India - Iconic Riverfront of the Historic City of Varanasi

"Excavations, historic documents and scientific analyses support the fact that Varanasi is one of the most ancient continuously living cities of the world. With an abundance of iconic ghats, temples, historic housing and living religious and cultural traditions, Varanasi is one of the highest embodiments of Indian culture and spirituality, and the ghats are an epitome of the traditions attached. Owing to the immense sacred value associated with River Ganga in the Indian context, the riverfront forms the most iconic part of the city. The riverfront, that is the interface of the river with the land, encompasses the ghats (the steps leading to the river bank), the magnificent edifices towering above them, and the quaint alleys behind flanked with temples, mosques, palaces, havelis (traditional courtyard houses), kunds, akharas, gardens and gateways. The ghats portray a considerable part of the city’s cultural traditions and religious symbolism, thus being especially significant to Hindu religion."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Varanasi, formerly Benares, is one of the holiest Hindu town along the Ganges River - Gangga. Pilgrims here cleansed themselves in the holy river. Thanks so much to Donna who lives in India.