A City as Old as Civilisation

There are ancient cities, and then there is Varanasi. Known in Sanskrit texts as Kashi ("City of Light") and Benares to the Mughals and British, Varanasi has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years — making it one of the oldest living cities on Earth. Mark Twain, who visited in the 19th century, observed that it was "older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend." That sense of accumulated time is palpable in every stone, every alleyway, every act of worship performed on its ancient ghats.

For Hindus, Varanasi is not merely old — it is eternal. The city is believed to be the earthly abode of Lord Shiva, who is said to have founded it at the beginning of time. To die in Kashi is considered by many Hindus to be the greatest possible liberation — moksha — because it is said that Shiva himself whispers the Taraka mantra into the ear of the dying, freeing the soul from the cycle of rebirth.

The Ghats: Where Earth Meets the Sacred River

The defining feature of Varanasi is its ghats — broad stone staircases descending to the River Ganges. There are over 80 ghats stretching along a crescent-shaped bend in the river, each with its own character, mythology, and purpose.

  • Dashashwamedh Ghat: The most famous and busiest ghat, where the spectacular Ganga Aarti ceremony is performed each evening — a coordinated fire ritual of extraordinary beauty, with priests waving flaming lamps before the river in a synchronised act of devotion.
  • Manikarnika Ghat: The main cremation ghat, where funeral pyres burn around the clock. This is among the most sacred spots in all of Hinduism — to be cremated here is to be on the direct threshold of liberation. Visitors who approach with respect are generally permitted to witness this profound ritual from a respectful distance.
  • Assi Ghat: A quieter ghat at the southern end, popular for sunrise yoga, meditation, and the meeting of pilgrims, students, and seekers.
  • Scindia Ghat: Home to a partially submerged Shiva temple, slowly sinking into the river over centuries — a powerful image of sacred impermanence.

The Spiritual Logic of the River

The Ganges — Ganga Mata, Mother Ganges — is not simply a river in Hindu cosmology. She is a goddess, a living divine force who descended from heaven to earth at the pleading of the sage Bhagiratha, held in the matted locks of Shiva to cushion her fall. To bathe in the Ganges, especially at Varanasi, is to be ritually purified — to wash away accumulated karma and sins.

Every dawn, thousands of pilgrims descend the ghats for their morning bath, standing in the cold water, cupping their hands toward the rising sun, murmuring prayers. It is one of the most moving daily spectacles in the world — not a performance, but a living practice that has continued for millennia without interruption.

Temples, Alleys, and the Fabric of Sacred Life

Behind the ghats, Varanasi's old city is a labyrinth of narrow lanes — too narrow for vehicles, smelling of incense and marigolds — that wind between temples, chai stalls, silk workshops, and the homes of priests. The Vishwanath Temple (the Golden Temple), dedicated to Shiva as Lord of the Universe, is the spiritual centre of the city, though non-Hindus may not enter its innermost sanctum.

The city is also an ancient centre of learning. The Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1916, carries on a tradition of scholarship — in Sanskrit, philosophy, music, and the arts — that stretches back thousands of years. The great 20th-century sitarist Ravi Shankar trained here; so did generations of classical musicians, Ayurvedic physicians, and Sanskrit scholars.

Approaching Varanasi as a Pilgrim

Whatever your faith or background, Varanasi asks something of its visitors: a willingness to be present with life in its full spectrum, including its most uncomfortable dimensions. The open cremations, the crowds, the poverty, and the overwhelming sensory richness can challenge Western expectations of what "spiritual" looks like.

Yet this, too, is the teaching. Varanasi does not prettify the sacred. It places life and death side by side at the river's edge, and asks you — as the great river flows past — what is truly real, and what truly matters.