Eternal peace on the waterfront- Kaashi

It's not just physical space that defines the ghats of Banaras; it's a five-millennia old civilisation distilled.

Banaras is one of the oldest continually lived cities of the world and its ghats are a totem of Indian spirituality and culture.

For visitors, it's an unparalleled visual and spiritual encounter- the devotees descending into the Ganga for Surya namaskar at crack of dawn, the thousands of diyas and scented flowers floating on the waters, the pandits and the rituals, the crowds and the commotion...Millions of devotees visit the city each year to wash away past sins, or simply, to wait for death.

It's estimated that there are over 100 ghats in the city. Many of the ghats claim their origins from the gods. For instance, Dasaswamedh - one of the main ghats in the city - is said to be the exact spot where Lord Brahma sacrificed 10 horses. Another ghat, Manikarnika, is said to have got its name when the Goddess Parvati - having lost her earrings (manik) on the banks on the Ganga – asked her husband Lord Shiva to search for them. Thus, devotees say the Lord is forever present at the ghat, hunting for the never-found earrings. Even cremated souls are believed to be questioned by him.

With this deeply spiritual flavour, it's no wonder Banaras is the cultural hub of north India. Poets, writers and musicians like Kabir, Ravi Das, Munshi Premchand, Pandit Ravi Shankar and the Ustad Bismillah Khan have links with the city. Ustad Bismillah Khan was so devoted to Banares he couldn't live anywhere else. "Raja or maharaja, they'll have to come here."