City of Lord Shiva, City of religion and city of enlightenment we can call Varanasi (Kashi) by many names. It is called the oldest city. Varanasi is situated on the bank of river Ganga and also considered as the last pilgrimage. Sarnath, where the lord Buddha had delivered his first speech is in this city. Parshvanath and Patanjali also belong to Varanasi.

Varanasi is linked with many centuries of history and yet dynamic with its association with river Ganga. The main thing about this city of Kabir and Tulsi is that it is associated with its oldest root customs and culture. To keep the old customs alive the people of this city trying hard and to fulfill this goal they do every work with unity. In Varanasi can not be seen any difference of caste, greed or religion. We can see difference outside but there is unity internally. There is unity in diversity. The whole world admires this effort and unity of this city. Many tourist and people from all over the world come to visit this beautiful city.

It is believed that Varanasi is situated on the trident of Lord Shiva. Varanasi (Visheshvara) exists on the middle fork of trident of Lord Shiva, Omkareshvara on the north fork and Kedareshvara on south fork of trident of Lord Shiva (Omkareshvara, Visheshvara, Kedareshvara). Lord Shiva always lives here invisibly and flow the energy from his hair in the form of Ganga River.

Varanasi is the oldest city in the world and older than history. Varanasi has destroyed four times by Muslim invaders between 11th to 17th centuries but it has re-built. In the Varanasi, there are over 3000 Hindu temples, 1400 Mosque, 12 Churches, 3 Jain temples, 9 Buddhist temple and 3 sikh temples. Varanasi is denoted by various names such as Varanasi, Kashi, Banaras, Mahasmashana, Avimukta, Anandvan, Rudravasa etc.

Places to See
River Front:
The Ghats of Varanasi truly embody the real essence of this timeless city. As the first rays of the sun set the gently flowing Ganga afire, thousands of devout take the ceremonial dip and the Ghats come alive to people from all walks of life. Each performing rituals the way they were done, centuries ago. To a visitor it is a charming preview into the character of a holy city, unchanged, unspoiled by the vagaries of time.

Durag Temple:
Dedicated to Duga, the goddess of power, it is one of the most important temples in the city. Constructed during the 18th century in Nagara style of temple architecture, its shikhara or spire is formed of small shikharas, one atop the other.

Bharat MataTemple:
Located on top of a hill known as ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’, this ancient temple stands at an altitude of about 1100 feet above the surface level of main Srinagar city. The sacred temple can be visited only through a trek to the top of the hills.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple:
It is a gold spiraled temple rebuilt in 1776 A.D. by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore and dedicated to Lord Shiva. The gold spire is covered with a ton of gold plating donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab in 1835. A.D. It is popularly known as the Golden Temple.

Tulsi Manas Temple:
Constructed in 1964 by a philanthropist family of Varanasim this temple is dedicated to Lord Ram. The temple is situated at the place where the great seer of the medieval ages, Goswami Tulsidas lived and composed the epic poem ' Ramcharitmanas' expounding the history and deeds of Lord Ram.

How to Reach
Varanasi is the cultural capital of India and the melting pot of Indian civilization. Varanasi or Benaras has a well-developed transport network and is well connected to all the major Indian cities and states by air, road and rail.

By Air: Varanasi is well connected and accessible to major Indian cities and tourist spots. There are daily domestic flights to and from Varanasi to several cities in India. Apart from the state owned Indian Airlines, there are many private air taxi operators that offer their services from Varanasi to other Indian cities. In fact, the daily flights on Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi route are quite popular among the tourists.

By Rail: Since Varanasi lies in the heartland of the North Indian plains, it is well connected to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other parts of India. There are two railway stations in Varanasi, the Kashi Junction and the Varanasi Junction (also known as Varanasi Cantonment). Rajdhani Express from Delhi or from Calcutta passes through Varanasi too. One can also catch trains from Mughalsarai, just 10 km south of Varanasi.

By Road: Situated in the flat Ganga plains, Varanasi has a good network of roads. frequent public and private buses and road transport to all the major towns of Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas.