Varanasi , also known as Benares, is a city on the banks of the river <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges">Ganges</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</a> , India. A major religious hub in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India">India</a>, it is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_city">holiest</a> of the seven sacred cities (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapta_Puri">Sapta Puri</a>) in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism">Hinduism</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism">Jainism</a>, and played an important role in the development of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism">Buddhism</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravidassia">Ravidassia</a>.

VARANASI - The saptapuri capital

<ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha">Buddha</a> is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first sermon, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammacakkappavattana_Sutta">The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma</a>", at nearby <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarnath">Sarnath</a>.</li><li>The city's religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Shankara">Adi Shankara</a> established the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaivism">worship of Shiva</a> as an official sect of Varanasi</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsidas">Tulsidas</a> wrote his epic poem on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama">Rama</a>'s life called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Charit_Manas">Ram Charit Manas</a> in Varanasi. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Nanak">Guru Nanak</a> visited Varanasi for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Shivaratri">Maha Shivaratri</a> in 1507, a trip that played a large role in the founding of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism">Sikhism</a></li><li>Dying in Varanasi is considered to be the best way to attain salvation or moksha by hindus</li></ul>

Varanasi and religion

<ul><li>Varanasi lies along <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Highway_19_(India)">N</a>H2, and is served by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi_Junction_railway_station">Varanasi Junction railway station</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lal_Bahadur_Shastri_International_Airport">Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport</a>.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_weaving_in_Varanasi">Silk weaving</a>, carpets and crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaras_Locomotive_Works">Banaras Locomotive Works</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Heavy_Electricals">Bharat Heavy Elect</a>cls.</li><li>The city has long been an educational and musical centre, many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians have lived in the city, and it was the place where the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benares_gharana">Benares gharana</a> form of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustani_classical_music">Hindustani classical music</a> was developed. One of Asia's largest residential universities is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaras_Hindu_University">Banaras Hindu University</a></li></ul>

The economic importance of Varanasi

According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi was founded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva">Shiva</a>,one of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimurti">three principal deities</a> along with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma">Brahma</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu">Vishnu</a>. During a fight between Brahma and Shiva, one of Brahma's five heads was torn off by Shiva. As was the custom, the victor carried the slain adversary's head in his hand and let it hang down from his hand as an act of ignominy, and a sign of his own bravery. Shiva thus dishonored Brahma's head, and kept it with him at all times. When he came to the city of Varanasi in this state, the hanging head of Brahma dropped from Shiva's hand and disappeared in the ground at varanasi.

Varanasi and religion

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Varanasi and hindu mythology