Varanasi District is one of the important districts in
Uttar Pradesh. It is bounded by
Jaunpur District in the north-west,
Ghazipur District in the north-east,
Mirzapur District in the south,
Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi District in the west, and
Chandauli District in the east. Varanasi has an area of 4,036 sq km with a total population of over 3.1 million. The
Ganges and Varuna are two major rivers.
The headquarters, Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi, is situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is a major pilgrim center of Hindus. There are 198 important temples and 84 ghats. Most of these holy ghats are still used for bathing and also for cremating human bodies. Varanasi has a rich tradition in the field of music, arts, crafts and education. It is famous for silk weaving, especially silk saris and silk brocades.
Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and
Banaras Hindu University are situated here.
Bharat Kala Bhawan Museum, Maharaja Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum, Kashi Vishwanath temple, Durga temple, Mangala Gauri Ghat, Chausath Devi temple, Kamakshi Devi temple, and Sarangnath temple are major tourist destinations. Sarnath, well known for Buddhist stupas, monasteries and temples, is also situated here.
