Why visit Varanasi
- Varanasi is the oldest living city in the world
- A city with a spiritual legacy going back to 300 years
- Gateway to Sarnath, an important Buddhist centre
Varanasi's unique culture is associated to the river Ganges, where life and death intermingle. The living flock the ghats, praying with the belief that bathing in the waters of the sacred river would result in the remission of their sins, while the ashes of the dead are scattered in the water to break the cycle of reincarnation. Dotted with temples, the city's principle shrine is the Vishwanath temple, dedicated to Shiva. The temple was destroyed repeatedly during various invasions but was finally rebuilt in 1776 A.D. by Rani Ahilyabai of Indore. Sarnath, where Gautam Buddha is believed to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism, is situated about 10 km from Varanasi. The site houses a number of Stupas, excavated ruins of monasteries and the Ashokan pillar with the four sided lion's head which is also the national emblem of India. The museum has a rich collection of sculptures comprising numerous Buddha and Bodhisattva images, considered amongst the finest specimens of Buddhist art.
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