What is the significance of the city of varanasi to hindus

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However, if you did not have the luck to die in Varanasi, your ashes can be immersed in the Ganges for salvation. Here are some of the key things to see and do in this deeply spiritual city. Considered a living goddess and featuring in many Hindu creation stories, the Ganges is sacred all along its 2,kilometre 1,mile route.

Her eternal waters nourish, feed and give life to millions of Indians in this cradle of civilization. The most famous temple in town, the golden gleam of Vishwanath is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the supreme deities of Hinduism; it was first built in Especially in Varanasi, you will see the unblemished, everlasting pageantry of the cycle of life and death on full display.

Some of the ghats are designated for cremations and puja ritual devotionals , and others for bathing. There are 88 ghats in the city; these are just a few of the most notable. Mentioned as early as the 5thC in records, Manikarnika Ghat is the main burning ghat, where bodies are cremated to receive moksha liberation. Hindus believe that this is the ideal place to be cremated; dead bodies are handled and cremated in grand funeral pyres by doms , outcasts, who are also tasked with keeping the eternal flames of the ghats burning.