Banaras

Banaras
Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Banaras
Other name	Kashi; Varanasi
Settlement type	City
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	India
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Uttar Pradesh
Established title	Ancient foundation
Established date	c. 2nd millennium BCE
Area total km2	226
Population total	1,435,113
Population as of	2011
Coordinates	25.3176°N 82.9739°E

Banaras is an ancient city on the banks of the Ganges in northern India. Known historically as Kashi and administratively as Varanasi, it is a major center for Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism and a focal point for pilgrimage, ritual, scholarship, and craft traditions. The city has been continuously inhabited since antiquity and features dense concentrations of temples, ghats, markets, educational institutions, and artisanal workshops.

Etymology and Names

The oldest recorded name, Kashi, appears in texts associated with the Vedas and the Mahabharata, and is linked to the adjective "shining" used in Puranas, Ramayana, Manusmriti, and inscriptions connected to the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire. The name Varanasi derives from the confluence of the rivers Varuna River and Assi River, a toponym also reflected in accounts by Al-Biruni, Xuanzang, Fa Hien, and Ibn Battuta. British colonial records and travelogues by James Prinsep, Allan Octavian Hume, and Sir William Jones used the anglicized name Banaras alongside Benares, while modern Indian legislation and municipal records standardize Varanasi.

History

Archaeological strata and texts link the city to the late Harappan cultural sphere and post-Vedic urbanization recorded in Puranic literature, with classical references in Ashoka's edicts and Gupta-era inscriptions. During the medieval period, Banaras hosted dynastic patronage from Pala Empire, Gahadavala dynasty, and later integrated into the domains of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire, with urban expansion under rulers such as Sher Shah Suri and Akbar. The city became a hub for religious learning and manuscript production during the Bhakti movement and saw architectural patronage by patrons including Raja Man Singh and Benares State princes. In the modern era Banaras was a locus of reform and nationalism involving figures such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Madho Singh, Annie Besant, and Mahatma Gandhi; it hosted institutions like the Banaras Hindu University founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya and played roles in independence-era movements including the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement.

Geography and Climate

Located on the middle Ganges floodplain, Banaras occupies alluvial terrain near the confluence of tributaries Varuna River and Assi River, and thence forms part of the larger Gangetic Plain bounded by geological formations noted in surveys by the Geological Survey of India. The climate is classified under Köppen climate classification as humid subtropical, with hot summers influenced by the Indian monsoon and cool winters; seasonal flooding and riverine dynamics have been recorded in reports by the Central Water Commission and municipal drainage plans promoted by Uttar Pradesh State Government agencies.

Demographics and Society

Census data from the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India indicate a diverse urban population with communities primarily identifying as Hindus, alongside substantial Muslim and smaller Sikh, Christian, and Jain populations. Social structures include traditional occupational neighborhoods tied to artisanal guilds such as weavers linked to the Banarasi sari industry and metalworkers associated with the wazir-era workshops described in colonial ethnographies by Edward Balfour and John Beames. Educational institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, and research centers shape professional demographics in scholarship, medicine, and performing arts.

Culture and Religion

Banaras is renowned for ritualistic practices along the ghats of the Ganges, cremation rites at Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, and festivals including Diwali, Holi, Makar Sankranti, Dev Deepawali, and the Ganga Mahotsav. Intellectual and devotional traditions range from Vedanta and Nyaya scholasticism historically associated with local ashrams and pathshalas to modern contributions in Hindustani classical music by gharanas represented by musicians such as Bismillah Khan, Ravi Shankar, and Kumar Gandharva who performed and taught in the city. Literary and printing cultures include Sanskrit scholarship, Persian court histories, colonial-era presses run by figures like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and modern publishing houses based in the old city.

Economy and Infrastructure

The local economy combines pilgrimage services, handicraft production—most notably Banarasi saris woven in workshops of Weavers’ Cooperatives—and tertiary sectors like tourism, education, and health services anchored by hospitals associated with Banaras Hindu University. Transportation networks interlink via Varanasi Junction railways, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, and national highways under the National Highways Authority of India. Urban utilities, water management, and heritage conservation are overseen by municipal bodies and initiatives involving Archaeological Survey of India, state agencies, and NGOs focused on river cleanup campaigns inspired by national programs such as Namami Gange.

Tourism and Landmarks

Prominent landmarks include the riverfront ghats such as Dashashwamedh Ghat, religious complexes including Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, educational landmarks like Banaras Hindu University and its Benares Sanskrit College, and nearby archaeological and spiritual sites including Sarnath, associated with the Buddha's first sermon and monuments like the Dhamek Stupa and Chaukhandi Stupa. Cultural venues include music halls, artisanal bazaars in the old city, and festivals attracting visitors from across South Asia and global diasporas.

Category:Cities in Uttar Pradesh