriculture , 2 % work in constr... |
Among manufacturing workers , 51 % work in spinning and weaving , 15 % work in metal , 6 % work in printing and publishing , 5 % work in electrical machinery , and the rest work in a wide variety of industry sectors . Varanasi 's manufacturing industry is not well developed and is dominated by small @-@ scale industri... |
Silk weaving is the dominant industry in Varanasi . Muslims are the influential community in this industry with nearly half a million of them working as weavers , dyers , sari finishers , and salespersons . Weaving is typically done within the household , and most weavers are Momin Ansari Muslims . Varanasi is known t... |
In the metal manufacturing sector , Diesel Locomotive Works is a major employer . Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited , a large power equipment manufacturer , also operates a heavy equipment maintenance plant . Other major commodities manufactured and traded in Varanasi include hand @-@ knotted Mirzapur carpets , rugs , ... |
Tourism is Varanasi 's second most important industry . Over 3 million domestic and 200 @,@ 000 foreign tourists visit annually ( in 2005 and 2010 , respectively ) , most commonly for religious purposes . Most domestic tourists are from Bihar , West Bengal , Madhya Pradesh , and Uttar Pradesh , while the majority of f... |
The prominent malls and multiplexes in Varanasi are JHV Mall in the Varanasi Cantonment area , IP Mall in Sigra , IP Vijaya Mall in Bhelupur , and PDR in Luxa . The city has several banks , including the Allahabad Bank , Andhra Bank , Bank of Baroda , Canara Bank , Central Bank of India , Corporation Bank , Indian Ove... |
= = Notable landmarks = = |
Apart from the 19 archaeological sites identified by the Archaeological Survey of India , some of the prominent places of interest are the Aghor Peeth , the Alamgir Mosque , the Ashoka Pillar , the Bharat Kala Bhawan ( Art Museum ) , the Bharat Mata Temple , the Central University for Tibetan Studies , the Dhanvantari... |
= = = Jantar Mantar = = = |
The Jantar Mantar observatory , constructed in 1737 , is located above the ghats along the Ganges , and is adjacent to the Manmandir and Dasaswamedh Ghats and near the palace of Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur . While less equipped than the observatories at Jaipur and Delhi , the Jantar Mantar has a unique equatorial sundial... |
= = = Ramnagar Fort = = = |
The Ramnagar Fort , located near the Ganges on its eastern bank and opposite the Tulsi Ghat , was built in the 18th century by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh with cream @-@ coloured chunar sandstone . The fort is a typical example of the Mughal architecture with carved balconies , open courtyards , and scenic pavilio... |
= = = Ghats = = = |
The Ghats in Varanasi are world @-@ renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions . The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical , metaphysical , and supernatural elements . Varanasi has at least 84 ghats ... |
Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control . Many ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas , Shindes ( Scindias ) , Holkars , Bhonsles , and Peshwas . Most of the ghats are bathing ghats , while others are used as cremation sites . A morning boat ride on the Ganges across th... |
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