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Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world.
Many names have been given to Varanasi, though its recently
revived official appellation is mentioned in the Mahabharata
and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism. It probably derives
from the two rivers that flank the city, the Varana to
the north and the Asi to the south.. Many still use the
anglicized forms of Banaras or Benares, while pilgrims
refer to Kash, first used three thousand years ago to
describe the kingdom and the city outside which the Buddha
preached his first sermon; the "City of Light"
is also called Kashika, "the shining one", referring
to the light of Shiva. Another epithet, Avimukta, meaning
"Never Forsaken", refers to the city that Shiva
never deserted, or that one should never leave. Further
alternatives include Anandavana, the "forest of bliss",
and Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides.
| Varanasi’s associations with
Shiva extend to the beginning of time: legends relate
how, after his marriage to Parvati, Shiva left his
Himalyan abode and came to reside in Kashi with
all the gods in attendance. Temporarily banished
during the rule of the great king Divodasa, Shiva
sent Brahma and Vishnu as his emissaries, but ultimately
returned to his rightful abode protected by his
loyal attendants Kalabhairav and Dandapani. Over
350 gods and goddesses, including a protective ring
of Ganeshaa form a mandala or sacred pattern with
Shiva Vishwanatha at its centre.
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| Each name carries an additional meaning
in terms of the sacred symbolism of the city, with
each defining aprogressively decreasing arc starting
and ending on the west bank of the Ganges. While
the boundary of Kashi is delimited by the circular
Panchakroshi Road, Varanasi is the main city, extending
from Asi Ghat and circling around to the confluence
of the Ganges and the Varana. Yet a smaller area,
defined as Avimukta, starts at Kedara Ghat in the
south and ends at Trilochana Ghat. Most important
of all is Antargriha, the "Inner Sanctum"
around the Vishwanatha Temple, which encompasses
Dashashwamedha Ghat, Surya Kund, the lingam of Bharabhuta,
and Manikarnika Ghat. Another, later, interpretation
suggests three sectors of khandas in the form of
Shiva’s trident, each centered around a temple
– Omkara to the north, Vishvanatha in the
centre and Kendra to the south.
A city which, since it is both an exalted place
of pilgrimage and an idealize centre of faith,
has been likened to Jerusalem and Mecca.According
to the historians, the city was founded some ten
centuries before the birth of Christ. The city
is mentioned in Holy Scriptures like 'Vamana Purana',
Buddhist texts and in the epic 'Mahabharata'.Mark
Twain,the English author and litterateur,who was
enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Banaras,once
wrote:"Banaras is older than history,older
than tradition,older even than legend and looks
twice as old as all of them put together."
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