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Varanasi
Varanasi , formerly Benares , city (1991 pop. 1,030,863), Uttar Pradesh state, N central India, on the Ganges River. Although a rail hub and trade center, Varanasi is chiefly important as a holy city. Thought to be one of the world's oldest cities, it is the holiest city of the Hindus, who call it Kasi. There are about 1,500 temples, palaces, and shrines. Few of these, however, date back further than the 17th cent., since Muslim invasions destroyed many Hindu religious sites. The most famous Hindu temples are the Golden temple, dedicated to Shiva, and the Durga temple with its swarms of sacred monkeys. The banks of the Ganges in the city are bordered by ghats, or flights of steps, that Hindus descend in order to bathe in the sacred river. Hindus believe that to die in Varanasi releases them from the cycle of rebirths and enables them to enter heaven. About one million religious pilgrims visit the city annually. Varanasi is of importance to other religions also. Buddha is said to have begun preaching at Sarnath, 4 mi (6.4 km) outside the city. The mosque of the emperor Aurangzeb stands on the city's highest ground and is one of Varanasi's notable buildings from the Muslim period. Varanasi is also famous for its silk brocades and brassware. The city is an educational center, especially for Sanskrit studies; Benares Hindu Univ. (1916) is there. Across the Ganges from Varanasi is Ramnagar, which was the capital of the former princely state of Benares and is still the seat of the maharajah. Ramnagar is noted for its 31-day Ramilla, the enactment of the events of the Ramayana . |
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"Varanasi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Varanasi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Varanasi.html "Varanasi." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Varanasi.html |
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Vārānasi
Vārānasi, Uttar Pradesh/India Kāshī, Banaras/Benares, Muhammadābād The original name meant ‘Luminous’ or ‘Resplendent’, thus ‘(City of) Light’ from the Sanskrit kas. Kāshī was also a kingdom and may have been the name of an ancient Aboriginal tribe. The present name means ‘City between Two Rivers’, the Varuana and the Asi. The Pali version of its ancient Hindu name was Bārānasi which gave Banaras which was corrupted by the British to Benares. Vārānasi was officially adopted in 1956. While subject to Muslim Mughal rule between the 13th and 16th centuries it was called Muhammadābād ‘City of Muhammad’. An independent kingdom during the 18th century, the British made it a state in 1910.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Vārānasi." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Vārānasi." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Vrnasi.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Vārānasi." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Vrnasi.html |
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Vārāṇasī
Vārāṇasī (Pāli, Bārāṇasī). The Indian holy city and capital of the ancient state of Kāśī on the Ganges, formerly known in English as Benares. Its proximity to the Buddhist centre of Sārnāth would have attracted many Buddhist pilgrims (see pilgrimage). Despite its cultural importance in India, the Buddha does not seem to have had a strong connection with this city, although several discourses were given there.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Vārāṇasī." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "Vārāṇasī." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Vras.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "Vārāṇasī." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Vras.html |
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Varanasi
Varanasi (Benares, Banoras) City on the River Ganges, Uttar Pradesh, n India. Hindus consider Varanasi to be the most holy city. Each year, it attracts millions of pilgrims who bathe in the Ganges. Buddha reputedly preached his first sermon nearby. Silk brocade, brassware, and jewellery are among the city's specialist industries. Pop. (2001) 1,100,748.
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"Varanasi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Varanasi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Varanasi.html "Varanasi." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Varanasi.html |
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Varanasi
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Varanasi." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Varanasi." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Varanasi.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Varanasi." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Varanasi.html |
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Vārāṇasī
Vārāṇasī (Indian sacred city): see KĀŚĪ.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Vārāṇasī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Vārāṇasī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Vras.html JOHN BOWKER. "Vārāṇasī." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Vras.html |
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