Varanasi or Banaras, the ‘Abode of Lord Shiva’ is one of the oldest living cities in the world.
It place in Hindu mythology is virtually unrivalled and is in fact, the microcosm if Hinduism.
According to legends, the city was created by Lord Shiva himself and the Puranic literature dates its existence to at least three millennia.
Early history of Varanasi is replete with hoary tales of plunder and destruction by conquerors and religious zealots.
Kashi, the mythological name of this eternal city is said to be derived from the word ‘Kashi’, meaning shrine or bright, as it wa