Key Takeaways
- Why the city has three names
- What makes it sacred
- Buddhism at Sarnath
- The ghats
In This Article
Varanasi, Kashi and Banaras are the same city. Kashi is the scriptural name, Banaras the one most people use in speech, and Varanasi the official one, taken from the Varuna and the Assi, the two streams that mark its ends. It sits on the north bank of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, and it is where Hindu families come for final rites. Ours are on the Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi page.
Why the city has three names
- Kashi. The oldest, meaning the luminous. This is the name the Puranas use and the one that appears in ritual contexts.
- Banaras. The vernacular form, widely used in India and the one the saree, the paan and the gharana are named for.
- Varanasi. The official name since 1956, from the Varuna in the north and the Assi in the south.
What makes it sacred
Shiva is held to be present in the city rather than visiting it, and the Kashi Vishwanath temple holds one of the twelve jyotirlingas. The tradition holds that dying here ends the cycle of rebirth, which is why the city’s life is organised around death to a degree no other Indian city’s is. Our note on why Kashi is called the gateway to moksha sets out the reasoning.
The Ganga turns north at Varanasi, flowing back towards its source. The ghats are built along that bend.
Buddhism at Sarnath
Sarnath, ten kilometres north, is where the Buddha is held to have given his first sermon after enlightenment. The Dhamek Stupa and the archaeological site are there, and it is a straightforward half-day from the city. Jainism also claims Varanasi, as the birthplace of two tirthankaras.
The ghats
Around eighty ghats line the river. They are not interchangeable and it is worth knowing which is which before you arrive.
- Dashashwamedh. The busiest, and where the evening Ganga aarti is performed. See our Ganga aarti guide.
- Manikarnika. The principal cremation ghat, burning continuously.
- Harishchandra. The older cremation ghat, smaller and quieter.
- Assi. The southern end, where students and morning walkers gather. Covered in our Assi ghat guide.
Temples worth the detour
- Kashi Vishwanath. The principal shrine, rebuilt in the eighteenth century by Ahilyabai Holkar.
- Kaal Bhairav. The guardian of the city. Tradition holds that no one stays in Kashi without his leave.
- Durga Mandir. Eighteenth century, in red ochre, with the tank beside it.
- Sankat Mochan. The Hanuman temple, founded by Tulsidas.
- Pishach Mochan. Where rites for troubled or untimely deaths are performed. See our note on Pishach Mochan and Narayan Bali.
A short history
Varanasi has been continuously inhabited for something close to three thousand years and is among the oldest living cities anywhere. It was a centre of learning and weaving long before it became a mass pilgrimage destination, and it has been a seat of Sanskrit scholarship throughout. Much of what stands today dates from the eighteenth century, when Maratha patrons rebuilt a great deal of the riverfront, but the practices are older than the buildings.
The city now
It is a working city of around a million and a half, with a university, the silk weaving trade, and considerable traffic. The ghats are not preserved for visitors; they are used. That is worth knowing before arriving, particularly for a family coming to perform rites while grieving: Manikarnika is public, continuous and loud, and the first encounter with it is a lot.
Visiting
- Getting there. Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The city is on the main rail network.
- When. October to March is comfortable. April to June is very hot. The monsoon raises the river and covers the lower steps.
- How long. Two days covers the ghats, the aarti and Sarnath. A family performing rites should allow an extra day.
- The aarti. Dashashwamedh, at dusk. Arrive an hour early for a seat, or watch from a boat.
Rites performed here
Asthi Visarjan from ₹5,355, Pind Daan from ₹7,100, tarpan, and Tripindi Shradh for ancestors whose rites were never performed. All are arranged with a Kashi pandit and can be performed on your behalf if you cannot travel.
🕉️ Book rites at Varanasi
- Kashi pandit assigned before you travel
- Boat to midstream for Asthi Visarjan
- All puja samagri included
- Performed on your behalf if you cannot come
Common questions
Are Varanasi, Kashi and Banaras the same place?
Yes. Three names for one city, used in different registers.
How many days are enough?
Two for the city and Sarnath. Three if your family is performing rites.
Is it respectful to visit the cremation ghats?
Observing quietly from a distance is accepted. Photographing the pyres is not.
Planning a visit
If the visit is for ancestral rites, tell us what your family needs and when you can come, and we will confirm the pandit and the total beforehand. Everything is on our Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi page.
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