Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
com/)
Hinduism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduindex.asp)
Buddhism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaindex.asp)
Yoga(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/yogaindex.asp)
Spirituality(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/divinelife/divineindex.asp)
Jainism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/jainism/jainindex.asp)
Zoroastrianism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/zoroastrianism/zoraindex.asp)
SelfHelp(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/selfdevt/sdvtindex.asp)
Reference(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/general/g
Sikhism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com
Scriptures(http://www.hin
HinduismFAQ(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/hinduismfaq.asp)
HinduismAtoZ(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/hinduismatoz.asp)
Bhagavadgita(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gitaindex.asp)
Upanishads(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upaindex.asp)
Symbolism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/symbolism.asp)
Saivism(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/siva/sivaindex.asp)
History(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/history/history.asp)
Essays(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/essays/essayinde
Concepts(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/co
Vedas(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/ved
Pantheon(http://www.hinduweb
TheHistoryandAntiquityofKasior
Varanasi
TranslatethePage
SelectLanguage
SearchHinduwebsite
Search
+2 Recommend this
FollowUs
(http://www.facebook.com/hinduwebsite)
(//twitter.com/hinduwebsite)
(https://plus.google.com/+JayaramVauthor)
(http://www.youtube.com/user/hinduwebsite?
sub_confirmation=1)
by Jayaram V
FeaturedArticle
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/featured.asp
|1
andholiestoftheholyHindu
pilgrim centers. It is situated
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/featured.asp
|2
COMPOSE
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/featured02.a
|3
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/featured03.a
|4
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/featured04.a
Editorial
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/editorial/ind
founderoradynastythatruleditorthekingdomwithwhichit
Audio
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/audio/index.
havegotitsnamefromagrassnamedKusathatgrewwildlyin
Books
theregionwherethecitywasbuilt.
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/books/index
Horoscope
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/shopping/ex
HinduismNews
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/hi
PrayersandMantras
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/prayers/inde
OnlineStore
(http://www.purelifevision.com/)
Quotations
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/qts/index.as
Duringthecourseofits3000ormoreyearsofhistory,thecity
ofVaranasiwitnessedmanyimportanteventsandmovements
of Hindu religion and Indian civilization. The city passed
through several tumultuous phases starting from the
ascendance of the vedic culture around 1000 BC. It bore
witness to the transformation and integration of the Vedic
traditionintheGangeticvalley,theteachingsoftheBuddhaon
thebanksoftheGangestothenewconverts,thewanderings
ofthe muchrevered Jinas andAjivakasbegging for alms,the
construction, expansion and consecration of its many temples
by generous patrons, the religious animosity that led to the
desecrationanddestructionofitsgodsandtemplesfromtime
to time, and its reemergence in modern times into a famous
Hindupilgrimagecenter.
The ancient city ofVaranasiwas locatedon the northern side
ofpresentdayVaranasi,intheareaknownasRajghat,where
remnants of city wall, pottery and artifacts dating back to 800
BC were unearthed, suggesting to the evidence of ancient
settlementsinthearea.KasiisreferencedintheancientIndian
Brahman
(http://www.purelifevision.com/products/brahman
byjayaramv.html)
TheAwakenedLife
(http://www.purelifevision.com/products/the
awakenedlifeacollectionofwritingson
spirituallife.html)
IntroductiontoHinduism
(http://www.purelifevision.com/products/introduction
tohinduism.html)
EssaysontheBhagavadgita
(http://www.purelifevision.com/products/essays
onthebhagavadgita.html)
SelectedUpanishads
(http://www.purelifevision.com/products/selected
upanishads.html)
InancientIndia,Kasiwasagreatcenterofeducationnotonly
for the Hindus but for other religions such as Buddhism and
SpecialLinks
Jainism.StudentsweretaughttheVedas,theUpanishadsand
WisdomoftheBhagavadgita
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gita/wisdom/index.as
WisdomoftheUpanishads
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upanishads/wisdom/
ConceptsofHinduism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts.as
Saivism.net(http://www.saivism.net/)
SelfhelpVision.com
(http://www.selfhelpvision.com/)
AllSaivism.com
(http://www.allsaivism.com/)
traditiononseveraloccasionshestationedhimselfinVaranasi
JayaramV.com
(http://www.jayaramv.com/)
Bhagavadgitam.com
(http://www.bhagavadgitam.com)
(http://news.hinduismlive.com)
the
famous
Vaishnava
teacher
who
PersonalLoan
Calculator
InstantOnlineApprovalin
minutes.CalculateEMI/Lakh.
CheckNow!
the
kingdom
of
rule.
King
Govindachandra
of
dynasty
generous
made
this
and
Jainism
rendering
of
the
epic
Ramayana
(../../sacredscripts/hinduism/ramayana/ramaindex.asp)
into
Hindi.IthassincebecameahouseholdnamethroughoutIndia.
