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VARANASI
THE CITY:
Varanasi is the religious capital of the Hindu faith since recorded time and is a
microcosm of Indian life. When Buddha came here around 500 B.C. he encountered
an ancient settlement. Contemporary with Babylon, Nineveh, and Thebes, Varanasi
is one of the oldest cities in the world, a hub of firmly rooted traditions. For all its
variety of sacred spots, Varanasi is really one big shrine, the shrine of Shiva. This cult
is one of the oldest forms of worship, and was practiced in the Indus Valley
thousands of years ago. Legend recounts how the Ganges was created. The water
goddess Ganga was ordered to redeem the souls of some humans of great merit. But
the fall of such a quantity of water would cause great damage to the world, so Shiva
caught the goddess in his hair and let her seep out slowly to wash the ashes of the
worthy mortals, and their souls ascended to heaven.
