Varanasi is a famous holy city in India, the city of Shiva and a major pilgrimage center for Hindus. Varanasi culture is associated with the Ganges River and its religious importance to Hindus as a link to their spirituality. The ghats along the River are the biggest attraction. The name Varanasi has also been known as Kashi and Benares, but the
present name is an ancient one meaning the city between two rivers.
The history of Varanasi dates back to the 8th C and it is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, although most of the buildings are only a couple of hundred years old. The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb who destroyed or looted almost all of the temples, toppled many of the older buildings.
Varanasi is home to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, built in 1780 and located on the banks of the Ganges. The temple is of great religious importance to the Hindus and bathing in the river Ganges is supposed to result in the remission of sin and that dying in Varanasi evades rebirth.
Banaras Hindu University is a major university located in Varanasi with more than 128 independent teaching departments. It is considered one of the top three largest residential universities in the world.
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