Varanasi: The Eternal City on the Banks of the Ganges

Long before Rome laid its foundations or Athens raised its columns, a settlement on the banks of the Ganges had already begun its journey through time. Varanasi, often referred to as Kashi or Benares, stands not merely as one of India’s sacred cities but as one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited urban centres. With a history that stretches back over 3,000 years, and oral traditions suggesting even greater antiquity, this city has played a defining role in shaping the spiritual geography of South Asia.

Legends speak of Lord Shiva himself founding Varanasi, establishing it as a cosmic axis—a spiritual meridian where heaven meets earth. While such myths form the foundation of Hindu cosmology, archaeological and textual evidence affirms that the city was a thriving cultural and religious hub as early as the 11th century BCE. Ancient scriptures like the Rigveda reference Kashi as a place of learning, where sages would gather to debate philosophy, ritual, and metaphysics.

The city’s most profound significance, however, lies in its relationship with the Ganges. Known as Ganga in Sanskrit, the river is not just a waterway but a sacred entity, revered as a goddess who descended to Earth to purify and liberate. Varanasi is situated along a bend in the Ganges where the river flows northward, an auspicious direction in Hindu belief. This unique geography intensifies the city’s spiritual potency, making it a destination for pilgrimage, penance, and liberation.

Each day at dawn, the ghats—stone steps that descend into the river—fill with chanting pilgrims performing ablutions in the belief that a single dip in these waters can wash away the sins of a lifetime. Among the 80-plus ghats lining the riverfront, Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most iconic. Here, the Ganga Aarti ritual unfolds each evening, with priests offering fire, incense, and rhythmic chants in a deeply evocative ceremony that attracts throngs of devotees and travellers alike.

Further down lies Manikarnika Ghat, the primary cremation ground of the city. For many Hindus, dying in Varanasi and having one’s ashes scattered into the Ganges ensures moksha—freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Flames flicker endlessly here, a visible reminder of the city’s intimate relationship with life, death, and transcendence.

Yet Varanasi is not defined solely by ritual. It has long been a cradle of learning and artistic expression. The city was a major centre for classical music and Sanskrit scholarship, drawing poets, musicians, and philosophers for centuries. The revered mystic poet Kabir is said to have been born here in the 15th century, his verses bridging the worlds of Islam and Hinduism. Even the Buddha, after attaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon just outside Varanasi at Sarnath, sowing the seeds of Buddhism’s global journey.

Modern-day Varanasi is a paradox—chaotic yet contemplative, ancient yet alive. Rickshaws rattle through maze-like alleys lined with shrines and marigold vendors. Saffron-robed sadhus chant beneath crumbling temples. The scent of sandalwood and burning ghee lingers in the air, mingling with the murmur of sacred mantras and the call of street hawkers.

For culturally attuned travellers, the city offers more than visual spectacle; it offers immersion into a different conception of time and existence. Walking through the lanes of the old city near Vishwanath Temple—the heart of Varanasi’s spiritual pulse—one encounters centuries of devotion etched into stone and soul. Rebuilt numerous times, most recently in the 18th century by the Maratha ruler Ahilyabai Holkar, the temple is dedicated to Shiva as the “Lord of the Universe.”

The Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1916, exemplifies the city’s enduring role as an intellectual beacon. Its sprawling campus houses the Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum showcasing rare manuscripts, sculptures, and miniature paintings that reflect India’s artistic heritage. Further afield, Ramnagar Fort stands across the river—a sandstone fortress that echoes the regal history of the Kashi Naresh dynasty.

Every aspect of Varanasi evokes reflection. The convergence of multiple religious traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and even Sufism—underscores the city’s role as a spiritual crossroads. Pilgrims come for salvation, scholars come for wisdom, and artists come for inspiration. Photographers and documentarians find in its textures and rhythms a visual richness unlike anywhere else.

Globally, Varanasi’s influence has radiated far beyond the Indian subcontinent. It remains a subject of fascination for anthropologists, religious scholars, and writers. The Ganges itself, despite severe ecological challenges, continues to be a symbol of cultural continuity, featuring in UNESCO-backed conservation projects and spiritual ecology dialogues.

Despite the wear of centuries, the city endures—unbowed, breathing, and sacred. Its persistence is not solely architectural but existential. In Varanasi, time is layered, not linear. Past and present walk side by side along the ghats, where a morning prayer may echo a thousand-year-old invocation.

Travellers seeking more than sights—those searching for meaning, stillness, or a glimpse into humanity’s oldest spiritual instincts—will find in Varanasi a rare kind of truth. It is a city that invites not just visitation, but introspection. Not just observation, but participation. And in that, perhaps, lies its deepest allure.