Why Varanasi Could be the World's Oldest City? Find Here...
Deepika Joshi
"Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together."
        - Mark Twain
It has drawn devotees, pilgrims, and worshipers from the beginning of history. It is glorified in Hindu mythology and sanctified in holy texts.
Varanasi's original name was "Kashi," which was derived from the word "Kasha," which means light.
Kashi is thought to be Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati's "original ground."
The City of Shiva
The Varuna and Assi rivers are said to have their origins in the primordial being's body, according to the "Vamana Purana."
How Varanasi Got Its Name
The name Varanasi has been corrupted into Banaras or Benaras, as it is most commonly known.
It is now known that the Aryans initially settled in the Ganges valley, and by the second millennium BC, Varanasi had developed into the centre of Aryan philosophy and religion.
Early History of Varanasi
Varanasi was chosen to serve as the capital of the Kashi state in the sixth century BC. Lord Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, which is only 10 kilometres from Varanasi, during this time.
Kashi attracted many knowledgeable persons from all over the world since it was a hub for religious, educational, cultural, and artistic activities; one of them was the renowned Chinese traveller Hsüan Tsang, who paid a visit to India around AD 635.
Varanasi Under the Muslims
Varanasi entered a destructive phase over three centuries under Muslim administration beginning in 1194.
The scholars had to depart because the temples had been demolished. When the liberal emperor Akbar came to the Mughal throne in the 16th century, some religious tranquilly was brought back to the city.
When the brutal Mughal emperor Aurangzeb took control in the late 17th century, all of that vanished once more.
Varanasi's lost glory was restored in the 18th century. When the British proclaimed it a new Indian state in 1910, it became a sovereign kingdom with Ramnagar as its capital.
Recent History
Varanasi joined the state of Uttar Pradesh after India attained independence in 1947.