Varanasi

**Varanasi** (Sanskrit: वाराणसी _Vārāṇasī_,Telugu: వారణాసి, ʋaːɾaːɳəsiː), also commonly known as **Banaras** and **Kashi,** is a city on the banks of the river Ganga (Ganges) in the Indian state of [Uttar Pradesh. Hindus, Buddhists and Jains think it is holy. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

## Notable people

Rani Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi from 1842 to 6/18/1858, an Indian queen and charismatic female strategist, was born here, named Manikarnika. On 10 May 1857, she led the Hindu revolt, also known as India's First War of Independence, against the British navy. She died on 6/17/1858 or 6/18/1858 at age 29.

## References

- Singh, Rana P. B. Varanasi as Heritage City (India) on the scale the UNESCO World Heritage List: From Contestation to Conservation.  Swedish South Asian Studies Network.

## Other websites

- District Varanasi Official Website - Official website of Varanasi District and City
- Why Did Aurangeb Demolish Kashi Vishawnath ?

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Varanasi
- **other name**: Kashi,  Banaras, Benares, Avimukta, Ānandavana, Rudravāsa
- **image caption**: **Left to right, top to bottom:** a street of Banaras; Ustad Bismillah Khan; Faculty of Arts, Benares Hindu University; Goswami Tulsidas, composer of the _Ramcharitmanas_; weaving silk brocade;  Benares Sanskrit College, India's oldest Sanskrit college (founded in 1791); Munshi Ghat; Manikarnika Ghat, the holy cremation ground on the Ganges river front
- **nickname**: The spiritual capital of India
- **pushpin map**: India Uttar Pradesh#India#Asia
- **pushpin label position**: left
- **pushpin map caption**: Location in Uttar Pradesh
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision type1**: States of India, State
- **subdivision type2**: Divisions of Uttar Pradesh, Division
- **subdivision type3**: Districts of India, District
- **subdivision name1**: Uttar Pradesh
- **subdivision name2**: Varanasi division, Varanasi
- **subdivision name3**: Varanasi district, Varanasi
- **government type**: Municipal Corporation
- **governing body**: Varanasi Municipal Corporation
- **leader party**: Bhartiya Janta Party, BJP
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader name**: Mridula Jaiswal
- **leader title1**: Divisional Commissioner
- **leader name1**: Deepak Agarwal, Indian Administrative Service, IAS
- **area total km2**: 112.10
- **elevation m**: 80.71
- **population total**: 1,201,815
- **population as of**: 2011
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population metro**: 1,432,280 (List of million-plus urban agglomerations in India, 32nd)
- **population rank**: List of most populous cities in India, 32nd
- **demographics type1**: Language
- **demographics1 title1**: Official
- **demographics1 info1**: Hindi language, Hindi
- **demographics1 title2**: Additional official
- **demographics1 info2**: Urdu
- **demographics1 title3**: Regional
- **demographics1 info3**: Bhojpuri language, Bhojpuri
- **timezone1**: Indian Standard Time, IST
- **utc offset1**: +5:30
- **postal code type**: Postal Index Number, PIN
- **postal code**: 221 001 to** (** area code)
- **area code**: 0542
- **area code type**: Telephone code
- **registration plate**: UP 65
- **blank1 name**: GDP
- **blank1 info**: $3.07 billion (2016–17)
- **blank2 name**: Per capita income
- **blank2 info**: INR 1,93 616
- **blank1 name sec2**: Human sex ratio, Sex ratio
- **blank1 info sec2**: 0.926 (2011) male, ♂/female, ♀
- **blank2 name sec2**: Literacy (2011)
- **blank2 info sec2**: 80.12%
- **blank3 name sec2**: Human Development Index, HDI
- **blank3 info sec2**: 0.645
- **leader title2**: District Magistrate
- **leader name2**: Kaushal Raj Sharma, Indian Administrative Service, IAS
- **leader title3**: Inspector General of Police, Inspector General, Varanasi Range
- **leader name3**: Vijay Singh Meena, Indian Police Service, IPS
- **leader name4**: Prabhakar Chaudhary, Indian Police Service, IPS
- **leader title4**: Superintendent of Police (India), Senior Superintendent of Police