Basic Info-Kasi - VaranasiThe original name of Varanasi was 'Kashi,' derived from the word 'Kasha,' meaning brightness. It is also known variously as Avimuktaka, Anandakanana, Mahasmasana, Surandhana, Brahma Vardha, Sudarsana and Ramya. Steeped in tradition and mythological legacy, Kashi is believed to be the ‘original ground' created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Varanasi, one of the world's oldest living cities, is rightly called the religious capital of India. Also known as Banaras or Benaras, this holy city is located in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It rests on the left bank of the holy river Ganga (Ganges) and is one of the seven sacred spots for Hindus. Every devout Hindu hopes to visit the city at least once in a lifetime, take a holy dip at the Ghats of the Ganga (the famous steps leading down to the water), walk the pious Panchakosi road that bounds the city, and, if God wills, die here in old age.
Legends regarding the orgin of Varanasi abound, but the archeological evidence suggests that urban settlement of the area began in about 2,000 BCE, making Varanasi one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. In ancient times, the city was famous for its production of fine fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. Buddhism is said to have started here in 528 BCE in nearby Sarnath, when the Buddha gave his lecture on the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma.
By the 8th century CE, Varanasi had become a center for the worship of Shiva, and accounts from foreign travelers during the medieval period show that it had an unsurpassed reputation as a holy city.
During occupation by the Persian Empire in the 17th century, many of Varanasi's Hindu temples were destroyed and replaced with mosques, but in the 18th century, modern Varanasi began to take shape as Hindu-led governments facilitated the restoration of temples and the building of new shrines.
Nearly 5000 years ago, Kasikanda described the glory of the city in 15,000 verses in the Skanda Purana. In it Lord Shiva says, ‘the three worlds form one city of mine and Kasi is my royal palace therein'. As Shiva's abode Varanasi has always been venerated. It is believed that the jyoti linga in its Kasi Vishwanath Temple goes back to the time of the epics. The temple itself is of more recent origin. Successive invasions starting with the destruction of the city in 1193 by Mohammed Ghori and ending with the plunder of Benaras by Warren Hastings nearly 600 years later, saw the temple being built and rebuilt a number of times. The present temple was consructed by Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, in 1776. A few years later in 1835, at the instance of the Sikh ruler of Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple shikara was gilded with gold leaf.
Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Many names have been given to Varanasi, though its recently revived official appellation is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism. It probably derives from the two rivers that flank the city, the Varana to the north and the Asi to the south.. Many still use the anglicized forms of Banaras or Benares, while pilgrims refer to Kash, first used three thousand years ago to describe the kingdom and the city outside which the Buddha preached his first sermon; the "City of Light" is also called Kashika, "the shining one", referring to the light of Shiva. Another epithet, Avimukta, meaning "Never Forsaken", refers to the city that Shiva never deserted, or that one should never leave. Further alternatives include Anandavana, the "forest of bliss", and Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides.
Varanasi's associations with Shiva extend to the beginning of time: legends relate how, after his marriage to Parvati, Shiva left his Himalayan abode and came to reside in Kashi with all the gods in attendance. Temporarily banished during the rule of the great king Divodasa, Shiva sent Brahma and Vishnu as his emissaries, but ultimately returned to his rightful abode protected by his loyal attendants Kalabhairav and Dandapani. Over 350 gods and goddesses, including a protective ring of Ganeshaa form a mandala or sacred pattern with Shiva Vishwanatha at its centre.
Each name carries an additional meaning in terms of the sacred symbolism of the city, with each defining a progressively decreasing arc starting and ending on the west bank of the Ganges. While the boundary of Kashi is delimited by the circular Panchakroshi Road, Varanasi is the main city, extending from Asi Ghat and circling around to the confluence of the Ganges and the Varana. Yet a smaller area, defined as Avimukta, starts at Kedara Ghat in the south and ends at Trilochana Ghat. Most important of all is Antargriha, the "Inner Sanctum" around the Vishwanatha Temple, which encompasses Dashashwamedha Ghat, Surya Kund, the lingam of Bharabhuta, and Manikarnika Ghat. Another, later, interpretation suggests three sectors of khandas in the form of Shiva's trident, each centered around a temple - Omkara to the north, Vishvanatha in the centre and Kendra to the south.
A city which, since it is both an exalted place of pilgrimage and an idealize centre of faith, has been likened to Jerusalem and Mecca.According to the historians, the city was founded some ten centuries before the birth of Christ. The city is mentioned in Holy Scriptures like 'Vamana Purana', Buddhist texts and in the epic 'Mahabharata'.Mark Twain,the English author and literature,who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Banaras,once wrote:"Banaras is older than history,older than tradition,older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.
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