Every year, about 20,000 people pilgrimage to Varanasi, India's holiest city, to die. Some Hindus believe they can break out of the cycle of rebirth if they die and are cremated in the city. Down ...

Varanasi, often referred to as Banaras or Kashi, is one of the oldest living cities in the world. This name is said to come from the ancient word Baran which meant to 'describe,' while the city ...

Hindu pilgrims have long come to Varanasi to die, believing that it will bring salvation. But by wandering aimlessly, Pico Iyer realises this city of death is actually a city of joy.

An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Banarasi silk saris flourished in the city of Varanasi in India in the 16th century.

Smoldering funeral pyres line the Ganges river in India's holy city of Varanasi, where thousands of Hindu faithful come each year to spend their final days. July 10, 2022. News.

A general view of Varanasi, the city of Hindu gods and temples, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting his parliamentary election, May 31, 2024.

VARANASI, India (RNS) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to revitalize the city's historic sacred sites have increased domestic religious tourism, but for some foreign spiritual seekers ...