This enchanting city is said to have been founded by Lord Shiva. Being one of the oldest living and most holy city's in India, Varanasi attracts a lot of tourists, who come to absorb the over 2000-year old history of learning and civilisation that the city has to offer. This sacred city, which was founded ten centuries before the birth of Christ, is mentioned in holy scriptures like 'Vamana Purana', Buddhist texts and the Mahabharata. Varanasi share a relationship as old as time and this relationship is what makes this city the 'City of light. What draws visitors to Varanasi other than the centuries old culture and spiritualism is the long string of ghats, which line the west bank of Ganges.
Ghats are the steps which lead down to the river.
There are around 100 ghats in Varanasi, each with its own significance. Most Indians believe that anyone dying on the banks of the river, in Varanasi, attains instant 'moksha' or enlightenment. The Dasaswamedh Ghat is the most important ghat here, and conveniently placed at the centre. The Manikarnika ghat is associated with Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva's wife. The five ghats where pilgrims are supposed to bathe in order, and on the same day are Asi ghat, followed by Dasaswamedh, Barna Sangam, Panchganga, and finally, Manikarnika, in that order.