From the archive record
Devotees gather to attend Ganga aarti on the banks of river Ganga and Priest doing the aarti. Varanasi, also known as Banaras, is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism, Ravidassia religion and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city at older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri". The temples and religious institutions in the city now are dated to