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| Benares (Varanasi) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Benares (Varanasi) |
| Native name | Banaras |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| District | Varanasi |
| Founded | Ancient period |
| Population | 1.2 million (city) |
| Coordinates | 25.3176° N, 82.9739° E |
Benares (Varanasi) Benares (Varanasi) is an ancient city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, India, renowned as a center of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism and as a focal point for pilgrimage, learning, and performing arts connected to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University, and the historic ghats such as Dashashwamedh Ghat. The city's urban fabric links sacred geography, classical music traditions like the Gharana system, and artisan industries associated with the Silk Road-era trade networks that intersected with centers such as Varanasi Cantonment and ports on the Ganges Delta.
The toponym has multiple historical forms recorded in sources such as the Mahabharata, Puranas, and accounts by travelers like Al-Biruni, Ibn Battuta, and Xuanzang. Names include "Kashi" appearing in the Rigveda and Shakta texts, "Vārāṇasī" associated with the rivers Varuna and Assi, and "Banaras" used under the British Raj and in colonial records such as the Imperial Gazetteer of India. Scholarly works in the Asiatic Society and publications by the Archaeological Survey of India discuss phonetic variations and etymological links to ancient urban centers mentioned in the Upanishads and Brahmanas.
The city's antiquity appears in epics like the Ramayana and administrative lists from the Gupta Empire and the Mughal Empire. Archaeological layers reveal occupation phases contemporary with urban centers such as Pataliputra and Taxila, with later prominence under rulers including the Chandela dynasty, the Maratha Empire, and the Nawabs of Awadh. Colonial interactions involved figures and institutions such as Warren Hastings, the East India Company, and the British East India Company's administrative reforms; the 19th and 20th centuries saw cultural revival movements linked with Raja Ravi Varma, Rabindranath Tagore, and the founding of Banaras Hindu University by Madan Mohan Malaviya with support from leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The city figured in political campaigns during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and in cultural documentation by scholars from the Royal Asiatic Society.
Situated in the middle Gangetic plain near the confluence of tributaries such as the Varuna River and the Assi River, the city occupies alluvial terrain historically linked to riverine trade routes to Calcutta and Allahabad (Prayagraj). The climate is classified in meteorological records similar to other northern urban centers like Lucknow and Patna, with hot summers influenced by the Indian monsoon and cooler winters moderated by continental systems described in studies by the Indian Meteorological Department. Flood dynamics and sedimentation patterns are analyzed in reports by the Central Water Commission and in research involving the National Institute of Hydrology.
Census data from the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India indicate a population comprising communities identified with institutions such as the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, religious trusts around the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and migrant artisan groups linked historically to trading networks with Banaras silk weavers and workshops associated with families documented by the All India Handloom Board. Linguistic landscapes feature varieties of Hindi, dialects of Bhojpuri, and classical scholarly use of Sanskrit in ritual and academic contexts at Banaras Hindu University and affiliated seminaries like the Tarkashastra tradition.
The city is a crucible for ritual practices described in texts from the Smriti corpus and performed at sites connected to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Manikarnika Ghat, and Sarnath where the Buddha is said to have delivered the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. Musical lineages include the Benaras Gharana and artists associated with patrons like Apoorva Lakhia and institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Literary and performing traditions intersect with print and broadcast media historically linked to the Imperial Library (Calcutta) and modern organizations like the Doordarshan network. Funeral rites, pilgrimages, and festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and the Ganga Aarti ceremony involve priests from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and scholars from the Kashi Vidvat Parishad.
Economic activities center on textile production (notably Banarasi sari weaving), metalwork associated with workshops that supplied courts like the Mughal court, and pilgrimage-driven services servicing travelers from corridors linking New Delhi and Prayagraj. Infrastructure includes transportation nodes such as Varanasi Junction railway station, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, and road links along national corridors administered by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Urban planning, sanitation, and riverfront development projects involve agencies like the National Ganga River Basin Project and the Swachh Bharat Mission, with conservation input from the Archaeological Survey of India and environmental assessment by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Key sites for visitors and scholars include the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the ceremonial ghats like Dashashwamedh Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat, the Buddhist nexus at Sarnath with the Dhamek Stupa, and academic institutions such as Banaras Hindu University and the Maan Singh collections. Museums and archives feature holdings comparable to the Asiatic Society (Kolkata) and showcase artifacts cataloged by the National Museum, New Delhi and regional conservation projects overseen by the State Archaeology Department. Tourism circuits link the city to religious routes such as the Char Dham pilgrimage and heritage trails promoted in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism (India).
Category:Cities in Uttar Pradesh