|
|
| Home
» Varanasi |
|
About Varanasi |
|
| |
Varanasi, or Benaras has a history that is supposed to be at least 3000 years old, making it one of the oldest cities not only in India but across the world also. It was a prime site for the settlement and subsequent development of Aryan civilization, religion and culture. Though chiefly a religious center, Varanasi was not devoid of commercial and industrial development during those periods. We find evidences of Varanasi having been actively involved in the production and trade of muslin & silk fabrics, ivory works, perfumes and sculpture during the Aryan period. We also find the references of Varanasi in several Hindu scriptures of Vedic period.
During the sixth century BC, which was also the period of the Buddha, Varanasi was serving as the capital of the Kingdom of Kashi.
| |
The city was still a prime center of educational, religious and artistic activities, as has been proved by the records of the famous Chinese traveler Xuanzang, who happened to visit the region about 635 years before the beginning of the first millennium. According to him, Varanasi was situated at a three km stretch along the western bank of the Ganges.
The medieval period brought much of destruction and plight in Varanasi, which begun with the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1033 AD and then by Mohammed Ghori in 1194 AD. Many Hindu temples were destroyed and assets pillaged during the reigns of Muslim assailants, who continue to maintain their supremacy for about three centuries. The situation was so grim that many learned scholars of Hindu scriptures found it better to leave the place for other parts of the country. The accession of the Mughal emperor Akbar to the throne of Delhi brought some respite to the people of Varanasi. However, the reign of terror started afresh once Aurangzeb acceded to the throne.
The decline of the Mughals coincided with the rise of the Marathas, and soon the control of Varanasi passed into the latter, who made genuine attempts to bring back the lost glory of the city. Varanasi was once again the center of the religious, educational and cultural activities. The city assumed independence in the eighteenth century, and became a Kingdom of Kashi. The rising tide of the British power soon envelop the whole of Varanasi, and subsequently in 1910, it was transformed into a state, with Ramnagar as its headquarters. Ramnagar is situated on the opposite Bank of the Ganges, and the fort at Ramnagar, built by the Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh in the eighteenth century, still houses the titular head of the city commonly known as Kashi Naresh.
After independence, Varanasi became a part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, but continued to be the center of the great religion and culture brought by the Aryan civilization. Varanasi is the microcosm of the Hindu culture and a chief holy city for the majority of the population living in India. Thus, it attracts a large number of pilgrims and visitors from all across the country every year. Modern Varanasi has a well-developed infrastructure to support commercial activities. There is an airport about 20 km from the center of the city and it is connected to major destinations in the country through an excellent network of road and rail routes
|
|
|
