Kashi: City of Ghats and Temple

I grew up in Kashi since childhood. So I have seen kashi very Closely and know that as you know Kashi is a tourism place, I have seen many tourist wandering in Kashi, so after seeing this I felt like I should write about this city.

Kashi is a very old City. Kashi Is known by many names like Banaras, Varanasi Etc.

Kashi is the Center of a variety of cultural and religious activities of the Northern India including learning, literature and art from years It is also known as the city of God as it is considered that it was manufactured by the Lord Shiva. It is the center for origination of the Hindustani classical music from Benares Gharana. It is the birth place and work place for many Indian philosphers, poets, writters, musicians and other great personalities. It is the place where Gautam Buddha has given his first serman at the holy place named Sarnath. 

According to the Hinduism and Jainism, Kashi is the most holy city of the seven sacred cities. It is believed by the Hindus that one who dies in the Varanasi will get salvation from the cycle of birth and death and finally intermingled in to the Lord Shiva. 

It has become the most famous place for tourism in India because of its culture, tradition, sightseeings, attractive places, ghats, fairs, festivals and temples. Many of its old temples have been destroyed decades ago in the 12th Century in the time of the Muslim King Mohammad Ghauri. The current temples and other religious places in Kashi are of 18th century.

 

King Of Kashi

The king of kashi, Kashi Naresh, became the chief guest and organizer of all the cultural as well as religious celebrations of the Varanasi. The culture of Varanasi is very old and religious, which is intimately connected with the Ganga River.

Kashi Naresh's generation still lives in the fort of the Ramnagar. It is situated at the east of the Varanasi at the right bank of the River Ganges. This fort was built by the Kashi Naresh " Raja Balwant Singh"in the eighteenth century.

The Ramnagar fort and its museum tell he truth history of the kings of Benares. The king of Ramnagar was the chief cultural patran and known as the essential part of all religious celebrations of Hindus.

 

The Etymology of Varanasi

The origin of the name of varanasi is behind the names of two rivers, the Varuna and the Assi. According to the Rigveda, Varanasi was referred as Kasi or Kashi. The varanasi is known as the centre of learning, literature, art as wll as culture. 

The God Shiva Says, in the ancient, Varanasi city was founded by the Hindu deity the Lord Shiva which makes it one of the most important and old pilgrimage destinations in the India. There was a general stand on the "The Trishool", the weapon of the Lord Shiva.

Varanasi is around 3000 years old city in the world. It is the most famous city for its muslin, silk, fabrics perfumes, ivory works, and various sculptures. It is also Known as the center of most religious and artistic activities.

In the Next blog. I will write about Kashi Vishwanath Temple.