Varanasi, one of world's oldest living cities, is rightly called the religious capital of India. Also known as Benaras, this holy city is located in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India . It rests on the left bank of the holy river Ganga ( Ganges ), and is one of the seven sacred spots for Hindus. Every devout Hindu hopes to visit the city at least once in a lifetime, take a holy dip in the " Ghats " of the Ganga , walk the pious Panchakosi road that bounds the city, and, if God wills, die here in old age.

Ghats are a very special type of embankments that are actually long flights of wide stone steps leading down to the river where people can take a holy dip. But there are more to these Ghats than just bathing and cremating. Each of the eighty-four Ghats of Varanasi holds some special significance.

In the 6th century BC, Varanasi became the capital of the kingdom of Kashi . During this time Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, just 10 km away from Varanasi . Being a center of religious, educational, cultural and artistic activities, Kashi drew many learned men from around the world; the celebrated Chinese traveler Hsüan Tsang, is one of them, who visited India around AD 635.

From 1194, Varanasi went into a destructive phase for three centuries under the Muslim rule. The temples were destroyed and the scholars had to leave. In the 16th century, with the tolerant emperor Akbar's accession to the Mughal throne, some religious respite was restored to the city. All that disappeared again in the late 17th century when the tyrannical Mughal ruler Aurangzeb came to power.

The 18th century again brought back the lost glory to Varanasi . It became an independent kingdom, with Ramnagar as its capital, when the British declared it a new Indian state in 1910. After India 's independence in 1947, Varanasi became part of the state of Uttar Pradesh.

To the Hindus the Ganges is a sacred river and any town or city on its bank is believed to be auspicious. But Varanasi has a special sanctity, for it is believed, this is where Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati stood when time started ticking. The place also has an intimate connection with a host of legendary figures and mythical characters, who are said to have actually lived here. Varanasi has found place in the Buddhist scriptures as well as the great Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The holy epic poem Shri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas was also written here. All this makes Varanasi a significantly holy place.

Varanasi is a veritable paradise for pilgrims, who throng the " Ghats " of the Ganges for spiritual rewards like deliverance from sin and attainment of nirvana. The Hindus believe that to die in Kashi on the banks of the Ganges is an assurance of heavenly bliss and emancipation from the eternal cycle of birth and death. So, many Hindus travel to Varanasi at the twilight hour of their life.