Riverside view of the Ghats, Benaras

Varanasi, Benares or Kashi as it was once called is the `City of Lights’ or the `Eternal City’. It is the religious epi-centre of India and dates as far back as 500 BC. It has about 100 bathing and burning ghats (stepped banks) with temples and palaces built by Indian royalty located on a 5 km stretch along the holy river Ganges. It also has rich music, art, literature, handicraft and silk brocade weaving traditions.
 
The legendary burning ghats of Benares are where Hindu pilgrims come to either cremate or scatter the ashes of their dead. It is widely believed that to die in Kashi (Benares) is to receive the ultimate blessing.