"Varanasi- Where the Ganga flows..." Varanasi by mantru

Varanasi also known as Banaras and kashi,is situated on the left west bank of river Ganga.The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance.
The name Varanasi, has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi for it lies with the confluence of Varuna with the Ganges being to its north and that of Assi and the Ganges to its south. Another speculation about the origin of the name is that the river Varuna itself was called Varanasi in olden times, from where the city got its name
Baneras is also famous for music.The famous Beneras gharana developed from here.It is home to some of the world famous musicians,like the Late Ustaad Bismillah Khan who was a shehnai maestro from India. Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument.
Also from varanasi,Girija Devi is an Indian singer and represents the Banaras Gharana of singers. She is adept at different genres of Hindustani vocal music including Khyal, Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti and Kajari, but she excels in the Poorab ang Thumri. She has been described as the last living queen of thumri.
The very famous sitarist Ravi Shankar was born in Beneras.

River Ganges the heart of Varanasi

The city of Varanasi is located in the middle Ganga valley of North India, in the Eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, along the left crescent-shaped bank of the Ganga river.Varanasi has a humid subtropical climate with large variations between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to October, with intervening monsoon seasons. Cold waves from the Himalayan region cause temperatures to dip across the city in the winter from December to February. The temperature ranges between 32°C – 46°C (90°F – 115°F) in the summers, and 5°C – 15°C (41°F – 59°F) in the winters.Fog is common in the winters, while hot dry winds, called loo, blow in the summers.
Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, being one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for Hindus of all denominationsHindus believe that bathing in Ganga remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations.

banarasi sarees

Varanasi has several small cottage industries, including Silk sari making, the production of textiles such as hand-woven carpets, and handicrafts.

• Pros:friendly city