Varanasi, also known as
Benares,
Banaras , or
Kashi, is a city on the banks of the
Ganges in the
Uttar Pradesh state of
North India.
A major religious hub in
India, it is the
holiest of the seven sacred cities (
Sapta Puri) in
Hinduism and
Jainism, and played an important role in the development of
Buddhism and
Ravidassia.