“A speck of light dropped from heaven, awakening magic by its shimmer. How surreal is the time and sound of dawn in this city that even the Galaxy started singing?”

The waves of the Ganges unveil their beauty with the apparition of the Sun. The sound of the prayers and temple bells dissolve their surroundings, with birds dancing to the tune and a few moments frozen in time. These are the moments in the wake of which several centuries were left behind. It is the story of the eternal city Varanasi – a city beyond history, legends and time.

Once, Lord Brahma, the Hindu deity associated with the creation of the universe and Lord Vishnu, the Hindu god responsible for maintaining tranquillity and harmony on Earth, had a conflict concerning the supremacy of their creative powers.

To evaluate their might, Lord Shiva pierced the three worlds with striking force in the form of the endless support of light, the Jyotirlinga. Brahma won the battle by lying to Shiva about finding the end of the Jyotirlinga.

Lord Shiva angrily cursed Brahma and severed his fifth head. After this, Shiva received the Brahma-Hatya curse. The fifth head clung to his left hand. Every attempt to remove the head was futile.

Lord Shiva wandered along the banks of the River Ganges southwards. As he plunged his left hand into the river, the head came off, and he was released. That place became Kashi, as legends have it.

Under the name Kashi, the city was one of 16 great Indian kingdoms mentioned in ancient Buddhist texts. By the late 2nd millennium BCE, Varanasi was a seat of Aryan religion and philosophy, and the invention of highways and coins first led to a flourishing of commerce.

The land saw many sovereigns, from rulers under whom the culture flourished to ones who tried to destroy the heritage of the land.

The Varanasi we know now has become the most famous place for tourism in India because of its culture, tradition, sightseeing, ghats, fairs, festivals and temples. Lines of Indian pilgrims walk barefoot across the alleyways, drawn by occasional glimpses of the holy river.

“This is the best city to die in,” as people say, for there is no other city with the grandeur and peace of Varanasi, for there is no other city more divine.

We don’t know the exact date of Varanasi’s origin, but for Jaipur, we do. Maharaja Jai Singh II founded the city of Jaipur in 1727. It was designed by a certain Vidyadhar Chakraborty of Bengal. And to celebrate the foundation of Jaipur City, KarmaPlay is hosting a Cities of India Quiz. Join in and test your knowledge about your favourite cities!