A truly ancient religious and intellectual centre, Varanasi clusters around an S-shaped bend in the holy river Ganges as it has done since time immemorial. It is, in fact, one of the oldest cities in the world and has been inhabited continually for well over three thousand years. Believed to be the home of Shiva, and blessed by the presence of the river, it grants an automatic path to heaven for anyone who dies there, according to Hindu legend.

The path of the Ganges through the city is marked by 'ghats' – flights of stone steps – which slope down to the water beneath the high river walls, and people gather here to socialise, wash, be blessed, and burn their dead as the many-coloured boats move past.

The old city, Vishwanatha, extends about a mile and a half back from the river, a dense melee of animals, silk sellers, food stalls, pilgrims, shrines, winding alleys and incredibly beautiful architecture. Shiva's golden temple and other ancient Hindu edifices stand alongside Muslim religious buildings such as the Great Mosque of Aurangzeb, their shimmering spires, pristine, white domes and ornately carved, stone pillars creating an incongruous, other-worldly glory amid the warm reds, browns and yellows of the hotels, houses and shops.

Written by  larapiegeler.

Add comment

Comments, reviews and questions

There are no posts. Why not be the first to have your say?

Add a comment, review or question

Make a comment Ask a question Write a review

Review title

Your comment

Your rating

Choose rating... Don't go Go Must go

Your name

Your email address