29 Facts About Varanasi

Varanasi is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world, even as the traditions are transformed in the face of modernization, generational changes and emigration.

Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities.

Varanasi is a cultural centre of northern India that has been closely associated with the Ganges.

Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture.

Varanasi remained a 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.

Related searches

Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389, and Ravidas, a 15th-century socio-religious reformer, mystic, poet, traveller, and spiritual figure, who was born and lived in the city and employed in the tannery industry.

Much of modern Varanasi was built during this time, especially during the 18th century by the Maratha and Bhumihar Brahmin rulers.

The kings governing Varanasi continued to wield power and importance through much of the British Raj period, including the Maharaja of Benares, or simply called by the people of Benaras as Kashi Naresh.

The religious head, Kashi Naresh, has had his headquarters at the Ramnagar Fort since the 18th century, a repository of the history of the kings of Varanasi, which is situated to the east of Varanasi, across the Ganges.

Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India in 1947, becoming part of Uttar Pradesh after Indian independence.

Varanasi has been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Varanasi is situated between the Ganges confluences with two rivers: the Varuna and the Assi stream.

Varanasi division which consists of four districts, and is headed by the Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi, who is an IAS officer of high seniority, the Commissioner is the head of local government institutions in the division, is in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is responsible for maintaining law and order in the division.

Varanasi district administration is headed by the District Magistrate of Varanasi, who is an IAS officer.

The current ADG, Varanasi Zone is Biswajit Mahapatra, and IG, Varanasi Range is Vijay Singh Meena.

Varanasi is represented in the Lok Sabha by the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi who won the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and subsequently in 2019 by a huge margin.

Sushruta, an ancient Indian physician known as the primary author of the treatise Sushruta Samhita, the Sanskrit text of surgery, lived in Varanasi and practised medicine and surgery sometime during the 5th century BCE.

Parts of Varanasi are contaminated with industrial chemicals including toxic heavy metal.

Varanasi is known throughout India for its production of very fine silk and Banarasi saris, brocades with gold and silver thread work, which are often used for weddings and special occasions.

Prominent malls and multiplexes in Varanasi are JHV Mall in the Cantonment area, IP Mall in Sigra, IP Vijaya Mall in Bhelupur, Vinayak Plaza in Maldhaiya and PDR Mall in Luxa.

Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions.

Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites.

The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on the tier above the water's edge".

Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varanasi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Varanasi is associated with many great instrumentalists such as Bismillah Khan and Ravi Shankar, the famous sitar player and musicologist who was given the highest civilian award of the country, the Bharat Ratna.

Related searches

Varanasi has joined the global bandwagon of UNESCO "Cities of Music" under the Creative Cities Network.

Varanasi stands over the effigy in a dancing pose playing the flute, while an audience watches from the banks of the river or from boats.

The Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi is designated an Institute of National Importance and is one of 16 Indian Institutes of Technology.

St Joseph's Convent School, in Shivpur, Varanasi, was established by the Sisters of Our Lady of Providence of France as a Catholic minority institution with the approval of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.