Benares
| Benares | |
|---|---|
| |
| Presidency: Bengal | |
| Coordinates: | 25.282009°N 82.956336°E |
| Altitude: | 80.71 m (265 ft) |
| Present Day Details | |
| Place Name: | Varanasi |
| State/Province: | Uttar Pradesh |
| Country: | India |
| Transport links | |
| Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Bengal and North-Western Railway | |
Benares (now Varanasi), the Holy City of the Hindus, gives its name to a district and division in the United Provinces of India. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world. On the left bank of the Ganges, it is an important site of pilgrimage and is characterised by the burning ghats along the river.
Spelling Variants
Modern name: Varanasi
Variants: Benares, Banaras, Kashi
History
The city has an ancient history, being one of the oldest continuously populated sites in the world. After a period of Muslim rule, Benares came under the patronage of the Marathas and subsequently ceded to British control in 1775.
Military
Benares had a cantonment with a British and Native garrison.
Actions
- Battle of Benares in 1857, during the Indian Mutiny.
Transport
It was the first station on the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, after the latter's easternmost connection with the East Indian Railway at Moghal Sarai, as well as a terminus for the Bengal and North-Western Railway.
Churches and missions
- St Mary's Church (Anglican)
- St Mary's RC Cathedral
- St Paul's Church
- Wesleyan Church
- (London) Mission Church
- Methodist Church
Missions
- Church Missionary Society (arrived 1817) - at Sigra
- London Missionary Society (arrived 1820)
- Wesleyan Missionary Society (arrived 1878)
- Baptist Mission (arrived 1816, left 1890)
- Zenana Bible and Medical Mission (formerly the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society, arrived 1868)
External links
- "Benares" Love to Know 1911
- "Varanasi" Wikipedia