Narayan Bhatt who migrated from Maharashtra to Varanasi
organized the reconstruction of Kasi Visveswara temple. He
alsocomposedaworkontheimportanceofKasi,Prayagand
GayaentitledTristhali(thethreeplaces).
After Aurangazeb, Varanasi came under the rule of Maharaja
Balwant Singh. As the Mughal power waned, there was a
resurgence of Hindu rulers in various parts of the country.
Varanasiwitnessedarevivalofreligiousactivity,supportedby
the Rajput and Maratha nobles. Many new temples were built
in the place of the old and Hinduism received a new impetus
from the followers of Saivism (../../siva/sivaindex.asp),
VaishanavismandShaktism.
TheBritishwhooccupiedlargepartsofIndiabytheendof18th
century wished to see India becoming a Christian nation, but
maintained a secular outlook outwardly. They encouraged the
missionaryactivityinthepocketsofHinduinfluence,butdidnot
associate themselves openly with the missionaries. Their
primaryinterestwaspromotingtheirbusinessinterestsinIndia
and keep the local rulers under control. They used religion to
the extent it served their interests but did not go beyond. The
lessons learned during the 1857 mutiny prevented them from
dabblinginthereligiouslivesofnativeIndians.
Intheearly19thcentury,Christianmissionariesdidgoodwork
in and around Varanasi, building Churches, schools and
hospitals, with a hope to gain new converts to Christianity.
TherewaslotofhopeandexpectationintheBritishcirclesthat
they would eventually succeed in converting the people of
Varanasi to Christian faith. Despite such efforts, Varanasi
remainedastrongcenterofHinduismandHindulearning.The
name of Varanasi was anglicized into Benares, but for all
religiouspurposesBenaresremainedVaranasithroughoutthe
British rule and was eventually renamed as Varanasi in 1947.
The Benares Sanskrit college, which was founded in 1791,
helped in the revival of Sanskrit education in the country and
laterledtotheformationofBenaresHinduUniversityin1906.
SuggestionsforFurtherReading
The History, Religious Significance
and Temples of Mathura and
Vrindavan (mathura.asp)
Hinduism and
Adultery
(../../history/hinduhistory2.asp)
The Concept of Atman or Eternal
Soul in Hinduism (../../atman.asp)
The Problem of Maya Or Illusion and
How To Deal With It
(../../beliefinmaya.asp)
Mahanirvana Tantra
the Tantra of the
Great ...
FootNotes
1.P.V.Kane,HistoryofDharmasastra,VolIV
SpiritualEssays(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/divinelife/essayindex.asp)
BuddhistPhilosophy
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhist_philosophy.asp)
Healt
(http:
PracticalBuddhism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/practicalbuddhism.asp)
Succe
(http:
EssaysonBuddhism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/essays/essay_index.asp)
Video
LinkResources(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/links.asp)
SelfHelpArticles(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/selfdevt/completelist.asp)
EssaysonBrahman(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/brahmanmain.asp)
HinduLawBooks
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/hinduism/dharma/dharma_index.asp)
SchoolsofBuddhism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/schools_ofbuddhism.asp)
Gurus&Masters(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/masters.asp)
OriginofSanskrit(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/general/sanskrit.asp)
UpanishadTranslations(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upanishadindex.asp)
India
(http:
USNe
ConceptsofBuddhism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaconcepts.asp)
Today
(http:
HistoryofBuddhism
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/history_of_buddhism.asp)
ETex
BuddhismScriptures
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/buddhism_scripts.asp)
Book
(http:
JainPhilosophy
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/jainism/jain_philosophy.asp)
Gene
(http:
JainLiterature
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/jainism/jaincanon.asp)
Web
(http:
EssaysonUpanishads(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/upaessays.asp)
AtheisminAncientIndia(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/history/athiesm.asp)
JainHistory
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/jainism/jain_history.asp)
About: Hinduwebsite.com provides original and scholarly information about Hinduism and related religions, society and culture. We
promote tolerance and the highest ideals reflected in these cultures. We have been serving the world community since 1999. More...
(http://www.hinduwebsite.com/aimsplans.asp)
20002015 Hinduwebsite.com. All Rights are reserved. No part of this website can be copied or reproduced in any manner.
Hinduwebsite.com presents original articles on various subjects. They are for your personal and spiritual growth not for copying and
posting on your website. We do not accept donations. We rely solely upon our content to serve you. If you want to promote our website
please write an introduction and post a link to it on your blog or website. However, please do not copy information from the website and
then tell us that you were trying to give us publicity. We like publicity, but not in this manner. Please protect Dharma by following its
values,whichincludenonstealing.YouruseofthewebsiteissubjecttotheseTermsofUse.