“Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together” – this is all about Varanasi as perceived by Mark Twain, America’s the most famous literary icon.
Situated at the confluence of the rivers ‘Varuna’ and ‘Assi’ (Varuna flows into the Ganges on the north and the Assi joins the Ganges on the south); Varanasi, the most sacred city among Hindus, is also one of the oldest living cities of the world in all true sense. The history of Varanasi dates back to more than 1000BC; the city is older than Rome and it had already established as a prominent center for trade when Lord Buddha came to Sarnath, just ten kms away, to preach his first homily. Regarded as the city of Lord Shiva, from time immemorial Varanasi has been attracting hundreds and thousands of people every year to its ancient precincts with an eerie magnetism – be they pilgrims and devotees or sadhus and pundits, NRIs or nirvana seeking hippies, corporate honchos or normal tourists.The best way to soak up the cosmopolitan flavour is to take a boat ride or slouch around at the ghats or be the witness of the famous ‘Ganga Aarti’ during sunset.
At the end of Aarti priests offers milk and flower to ‘Maa Ganga’
The Journey Of A Backpacker 