Varanasi

Geographical location

Varanasi is located in northern India 780 kilometers east of the Indian capital Delhi predominantly on the left bank of the Ganges, India's largest river. The city belongs to the state of Uttar Pradesh and is located in its eastern part. The municipality of Varanasi covers an area of 79.79 square kilometres. Varanasi is the administrative seat of Varanasi district, which besides the city covers a total area of 1,578 square kilometres in the surrounding areas. In the immediate vicinity of Varanasi are the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Sarnath (thirteen kilometres to the north), the former Maharaja's residence of Ramnagar on the opposite side of the Ganga, and the railway junction of Mughalsarai ten kilometres to the east of Varanasi.

Topography

The urban area of Varanasi stretches along the river on the western side of the Ganges. At the site of Varanasi, the Ganges makes a bend and flows in a large arc towards the northeast. Due to its location on the steeply rising high bank on the western side of the river, the city is protected from the annual floods of the Ganges. The flat eastern bank, on the other hand, which is regularly flooded, is completely undeveloped. The urban area of Varanasi is bounded by two rivers that flow into the Ganges here: Varuna to the north and Assi to the south.

Varanasi is believed to have been founded around 1,200 BC by Kashya, the son of Suhottra. In 1193, the city was captured by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, the Ghurid general. He made himself independent of the Ghurids and established the Delhi Sultanate. For the next 500 years, Varanasi was under Muslim rule. During this period, many Hindus converted to Islam. During the reign of Akbar I at the turn of the 17th century, the city was ruled by a Hindu governor who built several temples and an observatory. However, these structures have not been preserved. Shah Jahan installed his son Dara Shukoh as the governor of Varanasi. He maintained close relations with Hindu scholars and dealt with their teachings. Aurangzeb, who pursued a policy of re-Islamization in the late 17th century, closed down the schools in the city of Muslim scholars who were concerned with Hindu doctrines, had a Hindu temple destroyed to build a mosque in its place, and renamed the city Muhammadābād. This name, however, did not catch on. After his death, Balwant Singh, the son of a Hindu zamindar was elevated to the position of Raja of Varanasi in 1739. He cooperated with the British East India Company and became more and more dependent on them. In 1775, his territory came under British administration, but Balwant Singh's family retained the Raja title. In 1950, the territory became part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, the royal house continues to exist to this day.

On January 19, 1977, a serious railway accident occurred near Varanasi when a passenger train struck a stopping train. 28 people died and another 78 were injured.