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Varanasi (Kashi, "City of Light") lies on the left bank of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. Textual and archaeological evidence suggests settlement from the Iron Age onward; the city is central to Hindu cosmology as a tirtha where bathing in the Ganges grants spiritual merit and death within the city offers moksha (liberation). Buddha preached his first sermon at nearby Sarnath, linking Varanasi to Buddhist origins as well.
The riverfront ghats — stone steps and platforms numbering around 80 — structure urban life: Dashashwamedh Ghat for daily Ganga Aarti, Assi Ghat at the southern end, Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats for cremation. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple (rebuilt repeatedly, current shrine largely 18th century under the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar) honours Shiva as Vishwanath, "Lord of the Universe." Narrow lanes (galis) behind the ghats preserve dense temple and residential fabric.
Varanasi has been a centre of Sanskrit learning, music (Benares gharana), and silk weaving. While not a single UNESCO monument, the living city is inscribed in intangible and cultural heritage discussions and ranks among the most visited destinations in India for both pilgrims and international travellers.
