Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, lines the sacred Ganges River in India’s Uttar Pradesh state and serves as a major pilgrimage site for Hindus.
The riverside ghats, especially Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika, draw pilgrims for ritual bathing and the nightly Ganga Aarti fire ritual.
The golden-spired Kashi Vishwanath Temple honors Lord Shiva, while nearby Sarnath marks Buddha’s first sermon.